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The Ultimate Guide to Duolingo Checkpoints

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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Checkpoint 10 in Duolingo

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.”

Unit 2 in Duolingo

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.

Complete a checkpoint test in Duolingo

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.

Test Out of Unit 10 Checkpoint in Duolingo

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!

4 Mistakes allowed in Checkpoint Test in Duolingo Spanish

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!

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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.

Nikhil

Thursday 19th of January 2023

In what app version will this final checkpoint exam would be available?

Lorena

Wednesday 10th of August 2022

I made the dumb mistake of unlocking a checkpoint before completing most of the lessons before it, and SOMEHOW I passed. However, now the app thinks I have completed the entire checkpoint 2 stuff and has taken me straight to checkpoint 3 difficulty questions. Any suggestions on how I could undo this, if possible?

Janet Alexander

Thursday 7th of July 2022

I have at least one crown in all the Spanish courses, so I am able to try checkpoint 10. Will I still be able to go back and earn the rest of the crowns after I pass checkpoint 10? I don’t want to lose access to the rest of the Spanish course.

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.

Rianne

Sunday 29th of May 2022

Hello, I found your website with Google search while searching for a solution to my "problem" with Duolingo. Because it's only possible to report a bug but the answer is that I probably won't get an answer 😳 and I can't do anything, I hope you are willing and able to help me.

I reached en opened my first checkpoint after the test show I was able to skip chapter one and two. The checkpoint changed into Duo, and a message appeared which says that I have reached level 1 and now I have to make level 2, but no new lessons appear. Am I missing something here or is there really something wrong with the program. I'm a payed customer so I'm double frustrated. I hope you are able to help this real addict 😔🥺 I would be really grateful