Duolingo English Test — Practice & Strategy

Lesson 2 · Push for the higher band · New tasks, new practice

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Level up from Lesson 1

Lesson 1 gave you the tasks and the golden rule. Lesson 2 sharpens them, refreshes every practice, and adds the two big tasks you have not drilled yet: Interactive Reading and Interactive Listening.
Still the golden rule: NEVER STOP — fill every second, every line. Now add one thing: reach a little higher.
How to turn a pass into a strong score: join your ideas with linking words (however, because, for example, on the other hand); use a range of tenses; and replace tired words — instead of good / nice / very, try useful, impressive, extremely, genuinely. Small upgrades, big difference.
Remember the nerves plan: a simple structure for every task means you are never staring at a blank. Every tab here gives you one to lean on.
Warm up (60 seconds)

Describe your town or city to someone who has never been there. Keep talking — buildings, food, weather, what to do — until the timer ends. Try to slip in two linking words.

01:00

Read Aloud — longer, smoother

Same task, harder sentences. It scores pronunciation and fluency. Now work on linking — letting words flow into each other — and stressing the important words.
How to win it: read it silently first and find the key words to stress. Let small words link (“arrive at” → “arrive-vat”). Keep an even pace, finish your endings (-ed, -s), and don't let your voice fall away at the end.

Read each one aloud — twice

READ ALOUD
Despite the heavy traffic, we managed to arrive at the airport with time to spare.
READ ALOUD
The committee agreed that the proposal deserved further discussion next week.
READ ALOUD
Scientists believe that the discovery could change the way we treat the disease.
READ ALOUD
If the train is delayed again, I will seriously consider driving instead.
READ ALOUD
Learning a language takes patience, but the rewards are absolutely worth it.
Watch: the -ed endings (managed, agreed, deserved, delayed) — say them fully. The th in the, that, further, worth, they. Stress the content words (heavy, airport, proposal, discovery, patience) and let the small words link between them.
Fluency lap (45 seconds)

Read all five, one after another, smoothly and calmly — like a newsreader who is never in a hurry.

00:45

Interactive Reading

A real test task you have not drilled yet: you read a short passage, then answer several small questions about it — filling gaps, choosing a title, and finding what is true. Read once for the general idea, then again for detail.
Many cities are now encouraging people to cycle to work. New bike lanes make the roads safer, and some companies even offer a small payment to staff who leave their cars at home. Supporters say cycling reduces traffic and pollution and keeps people healthier. Critics, however, point out that cycling is difficult in bad weather and that not everyone lives close enough to their workplace. Even so, the number of cyclists in many cities has risen sharply over the last few years.

Complete the sentence (from the passage)

1. New bike lanes make the roads ___.

2. Some companies pay staff who leave their ___ at home.

3. Critics say cycling is difficult in bad ___.

Choose the best title

Which title fits the passage best?

Which statement is true?

According to the passage…

Interactive Listening

The other task you have not drilled: a conversation where you choose the best reply, then sum up what happened. Here, your teacher reads the other person's lines aloud; you pick the best response, then speak a short summary.
The situation: you telephone a language school to ask about an evening course. For each line you hear, choose the reply that is polite, clear and moves the conversation forward.
School: “Good morning, Riverside Language School. How can I help you?”
Your best reply:
School: “Of course. Which language are you interested in?”
Your best reply:
School: “We have a class on Tuesday evenings. Would that suit you?”
Your best reply:
Now sum it up (60 seconds)

In your own words, say what the phone call was about, what you asked for, and what you decided. Full sentences, no stopping.

01:00

Describe & Speak

A new photo, and new speaking topics. Same rescue frames: for the photo, general → details → a guess; for a topic, your answer → two reasons → one example.
A busy Asian street market: a fruit stall with mangoes and dragon fruit, shoppers with umbrellas, red lanterns overhead, and a stall cooking noodles in a wok

Write about the photo (at least three sentences), then read it back:

One good version: “This is a busy outdoor street market, probably in an Asian city — I can see red paper lanterns and colourful umbrellas overhead. In the foreground there is a fruit stall piled high with mangoes, dragon fruit and pineapples, and several shoppers are walking past carrying plastic bags. On the right, two men are cooking noodles in a large wok, and steam is rising into the air. It looks lively, crowded and full of colour — people are shopping and buying street food.”
Speak about the photo (90 seconds)

Say your description out loud, then keep going: the colours, the sounds, the smells, what you would buy. Do not stop until the timer ends.

01:30

Speak on a topic (90 seconds each)

SPEAK · 90s
Describe a person who has had a big influence on your life, and explain why.
SPEAK · 90s
Is it better to save money or to spend it on experiences? Give your reasons.
SPEAK · 90s
Talk about a change you would like to see in your town or city.
SPEAK · 90s
Do you think technology makes our lives easier or more stressful? Explain.
Keep these ready: “Personally, I think…” · “There are two main reasons…” · “The first reason is…” · “For example, in my own experience…” · “On the other hand…” · “So overall, I would say…” If a word disappears, say “in other words…” and explain it differently.
Do all four (30s plan, 90s speak)
01:30

Listen, Type & Words

Fresh dictation and vocabulary. Typing exactly what you hear scores well and trains fast. Your teacher reads each sentence twice — type it exactly, then check.

Dictation

1. Type the sentence you hear:

2. Type the sentence you hear:

3. Type the sentence you hear:

4. Type the sentence you hear:

Real word or not?

Which is a real English word?
Which is a real English word?

Complete the word

She gave a very clear expl___ (a description that makes something easy to understand).

The company is looking for a reliable new emp___ (a person who works for a company).

Speaking two languages is a real adv___ (a benefit that helps you).

The Writing Sample

Your writing appears in the score report, so accuracy matters — tenses, articles, agreement. Structure it, then leave 30 seconds to check. A new prompt this time.
The plan: 1) State your opinion in one clear sentence. 2) Reason one + an example. 3) Reason two + an example. 4) One-sentence conclusion. Join them with linking words. Simple and correct beats long and broken.
WRITE · 5 min
Some people think children should start learning a foreign language at primary school. Others think it is better to wait until they are older. What is your opinion?
05:00

Check your own writing before you finish

Alternate Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 as full timed mock tests until the real test feels like something you have already done many times.