Duolingo English Test Fee 2026: Price in India and the US, Plus Retakes

The Duolingo English Test costs $70 USD per attempt. That is the whole headline price — but the number matters less than what it does and does not cover, and the DET's fee structure is unusually simple compared with the tests it competes against. Prices can change and can vary slightly by region, so treat $70 USD as the standard figure and confirm the current price at checkout.

Compare the fees

The Duolingo English Test against IELTS, TOEFL and PTE, for one, two or three attempts, in the US or India.

The fee in one line

One payment of $70 USD buys one full, proctored, certified test. There is no separate registration fee, no booking surcharge, and no charge to send your results. You pay once, you take the test, and you send the score wherever you need it.

Every Duolingo English Test fee, in one table

The test fee is the only cost most people pay. Everything else is optional or free:

What the $70 actually includes

Sending scores: free, to up to 40 institutions

This is where the DET quietly saves you money. On some other tests, each additional score report to an institution carries its own fee. On the DET, sending your results is included. Duolingo advertises it as "unlimited sharing"; in practice the share screen in your account takes up to 40 institutions, and support can approve more, so you can send your certified score to every program you are applying to without paying again. For an applicant sending scores to eight or ten universities, that difference alone can be worth more than the test fee.

Retakes and the 30-day limit

Each attempt is a separate $70 USD purchase, and Duolingo limits you to three tests in any 30-day period. That cap is worth planning around: it means you cannot simply re-sit endlessly in a single week, so it is better to prepare properly, take one considered attempt, and keep a retake in reserve than to burn attempts hoping a number drifts upward. Institutions generally see the score you choose to send.

The Duolingo English Test fee in India

Indian test takers pay the same way as everyone else: online, in your Duolingo English Test account, before the test. The standard price is $70 USD, and the purchase screen shows the exact amount you will pay in rupees, with any tax, before you confirm. That figure is the only one that counts.

1. Create or sign in to your account

   At englishtest.duolingo.com. The account is free.

2. Press Purchase a test

   Choose one test or the two-test bundle.

3. Read the price on the screen

   It is shown in your local currency, with any tax, before you pay.

4. Pay by card

   Duolingo accepts major credit cards. Someone else, such as a parent, can pay by signing in to your account.

5. Take the test within 21 days

   At home, on a computer, in Duolingo’s desktop app with your phone as the camera.

Compared with the alternatives, the saving in India is large: IELTS and TOEFL usually cost several times as much there, and the DET also saves the travel to a test centre. Check that every university on your list accepts it first, using our list of universities that accept the DET.

How to pay the fee

• Where: only in your Duolingo English Test account, under Purchase a test.
• How: major credit cards; Alipay in China.
• Who: you, or anyone you let sign in to your account to pay for you. Refunds, where they apply, go back to the card that paid.
• When: before the test. Nothing is charged afterwards, for the results or for sending them.
• Help with the cost: Duolingo's Access Program gives fee waivers through partner institutions and organisations, so ask the university or programme you are applying to whether they offer one.

Why websites show different prices

Search for the Duolingo English Test fee and you will find $49, $59, $65 and $70 quoted, and rupee figures from about ₹4,800 to ₹6,700. Most of those are earlier prices that pages have not updated, or conversions done on a different day's exchange rate. Duolingo no longer prints the price on its public pages; it shows it on the purchase screen. Check the date on any figure you read, and trust the number in your account.

How it compares to IELTS and TOEFL

The DET is usually the cheapest of the three, as well as the fastest and the only one that is always taken at home:

The gap is real but the fee should not be the only factor: what settles it is which test your institutions accept. Where all three are accepted, the DET's lower cost, faster results and at-home format are a genuine advantage. The comparison page weighs the formats beyond price, and if cost is why you are looking beyond IELTS, see how to study abroad without IELTS.

Is it worth it?

For most applicants whose target institutions accept it, yes — it is cheaper, faster and more convenient than the alternatives, and free score sending compounds the saving. The one caveat is acceptance: a slightly cheaper test you cannot use is not a saving. Confirm every program on your list accepts the DET before you pay, then the $70 USD is straightforwardly good value.

Rehearse before you spend the fee

The retake limit and the per-attempt fee are the two reasons not to walk in cold. The most expensive way to take the DET is to sit it unprepared, score below your level because the format surprised you, and pay again. Rehearsing the exact tasks first is the cheap insurance against that.

Questions people ask

How much does the Duolingo English Test cost?

$70 USD per attempt. That single fee covers the full proctored test, your certified results within 2 days, and sending your score to up to 40 institutions at no extra charge. Prices can change and vary slightly by region, so confirm the current figure at checkout, but $70 USD is the standard price.

Is there an extra charge to send my scores?

