Duolingo English Test: Cost, Format, Scores and Results
QUICK ANSWER
The Duolingo English Test (DET) is an online English test you take at home in about one hour, with results within two days on a 10 to 160 scale. It costs $70 and is accepted by 6,500+ institutions, so check that your university or employer is one of them before you book.
What the Duolingo English Test is
The DET is an English proficiency test run by Duolingo that you take on your own computer. Its main scored section is an adaptive test. The result is one overall score, plus subscores for speaking, writing, reading and listening.
If you are still deciding which test to take, start with what the organisation you are applying to accepts. A test is only useful if your target institution lists it.
How much it costs
The standard fee is $70 (Duolingo). Duolingo also sells a Faster Results option that cuts the wait from two days to 12 hours, and that add-on is not refundable.
You can buy up to three tests in any 30-day period. If you are retaking to hit a higher score before a deadline, that limit is worth tracking.
Format and timing
Duolingo describes the test as a one-hour process in three parts:
| Part | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Setup and ID check | about 5 minutes | You check your camera, microphone and speakers and show your ID |
| Scored assessment | about 45 minutes | Adaptive questions across reading, writing, listening and speaking |
| Writing and speaking samples | about 10 minutes | Unscored samples that institutions can view with your result |
What you need to take it at home
Duolingo sets these requirements for the at-home test:
- Computer: a laptop or desktop running Windows 10 or macOS 10.15 or later. Chromebooks, tablets and phones are not supported for the test itself.
- Desktop app: the certified test runs in the Duolingo English Test desktop app, not in a browser.
- Camera, microphone and speakers: all three must work, and headphones or earbuds are not allowed.
- A smartphone as a second camera: it records your keyboard and computer screen during the test.
- Government-issued ID: Duolingo lists the accepted identification requirements, including a photo and your full legal name.
- A private room: you must take the test alone with the doors and windows closed, and the test rules also ban VPNs and notes.
Scores and subscores
Every score sits on the 10 to 160 scale, in steps of five. Alongside the overall score you receive four individual subscores for speaking, writing, reading and listening, and these average to the overall score.
Duolingo's scores page includes a comparison with the CEFR: 155 to 160 maps to C2, 130 to 150 to C1, 100 to 125 to B2 and 60 to 95 to B1, with 10 to 55 covering A1 to A2. Duolingo says its CEFR alignment studies are ongoing, so treat the table as a rough guide rather than a conversion chart. To find your CEFR level before paying for any test, the English level test gives you a CEFR result first.
Results and validity
Results normally arrive within two days of finishing the test, or within about 12 hours with Faster Results. They stay valid for two years, after which you can no longer share them.
When you send your score, you can select up to 40 institutions, and support handles requests for more.
Who accepts it, and where it does not count
Duolingo says the test is trusted by 6,500+ institutions. That is a list of organisations, not a guarantee. Each programme sets its own minimum score and rules, so confirm both on the institution's own admissions page.
The DET is not on the UK Home Office list of approved Secure English Language Tests, so it cannot be used where a UK visa route requires a SELT. For those routes the approved providers are Trinity College London, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert, Pearson and PSI Services.
How it compares with other tests
| Test | Fee | Length | Results | Score scale | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo English Test | $70 | about 1 hour | within 2 days | 10 to 160 | Online, university admissions |
| IELTS (UK test centre) | £215–£250 | 2 hours 45 minutes | 1 to 2 days on computer | bands 0 to 9 | UK visa (IELTS for UKVI), university admissions |
| TOEFL iBT (UK) | $270 | about 2 hours | 3 days | 1 to 6 (0 to 120 also reported during the transition) | University admissions, US |
| PTE Academic (UK) | £230 | 2 hours | typically 2 days | 10 to 90 | University admissions, UK visa (PTE Academic UKVI) |
| International English Test | £12.99 | about 30 minutes | instant | CEFR A1 to C2 | Checking your level, CV and job applications |
Fees for IELTS, TOEFL and PTE vary by country; the figures above are for the UK.
Which test is right for you?
If a university or a visa route asks for a specific exam, start with the tests that institution lists and book one of those. If you want to find out your level or get a CEFR certificate quickly, the International English Test is a faster and lower-cost option at £12.99.
If the DET is not accepted where you are applying, our guide to Duolingo English Test alternatives walks through the other options, and the English proficiency tests compared overview sets the main exams side by side.
Sources
- Duolingo English Test: fee, for test takers, scores
- Duolingo help centre: test structure, faster results, how often you can take the test, devices and operating systems, desktop app, headphones and earbuds, phone as a second camera, accepted identification, test environment, test rules, CEFR comparison details, results timing, validity, sending results
- UK Home Office: Secure English Language Tests (SELT)
- IELTS: UK test centre fee, results timing
- ETS: TOEFL iBT fees, TOEFL iBT test content
- Pearson: PTE test centres and fees, PTE Academic
Frequently Asked Questions
International English Test Editorial Team
ALTE Associate Member · UK English assessment provider · Est. 2023
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