The United States is where the Duolingo English Test is most widely accepted anywhere in the world. Thousands of US colleges and universities take DET scores — including all eight Ivy League schools and around 95% of the U.S. News top 100 — and more than three quarters of graduate programs with large international intakes. It runs about an hour, it adapts to your level as you answer, and it reports four subscores your admissions office can read separately.
Teachero’s live online DET course is built for exactly your situation: you live in English every day, but the test punishes specific habits Arabic speakers carry into Speaking and Writing. Our certified instructors teach the strategy and the error analysis in English, with Arabic-language support available for Arabic speakers who want it — and the same rounds welcome international students of every first language.
The course runs live on Zoom at a steady pace — more days, fewer hours a day — and every lecture is uploaded the same day as a lesson recording you can review, so a class or a shift does not cost you the round. Schedules are set per round; message us on WhatsApp for the next round’s details.
- Course formatLive on Zoom at a steady pace, with lesson recordings you can review
- PaymentVisa / Mastercard from the US, or InstaPay inside Egypt
- Score scale10–160 in steps of 5, with 4 subscores; valid 2 years
- US acceptanceThousands of institutions, incl. all Ivies and ~95% of U.S. News top 100
- Typical scores95–120 undergraduate, 115–135 graduate
- Language of teachingEnglish throughout, with Arabic-language support when needed
Which US universities accept DET, and what score do you need?
Acceptance in the US is so broad that the useful question is no longer whether a university takes DET but what number it wants. Published requirements cluster like this:
| University | Typical DET minimum |
|---|---|
| Columbia University | 135 |
| Duke, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania | 130 |
| New York University, Harvard (selected graduate programs) | 125 |
| Yale, MIT, Johns Hopkins | 120 |
| UC Berkeley, Rice | 115 |
| University of Cincinnati, Purdue | 110 |
| Northeastern University | 105 |
| Arizona State University and many large state schools | 95–100 |
The pattern to internalise: undergraduate admission usually sits between 95 and 120, master’s and PhD programs between 115 and 135, and STEM and business schools tend to ask more than humanities departments. Community colleges and pathway programs often accept 85–100. Some programs also require minimum subscores — a common form is an overall 120 with Production and Conversation no lower than 110 — and assistantship or teaching-assistant eligibility frequently carries its own, higher speaking bar. Search Duolingo’s official accepting-institutions directory for your school, then confirm the exact number with the graduate coordinator or the international admissions office; department pages go stale.
DET and your US immigration paperwork
Unlike the UK and Australia, the US does not run a separate government English test list for students. Your English requirement is set by the institution, and the I-20 is issued by that institution once it has admitted you and verified funding. So if your university accepts DET for admission, a DET score is normally enough to get you to the I-20 and the F-1 interview.
Two practical notes. First, if you are already in the US on an F-1 and transferring, or moving from a language program or community college to a four-year university, the receiving school sets its own English requirement — check it early, because transfer deadlines are tight. Second, the consular officer at the interview will speak to you in English; the same Speaking fluency work that raises your DET Conversation subscore is the work that makes that interview comfortable. We are not immigration advisers — for visa questions talk to your Designated School Official (DSO) or an immigration attorney.
Choosing your target score for US universities
In the US the published minimum is a floor, and competitive programs treat it as one. Pick your number from the program page, then add margin.
| Where you are applying | Aim for | What decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Community college / pathway | 95–105 | An even profile across all four subscores |
| Large state universities | 105–115 | Literacy and Comprehension comfortable |
| Selective undergraduate admission | 120–125 | Production holding up under the clock |
| Master’s and PhD programs | 125–135 | Conversation and Production both strong |
| Assistantship / TA eligibility | Often a separate, higher Speaking bar | Conversation subscore specifically |
Three things worth knowing before you fix the target:
- Subscore minimums decide more admissions than the overall number. A 125 with Production at 100 is refused where an even 115 is accepted.
- Graduate coordinators answer email. One message confirming the overall and subscore minimum for your specific program is worth more than any published list.
- Aim five points above the floor, because scoring moves in 5-point steps and there is no partial credit for being close.
Bring that requirement to your first class and the plan is built backwards from it: if Conversation is what the assistantship needs, the hours go into Listen Then Speak, Read Then Speak and the Speaking Sample.
