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Meta title: Duolingo English Test Guide: Scores, Price, Acceptance
Meta description: The Duolingo English Test explained: structure, 10–160 scores and subscores, IELTS/TOEFL concordance, the $70 fee, device rules and how to check acceptance.
Last modified: 2026-09-30

# Duolingo English Test Guide: Format, Scores, Price and Acceptance

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The Duolingo English Test (DET) is an online English test you take at home on your own computer, with no appointment needed. It takes about an hour, results arrive within two days and a certificate is valid for two years. Scores run from 10 to 160 in steps of 5; on Duolingo's official concordance, 120 corresponds roughly to IELTS 6.5 and TOEFL iBT 87–92 on the historical scale. The standard price is $70 per test. Whether the DET can replace IELTS or TOEFL is decided by each programme: some list it alongside the classic tests, some do not accept it, and it does not work for every visa route.

This guide shows how to confirm that your programmes accept the DET, what the test contains, how the overall score and subscores work, what it costs, the equipment and rules that decide whether a result is certified, and how to register step by step.

A laptop: the Duolingo English Test is taken online from home. Photo: Shixart1985 / [source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_hand_is_pressing_keys_on_a_laptop_keyboard.jpg), [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0).

## The DET at a glance {#section-1}

| Item | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Provider | Duolingo, USA |
| Delivery | online at home, any time, monitored through your computer and phone cameras |
| Length | about 1 hour without a break: setup, adaptive questions, writing and speaking tasks |
| Scale | 10–160 in steps of 5; four individual and four integrated subscores |
| Results | within 2 days; within 12 hours with Faster Results |
| Price | $70 per test; a discounted two-test bundle is available |
| Validity | 2 years |
| Sending results | free, up to 40 institutions |
| Frequency | up to three purchases in any 30 days; a new test only after the previous result |

## Can the DET replace IELTS or TOEFL for you? {#section-2}

| Situation | Will the DET work? |
| --- | --- |
| The programme names the Duolingo English Test in its list of accepted tests | Yes, if your overall score and subscores meet its minimums |
| The university accepts "IELTS, TOEFL or equivalent" but does not name the DET | Do not assume so until admissions confirms it in writing |
| A UK bachelor's or master's programme | Yes, if the university accepts it: at degree level the university assesses English for the visa itself |
| A UK foundation, English-language or other below-degree course | Usually not: the visa then requires a SELT, an English test approved by the Home Office list |
| A scholarship or funding body with its own test list | Only if the DET is on that list |
| Work or immigration purposes | Check the authority's own rules; university acceptance does not settle this |

The DET's big advantage is logistics: no test centre, no travel and no waiting for a seat. The main risk is that not every programme accepts it, and subscore rules can be stricter than the overall threshold. UK visa rules are explained in our guide to [English tests for the UK student visa](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-english-tests-for-uk-student-visa).

## How to check whether your university accepts the DET {#section-3}

The institution list on the DET website shows which organisations can receive results; it does not replace a programme's own rules. Work through these steps:

1. Open the English-language requirements page for your level of study, since undergraduate and graduate admissions at the same university often accept different tests.
2. Find the Duolingo English Test in the list and note the overall minimum and any subscore minimums.
3. Check the date by which the result must be valid: the application deadline or the course start.
4. If the DET is not mentioned, email admissions and keep the written reply.

What this looks like in practice (checked on official pages on 30 September 2026):

| University and level | DET requirement |
| --- | --- |
| MIT, undergraduate | minimum 120, recommended 125; MIT strongly recommends rather than requires an English test |
| [Imperial College London](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-imperial) | standard level 115 with at least 105 in each integrated subscore; higher level 125 with at least 115; scores must be no more than two years old at the course start date |
| [University of Toronto](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-toronto), undergraduate | for tests taken on or after 1 July 2024: 120 overall and 120 in Production; send results only after you receive your applicant number |

Even within one university the level depends on the course: at Imperial some courses require the standard level and others the higher one. Thresholds change, so re-check them in your application year.

