What are Duolingo Checkpoints and how can you use them to help you learn a language on Duolingo? Here is everything you need to know about Duolingo Checkpoints so you can learn your language faster and better.
What is a Checkpoint?
A Checkpoint is a marker used in the Duolingo courses to show which Unit of learning you are currently on.
In Duolingo, they split up the “trees” or courses with Checkpoints so that you don’t learn more difficult concepts before you’re ready.
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In order to pass the Checkpoint or unlock it, you need to complete all of the lessons that come before that checkpoint. That means you need to have earned at least 1 crown in each topic.
Once you’ve finished all the lessons and earned at least one crown for each, then you can pass the last checkpoint in your Duolingo course and finally earn your Duolingo Owl!
Once you’ve passed a checkpoint, it’s no longer a checkpoint and it turns into a “Unit.”
If you want to know how I use Checkpoints, here’s my Duolingo strategy.
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How Do You Unlock a Checkpoint?
In order to unlock a checkpoint, you need to complete the lessons that come before that checkpoint up to 1 crown per lesson bubble.
Or, you could click on the checkpoint and test out of it instead. We’ll go over how to do that more in a second.
How Many Checkpoints Are There in Duolingo?
Each language course in Duolingo has a different amount of Checkpoints depending on how many lessons that language has. Of course, the most popular courses on Duolingo are going to have more Checkpoints than the less popular ones.
For example, Spanish and French both have 10 Checkpoints while Italian only has 4.
Here is a list of the number of Checkpoints for every language course in Duolingo for English Speakers:
- Spanish: 10 Checkpoints
- French: 10 Checkpoints
- Italian: 4 Checkpoints
- Greek: 5 Checkpoints
- Japanese: 6 Checkpoints
- Norwegian: 8 Checkpoints
- Esperanto: 4 Checkpoints
- Ukrainian: 3 Checkpoints
- Chinese: 4 Checkpoints
- German: 6 Checkpoints
- Welsh: 5 Checkpoints
- Navajo: 1 Checkpoint
- Turkish: 4 Checkpoints
- Klingon: 3 Checkpoints
- Hawaiian: 2 Checkpoints
- Indonesian: 4 Checkpoints
- Finnish: 2 Checkpoints
- High Valyrian: 2 Checkpoints
- Russian: 4 Checkpoints
- Korean: 5 Checkpoints
- Portuguese: 4 Checkpoints
- Arabic: 3 Checkpoints
- Dutch: 6 Checkpoints
- Swedish: 4 Checkpoints
- Polish: 4 Checkpoints
- Irish: 3 Checkpoints
- Hebrew: 4 Checkpoints
- Danish: 4 Checkpoints
- Hindi: 2 Checkpoints
- Czech: 4 Checkpoints
- Vietnamese: 4 Checkpoints
- Hungarian: 4 Checkpoints
- Swahili: 3 Checkpoints
- Romanian: 3 Checkpoints
- Latin: 2 Checkpoints
- Scottish Gaelic: 5 Checkpoints
- Yiddish: 5 Checkpoints
- Haitian Creole: 2 Checkpoints
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Can You Test Out of the Checkpoints in Duolingo?
Yes, you can test out of these Checkpoints if you feel like you’re ready! Just click on the checkpoint and it will give you the option to start the test.
Although it’s tempting to want to jump ahead and just take the tests that allow you to pass that Checkpoint faster, I would only recommend doing this if you are already quite fluent in the language.
If not, you probably need that practice, and skipping those easier lessons won’t do you any good.
How Many Mistakes Can I Make at a Checkpoint in Duolingo?
Although this is subject to change, right now you can only make 4 mistakes before you fail the checkpoint test in Duolingo. So make sure you’re ready before you get started!
What Happens After You Test Out or Pass a Checkpoint?
After you test out of a checkpoint, or pass a checkpoint, you then will have access to more lessons that are more difficult. Unless you’ve already hit the final checkpoint, then you would have finished the tree!
Usually, the lessons after a checkpoint are grayed out and you aren’t able to complete any of them. After you’ve crossed the checkpoint, they will become available.
Why Are Duolingo Checkpoints so Hard?
Since you are skipping a bunch of lessons in order to test out of a checkpoint, you may not be at the level you need to be in order to pass the checkpoint test. So if you find the checkpoint difficult, quit the test and go back and start earning crowns instead.
Once you’ve earned 1 crown per subject, you will cross the checkpoint naturally!
The tests are meant to be a lot more difficult as well since they cover all the subjects below it with the hardest questions from all of those lessons.
The tests are much longer than the average Duolingo lesson as well, so only start one if you have some time on your hands.
trijnita van Donderen
Monday 6th of June 2022
If I would finish the 4 available checkpoints of Duolingo Italian, what would level. A1, A2, B1, B2? Will there be more checkpoints in the near future?
admin
Wednesday 8th of June 2022
Hey Trijnita! I'm really hoping they add more to the Italian course in the future. For now, if possible, I would try to do a "reverse tree" meaning you take your native language from Italian if they have it. With how little there is on Duolingo for Italian, I would definitely say A1. However, if you're supplementing with italki while doing the course, you'll be much further along. Here's my language learning plan.