NEW subscores and score reports! Everything you need to know

Summary

Sophie from the Duolingo English Test team introduces updates to the DET score report effective from July 1st, 2024. The update includes new individual subscores for speaking, writing, reading, and listening, in addition to the existing integrated subscores. Dr. Ramsey explains that these changes provide a more detailed understanding of a test taker's proficiency, allowing them to identify areas for improvement and better prepare for real-life language use. The overall score is now an average of these individual subscores, offering a clearer path for language learners to enhance their skills.

Takeaways

• 📢 Duolingo English Test (DET) is updating its score report as of July 1st, 2024.
• 🔍 The DET score is on a scale from 10 to 160, with increments of five, reflecting overall English proficiency.
• 📈 Integrated subscores for literacy, comprehension, conversation, and production provide a detailed look at language skills in different areas.
• 🆕 New individual subscores for speaking, writing, reading, and listening are being added to the DET score report.
• 🌐 Integrated subscores are calculated based on the average of the two individual subscores they consist of.
• 📝 The overall score is an average of the individual subscores, rounded to the nearest five, giving a comprehensive view of proficiency.
• 🤔 The addition of individual subscores helps test takers identify areas to focus on for improvement.
• 🏫 Integrated skills are essential for real-life language use, and the new subscores reflect this by showing how individual skills contribute to overall proficiency.
• 📚 Dr. Ramsey, a psychometrician, emphasizes the importance of understanding the validity and efficacy of the test through research.
• 🔑 The DET assessment aims to help test takers feel more confident and better understand how to improve their language skills.
• 📱 Duolingo offers a free practice test and a Readiness guide to assist test takers in preparing for the DET.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the video by Sophie and the Duolingo English Test team?

The video aims to provide tips and explain updates to the DET (Duolingo English Test) score report, effective from July 1st, 2024.

Who is Dr. Ramsey and what is his role at Duolingo?

Dr. Ramsey is a psychometrician with a PhD in educational measurement, specializing in researching the validity and efficacy of the Duolingo English Test.

What is the DET score scale range?

The DET score is scaled from 10 to 160 in increments of five.

What does the overall DET score indicate?

The overall DET score indicates the test taker's overall proficiency in English.

What are the integrated subscores reported in the DET score report?

The integrated subscores reported are for literacy, comprehension, conversation, and production.

What is the significance of having integrated subscores in the DET score report?

Integrated subscores provide a closer look at a test taker's skills across different areas of language, offering a more detailed understanding of their proficiency.

What major update is being made to the DET score report as of July 1st, 2024?

The major update includes the addition of individual subscores for speaking, writing, reading, and listening, in addition to the existing integrated subscores.

Why are individual subscores being added to the DET score report?

Individual subscores are added to help test takers focus on specific areas to practice and improve, which can in turn boost their integrated subscores and overall proficiency.

How are the integrated subscores calculated based on individual subscores?

The integrated subscores for literacy, comprehension, conversation, or production are calculated by taking the average of the two individual subscores that make them up.

How is the overall DET score derived from the individual subscores?

The overall DET score is an average of the individual subscores for speaking, writing, reading, and listening, rounded to the nearest five.

What additional resources are available for test takers to prepare for the DET?

Test takers can access a free practice test on mobile and a Readiness guide, as mentioned in the video.

Outlines

00:00

📊 DET Score Report Updates

Sophie introduces updates to the Duolingo English Test (DET) score report effective from July 1st, 2024. The video discusses the addition of individual subscores for speaking, writing, reading, and listening, alongside the existing integrated subscores for literacy, comprehension, conversation, and production. Dr. Ramsey, a psychometrician, explains the scoring scale of 10 to 160 in increments of five and the rationale behind the new subscores, emphasizing their utility in reflecting real-life language use and guiding focused practice for test takers.

Keywords

💡Duolingo English Test (DET)

The Duolingo English Test is an online English proficiency test that is used as an alternative to traditional standardized tests like TOEFL or IELTS. In the video, it is the main subject as the speakers discuss updates to the DET score report, which is a key aspect of the test for understanding a test taker's English proficiency levels.

💡Score Report

A score report is a document that provides a detailed breakdown of a test taker's performance in a test. In the context of the video, the DET score report is being updated to include more detailed information, such as individual and integrated subscores, to give a clearer picture of a test taker's English proficiency.

💡Integrated Skills

Integrated skills refer to the ability to use multiple language skills together, such as speaking and listening, or reading and writing. In the video, the DET is updating its score report to include subscores for integrated skills like literacy, comprehension, conversation, and production to better reflect real-life language use.

💡Subscores

Subscores are individual scores within a test that measure specific skills or areas of language proficiency. The video discusses the addition of new subscores for both integrated skills and individual skills, which provide a more nuanced view of a test taker's strengths and weaknesses.

💡Proficiency

Proficiency refers to the level of skill or expertise in a particular area, in this case, the English language. The DET score report aims to measure and communicate a test taker's overall English proficiency, as well as their proficiency in specific language skills.

💡Psychometrician

A psychometrician is a professional who specializes in the measurement of abilities, attitudes, and traits. In the video, Dr. Ramsey, a psychometrician, discusses the validity and efficacy of the DET, emphasizing the importance of accurate and reliable scoring methods.

