Thailand is one of the more DET-friendly markets in the region, because the score is useful in both directions: for applications to universities abroad, and for Thailand’s own international programmes. Mahidol University International College, for instance, lists Duolingo at an overall 100 among its accepted English tests.
- Score scale10–160 in steps of 5, plus four subscores
- Validity2 years
- Local acceptanceMahidol University International College accepts Duolingo at overall 100
- Top destinationsAustralia, the UK, the USA and Canada
- Visa caveatDET is not accepted for the Australian subclass 500 student visa
- TeachingLive online classes in English with certified instructors, lessons recorded for review
- CorrectionPersonal Speaking and Writing correction, WhatsApp support between sessions
International programmes in Thailand that accept DET
Mahidol University International College publishes a short list of accepted English tests for its undergraduate admission: TOEFL iBT overall 69 with Writing 22, IELTS Academic overall 6.0 with Writing 6.0, PTE Academic overall 50 with Writing 50, and Duolingo at overall 100, with scores accepted inside their two-year validity. That makes the DET a genuine domestic option for Thai students and foreign residents applying to an international programme in Bangkok.
It is not a blanket rule for Thailand. Other Thai international programmes publish their own tables, some listing only IELTS and TOEFL, and faculty-level requirements can sit above the university minimum. Read the faculty’s admission page for your intake and note both the overall score and any per-skill requirement — MUIC’s IELTS entry, for example, carries a separate Writing minimum, while its Duolingo entry does not.
Applying abroad from Thailand
Australia, the UK, the United States and Canada take most Thai applicants, and all four have deep DET acceptance. Australian requirements spread widest:
| Australian institution | Reported DET requirement |
|---|---|
| Australian National University, Macquarie | 115–120 |
| Newcastle, Western Sydney | 120 |
| Griffith | 110 |
| Victoria University | 105–120 |
US universities publish a longer ladder:
| US university | Published DET minimum |
|---|---|
| Columbia | 135 |
| Duke, Cornell, Penn | 130 |
| New York University | 125 |
| Yale, MIT, Johns Hopkins | 120 |
| UC Berkeley, Rice | 115 |
| Purdue, Cincinnati | 110 |
| Northeastern | 105 |
| Arizona State, many state schools | 95–100 |
Canadian minimums cluster at 120, with UBC at 125.
In the UK, DET is mainstream at universities including York, Sussex, Southampton, Hertfordshire, Sheffield Hallam, Portsmouth and UCLan, typically at 105–125 with subscore rules that often read “overall 120, no subscore below 110” — see our UK score requirements guide.
The pattern: bachelor’s admission usually sits at 95–120 and postgraduate programmes at 115–135. Find your programme in Duolingo’s accepting-institutions directory, then confirm with admissions.
Choosing your target score for Thai applicants
The DET reports an overall score on the 10–160 scale in steps of five, plus four subscores — Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production. Universities publish a minimum overall score, and many publish a minimum in each subscore too, which is where unprepared candidates are caught: an overall 120 with a Production of 95 fails a requirement that the headline number appears to meet.
Work backwards from the requirements on this page rather than aiming at a round number:
- 95–110 is the usual band for bachelor entry at many US state universities and at a range of Australian institutions.
- 110–125 covers most UK degree courses, where the requirement is often written as “overall 120, no subscore below 110”, and much of the Canadian intake.
- 120–135 is postgraduate and highly selective territory: 120 at Toronto, Waterloo, Queen’s and Ottawa, 125 at UBC and NYU, 130 at Duke, Cornell and Penn, 135 at Columbia.
- Inside Thailand, Mahidol University International College accepts Duolingo at an overall 100, with no separate Writing minimum on its Duolingo entry — other international programmes publish their own tables, and faculty requirements can sit above the university minimum.
Pick the highest requirement on your shortlist and plan a comfortable margin above it, because subscore floors — not the overall number — are what most often send an application back. Send us your university’s English-requirements page on WhatsApp and we will read it with you before you start.
