Short answer for 2026: if every university on your list accepts it, take the Duolingo English Test — one adaptive hour, fifteen short question types, and a 10–160 score with four subscores. Take IELTS instead when you need a Secure English Language Test for a UK visa, an Australian student visa, or a university that refuses the DET. Take TOEFL iBT when a US department names it specifically, or when academic listening and note-taking are your strongest skills. Take PTE Academic when you need a centre-based, fully computer-scored test with Australian visa acceptance.
The honest comparison is not about which test is “better English”. All four measure roughly the same thing. They differ on three axes that actually change your decision: the format you sit, the skills each format rewards, and who will accept the result. Here is each axis.
- Duolingo English Test~1 hour; adaptive; 15 question types + Writing & Speaking samples; 10–160
- IELTS Academic~2 h 45 m; four fixed sections + live Speaking interview; bands 0–9
- TOEFL iBT~2 hours; academic lectures and integrated tasks; 0–120
- PTE Academic~2 hours; fully computer-scored integrated skills; 10–90
- SubscoresDET reports Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production
- Validity2 years for all four
- RetakesDET: up to 3 certified tests per 30 days
Format: what each test actually asks you to do
The DET is adaptive — questions get harder or easier as you answer — and made of short, fast tasks rather than long passages. This suits some students and punishes others.
| Test | Structure | Speaking | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| DET | ~45 min adaptive section (15 question types) + a 10–15 min Writing and Speaking sample | Recorded to a screen, no examiner | Speed, fluency without hesitation, following instructions exactly |
| IELTS | Four fixed sections, long reading passages, full essay | Face-to-face interview with an examiner | Sustained argument, stamina, interaction |
| TOEFL iBT | Academic lectures and campus dialogues, integrated tasks | To a microphone | Note-taking, summarising academic content |
| PTE | Fully computer-scored, integrated skills | To a microphone | Clear pronunciation, machine-friendly delivery |
The adaptive design is the piece students most often misread. Because the DET adjusts as you answer, a run of hard items late in a section usually means you are doing well, and abandoning one costs more than a calm, complete attempt. IELTS and TOEFL have no such feedback loop: everyone sees the same paper, so pacing is a matter of stamina rather than of reading the machine.
If you want the question-by-question breakdown, start with our course outline, the Speaking guide and the Interactive Writing guide.
Skills: which test rewards what you are already good at
The same candidate can land in different places on these four tests, because each one loads different abilities.
| If this is your strength… | …this test suits you | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fast, accurate typing | DET | Read and Complete, Listen and Type and the Writing Sample are all typed against a short timer |
| Talking to a person | IELTS | A live examiner can rephrase a question and prompt you; the DET cannot |
| Academic listening and note-taking | TOEFL iBT | Lectures and integrated tasks are the core of the exam |
| Very clear pronunciation | PTE | Scoring is entirely automated and rewards machine-friendly delivery |
| Long-text reading stamina | IELTS / TOEFL | 60 minutes of dense academic reading, versus short DET passages |
| Working under a short timer | DET / PTE | Most tasks run between 20 seconds and 5 minutes |
Practical consequence: students who freeze in front of a human examiner usually do better on the DET or PTE. Students with strong academic reading stamina but weak spontaneity often do relatively better on IELTS or TOEFL. And the DET reports four subscores — Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production — which is exactly where university subscore minimums bite.
Acceptance: the only question that can disqualify a test
A test you cannot use is no use at all. Here is where each one stands in 2026.
| Use case | DET | IELTS | TOEFL | PTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US university admission | Very widely accepted | Yes | Yes | Widely |
| UK degree-level admission | Widely, but several universities refuse it | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UK visa (SELT required) | No | Yes (IELTS for UKVI) | No | Yes (PTE UKVI) |
| Canadian university admission | Widely | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Australian admission | Some universities only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Australian subclass 500 visa | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ireland | Yes, consistently | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Germany / Netherlands public universities | Rarely published | Yes | Yes | Often |
Three specifics worth memorising. The DET is not a UK SELT, though degree-level admission usually works because the sponsor assesses your English itself. It is not accepted for the Australian student visa. And for Canada, the Student Direct Stream ended in November 2024, so there is no SDS test list — the institution decides. Our verified by-country tables are in Universities that accept the DET and UK DET score requirements.
