Duolingo English Test
The Duolingo English Test (DET) is a modern, online English proficiency test that evaluates the language skills of non-native speakers.
1. Overview of the Duolingo English Test
Purpose: To assess English proficiency for academic, professional, or personal purposes.
Mode: Online, accessible from anywhere.
Duration: Approximately 1 hour.
Cost: Significantly lower than other English proficiency exams (around $49 USD~ RS.4500).
Acceptance: Recognized by over 4,000 institutions worldwide, including universities, colleges, and organizations.
2. Test Structure
The Duolingo English Test evaluates four main language skills: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking.
It consists of two main sections:
A. Adaptive Test
Duration: About 45 minutes.
The test adjusts its difficulty level based on the test-taker’s responses.
Includes various question types, such as:
Read and Complete: Fill in missing letters in a paragraph.
Listen and Type: Transcribe a spoken sentence.
Speaking: Speak a response to a given prompt.
Writing: Write a response to a given question or topic.
Read Aloud: Read a sentence out loud.
Vocabulary Selection: Choose real English words from a list.
Dictation: Type the sentence you hear.
B.Video Interview and Writing Sample
Duration: 10 minutes.
Candidates are required to:
- Answer a video prompt (speak for 1-3 minutes on a specific topic).
- Write a response to a question or prompt (50-100 words).
Note: These responses are not graded but are shared with the institutions for evaluation.
3. Scoring
Scale: Scores range from 10 to 160.
Sub scores: The test provides sub scores in four areas:
- Literacy (Reading and Writing)
- Comprehension (Listening and Reading)
- Conversation (Speaking and Listening)
- Production (Speaking and Writing)
Score Validity: Results are valid for 2 years.
4. Key Features
Convenience: Test-takers can complete the exam at home with just a computer, internet connection, and ID.
Quick Results: Scores are available within 48 hours.
Unlimited Score Reports: Test-takers can send their results to as many institutions as they wish without additional fees.
5. Eligibility and Requirements
Age: Test-takers must be at least 13 years old.
Equipment:
- A computer with a webcam and microphone.
- Stable internet connection.
- An official ID (passport, government-issued ID, or driver’s license).
6. Test-Taking Rules
To ensure test integrity, Duolingo has strict rules:
Test-takers must be alone in a quiet room.
No external devices (phones, notes, or headphones) are allowed.
Avoid looking away from the screen or interacting with anyone during the test.
7. Comparison with Other English Tests
Feature | Duolingo | IELTS | TOEFL |
Duration | 1 hour | 2 hours 45 minutes | 3 hours |
Cost | $49 | $200 | $200 |
Delivery | Online, at home | Test center | Test center or at home |
Results Availability | Within 48 hours | 5-7 days | 6-10 days |
Recognition | 4,000+ institutions | 11,000+ institutions | 11,000+ institutions |
8. Advantages of the Duolingo English Test
- Affordable and accessible from home.
- Quick results and free unlimited score reporting.
- User-friendly format and shorter duration.
- Widely recognized by universities and institutions globally.
9. Who Should Take the Duolingo English Test?
- Students applying to universities or colleges where the test is accepted.
- Professionals seeking proof of English proficiency for job applications.
- Individuals looking for a cost-effective and convenient English proficiency test.
10.What are the Parameters for Duolingo English test scores?
With the AI-based tech analysing your performance during the exam, here are the parameters based on which your scores are determined:
- Grammatical skills
- Fluency in English
- Ability to deliver the accurate answer
- Participant’s choice of words
- Use of vocabulary
- Pronunciation skills
Duolingo score system (score reported From 10- 160 )
Proficiency | DET Score | Analysis |
Basic | 10-55 | The basic understanding of English words & phrases is analyzed here |
Intermediate | 60-85 | The questions that can be answered by an Intermediate English speaker is given |
Upper-Intermediate | 90-115 | Unfamiliar topics will be provided & questions will be those that can be answered by an upper-intermediate student |
Advanced | 125-160 | An advanced student with a good command over English |
Score Scale | Interpretation | |
A1 | 10 to 55 | Basic knowledge of English words & phrases |
A2 | ||
B1 | 60-85 | Understand how to use English & can describe in detail |
B2 | 90-115 | Can communicate everything in English |
C1 | 120-160 | Can understand all written & spoken forms of English very well, Advanced student |
C2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
The Duolingo English Test’s difficulty is decided by adaptive technology. The system learns your level and offers a greater challenge to match your ability. If you do your research and practice, you should not find it hard.
There is no reason why the Duolingo English Test should be considered harder than IELTS. The adaptive nature means that you can face more difficult questions if you’re able to. If you have studied you should be able to perform well enough to get the score you deserve.
There isn’t a specific pass mark for the Duolingo English Test. Institutions vary in what score they require you to get to be able to be accepted on their courses. However, a score of over 120 out of 160 would generally be considered to be a good score. This places you in the Upper-Intermediate or Advanced levels of scoring.
The total duration of the Duolingo English test is 60 minutes which is split among the three sections of the exam. These sections include; Introduction (five minutes), the Adaptive test (45 minutes), and Writing and Speaking sample (ten minutes).
With the AI-based tech analysing your performance during the exam, here are the parameters based on which your scores are determined:
- Grammatical skills
- Participant’s fluency in English
- Participant’s ability to deliver the accurate answer
- Participant’s choice of words
- Use of vocabulary
- Participant’s pronunciation skills
While there are no limitation on how many times you can take the Duolingo exam, it is important to note that you cannot take the exam more than two times within a 30-day time frame.