## How the test is structured {#section-4}

The test runs in the DET desktop app and has three stages.

Setup. You check your camera, microphone and speakers, upload your ID, position your phone to record you and your computer from the side, and review the rules.

Adaptive section. The difficulty of some questions changes with your answers, and the number of questions depends on how confident the scoring engine is about your level. Questions come from a very large pool, so repeats are unlikely.

Writing and speaking tasks. You write and speak in response to several prompts. Two of them, the Writing Sample and the Speaking Sample, are shared with every institution you send your result to, so admissions staff can compare a real response with your numbers.

| Question type | How often it appears |
| --- | --- |
| Read and Select: identify real English words | 15–18 |
| Fill in the Blanks: complete a word in a sentence | 6–9 |
| Read and Complete: restore missing letters in a text | 3–6 |
| Listen and Type: type the sentence you hear | 6–9 |
| Interactive Reading: questions on one passage | 2 sets of 6 |
| Interactive Listening: a conversation and follow-up tasks | 2 sets of 8–10 |
| Write About the Photo | 3 |
| Interactive Writing: an essay and a follow-up | 1 set of 2 |
| Speak About the Photo | 1 |
| Read, Then Speak | 1 |
| Interactive Speaking: spoken turns in a conversation | 1 set of 6–8 |
| Writing Sample and Speaking Sample for institutions | 1 each |

On questions with correct answers, a wrong answer is not penalised more than a skip and partially correct answers earn partial credit, so always respond. Open responses are scored by an engine trained on expert ratings that looks at content, coherence, vocabulary and other features.

## Scores and subscores {#section-5}

Since 1 July 2024 the DET reports four individual subscores (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) and four integrated ones:

- Literacy, the average of reading and writing;
- Comprehension, the average of reading and listening;
- Conversation, the average of listening and speaking;
- Production, the average of writing and speaking.

The overall score is the average of the four individual subscores, rounded to the nearest 5. Integrated subscores from before July 2024 cannot be compared with the current ones. If a programme sets a subscore rule, as Toronto does for Production, treat it as seriously as the overall score.

Duolingo's official concordance, built from 2024–2025 score reports:

| DET | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT (0–120 scale) | CEFR |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 150 | 8 | 117–118 | C1 |
| 140 | 7.5 | 109–112 | C1 |
| 135 | 7 | 104–108 | C1 |
| 130 | 7 | 98–103 | C1 |
| 125 | 6.5 | 93–97 | B2 |
| 120 | 6.5 | 87–92 | B2 |
| 115 | 6 | 82–86 | B2 |
| 110 | 6 | 76–81 | B2 |
| 100 | 5.5 | 65–69 | B2 |
| 90 | 5 | 53–58 | B1 |

The table uses TOEFL's historical 0–120 scale, not the new 1–6 scale; Duolingo describes any mapping to the new scale as preliminary. For admission, the DET minimum a programme publishes matters more than any conversion.

## Price and what it covers {#section-6}

| Item | Terms |
| --- | --- |
| One test | $70 |
| Two-test bundle | discounted; the second test must be taken within 21 days of the first result; bundles are non-refundable |
| Faster Results | extra charge, result within 12 hours; applies only to the first test in a bundle and is non-refundable |
| Use-by period | 21 days from purchase |
| Attempts | three attempts per paid test: every start counts, and after a technical failure or a rule violation you can start again while attempts remain |
| Sending results | free, up to 40 institutions |
| Practice test | free and unlimited once you create an account |

Duolingo accepts major credit cards, and Alipay in China. Someone else can pay for your test, but they do so by logging in to your account, because the test credit belongs to the test taker's account. Make sure your card works for international online payments before you start.

For comparison, GRE registration costs $249 and the GMAT from $250, and neither proves English proficiency, so a language test is still needed alongside them. See our [GRE exam guide](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-gre-exam-guide) and [GMAT exam guide](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-gmat-exam-guide).

