Duolingo English Test Preparation
You're not bad at English.
Your English breaks under pressure.
And every time you retake the Duolingo English Test, it costs you money, time, and university deadlines.
Most students stuck between 95 and 125 do not need more grammar. They need someone who can hear exactly what breaks when the timer starts.
60-minute diagnostic. No package required. Leave with a clear fix list.
Every retake costs more than the test fee.
A missed Duolingo English Test score doesn't just mean another $70. It means:
Delaying your university application by an entire semester
Losing scholarships that won't wait for your next attempt
Waiting for another available attempt while your deadline gets closer
Explaining to your family why the score still hasn't moved
Most students don't have an English problem. They have a blind spot no one has shown them yet.
Your Duolingo English Test score isn't stuck because of English.
You can read articles. You understand movies without subtitles. You can hold a conversation.
But when the timer starts and the microphone turns on, your mind goes blank. The words are there — somewhere — but they won't come out fast enough.
That's not a vocabulary problem. That's a retrieval problem. And it's made worse by something most DET preparation courses never mention: your first language is structuring your English in ways the test penalizes.
A French speaker buries the point at the end of the paragraph. An Arabic speaker leaves gaps the reader is expected to infer. A Portuguese speaker describes processes in general terms without enough mechanical detail. A Spanish speaker confuses gerunds and infinitives because their language handles them identically.
None of these are "mistakes." They're patterns from languages that work differently. But the DET is scored by an algorithm trained on English structure — and it doesn't give you partial credit for thinking in French.
Practice tests show the symptom. Teaching fixes the cause.
What actually happens in a DET preparation session
These are real moments from real sessions — speaking topics, writing structure, interview questions, pronunciation. Every student name and detail is from an actual class transcript.
Archana
France · French → English writing structure
The problem
Her Duolingo English Test writing was full of abstract nouns — "the creation of a painting about nature gives the possibility of the elimination of stress." Technically correct. Structurally French.
What happened
Sean showed her that English rewards verbs, not noun piles. By the end of the session, she rewrote it herself: "When people paint a picture of nature, it helps them forget the stress of taking public transport, passing exams, and interviewing for jobs." Three verbs. Totally clear.
English packs meaning into verbs. French packs it into nouns. Once you see the difference, your writing becomes clearer and easier to score well.
Saleh
Saudi Arabia · Arabic → English specificity
The problem
Saleh wrote "ER doctors have to make the right call in short time" — and couldn't understand why Sean kept pushing for more detail. "I said short time. What more do you want?"
What happened
Sean explained: in English, "short time" could mean five minutes or five seconds. A burn victim or a heart attack. English readers need you to close every gap. Saleh pushed back, argued his case — then suddenly got it. "I have to explain everything." Sean's response: "Pretend you're talking to an idiot."
Arabic lets the reader infer. English makes you spell it out. Higher DET scores come from closing inference gaps — not better vocabulary.
Ana Luiza
Brazil · Portuguese → English process description
The problem
Ana described a brick-making process using general terms — "they refine the clay" — without explaining what refinement actually involves. Her writing score was stuck.
What happened
Sean handed her a water bottle and said "tell me how to drink this." She said "open it." He waited. "Grab the lid... squeeze... twist." That exercise rewired how she described processes. By the end of the session, she broke the entire diagram into specific mechanical steps — unprompted.
The Duolingo English Test measures whether you can describe something so clearly that someone could draw a picture from your words alone.
Omar
Morocco · French/Arabic → English speaking and writing
The problem
Omar started every paragraph with context and detail, then arrived at his point at the bottom. Classic French essay structure. He also froze during DET speaking topics and interview questions because his brain moved faster than his mouth.
What happened
Sean taught him the thesis triangle: context + subject + claim, all in the first sentence. For speaking, Sean showed him how to slow down and use filler phrases — "let me clarify" — to buy thinking time. He also showed Omar why "indeed" and "yes" aren't interchangeable on the DET. Omar's reaction when it clicked: "Oh — because they're not telling me something, they're asking me to tell them."
English puts the point first, then supports it. Flipping this one habit — in both writing and speaking — can move your Duolingo English Test score 10-15 points.
Start here
Find what's stealing your points — $25 diagnostic
In 60 minutes, Sean finds the exact patterns costing you points across speaking, writing, reading, and listening.
Diagnostic — $25
60 minutes. You speak, write, read, and listen — in real time, with Sean watching. You leave with a ranked list of exactly what's costing you points on the Duolingo English Test and what to fix first.
Live sessions — $50 each
1:1 with Sean. We work on the specific interference patterns from your first language — writing structure, speaking topics, interview responses, pronunciation. Corrected in real time, not after the fact by an algorithm.
Between sessions
Writing assignments with line-by-line feedback. Pronunciation drills matched to your ear. WhatsApp access for quick questions. You do the work, Sean reviews it.
