A1–C2 · Duolingo English Test
Duolingo English Test Practice Test 42
AI-generated practice paper in the style of Duolingo English Test — original material, not a reproduction of any real exam paper, following the official task types. Listening audio is read aloud by your browser's voice. For Speaking you can record yourself and compare with a model answer, and Writing tasks include a model answer — neither is scored automatically, since that needs real speech and writing evaluation this site does not offer for this exam.
Reading
Read and Select
Look at each word. Is it a real English word?
1.magnet
2.spoltic
3.quarter
4.fortish
5.diverse
6.slantory
7.wheat
8.troomer
9.quaint
10.cabin
11.fragment
12.grampot
13.carpet
14.trooskel
15.jantic
Fill in the Blanks
Type the missing letters to complete the word in each sentence.
My uncle has collected postage stamps since childhood, and his rarest one is worth more than his ent car.
Along the narrow ridge, hikers must keep their balance and avoid looking down, since a single slip could be fat.
Although the lecture was supposed to last an hour, the professor talked so enthusiastically that it lasted almost twi as long.
Rural broadband has improved so dramatically that many city workers have swapped crowded offices for quiet cottages and remote emplo.
Most of the villagers had never seen a camera, so the photographer's arrival caused great excit.
Nobody in the office could explain why the printer only worked on sun days and refused to start on any other day.
Read and Complete
Type the missing letters to complete the text below.
Every autumn, experienced foragers head into damp forests in search of wild mushrooms hidden beneath fallen leaves. Certain species are delicious and highly pri by chefs, while others look almost identical yet contain pois capa of causing serious illness or worse. Experienced foragers rely on careful details such as spo colour, smell, and the exa shape of the stem rather than trusting appearance alone. Many regi now offer gui walks led by trai experts, giving begin a safer way to learn which mushrooms are wor collecting.
Interactive Reading
Read the passage and complete each step.
For as long as anyone could remember, Grandma Elsie's recipes existed only in her head and in a battered notebook with pages stained by decades of cooking. Her grandchildren, scattered across three different cities, worried that her recipes would one day disappear along with the notebook. Her son-in-law the shared folder on an old laptop. Last spring, Mia suggested a project: over several weekends, she and her cousins would sit with Elsie, cooking each dish while filming the steps on a phone. Elsie found the whole idea slightly ridiculous at first, insisting that a pinch of salt could not possibly be measured for a camera. Cousins abroad now in during the sessions to watch. Slowly, though, she warmed to it, adding small stories about each recipe as she cooked, like which uncle had once ruined the stew or why the bread recipe came from a neighbour decades ago. The videos and typed-up recipes now live in a shared folder that every cousin can access, along with photos of the handwritten notebook pages. The notebook itself will to the local museum. Mia's youngest cousin, only eleven, has already attempted three of the recipes on his own, proudly sending photos of the results to the family group chat. Elsie the folder should include her failures too. Elsie says she never expected her cooking to end up something she jokingly calls "the family archive."
16. The passage stops before its final sentence. Which sentence best completes it?
17. Highlight the answer: Which sentence explains what Mia proposed to her grandmother?
18. Highlight the answer: Which sentence tells us what Elsie added to the recipes as she cooked?
19. What is the main idea of the passage?
20. What is the best title for the passage?
Listening
Listen and Type
Listen and type the sentence you hear. You can play the audio as many times as you like.
1. Type what you hear.
2. Type what you hear.
3. Type what you hear.
4. Type what you hear.
5. Type what you hear.
6. Type what you hear.
Interactive Listening
Listen to each conversation, then answer.
Transcript (available after checking)
Isla: Hi, I bought this charger last week, but it stopped working yesterday.
Jack: I'm sorry to hear that. Do you still have the receipt with you?
Isla: Yes, it's right here. I'd like a refund or a replacement, whichever is easier.
Jack: A replacement is quicker, so let me grab a new one from the shelf.
7. What is the best reply to the last speaker?
8. What does Isla bring to the shop with her?
Summarize the conversation in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: Isla returns a charger that stopped working, and Jack offers to give her a quick replacement instead of a refund.
Transcript (available after checking)
Isla: I think I left my umbrella at that café we went to yesterday.
Jack: Oh, I remember you had it with you when we sat down inside.
Isla: I'll call them now and describe it, hopefully someone picked it up for me.
Jack: Good idea, and if they have it, I can pick it up on my way home.
