Most Sudanese students preparing for the Duolingo English Test today are doing it from Cairo, Port Sudan, Riyadh, Kampala or Doha rather than Khartoum, and they are doing it for one reason: to keep their education moving. The DET is one adaptive exam, scored 10–160, valid for two years and accepted by more than 6,000 institutions — and it is the English document that works wherever you happen to be.
English is already the language of medicine and engineering in Sudanese universities, so most Sudanese applicants start from a stronger base than they think. What the DET tests is a format: adaptive questions, recorded speaking, timed writing graded on structure and range. This page gives you the published requirements at the destinations Sudanese students use most — Egypt’s branch campuses, the UK, the Gulf, North America and Ireland — and an honest note on Malaysia and Turkey.
Teachero is an online academy based in Egypt that prepares students only for the DET: live classes in English by certified instructors, Arabic support, same-day recordings, personal Speaking and Writing correction.
- Score scale10–160 overall, with Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production subscores
- Validity2 years
- Accepted by6,000+ institutions worldwide
- Bands Sudanese applicants meet most65–105 for Egypt’s branch campuses and many bachelor programmes, 110–130 for the UK, Gulf and graduate entry
- TeachingLive online classes in English with certified instructors, Arabic support, same-day lesson recordings
- CorrectionPersonal Speaking and Writing correction, full mock test, WhatsApp support between sessions
Universities Sudanese students apply to with a DET score
Egypt — where many Sudanese students are now
- University of Hertfordshire hosted by GAF (New Administrative Capital): 65 for non-medical programmes, 75 for medical programmes, 105 for transfer students.
- Coventry University at The Knowledge Hub (TKH), New Administrative Capital: 95 overall with a minimum of 85 in each subscore for the Foundation Year, 105 overall with a minimum of 100 in each subscore for Year One.
- European Universities in Egypt (EUE), New Administrative Capital: accepts the DET, with the required score depending on the programme and partner university.
- The American University in Cairo: lists the Duolingo English Test alongside TOEFL and IELTS; ask admissions for the current placement band.
United Kingdom and Ireland
- University of Hertfordshire (UK campus): 105 overall with no less than 95 in each band where the course asks for IELTS 6.0, and 120 overall with no less than 95 in each band where it asks for IELTS 6.5.
- Trinity College Dublin: 120 overall with 100 in each subscore for standard entry, 130 with 110 for higher entry.
- University College Dublin: 90 with at least 80 in each subscore as the standard requirement, rising to 100/90 and 110/100 for taught master’s tiers and higher for the most demanding programmes.
Gulf
- Heriot-Watt University Dubai: 100 overall with 95 in each component for Foundation, 120 with 110 in each component for undergraduate entry and STEM master’s, 120 with Writing 115 for non-STEM master’s, 125 with 120 for research degrees.
- American University of Sharjah: states that only TOEFL and IELTS are accepted.
United States and Canada
- Arizona State University: 95 for most undergraduate majors, 100 for the BSc Nursing, 105 for the Fulton Schools of Engineering and 120 for the Cronkite School of Journalism.
- Northeastern University (College of Professional Studies): 105 for graduate and bachelor’s-completion programmes, 120 for doctoral programmes.
- Concordia University (Montreal): 105 with no subscore under 90 for undergraduate admission.
- University of Ottawa: 120 overall with 120 in Literacy for direct undergraduate entry; conditional entry through its English Intensive Program starts at 85 overall with 85 in Literacy.
Malaysia, honestly. The undergraduate English pages we opened at Universiti Malaya, Monash University Malaysia, Asia Pacific University (APU) and Taylor’s University list IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or MUET and do not list the Duolingo English Test. Do not assume Malaysian acceptance from agent websites — ask the university in writing before you book.
Turkey, honestly. It is the most popular destination on this list, and it is where the DET is weakest. The English-proficiency pages we opened at Bilkent, Koç, Sabancı, Özyeğin and Istanbul Medipol list IELTS, TOEFL and their own proficiency exams and do not list the Duolingo English Test; Bahçeşehir (BAU) states outright that Duolingo results are not acceptable. If Turkey is your only target, plan for the university’s own exam or a listed test. The DET earns its place when your list also includes the UK, North America, Ireland or the Gulf.
Every number above comes from the university’s own page. Search other universities in the university finder and confirm the figure for your intake in writing.
Is the DET used inside Sudan?
Not for admission. Sudanese universities admit on the Sudanese Secondary Certificate, and although many faculties teach in English, we found no Sudanese university publishing a Duolingo requirement. Where a postgraduate department or a joint programme asks for an international certificate, ask in writing whether a DET certificate counts and at what score. For Sudanese students the DET is the document for abroad — and, right now, for the Egyptian branch campuses that many families have chosen because no visa language rule applies and the published minimums are reachable.
Visa rules that decide which test you take
- United Kingdom — the DET is not a Secure English Language Test (SELT). For degree-level study, UK Visas and Immigration lets a licensed Higher Education Provider assess your English itself at CEFR B2, which is how a DET-based offer leads to a CAS. For courses below degree level you need a SELT such as IELTS for UKVI.
- Canada — IRCC discontinued the Student Direct Stream in November 2024, so everyone applies through the regular study-permit process and your designated learning institution decides which English evidence it accepts; many accept the DET.