## Equipment and rules that decide certification {#section-7}

What you need. A laptop or desktop running Windows 10 or macOS 10.15 or later, a working camera, microphone and speakers, a phone to record you and your computer, and the DET desktop app. Chromebooks, iPads, tablets, phones, ChromeOS and Linux are not supported, and virtual machines are not allowed.

What is not allowed during the test:

- headphones, earbuds or smart glasses;
- notes, paper, pens or any recording of questions;
- looking away from the screen except while typing;
- other people in the room or talking to anyone;
- predictive-text, proofreading and translation tools, remote-desktop software, messaging apps, browsers or any window other than the test app;
- a second monitor, keyboard or mouse.

What is checked. Your face, eyes, ears and mouth must stay in frame. Before the test there is an ear scan, so remove glasses and clip-on earrings, and during the test your phone must capture your head, shoulders, screen and keyboard. A rule violation means the result is not certified; two violations on the same paid test cancel it, and suspected misconduct cancels it immediately.

## Step-by-step registration {#section-8}

1. Check the requirements of every programme on your list and confirm the DET is accepted by all or nearly all of them.
2. Create an account at englishtest.duolingo.com using your name exactly as it appears on your ID.
3. Take the free practice test. It takes about 45 minutes, uses the same question types and gives an estimated score range.
4. Prepare your ID. Accepted documents vary by country; for Russia, for example, Duolingo lists a passport, a driver's licence and a government photo ID, and for Kazakhstan a passport and a government photo ID. The document must show your photo, full date of birth, full legal name and an expiry date; photocopies and phone images are rejected. Russia's internal passport has no printed expiry date, so Russian applicants are safer testing with their international passport.
5. Prepare your computer and room: install the app, close other programs, switch off keyboard suggestions and check the lighting.
6. Pay and take the test within 21 days.
7. Receive your result within two days and send it from My Tests → Share Score, adding an Application ID where the programme uses one.

Because the test is online, applicants in countries with few or no test centres do not need to travel abroad to sit it. The help centre singles out Iran: the test is unavailable there and to users with Iranian IDs.

## Results, sending and retakes {#section-9}

Timing. Results arrive within two days, or within 12 hours with Faster Results. Once a test is under review, it cannot be expedited.

Sending. You can send results to 40 institutions free of charge; support reviews requests for more. Sending a result is not an application: you still have to apply to each university.

Retakes. You can buy up to three tests in any 30-day period, and you can start a new test only after receiving the previous result.

Validity. Two years. After that you can no longer send or view the certificate, and institutions lose access to it. Some universities, such as Imperial, count the two years to the course start rather than the application date.

## Preparation plan {#section-10}

| When | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| 3–4 months before deadlines | List each programme's DET and subscore rules and take the practice test |
| 2–3 months before | Work on weak skills; for many applicants that means speaking and extended Interactive Writing answers |
| 6–8 weeks before | Take the test, leaving time for another attempt if a subscore falls short |
| 3–4 weeks before | Send results to every programme with its application number |

## Common mistakes {#section-11}

- Reading "IELTS equivalent" as "DET accepted". If the test is not on the programme's list, get written confirmation.
- Watching only the overall score. A subscore rule, such as Production, rules applicants out just as often.
- Testing on Linux or a Chromebook. The app does not run there.
- Wearing headphones. The result will not be certified and you will need to retest.
- Taking notes. Any writing during the test is prohibited.
- Using the DET for a UK visa on a below-degree course. That route needs a SELT.
- Ignoring the two-year limit. For late course starts, the result can expire before you enrol.

## How StudyU helps {#section-12}

Only the initial consultation is free. Checking the language requirements of your chosen programmes, choosing the right test for your list, document preparation and application support are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Duolingo certifies the result, the university decides on admission, and the consulate or immigration authority of the study country decides on the visa.

## FAQ {#faq}

### How much does the Duolingo English Test cost?

One test costs $70. A discounted two-test bundle and a paid Faster Results option with results in 12 hours are also available, while the practice test and sending results to up to 40 institutions are free.

