What is the Duolingo English Test?
The Duolingo English Test (DET) is an online, adaptive English proficiency test accepted by 6,500+ universities and institutions worldwide. You take it at home in about one hour, and it scores your reading, writing, listening and speaking on a single 10–160 scale.
- Online and at home — no test centre, about one hour, on your own computer
- Scored 10–160 with 8 subscores across all four skills
- Results in 2 days, valid 2 years, $70 USD per test
The Duolingo English Test is a computer-adaptive test of English proficiency, taken entirely online. It measures reading, writing, listening and speaking in about one hour, and reports a score from 10 to 160 that universities, employers and immigration authorities use to judge whether your English is strong enough to study or work in an English-speaking setting. It is made by Duolingo — the same company as the language-learning app — but it is a separate, proctored exam, not the app's lessons.
Because it is taken at home, costs $70 USD, and returns results in 2 days, it has become a mainstream alternative to IELTS and TOEFL: 6,500+ institutions now accept it. This page explains the format, the scoring, who accepts it, what it costs, and exactly how you take it.
What the test looks like
The Duolingo English Test takes about one hour from start to finish and runs in three parts:
| Part | Time | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Setup & ID check | 5 min | You verify your identity and the system checks your camera, microphone and room. |
| Adaptive graded section | 45 min | The scored core — 13 question types that adapt in difficulty to your answers. |
| Writing & speaking sample | 10 min | An open writing and speaking response, sent to institutions alongside your score. |
The 45-minute core is adaptive: each question is chosen from how you answered the last, so the test homes in on your level quickly instead of asking everyone the same fixed set. It draws from 13 question types that mix reading, writing, listening and speaking. See all 13 question types explained, or sit them under time in a full mock test.
How the 10–160 score works
Your result is a single number from 10 to 160, in increments of 5. It is not a percentage or a count of right answers — because the test is adaptive, the difficulty of what you were asked is built into the score, so two people who got the same number right can score differently. Alongside the overall score you get 8 subscores: four skills (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking) and four combined areas (Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation, Production). The overall score is the average of the four skill subscores, rounded to the nearest 5, and each combined area is the average of the two skills it pairs — as Duolingo documents it.
Scores map to the CEFR levels universities recognise:
| CEFR level | DET score |
|---|---|
| A1–A2 | 10–55 |
| B1 | 60–95 |
| B2 | 100–125 |
| C1 | 130–150 |
| C2 | 155–160 |
For the full mechanism — how each subscore is built and what the adaptive engine is doing question by question — see how the DET is scored. To place a DET score against IELTS and TOEFL, use the score converter or the score comparison.
Who accepts the Duolingo English Test
6,500+ universities and institutions accept the DET, including many of the best-known names in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and across Europe and Asia. Acceptance is concentrated in North America but now reaches every region:
| Region | Accepting institutions |
|---|---|
| North America | 4,300+ |
| Europe | 800+ |
| Asia | 600+ |
| Oceania | 200+ |
| South America | 100+ |
| Africa | 50+ |
What actually matters is whether your specific programme accepts it and the minimum score it asks for, so always check the university's own page. Our list of universities that accept the DET is the place to start, and study abroad without IELTS covers the routes country by country.
DET vs IELTS and TOEFL
The DET measures the same English as IELTS and TOEFL but differs in how you take it. It is cheaper ($70 USD against US$280–$325 in the US for the others), taken at home rather than at a test centre, and returns results in 2 days instead of one to two weeks. The trade-off is that a few institutions still prefer IELTS or TOEFL, so acceptance — while wide — is not yet universal.
As a rough guide, DET 120–125 ≈ IELTS 6.5–7.0 ≈ TOEFL iBT 84–93. For the full picture see Duolingo English Test vs IELTS and the score comparison.
What it costs, and how results work
The test costs $70 USD per attempt, and you can take up to three tests in any 30-day period. Results arrive within 2 days and stay valid for 2 years from the test date — after that you would retake it. Sending your score to institutions is free and unlimited within the validity window.
More detail: how much the DET costs, how long it takes, and the score validity checker to see exactly when a score expires.
How to take the Duolingo English Test, step by step
1. Create an account and buy the test
Sign up at englishtest.duolingo.com and pay the $70 USD fee. You can usually start within minutes.
2. Set up your space
You need a quiet, well-lit room, a computer with a working webcam and microphone, and a passport or government photo ID. No one else may be in the room.
3. Take the test
The whole thing runs in Duolingo’s desktop app in about one hour, under automated and human proctoring, with your phone’s camera recording your workspace. You cannot pause it or open other applications.
4. Get your results
Certified results arrive within 2 days by email, with your overall score and all 8 subscores.
5. Send your scores
Send results to as many institutions as you like, free, at any time within the 2 years validity window.
The best way to prepare is to sit the real format under time first. Take a free full-length mock test, check where you stand with the English level test, then follow the preparation guide to fix whatever the result exposes.
Common questions about the Duolingo English Test
What is the Duolingo English Test?