💡Efficacy

Efficacy refers to the effectiveness of a method or intervention. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe the effectiveness of the DET in measuring English proficiency, which is a key aspect of the test's validity.

💡Validity

Validity in the context of testing refers to the extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure. Dr. Ramsey, as a psychometrician, is focused on researching the validity of the DET to ensure it accurately assesses English proficiency.

💡Literacy

Literacy, in the context of language proficiency, refers to the ability to read and write in a language. The video mentions literacy as one of the integrated skills for which the DET will provide a subscore, indicating a test taker's reading and writing skills in English.

💡Comprehension

Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret information, in this case, in the English language. The DET score report includes a subscore for comprehension to measure a test taker's ability to understand spoken and written English.

💡Conversation

Conversation refers to the act of talking in order to give and receive information. The video mentions conversation as an integrated skill for which the DET provides a subscore, reflecting a test taker's ability to engage in spoken English exchanges.

💡Production

Production, in the context of language proficiency, refers to the ability to create language, such as speaking or writing. The DET score report includes a subscore for production to measure a test taker's ability to produce spoken and written English.

Highlights

Sophie introduces updates to the DET score report effective from July 1st, 2024.

The DET score report now includes DET subscores for integrated skills.

New individual subscores are being added for speaking, writing, reading, and listening.

Sophie is joined by Dr. Ramsey, a psychometrician specializing in educational measurement.

The DET is scored on a scale from 10 to 160 in increments of five.

Integrated subscores for literacy, comprehension, conversation, and production provide a detailed look at language skills.

The overall score gives a big picture, while subscores indicate areas of strength or weakness.

The major update is the addition of individual subscores to the DET score report.

Integrated subscores are essential for describing language preparedness in real-life scenarios.

Improving an individual skill can enhance two integrated subscores.

Individual subscores help focus on areas to practice for overall score improvement.

Integrated subscores are calculated based on the average of two individual subscores.

The overall score is an average of individual subscores, rounded to the nearest five.

The previous scoring method calculated scores directly from individual items or tasks.

The new DET score report provides more ways to understand proficiency for improvement.

Sophie encourages test takers to use the free practice test and Readiness guide for success.

Transcripts

what's up everybody it's Sophie here

with the Duolingo English test team with

tips to help you test your best in this

video I'm going to talk all about

updates to the det score report which is

changing as of July 1st 2024 today we'll

talk about DET subscores for integrated

skills new subscores we adding for

individual skills and simple ways to

interpret your new more detailed score

report now that may sound like a lot but

I'm not worried because with the magic

of editing here to help me explain

everything is our friend DET assessment

researcher Dr Ramsey so glad to have you

with me again Ramsay before we get

started can you remind our viewers what

you do here at du lingo sure I have a

PhD in educational measurement and I'm a

psychometrician who specializes in

researching the validity and efficacy of

the test well I'm glad you're here

because the det is making some updates

to the score report and I'm hoping you

can help talk us through these changes

first can you explain how the det is

scored absolutely the det is scored on a

scale from 10 to 160 in increments of

five your overall score indicates your

overall Proficiency in English but

that's not the only number I see on my

DET score report right because we know

that one number can't fully capture

someone's English proficiency we also

report integrated subscores for literacy

comprehension conversation and

production to give you a closer look at

your skills across different areas of

language so my overall score gives me

the big pi picture and my subscores

break it down so I know where my skills

are weaker or stronger yes that makes

sense so how is the score report

changing well the major update is that

now in addition to the integrated

subscores for literacy comprehension

conversation and production you'll also

receive individual subscores for

speaking writing reading and listening

so I'm about to get double the

information on my DET score report but

why add these new subscores good

question

we know that in real life language

skills are used in an integrated way for

example in a classroom you don't just

speak or just write so integrated

subscores really are the best way to

describe how prepared you are to use

language in real life but by improving

an individual skill you can boost two of

your integrated subscores what do you

mean well people can improve their

proficiency by practicing in all kinds

of ways and not just through immersion

as you see here having subscores for

your individual skills can help you

focus on what to practice if you want to

improve your overall score I see so the

integrated subscores are based on my

individual

subscores yes to get your score for

literacy comprehension conversation or

production just take the average of the

two individual subscores that it's made

of now how does this relate to the

overall score your overall score is an

average of the individual subscores

rounded to the nearest five I get it

how's this different from before before

all of these scores were calculated

directly from individual items or tasks

now we calculate integrated subscores by

taking the average of two individual

subscores now that the det score report

includes subscores for individual skills

I can take the average of my subscores

for speaking writing reading and

listening to get my overall proficiency

score and I can take the average of two

individual subscores to get my

integrated subscores for literacy

conversation

comprehension and production exactly

just giving you more ways to understand

your proficiency that way you'll know

how you can work to improve well I like

that thanks so much for explaining this

Ramsey of course Sophie we hope that

having more information will help test

takers feel more confident continuing to

use and improve their language skills

that's it test takers as always check

out the free practice test now available

on mobile and the Readiness guide link

below we want to see you succeed and we

are here to help you test your best

thanks for watching

[Music]