Duolingo English Test Invalidated for Looking Away Due to Bright Screen

I took the Duolingo English Test on 27 June and received my results two days later, only to see that my test was marked as “invalid” on the grounds that I “looked away for too long.” I strongly disagree with this decision and would like a proper review of my case, access to the relevant proctoring/log records, and a refund for this test attempt. During the exam, the main problem I faced was the blindingly bright, completely white test screen. I am a regular dark mode user, and staring at such a harsh white interface for a long period was genuinely uncomfortable and distracting. At one point I briefly looked away from the screen simply to rest my eyes from the piercing brightness, not to cheat or access anything. It is unacceptable that this natural reaction to clear eye strain is treated as suspicious behavior severe enough to invalidate a paid test. Many modern exams, including computer-delivered IELTS, provide a dark mode or at least more eye-friendly display options. Duolingo, however, does not offer any such option during the exam, yet penalizes test takers for the inevitable eye fatigue caused by its own design. Being forced to stare at that kind of screen not only caused discomfort, it also damaged my focus and motivation, which negatively affected my performance during that attempt. I paid $118 for this test and feel that marking it invalid under these conditions, without any flexibility or consideration of the poor interface design, is extremely unfair and feels very close to taking money without providing the proper service. I also tried to reach support through your chat, but I was unable to get any meaningful help because the automated chatbot kept giving unhelpful, repetitive responses and did not allow me to properly explain or resolve the issue. I request that Duolingo review my case in detail, including any proctoring or system logs related to this so‑called “looking away” incident, and provide a full refund for this invalidated test attempt. Additionally, I expect Duolingo to take responsibility for this design problem by introducing a dark mode or a less blinding interface for the Duolingo English Test so that future test takers do not suffer the same issue.