How to Consistently Score 140 on the Duolingo English Test 🎯

Last updated on 14 Feb 2025

Imagine this: You’ve put in the effort, practiced for hours, and felt confident going into the Duolingo English Test (DET)—but when the results arrive, your score is lower than expected. What went wrong?

Surprisingly, the issue isn’t always grammar or fluency—it’s staying on topic! In this guide, we’ll break down why task relevance matters, how AI scoring evaluates your responses, and how to structure your answers to maximize your score.

Let’s get started! 💡

Improve Your Score with Task Relevance

With Duolingo’s updated scoring system, task relevance is now a major factor in determining your speaking and writing scores. This means your answers must fully address the prompt while staying focused and structured.

Key Factors of Task Relevance:

✅ Relevance – Your response must directly answer the prompt.
✅ Style – Match the tone of the task (formal, informal, descriptive, persuasive, etc.).
✅ Development – Provide clear supporting details and examples.
✅ Reader Impact – Fulfill the purpose of the task without going off-topic.

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Even a small deviation from the question can result in a drastically lower score—let’s explore how. 📉

AI Scoring Breakdown: Why Going Off-Topic Hurts Your Score

Take a look at this real example from a DET speaking test:

Task Prompt:

"Do you trust your feelings about someone, or do you prefer not to judge too fast? Explain why you agree with one attitude more than the other, giving specific reasons."

Student’s Response:

✅ First part (5-minute writing response):
"I prefer not to judge too fast because I like to take my time and get to know someone slowly. Judging too fast may lead to missing some important traits that you don’t see in the first interaction..."Score: 135 (Task relevance: 155)
❌ Second part (3-minute speaking response):
"When I was 9 years old, I fought physically with a friend due to a difference of opinions..."Score: 90 (Task relevance: 30)

Master 8 Core Ideas to Speak Confidently on the Duolingo English Test

What Went Wrong?

🚨 The first response was strong because it stayed on topic.
🚨 The second response went off-topic—the story focused on conflict resolution instead of judging someone over time.

➡ Takeaway: Your lowest-scoring responses significantly lower your overall score! Even one off-topic section can pull your average score down drastically.

How to Stay On Topic and Score Higher 🛠️

To fix the student’s second response, we adjusted it to stay fully relevant to the prompt:

Improved Response:
"When I was 9, I judged a friend unfairly because I thought they were being mean. Later, I realized they were just having a bad day. Since then, I’ve learned to take time before forming opinions about people."

New AI Score:
✅ Task relevance: 155
✅ Overall score: Increased to 135

🎯 Lesson: The closer you stick to the prompt, the higher your task relevance score—and the better your final result.

How to Use Task Relevance to Your Advantage

Here’s how small changes can help you answer any question effectively.

1️⃣ Use Core Ideas for Any Prompt

Instead of memorizing answers, practice adapting a few key core ideas to different topics.

Example Adaptations:

✅ Prompt: "Talk about an event that changed your perspective."
Answer: "Reading 'Atomic Habits' changed my mindset about productivity and personal growth." (📚 Using a book core idea)

✅ Prompt: "Describe a skill you’ve developed over time."
Answer: "Playing guitar taught me patience and consistency." (🎸 Using a hobby core idea)

✅ Prompt: "What do you think makes a great leader?"
Answer: "My grandfather is a great leader because he always leads by example." (👴 Using a person core idea)

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By using core ideas, you’ll always have a structured response ready!

2️⃣ Structure Your Answer for Maximum Clarity 🏗️

When writing or speaking, use this simple three-part structure:

🔹 Introduction – Clearly state your opinion or main idea.
🔹 Supporting Details – Provide at least two reasons or examples.
🔹 Conclusion – Reinforce your main point with a summary.

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Example High-Scoring Response

Question:
"Some studies indicate that having a positive outlook can improve your health. Explain how being optimistic could help your health and other areas of your life."

✅ Strong Answer (Scored 150+):
"Having a positive outlook improves health by reducing stress and boosting the immune system. Optimistic people also build better relationships and handle challenges with confidence. For example, research shows that people with positive mindsets recover faster from illness. Additionally, optimism helps in careers because confident individuals are more likely to take risks and succeed."

🎯 Why this works:

Directly answers the question (task relevance = high).
Uses supporting examples (improves clarity & coherence).
Follows a clear structure (easy for AI to evaluate).

Key Takeaways: How to Score 140+ on the DET 🚀

🔹 Stay on topic—going off-track lowers your score immediately.
🔹 Use core ideas—adapt personal experiences to different questions.
🔹 Structure your answer—clear introductions, strong examples, and logical conclusions.
🔹 Keep responses relevant—focus on task relevance, coherence, and fluency.

By following these strategies, you’ll increase your consistency and get the 140+ score you deserve! 🎉