DET vs IELTS vs TOEFL
How Duolingo English Test scores line up against IELTS bands, TOEFL iBT scores and CEFR levels — and why every one of those mappings is approximate.
- Duolingo's own published concordance, not a guess
- An interactive lookup for any score on the scale
- What each band actually opens at a university
If you already know an IELTS band or a TOEFL score, a DET number means nothing until you can place it. This page does that, and then explains why the placement is looser than the tidy tables everywhere on the internet suggest.
The three tests overlap but are not measuring quite the same thing, on scales built differently, with different task formats and different amounts of evidence collected. A conversion is a useful orientation. It is not an exchange rate, and no institution accepts one in place of the test they asked for.
Find your score
Drag to any DET score to see the rough IELTS and TOEFL equivalents and the CEFR level.
DET, IELTS, TOEFL and CEFR side by side
The complete mapping in one place. The right-hand column is the part most tables leave out, and it is usually the part you actually want.
| DET | CEFR | IELTS | TOEFL iBT | What this typically opens |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10–55 | A1–A2 | ≤ 4.0 | ≤ 31 | Foundation level. Below the entry bar at almost every degree programme. |
| 60–85 | B1 | 4.5–5.0 | 35–52 | Some pathway, foundation and diploma programmes. |
| 90–95 | B1 | 5.5 | 46–59 | Many community colleges and a few undergraduate pathways. |
| 100–115 | B2 | 6.0–6.5 | 60–83 | The most common undergraduate requirement band. |
| 120–125 | B2 | 6.5–7.0 | 84–93 | Competitive undergraduate and many taught masters programmes. |
| 130–135 | C1 | 7.0 | 94–105 | Selective postgraduate programmes. |
| 140–145 | C1 | 7.5 | 106–116 | Highly selective postgraduate entry. |
| 150–150 | C1 | 8.0 | 117–118 | The top of what most institutions ask for. |
| 155–160 | C2 | 8.5–9.0 | 119–120 | Above the published requirement essentially everywhere. |
Why every conversion table is approximate
Conversion tables look authoritative because they are tables. Four things make them softer than they appear.
The scales are shaped differently
IELTS reports in half-bands from 0 to 9 — nineteen possible values. The DET reports in fives from 10 to 160 — thirty-one. TOEFL iBT runs 0–120 in single points. Mapping a finer scale onto a coarser one necessarily loses information, and the loss is not evenly distributed: near the top, a single IELTS half-band covers a DET range wide enough to matter for admissions.
They measure overlapping, not identical, things
All three assess reading, writing, speaking and listening, but through different tasks. The DET’s speaking is recorded alone with no interlocutor; IELTS speaking is a live interview. Those elicit different language from the same person, and someone who performs well in conversation may do less well talking to a screen — or the reverse.
Adaptive and fixed-form tests behave differently
The DET adapts to you, concentrating its questions near the edge of your ability. A fixed form spends much of its length on items that are far too easy or far too hard for any given candidate. This makes the DET efficient, and it also means the two produce their estimates from quite different evidence.
Every score carries error
This is true of all three tests and is routinely ignored. A DET 120 and a DET 125 are not reliably distinguishable from a single sitting, and neither are IELTS 6.5 and 7.0. When you convert a score that already has a band of uncertainty around it, the uncertainty converts too — and usually widens.
How the three tests actually differ
| Duolingo English Test | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | About one hour | Around 2 hours 45 minutes | About 2 hours |
| Where | At home, online | Test centre, or online in some regions | Test centre or at home |
| Format | Computer-adaptive | Fixed form | Fixed form |
| Speaking | Recorded, no interlocutor | Live interview with an examiner | Recorded, no interlocutor |
| Results in | 2 days | Around 3–13 days depending on format | Around 4–8 days |
| Fee | $70 USD | Varies by country, generally higher | Varies by country, generally higher |
| Score scale | 10–160 in fives | 0–9 in half bands | 0–120 |
| Validity | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
The format differences matter more than the score mapping for one specific reason: they change who does well. The DET’s hour of sustained concentration with tight per-task timers suits some people and punishes others. If you have taken one of these tests before and underperformed relative to your ability, the format is worth considering alongside the price.
Which test should you take?
The decision has a clear order, and most people get it wrong by starting at step three.
Check what your institutions accept
This eliminates most of the decision immediately. If a programme you need does not accept the DET, nothing else about it matters. Check the programme page, not a general list.
Check the deadline you are working to
If results are needed soon, turnaround becomes decisive. The DET returns results in 2 days, which is generally faster than the alternatives, and it can usually be scheduled at short notice because you take it at home.
Check the cost against how many attempts you might need
At $70 USD the DET is typically the cheapest of the three, and the gap widens if you end up sitting more than once. Note that Duolingo limits purchases to three tests in any 30-day period.
Then, and only then, consider which format suits you
Adaptive and compressed, or long and fixed. Recorded speaking, or a live examiner. This is a real consideration but it is the last one, because the first three are constraints and this is a preference.