Reading the numbers across the four tests
Universities publish equivalence tables, and knowing the mapping tells you what to aim for whichever test you sit.
| IELTS | DET | TOEFL iBT | PTE | Usually seen at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 95 | ~46–59 | ~42 | Foundation and pathway routes |
| 6.0 | 105 | ~60–78 | ~50 | Many bachelor’s programmes |
| 6.5 | 120 | ~79–93 | ~58 | Most undergraduate and taught master’s admission |
| 7.0 | 130 | ~94–101 | ~65 | Competitive and selective programmes |
Two things follow. First, the DET overall is the average of your four subscores rounded up to the nearest 5, so one weak skill drags the whole result in a way an IELTS band profile does not always reveal. Second, the component minimums are where offers are actually lost: a DET 120 with Writing at 95 fails a requirement that an even 115 would have met. Aim about five points above the published overall figure, and plan your study around the weakest subscore.
So which should you take?
- Take the DET if all your universities publish a DET score, you work well under a short timer, and you type fluently.
- Take IELTS if you need a SELT for a UK visa, an Australian student visa, professional registration, or a university that will not take the DET — or if you are far stronger speaking to a person than to a screen.
- Take TOEFL iBT if a US department names it, or your strength is academic listening and note-taking.
- Take PTE if you want centre-based, fully computer-scored testing with full Australian visa acceptance.
The sequence that wastes the least effort: list your universities, open each one’s English language requirements page, write down the DET row and the subscore line, and only then choose. If even one target refuses the DET and you cannot drop it, the decision is made for you.
A note on preparation. Whichever test you pick, the expensive outcome is sitting it twice. Our standard, intensive and private courses all end with full mock tests so you book the real thing only when the evidence says you will clear your target. Students in any country can join — every lecture is uploaded the same day as a lesson recording you can review. See the worldwide hub, or the DET FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Duolingo English Test easier than IELTS?
It is shorter and more convenient, not easier. The adaptive format means it finds your ceiling quickly, and one hour of concentrated tasks leaves no room to recover from a weak start. Students who score 6.5 on IELTS do not automatically reach 120 on the DET.
What is the biggest format difference between the four tests?
Speaking. The DET and PTE record you against a screen with no interviewer, TOEFL uses a microphone with integrated academic tasks, and IELTS puts you in a live interview where the examiner can rephrase and prompt.
Which test suits a slow typist?
IELTS, and to a lesser extent TOEFL. The DET types Read and Complete, Listen and Type, Interactive Writing and the Writing Sample against short timers, so slow typing directly caps your Literacy and Production subscores.
Can I use the Duolingo English Test for a UK student visa?
Not as a Secure English Language Test. For degree-level study with a licensed sponsor, the university normally assesses your English and confirms it on the CAS, which is usually enough. Below degree level, or where a SELT is required, you need IELTS for UKVI or another approved test.
Which test should I take for Australia?
Not the DET if you need a subclass 500 student visa — it is not accepted for it. Use IELTS, PTE or TOEFL. A few Australian universities accept the DET for admission only.
Do universities treat a DET score as equal to IELTS?
Most publish an equivalence table, for example 120 DET against IELTS 6.5 and 105 against IELTS 6.0, and the offer is the same either way. What differs is the subscore rules, which are often stricter on the DET side.
If I miss my score, how soon can I retake?
With the DET, quickly — up to three certified tests per 30 days. IELTS, TOEFL and PTE each require a new booking and a new sitting date.
Does a DET score expire faster than IELTS?
No. All four are valid for two years. Some universities add their own date window, for example only accepting tests taken after a stated month, so check that separately.
Not sure which test your universities will take? Send us the programme links on WhatsApp (+20 105 578 5572) and we will check them with you first.
Last updated: September 2026