The Background

The state the world has been in for the past half year or so has been unprecedented. More than 60% of all services are either shut down or are operating at partial capacity. Some essential services like public transport are completely shut down with no one having a clue about when the services will resume.

In times like these, going about one’s life is not easy, especially when one has planned to migrate abroad for work, for a new life, or for studies. Consular services are all but closed. International borders are still being tightly regulated. Life however refuses to stop. Neither does time.

The Tests

With life refusing to stop, neither does movement of people beyond a certain time. Test dates are opening up, and universities have also decided to get on with life, even if it is just online classes. In the light of these events comes to center stage a new English language test, the Duolingo English Test. The test is only an hour or so long, and you can take it from the comfort of your living room.

A lot of universities have also tentatively started accepting the Duolingo test as a proof of language proficiency. For more information about the Duolingo English Test you may take a look at the video here:

The test is inexpensive, and at least for now, looks fairly comprehensive. There are ways the test can be beaten, and compromised, but we will save information about that for another day.

You can take the test whenever you want, and where ever you want. All you need is a laptop and a set of speakers.

Yep! This test does not allow you to use headphones

Please note, the speakers that you are using better be good, because some of the questions require you to listen to one word and expect you to say whether it is a real English word or not.

But there is one serious issue: The test does not have a dedicated speaking section or for that matter any writing section! It does not provide individual scores for each aspect of communication. This means that the test is not suitable for programs and situations where specific scores become necessary.

This is where….

The IELTS Strikes Back

IELTS has not test dates open for both computer and paper based tests. With this, you will not have to bother about making a location test safe. You need not worry about your mother peeking into the room. You need to be worried about speaking out aloud.

You got to a test centre, and you take the test and you come back. You need not worry about anything at all. And if something does go wrong with the test, you do not have to be worried, the company conducting the test will ensure everything goes smoothly!

For those who are planning to migrate to Canada, or take a PhD, IELTS is still the test of choice for most organisations. The credibility and recognition that IELTS has is yet unmatched.

Free Practice Material

When it comes to downloadable and accessible practice material, there is no exam greater than the IELTS. There is tons of practice material, both pirated and free, that is floating around on the internet. There are also places that provide you with the best coaching for IELTS and also offer free IELTS tests and practice. But for Duolingo, there is no practice test that is freely available. If you want to attempt a Duolingo test for free, the only choice you have is the First Academy website which has the world’s first free mock Duolingo Practice exams. If you are looking to attempt one, all you need to do is contact us here, and we will be glad to give you a Duolingo test for free!