How to read an admissions requirement properly
Before you set a target, make sure the DET is accepted where you are applying — our guide to which universities and countries accept the Duolingo English Test covers acceptance by destination and the scores programs ask for. Three things then routinely catch people out when they translate a requirement into a target.
- Minimum subscores. Many institutions publish an overall requirement and a per-skill floor. A 125 overall built on a 95 in Writing can fail a requirement that a 120 overall built evenly would pass. Because the overall is a mean of four, an uneven profile hides this easily — see how the subscores combine.
- Programme-level variation. Requirements often differ between departments in the same university, and between undergraduate and postgraduate entry. The institution-wide page is frequently the minimum, not your programme’s.
- Recency. DET scores are valid for 2 years, but a programme may require a score taken more recently than that. Validity and acceptability are not the same thing.
Once you know your real target — overall and per-skill — the useful next step is finding out which of your four skills is furthest from it. That is a diagnosis, and how to prepare covers what to do with it.
Questions about comparing scores
What DET score do I need for university?
It varies by institution and often by programme, but many undergraduate courses ask for 105-120 and competitive or postgraduate ones frequently want 120 and above. Treat those as orientation only and read the minimum on the specific programme page, since a department can set its bar higher than the university's general statement.
How long does a DET score stay valid?
Two years from your test date, which is the same validity window IELTS and TOEFL use. If your application is more than two years away, that timing matters more than any small difference between the scores themselves.
What CEFR level does my DET score map to?
Duolingo aligns the 10-160 scale to the CEFR: broadly, the 90s and low 100s sit in B2, roughly 120 and up reaches C1, and the very top of the scale approaches C2. Like every mapping on this page it is an approximation — an institution asking for 'C1' will still state the exact DET number it wants.
What is a 120 on the Duolingo English Test in IELTS?
Roughly IELTS 7.0. "Roughly" is doing real work in that sentence — the two tests measure overlapping but not identical things on differently-shaped scales, so any conversion is an approximation. Use it to orient yourself, then check the actual requirement published by the institution you are applying to.
Is the Duolingo English Test easier than IELTS?
It is shorter, cheaper and more convenient, which is not the same as easier. The DET compresses into about an hour what IELTS spreads over nearly three, and its adaptive design means it climbs to the edge of your ability rather than covering a fixed range. Many people find the time pressure per task harder, and the speaking tasks — recorded alone, with no interviewer to react to — harder in a different way than a live examiner.
Do universities accept the Duolingo English Test?
Thousands of institutions do, and the list has grown substantially. But acceptance is per-institution and often per-programme, and some departments accept it for one course and not another. Always check the specific programme page rather than a general university statement or a third-party list.
How does DET compare to TOEFL iBT?
A DET score of 100–125 corresponds roughly to a TOEFL iBT range of 60–93, and 130–150 to about 94–109. TOEFL is longer and more academically framed; the DET is shorter, adaptive, and taken at home. As with IELTS, the mapping is approximate and the institution's published requirement is what actually governs.
Which English test should I take?
Whichever ones your institutions accept, then whichever suits how you perform. The DET is cheaper and faster to schedule and to receive results from. IELTS and TOEFL are accepted more universally and have longer track records. If all three are accepted, the practical questions are cost, how soon you need the result, and whether you do better under a compressed adaptive format or a longer conventional one.
Are DET-to-IELTS conversion tables official?
Comparisons published by Duolingo are based on their own concordance research. Tables you find elsewhere, including this one, are approximations assembled to help you orient. No conversion table is accepted as a substitute for the test an institution actually asks for — you cannot convert a DET score into an IELTS score for admissions purposes.
How much does each test cost?
The Duolingo English Test is $70 USD. IELTS and TOEFL are typically substantially more, and vary by country. Cost is one of the main reasons candidates choose the DET, alongside being able to take it at home and receive results in 2 days.
How quickly do results arrive?
DET results are typically available in 2 days. IELTS and TOEFL generally take longer. If you are working to an application deadline, that difference is often the deciding factor.
Can I convert my DET score into an official IELTS score?
No. Comparison tables help you orient on the scale, but no institution accepts a converted score in place of the test it asked for. If a programme requires IELTS, you have to sit IELTS.
Is the DET accepted for UK or Canadian student visas?
Visa acceptance is set by governments and changes independently of what universities accept, so a programme accepting the DET does not mean the visa route does. Check the current requirement on the relevant government site rather than any third-party summary, including this one.
Which test is cheapest?
The Duolingo English Test, at $70 USD, is typically the least expensive of the three, and the gap widens if you end up sitting more than once. It also needs no test-centre booking, which removes travel cost.
Can I take the DET more than once?
Yes, subject to Duolingo's limit of three tests in any 30-day period. Institutions generally accept your best score, though some ask to see all attempts — check before assuming.
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