The Duolingo English Test is a convenient and affordable online English proficiency assessment developed by Duolingo. The test results include a proficiency score, subscores, and an unscored video interview and writing sample, which can be integrated into the Slate Reader. The scores are comparable to other major English proficiency tests, including TOEFL and IELTS.

Each test session is certified by a remote human proctor with the help of artificial intelligence, which examines recordings of the student, computer screen, microphone, keystrokes, and mouse movements to ensure they have not violated any of the test rules.

Receiving Duolingo English Test results in Slate

It is free to accept Duolingo English Test results. If your institution is interested in accepting the Duolingo English Test, visit Duolingo English Test for Universities or contact [email protected].

Duolingo English Test scores and video endpoints can be imported into Slate using an API call that is configured as a source format.

A Reader Tab can also be configured to display the Duolingo English Test certificate and video. Perform the steps illustrated below to configure integration with Duolingo.

Step 1: Adding the Duolingo English Test Types

The test type stores the score results.  The 160-point scale accommodates scores for tests taken on or after July 15, 2019.

1. Go to Database →Slate Template Library.

2. Add the Duolingo English Test (160-point scale) test type.

3. Select Save.

🔔 Do not make changes to the test type.

Step 2: Creating the Duolingo embed URL custom field

Use a custom field to store the embed URL.

This URL can be included on a Reader Tab so that Readers can view the test score, test date, and also view the video recording of the speaking portion of the test. See below about configuring a Reader Tab to display this.

To create this custom field:

1. Go to Database → Fields.

2. Select New Field.

3. Configure the following settings:

   • Status: Active

   • Scope Category: Records

   • Scope:  Person

   • ID: duolingo

   • Name: Duolingo Embed URL

   • Field Type: Free Text

   • Unique for Merging: Do not use value for merging
     

4. Select Save.

Step 3: Adding the Duolingo English Test source format

This source format automatically fetches score results shared with your institution.

To add the source format to your database:

1. Go to Database → Source Format Library.

2. Add the Duolingo English Test source format. Duolingo will send you the remote server with your institution's unique API Key.

3. In the Duolingo English Test source format, select Edit.

4. Select the Import Automation tab.

5. In the Import Remote Server field, paste the full URL provided to you by Duolingo.

   • The URL must be exactly what is supplied by Duolingo.

   • If a colleague has provided this URL to you over certain chat platforms (such as Slack), the end of the URL might become corrupted.

   • The URL must end with this string of characters: ?min_datetime={{dtstart|date:'s'}}&max_datetime={{dtend|date:'s'}}

     

6. Select Save.

7. Select Edit Mappings.

8. Configure the remap settings for the format definition.

   • Many items are pre-mapped. Feel free to customize how the data will be imported.

   • Map the custom field you created earlier. Select Unsafe Override to ensure records with active applications have this field set by this source format.

     

9. Once you are finished mapping the source format, return to the the source format overview page.

10. Select Edit.

11. Set the Remap Active setting to Active.

12. Select Save. The import runs using your remap settings for all files uploaded on or after the Remap As Of Date.

Handling multiple Duolingo accounts

If your institution has multiple Duolingo accounts, additional copies of the Duolingo English Test source format can be used to fetch the data for the additional accounts.

1. Select Copy on your existing Duolingo English Test source format.

   

2. Select Copy Remap Settings. Do not change the Name or Format settings of the source format. These two settings allow the source format to inherit settings from the standard source format, so changing these settings prevents the data from importing successfully.

3. Select Copy.

4. Select Edit.

5. Select the Import Automation tab.

6. Paste the additional URL provided by Duolingo in the Import Remote Server field.

7. Follow steps from the previous section to customize the Remap settings and activate the new source format.

📝 Note: While editing the Name and Format settings of the source format prevent the source format from inheriting the settings from the standard source format, the notes on the different source formats can be edited individually.

Step 4: Creating Workflow Reader tabs

Workflow Reader tabs let application readers view test scores, test dates, and watch video recordings of the spoken part of the test. A second tab can display Duolingo subscores.

To create a workflow Reader tab for the Duolingo English Test:

1. Go to Database → Workflows.

2. Select an existing workflow, or create a new one.

3. Select the Reader Tabs tab.

4. Select Edit Reader Tabs (pencil icon).

5. Select Link.

6. Configure the following settings:

   • Status: Active

   • Name: Enter a name for the Reader tab. For example, Duolingo.

   • URL Type: URL

   • URL: Enter URL to be the merge field for the custom field you made above. For example, {{duolingo}}.
     
     

   • (Optional) Filters: If you want the tab to only appear if the applicant has a value in the Duolingo Embed URL field:

     1. Add a join to Application

     2. Add a second join to Person.

     3. Create a subquery filter that looks for the existence of the url by adding a Person export for Duolingo Embed URL.
        

7. Select Save.

8. Drag the tab to where you’d like it to appear in the order of tabs.

Applications with the Duolingo embed URL field will now feature a Reader tab with their embedded video and certificate:

Displaying Duolingo subscore information with a data container

To display Duolingo subscore information, configure an additional tab with a data container.

1. Go to Database → Workflows.

2. Select an existing workflow, or create a new one.

3. Select the Reader Tabs tab.

4. Select Edit Reader Tabs (pencil icon).

5. Select Materials from the palette.

6. Configure the following settings:

   • Status: Active

   • Name: Enter a name for the tab.

   • Filters: Add filters as necessary.

7. Select Save.

8. Select the tab you just created.

9. Select the Edit Materials icon.

10. Select Data Container from the palette.

    

11. From the Object Type list, select Test Scores.

12. Select Continue.

13. From the Template list, select Auto PDF.

14. Select the Page Builder tab.

15. Enter a page title.

16. Select Filter.

17. From the Test group, select Type.

18. Select Continue.

19. Select Duolingo English Test (160-point scale).

20. Select Save.

21. Select Export.

22. Select Test Date, Overall Score, and subscores.
    

23. Select Save.

The resulting data container:

Translation codes

Translation codes let you take any value and change it to something else.

The Duolingo English Test is comparable to both TOEFL and IELTs. The concordance tables are available in the Slate Template Library as Translation Codes.