Duolingo English Test vs TOEFL: which should you take?

The Duolingo English Test and TOEFL iBT both exist to answer one question for a university — is your English strong enough? — and both are accepted for admissions around the world. Since January 2026 they have more in common than ever: TOEFL became adaptive, like the DET. They still differ on cost, length, where you sit them and how they report a score. This comparison uses each test maker’s own published figures.

The short version

Cost and speed: the DET's case

The Duolingo English Test costs $70 USD wherever you are, takes about an hour, and runs at home whenever you choose, with results within 2 days. TOEFL iBT’s registration fee depends on the country you test in — ETS shows it once you pick a location — and the extras add up: rescheduling costs US$69, express registration within seven days of the test is US$49, and each additional score report is US$29. ETS releases scores to your account three days after the test. For an applicant working to a deadline on a budget, the DET’s flat price and one-hour sitting are its strongest arguments.

What each test looks like

The DET is one continuous, adaptive hour: a short setup, a 45-minute graded section drawing on 11 question types that mix reading, writing, listening and speaking, and a 10-minute writing and speaking sample that institutions can see. The full breakdown is in the DET format guide.

TOEFL iBT keeps four separate sections. ETS lists these approximate base times:

Those sections add up to roughly 90 minutes of timed work, and ETS says to allow about two hours in total. Neither test uses a live examiner: in both, you speak into a microphone and your responses are recorded for scoring.

TOEFL’s 2026 changes: what is different now

Much of what you will read about TOEFL online describes the old test. On January 21, 2026, ETS updated TOEFL iBT:

• It is now adaptive, adjusting to each test taker’s ability — as the DET always has.
• Scores use a new 1–6 scale in half-band steps, for each of the four sections and overall. The overall is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half band.
• The bands align directly to the CEFR — a 5 in any section means C1 for that skill.
• A comparable 0–120 score is still shown during a two-year transition running to January 2028, alongside the CEFR level and the 1–6 score.

If a programme still states its TOEFL requirement out of 120, that comparable score is how it can read yours during the transition.

Scores: how they line up

The tests use different scales, but each publishes an official alignment to the CEFR, so the cleanest comparison runs through it — Duolingo’s alignment on one side, ETS’s on the other:

So a DET score of 120 — B2 on Duolingo’s alignment — sits at the same level as a TOEFL of about 4–4.5, and Duolingo’s own comparison tables put DET 120–125 at roughly 84–93 on TOEFL’s 0–120 scale. A DET of 130 or more is C1, the level of a TOEFL 5. These are equivalences, not an exchange rate: an institution that accepts the DET reads your DET score against its own DET minimum. For any single score, use the DET score converter.

Acceptance: the deciding factor

This is the one that actually decides it. TOEFL has been used for university admissions for decades and is accepted very widely. The Duolingo English Test is newer, but it is now accepted by 6,500+ institutions, including many of the best-known universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Acceptance is decided programme by programme, and some programmes — and some visa routes — still list only TOEFL or IELTS.

Before anything else, check your specific programme’s requirements. If it lists a DET minimum, the DET is almost always the cheaper, faster route. If it lists only TOEFL, the decision is made for you. Our guide to where the DET is accepted is the place to start, and DET vs IELTS covers the other common choice.

Difficulty: are they equally hard?

Both measure the same English and align to the same CEFR levels, so a strong English user scores well on either. What differs is the shape of the difficulty. The DET packs many short, varied tasks into one hour, which rewards switching quickly between skills; TOEFL runs four longer sections built around academic reading, lectures, an email and an academic discussion, which rewards stamina and familiarity with academic formats. Preparation for one transfers only partly to the other — rehearse the formats of the test you actually book.

So which should you take?

1. 1. Check what your programme accepts

   Find the English-test requirement on your programme’s admissions page. If it lists only one test, take that one.

2. 2. If both are accepted, compare the practicalities

   The DET is $70 USD, about an hour, at home, with results within 2 days; TOEFL is about two hours, priced by country, at a centre or at home.

3. 3. Compare the minimums on each scale

   Look up the programme’s DET minimum and its TOEFL minimum, and use the CEFR table above to see which you are closer to.

4. 4. Find your level before you pay

   Take a full DET practice test: it mirrors the real format and shows roughly where you stand.

Sources: TOEFL figures come from ETS’s official pages on test content, the 2026 score scale, scores and fees, checked 27 September 2026; DET figures follow Duolingo’s published information. Both tests change, so confirm the details with each test maker before you book.

Walk into the DET already knowing the room.

Questions people ask

Duolingo English Test vs TOEFL — which should I take?