The Duolingo English Test (DET) is an online, computer-adaptive test of English proficiency. It measures reading, writing, listening and speaking in about one hour, is taken at home under proctoring, and reports a score from 10 to 160 that universities and employers use to judge English ability. It is made by Duolingo but is a separate exam from the language-learning app.
Do I need to book a date to take the Duolingo English Test?
No. Duolingo sells it as a test you can take anytime, anywhere: you buy it in your Duolingo English Test account and sit it at home whenever you are ready within 21 days of purchase. The session takes about one hour — roughly 5 minutes of setup and ID checks, a 45-minute adaptive section and a 10-minute writing and speaking sample. See how long the DET takes.
Is the Duolingo English Test free?
No. The Duolingo app is free, but the Duolingo English Test is a separate, proctored exam that costs $70 USD per attempt — considerably less than IELTS or TOEFL, which run US$280–$325 in the US — with no separate registration or score-sending fees. Practice is what is free: Duolingo's own practice test can be taken as often as you like. More detail on DET cost.
Is the Duolingo English Test accepted by universities?
Yes — 6,500+ universities and institutions accept it, including many leading names across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe and Asia. Acceptance and the required minimum score vary by programme, so check the university's own page and our list of accepting universities.
How is the Duolingo English Test scored?
On a scale from 10 to 160 in 5-point steps. You also receive 8 subscores — four skills (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking) and four combined areas (Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation, Production) — and the overall score is the average of the four skill subscores, rounded to the nearest 5; each combined area is itself the average of two skills. Full detail on how the DET is scored.
What catches first-time Duolingo English Test takers out?
The format more than the English. Because the test is adaptive it keeps serving questions near the edge of your ability, so it never feels easy; many tasks run on short timers; and there is no going back to a submitted answer. None of it is a trick — familiarity with the 13 question types and the timing is what makes it manageable. See is the DET hard.
How do I take the Duolingo English Test?
Create an account at englishtest.duolingo.com, pay the $70 USD fee, and take the test at home on a computer with a webcam and microphone, in a quiet room, with a valid photo ID and your phone to hand for its camera. It runs in Duolingo's desktop app in about one hour under proctoring, and results arrive within 2 days.
Where do you take the Duolingo English Test — is it online?
It is fully online and taken at home, or any quiet private space. There is no test centre. You need a computer with a working camera and microphone and a stable internet connection; the session is proctored by a mix of AI and human reviewers.
Do I need a Duolingo English Test account?
Yes. You buy and take the test from a Duolingo English Test account at englishtest.duolingo.com, and Duolingo allows one account per person — accounts cannot be shared. Your certified results live there too: they stay valid for 2 years from the test date, and you can check the exact expiry with our score validity checker.
What happens after I finish the Duolingo English Test?
Your session is reviewed — Duolingo combines AI scoring with human proctoring — and certified results normally arrive within 2 days. Nothing is sent automatically: from your account you choose which institutions receive your score, free of charge, at any point in its 2 years validity window.
Is the Duolingo English Test the same as the Duolingo app?
No. Both are made by Duolingo, but the app teaches languages through lessons, while the Duolingo English Test is a separate, certified, proctored proficiency exam that produces an official score for admissions and visas.
Duolingo English Test vs IELTS — which should I take?
Take whichever your target institutions accept. The DET is cheaper, taken at home, and faster to return results; IELTS is accepted slightly more universally and taken at a centre. As a rough guide DET 120–125 ≈ IELTS 6.5–7.0. Compare them on DET vs IELTS.
What does DET stand for?
DET is short for the Duolingo English Test — the online, proctored English exam scored 10 to 160. You will see "DET" on admissions pages, in requirements such as "DET 115", and across this site. It is different from the Duolingo app and its in-app Duolingo Score, which tracks course progress rather than certifying anything. Duolingo lets you buy up to three tests in any 30-day period.
Is there a minimum English level to take the Duolingo English Test?
No. Anyone can sit it, and the adaptive engine places you anywhere on the 10–160 scale. The level that matters is your target: 120 (about CEFR B2, IELTS 6.5–7.0) clears many undergraduate requirements, and 130+ (C1) suits competitive and postgraduate programmes. See what a good DET score is.
Is the Duolingo English Test legitimate and recognised?
Yes. It is a certified English test accepted by 6,500+ institutions worldwide and used for study and visa applications. It uses extensive proctoring and security so scores are trusted — though, as with any test, each institution sets its own policy on whether, and at what score, it accepts it.
The Duolingo English Test at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | An online, adaptive English proficiency test accepted worldwide. |
| Who makes it? | Duolingo — but it is a separate proctored exam, not the app. |
| How long? | about one hour, taken at home. |
| Score scale? | 10–160, with 8 subscores. |
| Cost? | $70 USD per attempt. |
| Results? | Within 2 days, valid 2 years. |
| Who accepts it? | 6,500+ universities and institutions. |
| vs IELTS? | Similar level measured; the DET is cheaper, at-home and faster. |
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