What do you need to do?
You read a short text with letters missing from several words. Type only the missing letters to make the text complete.
Keep in mindThe three minutes cover reading, all the gaps, and checking.
What should your answer do?
Each finished word should fit both its sentence and the whole text. You need the right spelling and ending, not just a word that starts with the same letters.
How to answer
- Read the whole text once.
Use the complete sentences to understand who or what it is about.
- Fill the words you feel sure about first.
Those answers may help you understand the harder sentences.
- For each gap, read the words before and after it.
Check the visible letters and the number of spaces.
- Check word endings.
For example, two needs a plural word, and yesterday often points to the past.
- If a word is difficult, move to another gap and come back.
Before time ends, read the completed text and check your spelling.
Work through one gap
An original PrepEx teaching example.
Maya grows food behind her house. She picked two carr___ for lunch. They were fresh and sweet.
Show answer and explanation
Example answer
Type ots to make carrots.
Why this works
The text is about food from a garden. The letters carr and the three spaces fit carrots. Two tells you that the word must mean more than one carrot. Check all three clues together.
This short teaching example has one gap so you can follow the reasoning. A test passage has several unfinished words.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Looking only at the unfinished word. Read the whole sentence, and the next sentence if you need more help.
- Keeping the first word you think of. Check that it fits the meaning, the letters, and every space.
- Missing a final -s or -ed. Small endings can change the meaning of the sentence.
- Spending too long on one gap. Complete other words, then return with more of the text filled in.
How to improve your next answer
- Compare a missed answer with your word. Was the problem meaning, spelling, or the ending?
- Read the corrected sentence aloud. Explain to yourself why that word fits.
- Try a new passage with one goal, such as checking every plural ending. A new text helps you see whether you learned the skill.
Use your result to choose what to practise next
Look at the answers and feedback as well as the number. Choose one thing to work on, then try a new question.
A PrepEx score is a practice estimate, not an official DET score. Only Duolingo can give you an official test result.
Check the rules before test day
Read the official Read and Complete guide and the current DET Test Structure. If the test changes, follow Duolingo's latest instructions.
Task instructions and timing checked September 21, 2026. The examples and study tips on this page were written by PrepEx.