r/DuolingoEnglishTest

I genuinely do not understand this explanation because I followed all of the instructions regarding room lighting and making sure my eyes were clearly visible. Before starting the test, I also checked the image of my face on the screen to make sure that my face and eyes were visible on camera.
The photo I am attaching to this post shows the exact desk, chair, and location where I took the test. As you can clearly see in the photo, there is no window in front of my desk or directly in front of my face. There is only one window beside this area of the room, but when I move forward and sit at the desk to take the test, I am already past the window, and there is only a wall beside where I am sitting. Therefore, I was not sitting in front of a window during the test.
Another important point is that I cannot take the test without my glasses. I need my glasses to see properly, and even my driver’s licence specifically states that I am required to wear corrective lenses. Removing my glasses while taking an online test where I need to read from a computer screen is simply not a realistic option for me.
What makes this situation even more confusing is that only a few days before this test, I took another test in the exact same room, at the same desk and chair, wearing the same glasses, at approximately the same time of day, and under essentially the same conditions. That test was reviewed without this issue, and I successfully received a result.
If the lighting, my seating position, or my glasses made my eyes impossible to see clearly, I genuinely do not understand how almost identical conditions were acceptable only a few days earlier.
Also, before I was allowed to begin the test, the position of my phone, which was being used as the secondary camera, was checked. I was not permitted to start until the system approved the setup. I completed every step that was required of me and did everything I reasonably could to make sure my testing environment complied with the instructions.
This situation has become especially frustrating after all the problems I have already experienced trying to complete this test. I have attempted to take the test eight times in total. Six of those attempts were interrupted during the test because of technical issues, preventing me from completing them. Out of all these attempts, I have only successfully received a result once, and now another test that I managed to complete has been invalidated.
I genuinely do not know what else I could have done differently. I cannot remove my glasses, there was no window in front of me, I checked the camera preview before the test, my secondary camera setup was approved before I was allowed to begin, and I had successfully taken another test under essentially the same conditions only a few days earlier.
All I am asking for is for my case and the recorded test footage to be reviewed carefully and fairly, and for a clear explanation of what someone who is required to wear glasses is actually supposed to do to prevent this from happening.
If anyone has experienced something similar or knows how this can be escalated further after an appeal has been rejected, I would really appreciate any advice or guidance.

I attempted the practice test to see how much I would get. My university requirement is 120. I didn't study for this test or anything, just got to know that duolingo test is accepted so I went and tried giving the exam. Just to see what the format is like and how hard the questions are. Do you think I should buy the exam and just give it?

Hi all, I'm Leda — I teach English and coach students specifically for the Duolingo English Test. Wanted to share the patterns I consistently see across students who raise their speaking score quickly vs. the ones who plateau, in case it's useful for anyone prepping right now.

The speaking section trips people up because you get almost no prep time — freeze for even a few seconds and the whole answer suffers. Here's what actually correlates with fast improvement, in the order I'd prioritize it:

1. Recording daily, no exceptions. Students who record a random topic for 60-90 seconds and play it back improve noticeably faster than students who just "practice in their head." It's the fastest way to catch filler words and hesitations you can't hear in the moment.

2. Training under time pressure. DET doesn't give much room to think. I have students practice starting within 3-5 seconds of seeing a prompt — a rough start beats a frozen one every time.

3. Having a few flexible structures ready. Not scripted answers — more like a skeleton (opinion → reason → example) that adapts to almost any topic. This removes most of the "what do I even say" panic.

4. Shadowing. Taking a 1-minute podcast or YouTube clip and repeating it out loud — matching rhythm and intonation, not just the words — builds fluency faster than vocab drilling.

5. Catching in-head translation. Students who are mentally translating from their first language before speaking are almost always behind on time. Practicing "thinking in English" directly is one of the biggest score jumps I see.

One thing I try to get across early: DET rewards fluency and confidence more than "perfect grammar." A few small mistakes delivered smoothly consistently score better than a technically correct answer full of long pauses.

Happy to answer questions if anyone's prepping and wants a second opinion on their approach.

I need a 105! I got a 100 last Friday, and I’m going to take the exam again this Saturday. These scores are from yesterday from Duolingo and Arno. Before taking the official Duolingo test, I was usually scoring between 95 and 105 on the practice tests. Do you think I can reach 105? 🥹 Any advice? Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I am writing this out of sheer desperation. I honestly don't know what else to do anymore.

My university graduation deadline is coming up on August 31, and my final requirement is the Duolingo English Test certificate. Since December, when my first tests were invalidated for the exact same reason ("There is evidence you may have received assistance on the written sections"), my life has been completely on hold.

Back in December, I thought I might have made an unintentional mistake, perhaps related to using a mouse or my environment. So, I spent the last 8 months studying rigorously, improving my English, and preparing meticulously for this.

For my latest attempt on August 9, I took every extreme security measure possible:

• I borrowed a completely fresh laptop from a family member, with all non-essential drivers, touchscreens, and features disabled.
• I completely emptied out my room: I unbolted and removed the whiteboard from the wall, took out my exercise stationary bike, closed the blinds and the door, and left the room practically bare.
• I explicitly asked my parents to leave the house with our dog so I would be completely alone with zero ambient noise or interruptions.
• I followed every single rule to the letter.

And yet, despite all of this, my test was invalidated once again for the exact same reason. My appeal was just rejected with a generic automated response, and I am completely shattered.

Throughout my entire academic life, I have maintained an immaculate record and exceptional grades. I am more than willing to provide official proof of my academic standing, or have my university officially vouch for my student status. I am a genuine student working in good faith, and I simply cannot understand what my automated detection error is. Because of high-stakes pressure and intense nerves during the test, my hands shook while typing and I occasionally looked down at the keyboard, which I suspect triggered false positives in the AI system.

I have spent money, time, and emotional energy that I simply don't have left. This situation is severely impacting my health and well-being.

Is there anyone from the Duolingo team who could please manually review my case or escalate it to a human supervisor? I just want a fair, genuine human evaluation of my writing section recordings.

Thank you to anyone in the community who reads this or offers advice. Any help means the world to me right now.

The application deadline is tomorrow, and I need to submit my Duolingo English Test score before then. The institute I’m applying to requires a minimum score of 100, but I got 95.

I don’t have enough money to take another test, and I need a test that can provide the results within 12 hours; otherwise, I won’t make the deadline. The real test turned out to be much harder than the practice tests.

I already contacted the institute and asked if they could provide me with a free test voucher/code, but I haven’t received a response yet. I honestly don’t know what else to do.

If anyone has a free Duolingo English Test voucher or promo code that they’re not using, I would really appreciate your help. Please DM me if you can help. 🙏