The Duolingo English Test (DET) has become one of the most widely used English proficiency tests for students applying to universities abroad. This guide covers what the test is, how it is structured, how it is scored, who accepts it, and how it compares to IELTS and TOEFL — all drawn from official sources and current for 2026.
What is the Duolingo English Test?
The DET is an English proficiency test taken online on a computer with a webcam and microphone. It takes about one hour, and results arrive within two days. It measures all four skills — reading, listening, writing and speaking — on a scale of 10 to 160.
Its defining feature is that it is adaptive: question difficulty shifts during the test based on your performance, and the number of questions differs from one test taker to another. The engine keeps asking until it reaches sufficient confidence in its estimate of your level — which is why it reaches an accurate score in far less time than traditional tests.
According to Duolingo, the test is accepted by roughly 6,500 programs across more than 100 countries.
Test format and question types
- Introduction and onboarding (~5 minutes) — identity verification, rules, camera and microphone check.
- Adaptive section (~45 minutes) — this is what your score is calculated from.
- Writing and speaking samples (~10 minutes) — two open responses that are sent to institutions along with your score.
| Skill | Question types | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Read and Select · Fill in the Blanks · Read and Complete · Interactive Reading | 5 seconds per word · 20 seconds · 3 minutes · 7–8 minutes per passage |
| Listening | Listen and Type · Interactive Listening | 1 minute · ~6.5 minutes plus a 75-second summary |
| Writing | Write About the Photo · Interactive Writing | 1 minute (×3) · 30s prep + 5 min + 3 min |
| Speaking | Read Aloud · Speak About the Photo · Read Then Speak · Listen Then Speak · Interactive Speaking | 20 seconds · 20s prep + 90s · 35 seconds per response |
A full breakdown of every question type, with timings and how often each appears, is in our question types reference.
Scoring: the 10–160 scale
Scores run from 10 to 160 in increments of 5. Per Duolingo’s official scoring guide, the overall score is the average of the four skill subscores, rounded up to the nearest 5 — so your weakest skill pulls the whole score down.
You receive eight subscores: four individual (Speaking, Writing, Reading, Listening) and four combined — Literacy (reading + writing), Comprehension (reading + listening), Conversation (listening + speaking) and Production (writing + speaking).
| CEFR | DET | IELTS | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | 155–160 | 8.5–9 | 114+ |
| C1 | 130–150 | 7–8 | 95–113 |
| B2 | 100–125 | 5.5–6.5 | 72–94 |
| B1 | 65–95 | 4.5–5.5 | 58–71 |
The complete official score-by-score table is in our scoring guide.
Who accepts the DET?
From Duolingo’s official June 2026 list of featured accepting institutions:
- United States: accepted by 95% of the top 100 ranked undergraduate programs, and 75% of top ranked graduate business programs.
- Canada: 100% of top English-medium institutions for undergraduate — but only ~60% for graduate.
- United Kingdom: 63 higher education institutions for direct entry to undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
- Ireland: 14 of 18 institutions.
- Australia and New Zealand: a group of universities for all programs, and others for foundation or English programs only.
The single most important thing to understand: acceptance is granted at the program level, not the university level. McGill, Toronto, UBC and Waterloo all accept the DET for undergraduate study but not for graduate study. Harvard Business School accepts it while Stanford GSB and MIT Sloan do not — even though both universities accept it for undergraduate admission.
Full country-by-country tables are in our guide to universities accepting the DET.
Student visas
The DET is accepted for visas in the United States, Ireland and New Zealand; for Canadian study permits at any institution that accepts the test; and for UK visas where the university accepts it — excluding pre-degree, foundation and pre-sessional English courses. For Australia, some nationalities are required to provide a specific English test, so the immigration document checklist has to be checked.
DET vs IELTS vs TOEFL
| DET | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | ~1 hour | 2 hours 45 minutes | Under 2 hours |
| Scale | 10–160 | 0–9 bands | 1–6, plus 0–120 |
| Results | 2 days | A few days | 3 days |
| Adaptive | Yes | No | Multistage reading and listening |
| Sample sent to institutions | Yes — writing and video | No | No |
One recent change worth knowing: on 21 January 2026 ETS began reporting TOEFL results on a new 1–6 scale alongside the familiar 0–120 scale, and will report both until January 2028. Duolingo has confirmed this does not change the meaning of DET scores or the requirements institutions set. Our full comparison covers how to convert between them.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Duolingo English Test?
About one hour: roughly 5 minutes of onboarding, 45 minutes of adaptive questions, and 10 minutes for the writing and speaking samples.
What is a good DET score?
120 is the most commonly requested score for undergraduate and master’s admission and sits at CEFR B2. Competitive programs often ask for 125–135. The only figure that matters is the one on your program’s page.
How is the overall DET score calculated?
It is the average of the four individual subscores — Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening — rounded up to the nearest 5.
Do Ivy League universities accept the DET?
Yes — Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth and the University of Pennsylvania are all listed as accepting for undergraduate admission in the June 2026 list. Graduate acceptance varies by school, so it must be checked at the program level.
Can I use the DET for a student visa?
In the US, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada and the UK — yes, where the institution accepts it. The UK excludes foundation and pre-sessional English courses. Australia requires some nationalities to take a specified test.
About Teachero
Teachero is a specialised DET preparation academy working with Arabic-speaking students. We teach the test in Egyptian Arabic with English materials, track each student’s weakest skill, and prepare them against the actual question formats. Details of the full course are on the course page.
Not sure whether your university and program accept the DET, or what score you need? Send us the name. Start a conversation →
Sources: Duolingo English Test — Featured Accepting Programs (June 2026), Scoring Guide for Teachers (2026), Question Guide (2025) and The DET Handbook; ETS — TOEFL iBT score scale update. Lists and requirements change — always confirm on the program page. Page last reviewed: August 2026.