No. Sending your certified results is included: you can select up to 40 institutions from your account, and ask Duolingo's support to approve more if you need them. This is one of the DET's biggest cost advantages over tests that charge per additional score report.

How much does it cost to retake the Duolingo English Test?

Each retake is a separate $70 USD purchase. There is no discount for repeat attempts, and you are limited to three tests in any 30-day period. That limit is a good reason to prepare thoroughly and take one considered attempt rather than paying repeatedly.

Is the Duolingo English Test cheaper than IELTS and TOEFL?

Usually, yes. The DET's $70 USD is generally well below IELTS and TOEFL, which cost US$280–$325 in the US and ₹15,729–₹19,000 in India (official sites, 26 October 2026) and vary by country. Add the DET's free score sending and the total-cost gap widens further for anyone applying to several institutions.

Why is the Duolingo English Test so much cheaper?

It is delivered online and graded automatically, with no test centre, no in-person invigilator and no paper. Those savings are passed into a lower fee. The trade-off is a computer-adaptive format rather than a human examiner — which is also why results come back within 2 days.

Are there any hidden fees?

The DET's pricing is unusually flat: one fee per attempt, with no separate registration charge and no per-report sending fee. The main way to spend more is to buy additional attempts. Always review the exact total at checkout, but there is no standard surcharge layered on top of the test price.

Can I get a fee waiver or discount?

Some access programs, sponsors and institutions provide vouchers or fee assistance for the DET, and Duolingo has run reduced-fee initiatives. Availability changes, so ask the institution or program you are applying through, and check Duolingo's current help pages rather than assuming a discount exists.

Does buying two tests at once save money?

Yes, if you are sure you will sit twice. Duolingo sells a two-test bundle at a discounted price. You then have 21 days to take the first test and another 21 days after its result to take the second; bundles are not refundable and the credits cannot be shared with another account. Either way you can buy at most three tests in any 30-day period.

Do I pay before or after taking the test?

You pay when you purchase the test, before you take it. Once purchased, you complete the session in the secure app and receive your certified results within 2 days. There is no additional charge at the results stage or to send scores afterward.

Can someone else pay for my test?

Yes. A parent, sponsor or agent can buy your test by signing in to your Duolingo English Test account and paying there. Duolingo then treats payment and account access as your responsibility, and refunds only go back to the original payment method — so any refund has to be arranged with whoever paid.

Is the fee refundable?

Refund and rescheduling terms are set by Duolingo and can change, so check their current purchase and refund policy before you buy. As a rule, treat the $70 USD as committed once you begin a session, and prepare beforehand so you only need the one attempt.

Does the price change by country?

The standard fee is quoted in USD, and what you pay can vary slightly with local pricing, currency and taxes. The figure shown at checkout for your account is the one that applies. Expect it to be in the region of $70 USD rather than dramatically different.

Is the Duolingo English Test worth the cost?

For applicants whose institutions accept it, generally yes — it is cheaper, faster and more convenient than the alternatives, with free score sending. The only real risk is paying for a test a target program does not accept, so confirm acceptance across your whole list before you buy.

Is there a cheaper English test that universities accept?

The DET is already among the least expensive widely accepted tests, and a cheaper option a university will not take is a false economy, not a saving. The decision is acceptance first, price second: use whichever accepted test costs least across your list. For most applicants who can use it, that is the DET.

What is the Duolingo English Test fee in India?

The standard price is $70 USD per test, and Indian test takers see the exact amount in rupees, with any tax, on the purchase screen in their Duolingo English Test account before paying. Duolingo does not publish a separate rupee price on its public pages, so the figure in your account is the one to trust.

Why do websites show different Duolingo English Test fees?

Because the price has changed over the years and many pages still show an old figure, such as $49, $59 or $65, and because rupee amounts depend on the exchange rate on the day they were written. Check the date on any page you read, and confirm the current price on the purchase screen in your own account.

What does Faster Results mean on the Duolingo English Test?

Faster Results is an optional extra you can add when you buy the test. Your results arrive in about 12 hours instead of about 2 days. The test, the proctoring and the scoring are the same, it does not guarantee your result will be certified, and it is not refundable. The price is shown at checkout.

How many attempts does one Duolingo English Test purchase give me?

One purchase is one credit, and a credit gives you three attempts to complete and upload the test. Every time you begin the test counts as an attempt, so a technical problem can be retried for free while attempts remain. Breaking the test rules twice on one credit uses it up.

How do I avoid paying twice?

Prepare so a single attempt does the job. Meet every task type, sit at least one full-length practice test under real conditions, and fix your weakest skill first. Walking in cold and re-sitting because the format surprised you is the most common way people spend $70 USD twice.

Quick reference: Duolingo English Test Fee 2026 at a glance

Walk into the DET already knowing the room.

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