- Australia — the Department of Home Affairs accepts a fixed list of tests (IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, OET, LanguageCert Academic, CELPIP General, Michigan English Test) and does not accept tests delivered completely online. The DET will not satisfy the student-visa English requirement.
For Egypt, the Gulf, Malaysia and Turkey the university’s own acceptance is what counts, which is why the notes above about Malaysian and Turkish universities matter.
Choosing your target score
The DET reports an overall score on the 10–160 scale and four subscores — Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production. Sudanese applicants usually plan for one of these bands:
- 65–105: Hertfordshire (GAF, Egypt) at 65 for non-medical and 75 for medical programmes, University College Dublin from 90 with 80 in each subscore, Coventry (TKH) Foundation and Arizona State at 95, Coventry Year One, Concordia and Northeastern’s professional-studies programmes at 105.
- 110–120: Hertfordshire’s UK campus at 105–120, Ottawa at 120 with 120 in Literacy, Trinity College Dublin at 120 with 100 in every subscore, Heriot-Watt Dubai at 120 with 110 in each component.
- 125–130: Heriot-Watt Dubai research degrees at 125 with 120, Trinity’s higher entry at 130 with 110 — the band scholarships reward.
Medical applicants: note that Hertfordshire (GAF) asks for 75 for medical programmes and that most UK medical schools sit far higher, so read the programme page, not the university page. Check your weakest subscore against the floor and send your programme page on WhatsApp so we can read it with you.
DET vs IELTS for Sudanese students
Both exams measure the same four skills in different shapes. Once you have confirmed acceptance, the choice is about format.
| Duolingo English Test | IELTS | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Computer-adaptive: questions get harder or easier as you answer | Fixed paper, the same questions for everyone |
| Speaking | Recorded answers to on-screen prompts | Face-to-face interview with an examiner |
| Scoring | 10–160 overall plus four subscores | Bands 0–9 in each skill |
| Acceptance | 6,000+ institutions, for admission | Very broad, including UKVI and Australian visa routes |
Use the DET for Egypt’s branch campuses and every destination above that publishes a Duolingo band; keep IELTS for the Malaysian and Turkish universities that do not, and for Australia. Compare any IELTS or TOEFL requirement with the DET score converter, and read which Duolingo score you need before you decide.
Studying online wherever you are
Sudan and Egypt share the same clock, and Sudanese students in the Gulf or East Africa are only an hour away, so live classes land at a normal hour wherever you are. If the connection drops — in Sudan it often does — the same-day recording means you lose nothing.
Every Teachero course runs as live online classes taught in English by highly qualified, certified instructors, with Arabic-language support available whenever a point is easier to grasp in Arabic. Lesson recordings are uploaded the same day, so a session you miss is never lost. Each course includes personal Speaking and Writing correction, a full mock test before your exam and WhatsApp support between sessions.
- Standard course — more days, fewer hours per day.
- Intensive course — fewer days, more hours per day, for a test that is close.
- Private 1-on-1 course — tailored to you.
Tell us your target university and exam date on WhatsApp and we will say which of the three fits. Sudan is part of our worldwide DET coverage.
Paying from Sudan or from abroad
Cards issued by Sudanese banks generally do not work for international online purchases, so most Sudanese students pay with a Visa or Mastercard held by a relative abroad or with a card from the country they are living in now; students in Egypt can also use InstaPay. If none of those is possible, message us on WhatsApp and we will find a way that works from where you are. The Arabic version of this page is on our Arab-world DET hub.
Frequently asked questions
Which universities in Egypt accept the Duolingo English Test?
University of Hertfordshire hosted by GAF at 65 (non-medical), 75 (medical) and 105 (transfer students); Coventry at The Knowledge Hub at 95 with 85 in each subscore for Foundation and 105 with 100 for Year One; European Universities in Egypt with programme-dependent scores; AUC lists the DET among its accepted tests.
Do Malaysian universities accept the DET?
The undergraduate pages we opened at Universiti Malaya, Monash Malaysia, APU and Taylor’s do not list the Duolingo English Test. Ask the university in writing before you book.
Is the DET accepted for a UK student visa?
It is not a Secure English Language Test, but for degree-level study a licensed Higher Education Provider can assess your English itself at CEFR B2 and issue your CAS. Below degree level you need a SELT.
I am a Sudanese student living outside Sudan. Can I join?
Yes. The course is fully online, classes are live with same-day recordings, and Sudanese students join us from Egypt, the Gulf, East Africa and Europe.
How do I pay?
With a Visa or Mastercard from the country you are in, a card held by a relative abroad, or InstaPay if you are in Egypt. If none works, message us on WhatsApp.
Is the course taught in English or Arabic?
Classes are taught in English by highly qualified, certified instructors, which is also the language you will be tested in. Because our instructors are Arabic speakers, Arabic-language support is available whenever an explanation lands better in Arabic.
What if I miss a live class?
Every lesson recording is uploaded the same day. You watch it, submit the same homework, receive the same Speaking and Writing corrections and sit the same mock test as everyone else.
How long is a DET score valid?
Two years from your test date. Universities publish a minimum overall score on the 10–160 scale and often a minimum in each subscore too, so read your programme’s page carefully.
Message us on <a href=”https://wa.me/201055785572″>WhatsApp</a> with your target university, where you are now and your exam date — we will read the requirement with you and recommend the standard, intensive or private course.
Last updated: September 2026