DET or IELTS from Thailand?
Once acceptance is settled, the choice comes down to format and to what each exam is valid for.
| Duolingo English Test | IELTS | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Computer-adaptive: questions get harder or easier as you answer | Fixed version, the same questions for everyone |
| Length | About 1 hour | Around 3 hours |
| 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 of the four skills |
| Acceptance | 6,000+ institutions, for admission | Very broad, including UKVI visa routes |
IELTS still wins where a visa or a conservative institution requires it — which for Thai students usually means an Australian student visa. Check the requirement, then choose the exam.
Visa and registration rules to check before you rely on DET
A university accepting your score and an immigration department accepting it are two different questions.
- Australia: universities may accept DET for admission, but the Department of Home Affairs does not accept it for the subclass 500 visa — that needs IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic or another listed test.
- United Kingdom: DET is not a UKVI SELT. Degree-level admission is normally assessed by the university itself, but a pre-sessional or below-degree course can need a SELT.
- Canada: the Student Direct Stream ended in November 2024, so the regular study permit applies and your institution decides what English evidence it wants.
Get it in writing from admissions, and see our complete DET guide for score reporting.
Studying online from Thailand
Studying with an academy in another time zone only works if nothing depends on your being awake at a particular hour. Every Teachero lesson is recorded, and you can review the recording afterwards, so a live session you cannot attend is never a session you lose.
Classes are taught fully in English by certified instructors who specialise in international English exams — the environment the DET asks you to perform in. Speaking and Writing are corrected personally, WhatsApp covers questions between sessions, and you sit full mock tests before the real thing. Arabic-language support is available for Arabic speakers.
Three shapes: the standard course (more days, fewer hours per day), the intensive course (fewer days, more hours per day) and the private tailored course, one-to-one around your weakest questions — see also our online course overview and DET FAQ.
Paying for the course from Thailand
Your Teachero course is paid by card online (Visa or Mastercard) from any country. Many Thai debit cards need online international payments switched on in the banking app first, and local QR or PromptPay methods do not work for international card payments.
Other options are available on WhatsApp. Schedules are set per round — message us for the next round’s details.
Frequently asked questions
Do Thai universities accept the Duolingo English Test?
Some international programmes do. Mahidol University International College lists Duolingo at an overall 100 alongside TOEFL iBT 69, IELTS 6.0 and PTE 50. Other programmes publish their own lists, so check the faculty page.
What DET score does MUIC require?
An overall 100, with the score inside its two-year validity. Unlike its IELTS and TOEFL entries, the Duolingo entry has no separate Writing minimum listed.
DET or IELTS for a Thai applicant?
Where your universities publish a Duolingo band, the DET is usually the simpler exam to prepare for: one adaptive hour, an overall 10–160 score and four subscores. IELTS is still required for the Australian student visa and for programmes that do not list the DET.
Can I use DET for an Australian student visa?
No. Australian universities may accept it for admission, but the Department of Home Affairs does not accept DET for the subclass 500 visa.
What is actually on the Duolingo English Test?
About fifteen question types in one adaptive exam: reading and completing passages, listening and typing, reading aloud, selecting real English words, an interactive reading set, interactive writing, and longer speaking and writing tasks that shape your Production and Conversation subscores. The exam adapts as you answer, so the questions get harder the better you do.
What score should I aim for abroad?
Most bachelor’s programmes want 95–110, most universities 110–120, and competitive or graduate programmes 120–135.
How do the classes work?
Live online classes in English with certified instructors, lesson recordings you can review afterwards, personal Speaking and Writing correction, full mock tests before your real attempt, and WhatsApp support between sessions.
Join the next round — send your university’s English requirements page to us on <a href=”https://wa.me/201055785572″>WhatsApp</a> (+20 105 578 5572), and message us on <a href=”https://wa.me/201055785572″>WhatsApp</a> once you know the score you need.
Last updated: September 2026