The Duolingo English Test has removed suggested word counts and the word counter from writing questions. Instead of saying “Respond to the question in at least 50 words” the test now says “Write about the topic for 5 minutes.”
That’s great. Anyone who has been reading my blog for some time will know that misleading statements on tests about word counts drive me bonkers.
You can see this change both on the real test and on the free practice test provided on the DET website.