9. What is the best reply to the last speaker?
10. What does Isla plan to do first?
Summarize the conversation in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: Isla realizes she left her umbrella at a café and plans to call and describe it, with Jack offering to collect it if it is found.
Writing
Write About the Photo
Look at each picture and write one or two sentences describing it.
Describe this picture in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I can see a bus with a row of windows. Buses carry a lot of passengers at the same time, and I take one every day to get to my English class.
Describe this picture in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: The picture shows a horse with four strong legs and a long tail. Horses can run very fast, and many people enjoy riding them in the countryside at weekends.
Describe this picture in one or two sentences.
Show sample answer
Model answer: The picture shows a bright yellow sun with rays around it. It means the weather is warm and sunny, which is my favourite kind of day for a picnic in the park.
Interactive Writing
Answer the question.
Imagine your school or company wants to save money and is thinking of reducing lunch breaks from one hour to thirty minutes. What problems might this cause, and would you support the change?
Show sample answer
Model answer: I would not support the change. Thirty minutes is barely enough time to queue for food and eat properly, so people would feel tired and stressed in the afternoon. A proper break helps us to concentrate later in the day. If the goal is to save money, I would look for other ways, such as reducing energy use in the building.
Writing Sample
Write about the topic for up to three minutes.
Describe the most beautiful place you have ever visited and say how it made you feel.
Show sample answer
Model answer: The most beautiful place I have visited is a lake in the north of my country, surrounded by pine forests and tall mountains. The water was so clear that I could see the stones at the bottom. We rented a small wooden boat and rowed to a quiet corner where we ate lunch. There was no noise except the birds. I felt completely calm and thankful, as if all my worries were far away. I took hundreds of photos, but none of them show how peaceful it really was.
Speaking
Speak About the Photo
Look at the picture and speak about it for 30 seconds.
Speak about the picture. Say as much as you can.
Show sample answer
Model answer: In this picture, there is a snowman. It seems to be made from several balls of snow, probably with a carrot nose. Children build snowmen in the winter when there is a lot of snow. I remember making one with my cousins, and we used my grandfather's old scarf to keep it warm.
Read, Then Speak
Read the prompt, then speak about it.
Describe your first day at a new school or job. How did you feel, and what happened that you still remember?
Show sample answer
Model answer: On my first day at my current job, I was so nervous that I arrived forty minutes early and had to wait outside. Everyone was kind, but I could not remember any of their names. At lunchtime, a colleague invited me to sit with her group, and that made a huge difference. I still remember the lasagne in the canteen, which was surprisingly good. By the end of the day, I felt much more relaxed and looked forward to the next one.
Interactive Speaking
Answer each question in turn.
Is there a park you often visit?
Show sample answer
Model answer: Yes, there is a park about ten minutes from my flat that I visit almost every week.
What do you usually do when you go there?
Show sample answer
Model answer: I usually go for a walk or sit on a bench and read for a while.
How does spending time in a park make you feel compared with staying at home?
Show sample answer
Model answer: It makes me feel calmer, because the fresh air and the sound of birds help me forget my worries.
Tell me about something interesting or unusual you once saw in a park.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I once saw someone practising a musical instrument alone near a pond, and the music made the whole scene feel almost magical.
Why do you think green spaces are important for a city, beyond just looking nice?
Show sample answer
Model answer: Parks improve air quality, give people a free place to exercise, and studies show that regular access to nature lowers stress levels.
Should cities prioritise building more parks even if it means fewer new buildings? Discuss.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I think a balance is needed, but cities often forget parks when land becomes expensive, so I would support stricter rules that require a certain amount of green space in every new development.
Speaking Sample
Speak about the topic for up to three minutes.
How do you usually deal with failure? Describe a specific failure you experienced and what you did afterwards.
Show sample answer
Model answer: I used to take failure very personally, but I have slowly learned to see it as useful information instead. A clear example was failing my first attempt at a professional certification exam, after months of preparation. At first, I felt embarrassed and avoided telling anyone for a few days. Once I calmed down, I asked for detailed feedback and realised I had focused my study time on the wrong topics entirely. I adjusted my plan, studied differently for the next two months, and passed comfortably the second time. Now, whenever something does not go well, I try to ask what specifically went wrong rather than simply feeling bad about it, which makes the next attempt far more likely to succeed.
Keep your streak going
Up next: Duolingo English Test Practice Test 43