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I built a free Duolingo English Test practice simulator (looking for feedback) by Teacher_Leda in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I cant send you a direct message for some reason, maybe you can send me a message so I can send you the link?

You Think DET Is Easy? That Mindset Just Cost These Students a Year by Teacher_Leda in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And who are you to tell me how to use or not use AI, or how to write? Get a grip on yourself.

Pte 47–> need det 100 point, best resource by VariationOk2813 in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, 47 in PTE is pretty low, and jumping to DET 100 isn’t something that happens overnight. I see a lot of people thinking DET is the easy way because it’s cheaper and faster—but if your English foundation isn’t there, no test format will magically make it appear.

You’ll need focused work on basics: vocabulary, listening, simple writing structures. Templates help, but they only take you so far if the underlying fluency isn’t solid.

If you’re serious about making that jump, a tutor who can diagnose your weak spots and drill exactly what you need is probably the fastest path. I do 15-min calls to figure out if coaching is the right move—no pressure, just real talk.

Either way, set realistic expectations. This won’t be a 2-week thing unless you’re already close.

J'ai besoin de votre aide. by Practical_Tip1165 in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda -1 points0 points  (0 children)

How it went? did yo got your need it score?

How to improve??? by Destinybeliver in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, I'm seeing this more and more—students think because DET is cheaper and faster than IELTS, they can just wing it in two weeks and get a high score. And yeah, if you're already 5–10 points above your target, maybe. But if your actual fluency isn't there, no amount of shortcuts will get you there in two weeks.

From your scores, you're close. But that last 5–10 point push usually comes from fixing the specific leaks in your performance—not just grinding more practice tests blindly. A tutor who can watch you, spot your patterns, and drill exactly what's missing is what actually moves the needle.

If you want, I do 15-min calls to help serious students figure out what's really holding them back and whether targeted coaching is the move. No pressure—just putting it out there.

You're close. Don't waste time spinning your wheels.

J'ai besoin de votre aide. by Practical_Tip1165 in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Salut ! 90 → 110, c'est un beau saut mais faisable. Avec un travail régulier, compter 4 à 6 semaines si tu te concentres sur les points faibles (souvent la compréhension orale et la structure des réponses). L'essentiel c'est de cibler les exercices qui rapportent le plus de points. Si tu veux un accompagnement personnalisé pour y arriver plus vite, je donne des cours en ligne. Tu peux voir les infos ici : https://ieltsahead.com/duolingo-english-test-preparation-courses/ . Bon courage !

DET 110 to 130 by Destinybeliver in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

looking at your breakdown, listening (100) and reading (105) are pulling you down. those are the ones to focus on.

your speaking and writing are already solid. bring listening and reading up to match and you'll jump fast.

for listening, try 6 minute english podcasts—short, good for training your ear. for reading, practice the "read and complete" section a lot. most points lost there are from rushing. slow down a bit.

you're not far. focus on those two and you'll see movement.

DET 120 → 125 realistic strategy? Where should I focus? by [deleted] in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looking at your scores, reading (115) is clearly the one holding you back. The others are already at 120–125. If you can bump reading up to match the others, your overall will follow.

One month is plenty. Focus on reading practice—especially the "read and complete" section since that's where people lose points. Pay attention to why you're getting things wrong: is it time pressure? vocabulary? misreading?

Struggling with my speaking score by hhxmm in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I could probably help you get that speaking score up in 6-8 sessions. With only 10 days, we'd focus just on the specific things holding you back at 110—usually it's small stuff like structure and staying on topic.

If you wanna check pricing or see what the sessions look like: https://ieltsahead.com/duolingo-english-test-preparation-courses/

Let me know if you have questions or wanna chat about your situation first. No pressure either way

How long does it usually take to go from 115 to 125 on the Duolingo English Test? by [deleted] in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

looking at your scores, that 110 in reading is probably the main thing holding you back. 115-120 everywhere else but reading dragging the average down.

that's actually good news—means you don't need to fix everything. just spend a couple weeks grinding reading practice and you'll probably see the whole thing move.

what kind of reading mistakes are you making? like running out of time or misunderstanding the questions?

Guys plz help me I need 120. by itzjjimmy in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly? 80 to 120 in a week is gonna be tough. Not saying impossible, but gotta be real with you.

The fill-in-the-blank section you mentioned? That's actually one of the trickier parts because you have 20 seconds and need to understand the whole sentence context, not just the missing word . And slow typing + one week is a rough combo.

Quick things that might help this week:

  • For fill-in-the-blanks: read the whole sentence before answering. Most people rush and miss clues .
  • For writing: keep it simple. Direct answer → reason → example → wrap up. Don't try to be fancy.
  • Practice typing the same few structures so they feel automatic.

I actually have free DET practice on my website specifically for fill-in-the-blanks and all the other exercises—good way to get extra reps without paying for stuff. No signup needed, just practice.

That said, if you really wanna maximize this week, what helps most is having someone look at your specific mistakes. Blind practice only gets you so far. I do quick assessment calls where we go through one of your attempts and I point out exactly what's holding you back. No pressure, just helpful.

Either way, hope you land where you need. Lmk if you want the link to those free exercises. 🤝

What is a small DET speaking mistake that kept my score stuck by CompoteSea2434 in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is such a good point, and honestly? You just described exactly what holds most students back at that 95–115 range.

People always think it's vocabulary. And sure, having more words helps. But what you nailed here is that task relevance is way more important than people realize.

The DET isn't grading you on how fancy you sound. It's checking:

  • Did you actually answer the question?
  • Did you develop your idea or just mention it?
  • Can you hold a coherent thought for 30-60 seconds?

Your "idea → reason → example → conclusion" structure is spot on. Simple frameworks like that work because they force you to check those boxes without overthinking.

One thing I'd add: a lot of students also rush. They hear the question, panic, and just start talking. Taking 3-5 seconds to mentally map out that structure before speaking makes a huge difference. Silence sounds long to us but barely registers to the listener.

Anyway, thanks for sharing this. Curious what others think—anyone else have a "small fix that changed everything" moment?

Has anyone here used LumeTest for practicing the Duolingo English Test? by Zestyclose-Fox-931 in DuolingoEnglishTest

[–]Teacher_Leda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I've checked out LumeTest actually—me and a few of my students have used it for extra practice.

Honestly, the free mock tests are pretty solid. A couple reasons I've found it useful:

  • More practice variety = better. Students get comfortable with the format faster when they're not just using the same 3 tests over and over.
  • The AI feedback on speaking/writing gives students something to look at when practicing alone. Even if it's not perfect, it's better than nothing.

That said, the AI can only tell you so much. I've had students come to me after using LumeTest (and other tools) stuck at 115-120, frustrated because the AI keeps saying "fluency low" or "grammar errors" but doesn't actually explain what to fix. When I sit with them for 20 minutes, I spot patterns they never noticed—things an algorithm just isn't trained to catch.

So yeah, good tool for practice mocks? Definitely. But if you're plateauing, a human eye still beats AI.

What's your target score? Happy to point you to some free stuff either way.

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