### Which universities accept the Duolingo English Test?

The DET website lists receiving institutions, but each programme's own rule decides. For example, MIT asks undergraduates for at least 120, Imperial for 115 or 125 depending on the course, and the University of Toronto for 120 with 120 in Production.

### What DET score equals IELTS 6.5?

On Duolingo's official concordance, IELTS 6.5 corresponds to DET 120 and 125, and IELTS 7 to 130 and 135. A programme's own DET minimum still takes priority over any conversion.

### Can I take the DET on a phone or tablet?

No. You need a Windows or macOS laptop or desktop; your phone is used only for setup and for recording you and your computer during the test.

### How long is a DET certificate valid?

Two years from the test date. After that you cannot send the result and institutions lose access, so compare the expiry date with your course start.

### Does the DET work for a UK student visa?

For bachelor's and master's programmes it can, if the university accepts it, because at degree level the university assesses English. Below-degree courses require a SELT, an English test approved by the Home Office list, and the DET is not on it.

## Sources {#section-14}

- Duolingo English Test help centre: [test structure](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/39104891663245-Test-Structure), [subscore update July 2024](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/26438481805837-Subscore-Update-July-2024), [how items are scored](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/39104960626189-How-the-Items-Are-Scored), [score comparison tables](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/30984205172109-Additional-Details-for-Score-Comparison-Tables), [validity](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011075571-How-long-are-my-Duolingo-English-Test-results-valid), [result timing](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010859652-How-long-does-it-take-to-receive-my-results), [sending results](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360010869252-How-do-I-send-my-Duolingo-English-Test-results-to-institutions) — checked 30 September 2026
- Duolingo English Test help centre: [payment](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360012239652-How-can-I-pay-for-the-Duolingo-English-Test), [test bundles](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4422834224397-What-is-a-test-bundle-How-do-test-bundles-work), [attempts per test](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8599807800205-How-many-chances-do-I-get-to-take-the-Duolingo-English-Test-when-I-purchase-it), [test frequency](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011075451-How-often-can-I-take-the-Duolingo-English-Test), [test rules](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052828331-Test-Policies-Rules-and-Requirements), [devices](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5297715242125-What-devices-and-operating-systems-can-I-use-to-take-the-Duolingo-English-Test), [accepted ID by country](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/41633131179917-Accepted-Identification), [payment by someone else](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360056563271-Can-someone-else-purchase-my-Duolingo-English-Test-for-me), [practice test](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011076591-The-Practice-Test-Prepare-to-take-the-Duolingo-English-Test-and-estimate-your-score), [availability in Iran](https://testcenter.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/48404390966925-Is-The-Duolingo-English-Test-available-in-Iran) — checked 30 September 2026
- Duolingo English Test: [test-taker site and institutional pricing](https://englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants) — checked 30 September 2026
- University requirements: [MIT tests and scores](https://mitadmissions.org/apply/firstyear/tests-scores/), [Imperial College London English language](https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/english-language/), [University of Toronto English language](https://future.utoronto.ca/apply/english-language-requirements/) — checked 30 September 2026

[During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.](https://www.studyu.org/en/apply)

## Next steps

- [English Tests for the UK Student Visa in 2026: When You Need IELTS for UKVI, Which SELTs Count and Where to Take Them](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-english-tests-for-uk-student-visa)
- [Imperial College London](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-imperial)
- [University of Toronto: Admission, Fees and Scholarships for International Students](https://www.studyu.org/en/university-toronto)
- [GRE Exam Guide 2026/27: Format, Scores, Fees and Test-Day Choices](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-gre-exam-guide)
- [GMAT Exam Guide 2026: Format, Scores, Fees and Online Testing](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-gmat-exam-guide)
- [How to Pay for Studies Abroad from Russia: What Works in 2026](https://www.studyu.org/en/blog-how-to-pay-for-studies-abroad-from-russia)

Updated: September 2026