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2024 DET Update: New Fill in the Blanks question

Beginning April 2, 2024, the Duolingo English Test is adding a new Fill in the Blanks question. This question assesses the depth and breadth of your vocabulary. It doesn't just assess that you know a word, but that you know how to use the word in context. In this blog post, we explain the Fill in the Blanks question type, key considerations, and strategies to help candidates better understand it.

You can click the video below to watch the Fill in the Blanks course practice.

What is "Fill in the Blanks" in the Duolingo English Test?

Fill in the Blanks requires candidates to fill in the missing words in the provided sentences within 20 seconds. This section will contribute to the overall score of the Duolingo English Test, specifically impacting the Literacy and Comprehension subscores.

A screenshot of a DET 'Fill in the Blanks' question type.

Tips for the DET "Fill in the Blanks" question type

1. Start by reading the entire sentence to grasp its overall meaning before focusing on individual words. This approach will help you gain a clearer understanding of the context.

2. Correcting Mistakes Efficiently: If you find that you've made an error or wish to change a letter in a word, you can easily do so by pressing the backspace or delete key. This action allows you to move back one space and remove the letter you want to change.

3. Utilize Context Clues: While you work on filling in the missing words, pay close attention to context clues within the passage. These clues can come in the form of surrounding sentences, themes, or even specific vocabulary that hints at what the missing word might be.

4. Adaptive Difficulty: In the Duolingo English Test, the difficulty adjusts based on the test-taker's ability. The "Fill in the Blanks" section appears 6 to 9 times during the exam, and if your proficiency is higher, the difficulty will increase accordingly.

Answering strategies

l Expanding Common Collocations:

The new question types primarily assess a candidate's vocabulary and comprehension skills. Therefore, it is crucial to understand common word collocations and phrases, as this knowledge can help you quickly identify the appropriate words to use.

l Time Management:

Each "Fill in the Blanks" question allows for 20 seconds. Candidates must allocate their time wisely during the exam to ensure they have enough time to complete each word.

l Part of Speech Analysis:

Be mindful of the grammatical structure in the blank spaces, as this will help you determine the required part of speech for the word to fill in (noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.).

l Practice and Accumulation:

Engage in plenty of practice exercises to accumulate commonly used vocabulary and expressions, which will enhance your familiarity with the question types. Candidates can practice and simulate the test in advance on the official Duolingo English Test and DET Practice websites to ensure a better score during the actual exam.