Duolingo English Test Read, Then Speak — Practice and Examples
You read a short prompt — often a situation or a question — prepare briefly, and then speak your answer.
What it tests
Organising a spoken answer quickly: a view, a reason and an example.
Worked example
Prompt: A town has to repair the roof of its only swimming pool. It can close the pool completely for three months, or stay open and do short repairs over two years at a higher total cost. Say which plan you would choose, and give one reason.
Model answer
I would close the pool for three months and get the work finished. Three months is painful, but people can plan around a date they know. Two years of short repairs means two years of noise, scaffolding and sudden closures, and swimmers never know whether the pool will be open when they arrive, so many of them give up and stop coming back. The higher total cost is also money the town could have spent on something else. A short, honest closure is easier to explain to the public than a problem that drags on.
How to do well
- Answer the question in your first sentence.
- Use a simple frame: my view, because, for example, so.
- If the prompt has two parts, cover both — it is the most common thing candidates miss.
Practice at three levels
Our practice for this task comes in three levels you choose yourself: Foundation teaches the format, Standard is 12 sessions plus 12 full tests at the level most candidates aim for, and Hard is another 12 + 12 with academic topics and tighter wording. Progress is kept per level, so you can move up when the current one feels easy.
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