Test day
By now you've practiced under pressure dozens of times. The structure is automatic. The timer starts and you know exactly what to do — because you've done it before, with someone watching.
Most students leave the diagnostic saying: "I've studied English for years — why has nobody shown me this before?"
Some improve their score in 1-3 sessions. Others need longer. But almost everyone leaves the diagnostic knowing exactly why their score is stuck.
Book my diagnostic →This is for you if
You've taken the Duolingo English Test 2-3 times and the score barely moves
You understand English well but freeze when you have to produce it under pressure
Your writing feels "correct" but your DET scores never reflect it
You score 30+ points higher on writing than speaking (or vice versa)
You have a university deadline and can't afford to keep retaking at $70 per attempt
Your teacher
Sean Kivi. MA in Translation Studies from the University of Nottingham. Texas Bilingual Educator certification. Taught in 7 countries across 3 continents.
He learned Spanish to C2 — the hard way, living abroad. He knows what it feels like when the words disappear under pressure, because it happened to him for a decade before it stopped.
He teaches every 1:1 session himself. When Archana's writing structure was too French, he caught it. When Saleh's pronouns were unclear, he stopped the lesson and fixed it. When Omar said "indeed" instead of "yes," he spent ten minutes making sure Omar understood why — not just which one to use.
What students say
"The strategies I learned changed how I respond under pressure. I became much more confident and precise — my DET responses improved immediately."
Omar B.
Morocco
"The teaching approach is truly incredible — techniques completely outside the box that make a real difference. I'm really happy to see my progress."
Ana Luiza
Brazil
"Since starting classes with LU English, I've been able to think in English. The most important thing isn't grammar — it's how to use it in real situations."
Matías N.
Argentina
Real Google reviews. Verify on Google →
Before you book
This is not a practice test platform.
If you only want mock tests, score predictions, or a teacher to watch you answer Duolingo English Test practice questions, this probably is not the right fit.
Sean teaches. He finds the patterns that are costing you points, corrects them in real time, and gives you work to apply between sessions.
Some students improve quickly. Others need longer. The difference usually comes down to starting level, deadline pressure, and whether they actually use the feedback after class.
But if you want a teacher to find the reason your score is stuck, correct it with you, and show you what to practice next, start with the diagnostic.
Simple pricing
Start here
$25
Diagnostic session
60 minutes. Find the exact patterns costing you points. Leave with a ranked fix list.
Book my diagnostic →Then continue
$50
Per session · 60 min
Live 1:1 with Sean. Session notes, writing feedback, WhatsApp access between sessions. No contracts — book as many as you need.
Start with the diagnostic →Need regional pricing? Message us directly →
Common questions
Is the Duolingo English Test hard?
It depends on what's hard for you. The test itself is adaptive — it adjusts difficulty based on your answers. Most students find the time pressure harder than the English. The real difficulty isn't vocabulary or grammar — it's producing structured English fast enough under a timer. That's a retrieval and structure problem, which is exactly what we fix.
How do I prepare for the Duolingo English Test?
Most students prepare by taking practice tests. That shows you what you got wrong, but not why. Effective DET preparation means identifying the specific patterns from your first language that the test penalizes — then practicing the correction under timed pressure. The diagnostic does exactly this: it finds the patterns, ranks them by impact, and gives you a fix list.
How do I pass the Duolingo English Test?
There's no pass/fail — the DET gives you a score from 10-160. Universities set their own minimums. To reach your target score, you need to fix the specific skill gaps costing you points. For most students stuck between 95-125, those gaps are structural (how you organize ideas) and retrieval-based (how fast you access English under pressure), not knowledge-based.
Is this just DET practice?
No. Practice tests show the symptom. Teaching fixes the cause. We use DET-style tasks, but the goal is not to collect more answers — it is to fix the patterns that keep your score stuck.
What score do I need?
Top US universities (Harvard, MIT, Stanford) typically require 120-130+. Mid-ranked universities accept 105-115. Community colleges and pathway programs start at 85-100. We'll identify your target in the diagnostic.
How many sessions will I need?
Most students see measurable improvement within 3-5 sessions. The diagnostic tells us exactly what's blocking your score, so we don't waste time on things you already know.
Can you guarantee my score?
No honest teacher can guarantee a score, because your result depends on your starting level, test date, consistency, and whether you apply the feedback between sessions. What we can guarantee is that the diagnostic will show you exactly what is costing you points and what to work on first.
How is this different from DET practice platforms?
Practice platforms give you questions and score your answers. We find the structural interference from your first language and fix it. A French speaker makes completely different errors than an Arabic speaker — we teach to the cause, not the symptom.
Do you teach IELTS and TOEFL too?
Yes. The underlying methodology is the same — faster retrieval, better structure, clearer development. The test format is different, but the skills transfer.
Don't let another retake tell you the same thing.
Find the real problem before your next Duolingo English Test attempt.
Book my diagnostic →