When we talk about progress in English, we often imagine a straight line going up — every week a bit higher, every test score a bit better.
But language learning doesn’t really work like that. It’s more like a wave — sometimes calm, sometimes fast, and occasionally… still.
In my classes, especially when preparing for the Duolingo English Test, I’ve seen students move from 115 to 135 points in just a few weeks.
And I’ve seen others who needed several months to achieve the same jump.
Both cases are completely normal.
Why some students improve faster than others
Progress in Reading and Listening (what we often call Passive English) depends on many invisible factors.
Two students can have the same motivation, the same teacher, and even do the same exercises — yet one advances faster.
Why? Because the brain has its own rhythm. Sometimes it simply needs more time to absorb the patterns, grammar, and vocabulary that separate a B2 learner (around 115–120 Duolingo English Test points) from a C1 learner (around 130–135 points).
That’s why learning English for a test like the Duolingo English Test is never just about speed — it’s about depth, consistency, and patience.
The “plateau phase” — a normal part of learning
At some point, every learner reaches what I call the plateau phase.
This is the moment when a student keeps studying, keeps doing everything right, yet their score seems frozen.
125 again. 125 again. 125 again.
It can be frustrating — but it’s not failure.
It’s just how progress hides before it shows up again.
During the plateau phase, the brain is organizing everything it has learned so far. Once that process is complete, progress often returns suddenly — that jump from 125 to 135 that feels “magical” but is actually the result of quiet, consistent work.
When scores go down (and why that’s also okay)
There’s another thing that sometimes surprises students preparing for the Duolingo English Test: a temporary drop in score.
Let’s say someone improves quickly from 105 to 125 points. On their next official exam, they might get 120.
That doesn’t mean they got worse — it just means that every test session is influenced by many small variables: focus, sleep, stress, and even the topics that appear on the test that day.
These small fluctuations are normal — they don’t erase the learning you’ve done or the skills you’ve built.
So what does real progress look like?
Real progress isn’t just about watching the score go up every week.
It’s about noticing that what used to feel difficult is now easier.
It’s about understanding more during a podcast, or writing a paragraph without stopping every few words.
Those small, invisible victories are what make the next jump possible.
So if you’re in a learning plateau right now — keep going.
Your progress is not gone; it’s just waiting for the right moment to show itself again. 🌱
If you want to keep moving forward
If this resonates with you and you’d like a clear next step in your Duolingo English Test preparation, here are three friendly options:
- 🎥 Watch my General Video Course — clear explanations of every Duolingo English Test task and strategy.
(link:[VIDEO_COURSE_LINK]) - 💻 Join the DET School Online Program — an adaptive course tailored to your level, based on our DET School Placement Test.
(link:[DET_SCHOOL_LINK]) - ✉️ Book Private Lessons with me — for personalised guidance, motivation, and faster results.
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