Content
Answer the prompt directly and develop relevant ideas, details, reasons, or examples.
Free five-minute writing practice
Writing
Sample
Try the full task without signing in. Use the preview to plan, write for up to five minutes, then get a PrepEx score estimate and detailed feedback without saving or sharing your response.
30 seconds
prompt preview
5 minutes
writing time
1 task
per current test
PrepEx provides independent DET-style practice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Duolingo. PrepEx results are practice estimates, not official DET scores.
Practice preview · Preview
0:30
Start the 30-second preview to reveal the prompt.
Do you think technology makes students more independent learners? Give reasons for your opinion and include examples from education or daily life.
Your response is ready for Petra AI feedback.
Get a PrepEx DET score estimate plus feedback on content, coherence, grammar, and vocabulary. Your response is graded without being saved to a learner profile.
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What the response can demonstrate
Four criteria, one connected performance.
The public DET writing rubric considers content, discourse coherence, vocabulary, and grammar. PrepEx reports each criterion separately so the next revision has a clear purpose.
Coherence
Organize ideas so they progress clearly and the relationships between them are easy to follow.
Vocabulary
Use accurate, appropriate words with enough range and precision for the task.
Grammar
Use controlled sentences and enough structural range to express the intended relationships.
Task-specific control
Develop one response that stands on its own.
The Writing Sample gives you one prompt and five minutes. A clear answer with relevant development is more useful than a memorized essay template.
Answer the central question
State the main response early enough that the reader can follow the purpose of the writing.
Develop relevant support
Use reasons, details, explanation, or examples that genuinely help answer the prompt.
Leave time to review
Check clarity, transitions, grammar, spelling, and punctuation before the five minutes end.
There is no published official word minimum or required paragraph count for this task. More writing helps only when it remains relevant, clear, and controlled.
Current format, checked August 2026
Task facts come from current DET sources.
PrepEx follows the public task format and writing construct, uses an original reviewed prompt, and labels every result as an independent practice estimate.
The task has a 30-second preview followed by five minutes of writing. Read the official task page.
Official public guidance describes content, discourse coherence, vocabulary, and grammar evidence. Read the official rubrics.
Writing Sample informs Writing, Literacy, and Production. Read how DET items are scored.
Quick answers
Writing Sample FAQ
How long is Writing Sample?
You see the prompt for 30 seconds before the five-minute writing period begins.
Is there an official minimum word count?
No task-specific minimum is published. Use the available time to answer directly and develop relevant ideas in clear English.
Which DET subscores does this task inform?
Writing Sample informs the Writing individual subscore and the Literacy and Production integrated subscores.
Does PrepEx save or share this response?
No. This anonymous acquisition preview grades the response in memory. It does not create a submission, update progress, or share the text with an institution.
Is the PrepEx estimate an official DET score?
No. Petra AI provides an independent practice estimate and response-specific coaching. Only Duolingo can issue an official DET score.