If you’ve taken the Duolingo English Test before, or you’re about to sit for one, there’s an update you’ll want to know about before test day arrives. Duolingo has updated the rules around your secondary camera setup. While it’s not a massive overhaul, it’s the kind of thing that can genuinely mess up your test session if you find out about it too late. Here’s everything that’s changed and how to get your setup right the first time.
So, What Actually Changed?
The secondary camera requirement itself isn’t new. You’ve always had to use a second device, typically your phone, to record your keyboard and screen while you work through the test. That’s still required and hasn’t been touched.
What’s different now is this:
- Your secondary camera also needs to capture your head and shoulders.
- Your head, shoulders, keyboard, and screen all need to be visible in the exact same shot.
- You can’t just show your hands typing anymore; the proctor needs to see you too.
- This applies to every test taker going forward, not just first-timers.
- It sounds simple on paper, but it does change how you’ll need to angle and position your phone compared to before.
How To Get Your Phone Positioned Correctly
This is the part most people will need to practice a bit. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Set your phone at least an arm’s length away from where you’ll be sitting.
- If it’s too close, you simply won’t be able to fit your head, shoulders, keyboard, and screen into one shot.
- Angle the camera so it takes in your upper body along with your desk area, not just a close-up of your hands.
- Good lighting matters more than people expect. A dim room can turn your face into a shadow, which won’t fly during review.
- Prop your phone against something sturdy rather than leaning it somewhere unstable. It shouldn’t shift or tip over mid-test.
Doing a practice run the day before is genuinely worth the ten minutes it takes. Set everything up exactly as you plan to on test day, sit where you’ll actually be sitting, and look at the camera preview with a critical eye. Is your face cut off? Is part of your keyboard missing from the frame? Better to catch that now than during your actual session.
Your Computer Will Actually Help You Out
Here’s some good news: you’re not left guessing whether your setup is correct. Your computer will let you know once your phone is positioned properly. That said, don’t treat this notification as the final word. Give the preview a quick glance yourself before you officially start, just to be safe.
Before you hit start, run through this
- Phone placed at arm’s length or further away.
- Head, shoulders, keyboard, and screen all showing in a single shot.
- Room bright enough for a clear, detailed recording.
- Phone secured so it won’t slip or shift during the test.
- System confirmation received that everything’s positioned correctly.
- One last visual check done with your own eyes.
It’s a small extra step, but skipping it is exactly the kind of thing that leads to an invalidated test result. Spend the extra minute getting your camera right, and the rest of your test day gets a lot less stressful.
Why This Change is Applied?
You might be wondering why Duolingo added this in the first place. Proctors review these recordings afterward to make sure everything about the test session checks out. Previously, they had a clear view of your hands and your screen, but not much context about you or your surroundings.
Now, with your head and shoulders included in the frame:
- Proctors get a much more complete picture of your actual testing environment.
- There’s less ambiguity about who’s sitting at the keyboard.
- It closes a gap that could previously cause confusion during review.
- Fewer sessions end up flagged for unclear or incomplete footage.
Basically, it’s a small adjustment on your end that gives Duolingo a lot more confidence in the results they hand out afterward. And that confidence matters, because your score is only useful if universities and employers trust it.
FAQ
What must the Duolingo secondary camera show?
How far away should I place my phone for the DET?
Is the secondary camera mandatory for the Duolingo English Test?
What happens if my phone camera stops recording during the test?
