Duolingo English Test · Reading lesson · 8:00–9:00 pm
Reading practice, written at the 125 level
Every exercise here uses the real DET question format and timing. Turn timers off at the top right when you want to slow down and explain.
Scores now and the goal
Certified test, October 28, 2026. The black line on each bar marks 125.
| Integrated score | Made from | Now | Waterloo needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Literacy | Reading + Writing | 110 | 125 |
| Production | Writing + Speaking | 110 | 125 |
| Comprehension | Reading + Listening | 95 | not listed |
| Conversation | Listening + Speaking | 95 | not listed |
| Overall | All four skills | 100 | 120 |
Tonight's plan
- 8:00Read and Select
Warm-up. 18 words, real or fake? Then look at how the fake words are built.
- 8:07Fill in the Blanks
8 sentences, 20 seconds each. Grammar clues and fixed phrases.
- 8:15Read and Complete
Paragraph 1 together, thinking aloud. Paragraph 2 alone, timed.
- 8:32Interactive Reading 1
Fact-based passage. 7 minutes timed, then go through every answer.
- 8:48Interactive Reading 2
Story passage, if time allows. Otherwise it becomes homework.
- 8:55Homework
Daily routine for the next three weeks and words from tonight.
What counts toward the Reading score
| Question type | Time | How many | What it tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read and Select | 5 seconds per word | 15–18 | Recognizing real English words |
| Fill in the Blanks | 20 seconds per sentence | 6–9 | Vocabulary and grammar inside one sentence |
| Read and Complete | 3 minutes per paragraph | 3–6 | Spelling and grammar across a paragraph |
| Interactive Reading | 7–8 minutes per passage | 2–3 passages | Word choice, sentence logic, finding details, main idea |
Most Reading questions test fast word recognition and exact spelling. Long-passage reading is only one part.
Reading · 18 words · 5 seconds each
Read and Select
A word appears. Decide if it is a real English word. Press Y for yes or N for no.
Reading · 8 sentences · 20 seconds each
Fill in the Blanks
Type the missing letters to finish the word. Each slot is one letter. Press Enter to submit.
Reading · 3 paragraphs · 3 minutes each
Read and Complete
Type the missing letters to complete the text. The cursor jumps to the next word when a word is full.
Reading · 6 questions · 7 minutes
Interactive Reading 1
One passage, six questions in order. Start the timer, answer each question, then press Check to see why.
Reading · 6 questions · 8 minutes
Interactive Reading 2
This one is a story. On the real test, one passage is a story and one gives facts or information.
Read and Complete · from any English text
Turn any text into Read and Complete
Paste a lecture transcript or article, then press Make exercise. The first sentence of each paragraph stays complete. After that, every second word loses its second half, the same pattern the DET uses.
Blank lines split paragraphs. Without blank lines, the text is split into paragraphs of about 100 words. Names and numbers are never blanked.
After class
Homework and review
Twenty to thirty minutes a day is enough if it happens every day. Reading moves fastest when vocabulary and spelling improve together.
Every day
- 10 minutes of Read and Complete on the DET Practice tab, or a paragraph from this page.
- Read one short news or science article. Write its main idea in one sentence and give it a title.
- Learn 8–10 academic words with their word family: vigilant → vigilance, prevail → prevalent.
- Add every misspelled word to a spelling list and review it the next day.
Every week
- One full practice test on the official DET site.
- Write down which question type took the most time or lost the most points.
- Bring that list to the next lesson.
Before the real test
- Use a stable internet connection. Wired is safest.
- Charge the phone and test the phone camera setup in advance.
- Quiet, well-lit room. Close every other app.
- Two earlier attempts were invalidated because of video and connection problems.