Schedule and recordings
Classes are live on Zoom, and every lecture is uploaded the same day as a lesson recording you can review, so you can follow from wherever you are in the world. We send the exact schedule of the next round on WhatsApp. If a round collides with a required lab or a shift, take the private 1-on-1 course and pick your own hours, or the intensive course (fewer days, more hours a day) if your test date is close.
Booking and payment
The standard course runs live on Zoom, with homework corrected personally, Speaking and Writing correction from a teacher, full mock tests, and WhatsApp support throughout; the private 1-on-1 course runs on your own schedule. Class times are set per round — message us on WhatsApp for the next round’s details.
Paying from the US is simple: Visa and Mastercard are accepted after you message us on WhatsApp. If a US bank’s fraud filter blocks a first international charge, approve it in your banking app and retry, or message us on WhatsApp for alternative transfer options. The Duolingo exam itself is booked separately with Duolingo.
Why an Arabic-language explanation still helps you in America
Students in the US often assume that living in English is preparation enough. It is not, and the score reports show why. Arabic speakers who are perfectly fluent on campus still lose marks in predictable places: Speak About the Photo answers that stop at thirty seconds because the idea formed in Arabic first; Writing that stacks clause after clause with and and so instead of developing one argument; missing articles and shifted prepositions under time pressure; Read Aloud rushed because the eye scans for meaning the way it does in Arabic; Interactive Listening answers that summarise the topic rather than the specific content asked for.
Those are not English problems. They are habit problems, and they are diagnosed fastest in the language you think in. Our instructors teach in English and switch into Arabic exactly where the strategy, the timing, the scoring logic or your specific errors need it; the exam terms — Read Aloud, Interactive Writing, Summarize the Conversation, Speaking Sample — stay in English so you recognise them instantly on screen. Full content details are shared with enrolled students. Most students reach their target with focused, structured preparation.
For parents paying from Egypt or the Gulf for a student in the US
If your son or daughter is in America and you are paying from Egypt or the Gulf, here is how it works.
- You can pay from anywhere. InstaPay or a local card from Egypt; Visa or Mastercard from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain or Jordan after you message us on WhatsApp. Ask on WhatsApp about international transfer options and we will confirm the enrolment back to you.
- Ask before you pay. Our certified instructors teach every session. Tell them the target university and the score on the offer letter and they will tell you honestly whether one round is enough or whether the private course is the better choice.
- You always know where things stand. We send the exact schedule of each round on WhatsApp, and every lecture is uploaded the same day as a lesson recording.
- You can see the work. Homework comes back corrected, and Speaking and Writing are marked personally by a teacher rather than by software.
- Check the requirement first. Send us the program link and we will read the English requirements page with you, including any subscore minimum, before anyone commits to anything.
Read next: the complete DET guide, all DET question types, how scoring works and the 2-week study plan.
Frequently asked questions
Do US universities accept the Duolingo English Test?
Yes, very widely — thousands of US institutions accept DET, including every Ivy League school and around 95% of the U.S. News top 100. Confirm the exact minimum with your program before applying.
What DET score do I need for a US university?
Roughly 95–120 for undergraduate admission and 115–135 for master’s and PhD programs. Elite schools such as Columbia and Duke publish 130–135.
Can I use DET for my F-1 student visa?
The US does not maintain a government list of approved English tests for students. Your university sets the English requirement and issues the I-20, so if it accepts DET, your DET score normally carries you through. Ask your DSO about anything visa-specific.
When do the live classes run?
Sessions run live on Zoom at a steady pace: more days, fewer hours a day. Class times are set per round and we send the exact schedule on WhatsApp; every lecture is also uploaded the same day as a lesson recording you can review.
Do graduate programs look at subscores?
Often, yes — and assistantship eligibility frequently carries its own higher Speaking bar. Ask the graduate coordinator for the overall and subscore minimums in one email.
Can I pay with an American credit card?
Yes. Visa and Mastercard work. If a fraud filter blocks the first international charge, approve it in your banking app and try again.
How many times can I take the test?
Up to three certified tests in any 30-day period, and your score stays valid for two years. Most of our students reach their target with focused, structured preparation.
I am transferring between US schools. Does my DET score carry over?
The receiving institution sets its own English requirement, so check it early — transfer deadlines are tight, and a score that satisfied one school may sit below another’s minimum.
Join the next round — a new one starts almost every week. Message our team on WhatsApp.
Last updated: September 2026