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Sponsored content: created in partnership with the Duolingo English Test.

For students to achieve the best score in the Duolingo English Test, it’s important to examine what the test involves and to understand each section. The first question type you will encounter in the test is ‘read and select’. While this subsection has a relatively simple format, mastering this task is vital to setting a strong baseline for your overall performance. 

Sponsored content: created in partnership with the Duolingo English Test.

The Duolingo English Test provides higher education applicants with a flexible, fast and accessible pathway to prove their English language proficiency. Designed to evaluate practical academic communication, the exam integrates a variety of tasks that assess real-world reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

Sponsored content: created in partnership with the Duolingo English Test.

For international students preparing to study abroad, mastering the structure of the language proficiency exams they will have to complete can be just as important as learning new vocabulary. 

I started my university dreams with a clear plan, to study biology in a city with plenty of green spaces that felt like home. When I was applying to university, two places really stood out to me: the University of Edinburgh and the University of Sheffield. After visiting both on offer-holder days, I made Edinburgh my firm choice because of the grade requirements. 

Imagine this: You have opened a browser on your laptop and searched “best universities in Germany”. You have 40 open tabs in your browser, three of which are different ranking lists, and you are confused about where to start. Does this sound familiar?

This was me and this went on for three years.

When I received an A– on a college paper, I scheduled a meeting with my teaching assistant to discuss how I could improve. I wasn’t upset about the grade. I genuinely wanted to know what separated an A– paper from an A paper.

After listening to my questions, she smiled and reassured me.

“As someone who speaks English as a second language,” she said, “this is already an impressive paper. You should be very proud of yourself!”

She meant it as encouragement. Her tone was warm, her kindness unmistakable. But I walked away feeling strangely defeated.

Sponsored content: created in partnership with the Duolingo English Test.

Sponsored content: created in partnership with Sabancı University.

Sponsored content: created in partnership with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.