Take whichever your target programme accepts. If it accepts both, the DET is cheaper ($70 USD), shorter (about an hour), taken at home and scored within 2 days; TOEFL iBT takes about two hours, is priced by country and can be taken at a centre or at home. Check the requirement first — acceptance decides it.

Is the Duolingo English Test easier than TOEFL?

Neither requires easier English — both align to the same CEFR levels. The DET is shorter and packs many small, varied tasks into an hour; TOEFL runs four longer academic sections over about two hours. Which feels easier depends on whether quick task-switching or sustained academic reading and listening suits you better.

What is a 120 Duolingo score in TOEFL?

DET 120 is CEFR B2 on Duolingo’s alignment — the same level as a TOEFL iBT score of about 4–4.5 on the new 1–6 scale. On the older 0–120 scale, Duolingo’s comparison puts DET 120–125 at roughly 84–93. Treat it as an equivalence, not a conversion: programmes read your DET score against their own DET minimum.

What is the new TOEFL 1–6 score scale?

Since January 21, 2026, TOEFL iBT reports each section and the overall score from 1 to 6 in half-band steps, aligned to the CEFR: 6 is C2, 5–5.5 is C1, 4–4.5 is B2 and 3–3.5 is B1. The overall is the average of the four section scores, rounded to the nearest half band.

Is TOEFL still scored out of 120?

Only as a comparable score. The official scale is now 1–6, but during a two-year transition running to January 2028, TOEFL score reports also show a comparable 0–120 score alongside the CEFR level and the 1–6 score, so institutions can keep reading existing requirements.

How long does each test take?

The Duolingo English Test takes about an hour in one continuous sitting. ETS says to allow about two hours for TOEFL iBT, whose four timed sections — Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking — add up to roughly 90 minutes. If one short sitting matters to you, that is a clear point for the DET.

How much does each test cost?

The DET costs $70 USD. TOEFL iBT’s registration fee varies by the country you test in — ETS shows it once you choose a location — and extras cost more: rescheduling is US$69, express registration within seven days of the test is US$49, and each additional score report is US$29.

How fast are DET and TOEFL results?

DET results arrive within 2 days. TOEFL iBT scores appear in your ETS account three days after your test date, and a paper report, if you ask for one before testing, is mailed 11–15 days after the test.

How long are DET and TOEFL scores valid?

Both are valid for 2 years from the test date. After that, institutions treat the score as expired and you would need to test again. You can check exactly when a DET score expires with our score validity checker.

Can I take TOEFL or the DET at home?

Yes, both. The Duolingo English Test is always taken at home on your own computer. TOEFL iBT can be taken at an authorised test centre or as the TOEFL iBT Home Edition — on a computer at home, monitored by a live human proctor.

Do US universities accept the Duolingo English Test instead of TOEFL?

Many do — the DET is accepted by 6,500+ institutions, and acceptance is widest in the United States. It is not universal, though: some programmes still list only TOEFL or IELTS. Always confirm on your programme’s admissions page before booking either test.

How do DET and TOEFL scores compare on the CEFR?

Through each test maker’s official CEFR alignment: B2 is DET 100–125 and TOEFL 4–4.5; C1 is DET 130–150 and TOEFL 5–5.5; C2 is DET 155–160 and TOEFL 6. That makes the CEFR the cleanest common ground between the two scales.

Which is better for a student visa?

It depends on the country and the institution. Some visa routes specify particular tests, so check the official visa requirements as well as your university’s. Where a route accepts either, cost and convenience usually favour the DET — but acceptance always overrides convenience.

Can I take both tests and send the better score?

Yes. Nothing stops you sitting both and submitting whichever result is stronger or better accepted. Because the DET is cheaper and shorter, many applicants take it first and only book TOEFL if a programme requires it.

Does TOEFL have a live speaking examiner?

No. In TOEFL iBT, as in the DET, you speak into a microphone and your responses are recorded for scoring — the Speaking section includes Listen and Repeat and a Take an Interview task. Neither test has a face-to-face interview; among the major tests, IELTS is the one that does.

Is TOEFL more widely accepted than the Duolingo English Test?

TOEFL has been used for decades and remains very widely accepted, while the DET is newer — though it is now accepted by 6,500+ institutions. For your application the only acceptance that matters is your programme’s, so check its requirement before choosing.

If I prepared for TOEFL, will it help on the DET?

Your underlying English carries straight over — vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening all transfer. The formats do not: the DET’s short adaptive tasks, such as Read and Select and Fill in the Blanks, look nothing like TOEFL’s, so practise the DET formats before you sit it.

Quick reference: Duolingo English Test vs TOEFL at a glance

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