DET
DET listening task guide

DET Interactive Listening practice

This linked set moves from dictation to conversation choices and a written summary. Names, goals, decisions, and changes carry across the stages.

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Current format

What happens in Interactive Listening

Complete a conversation, respond to it, then write a short summary.

Frequency2 sets of 8–10 questionsCurrent official test structure.
TimeShared 6:30, then 75 seconds to summarizePractise with the real constraint.
ScoringScoring changes by stage; the summary uses writing criteriaPrepEx reports practice evidence only.
A repeatable method

Use one job for each part of the timer

  • Build a compact note trail: who, why, problem, response, and outcome.
  • Choose replies that fit both the latest turn and the conversation goal.
  • Use the summary to report the main situation and result, not every line.
Practise the format, then review the decision

After each PrepEx attempt, identify the first point where your response went off track. A specific correction is more useful than simply repeating the same item.

Open Interactive Listening practice.

Common mistakes

What to catch during review

  • Treating each stage as unrelated
  • Choosing a grammatically possible reply that breaks the conversation
  • Keeping notes so detailed that they consume the shared timer
  • Writing a chronological transcript instead of a focused summary
Scoring boundary

PrepEx feedback is practice evidence

Interactive Listening contributes evidence under the official DET scoring system. PrepEx can help you check task execution and track practice performance, but it does not reproduce Duolingo's live adaptive selector, operational item bank, proctoring, or scoring model.

Any number shown after a PrepEx attempt is a practice estimate, not an official DET score.

Official source

Confirm the live task rules before test day

Read the official Interactive Listening Help Center page and the current DET Test Structure. Duolingo's live Help Center is the final authority if a task count, timer, or rule changes.

Format facts rechecked September 1, 2026. PrepEx examples and practice content are original and independent.

DET Listening practiceCompare every current listening task family. All DET task typesCheck the timing and scoring approach for all 13 families. DET formatSee where the task fits into the current test flow. DET scoringSeparate official reporting from PrepEx practice estimates.
PrepEx provides independent DET preparation. PrepEx practice estimates are not official Duolingo English Test scores or results.