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Study Abroad31 May, 2025
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The DET is an English language test that assesses the English language proficiency of test-takers who wish to study abroad. The DET full form is Duolingo English Test. DET tests the English skills of students in four English language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
The DET is accepted by over 5500+ universities worldwide to enroll international students in different programs. The Duolingo English Test duration is 60 minutes. The test results are released within 2 days of the test completion. The Duolingo test fees in India is USD 70. Candidates can pay their test fees via credit card, debit card, PayPal, Amazon Pay, Google Pay, or cash.
Here, we have included detailed information about the Duolingo English Test, its test eligibility, test format, results, fees, and more. Test-takers who are preparing for the test can read the complete guide to learn more about the DET 2025.
|
Feature |
Details |
|
Test Mode |
Online, taken from home |
|
Skills Assessed |
Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking |
|
Test Duration |
Approximately 60 minutes |
|
Score Range |
10 to 160 |
|
Score Validity |
2 years |
|
Test Availability |
24/7, year-round |
|
Number of Attempts |
Up to 3 times in 30 days |
|
Age Limit |
No age limit; parental consent required if under 13 |
|
Result Time |
Standard: 1–3 days; Early: within 12 hours (additional fee) |
|
Test Fee |
USD 70 per test; USD 118 for two-test bundle |
|
Equipment Required |
Computer with camera, microphone, and speakers |
Duolingo has released no specific guidelines for test eligibility. International students who wish to study in popular universities abroad can apply for the DET on its official website, irrespective of their academic background. However, students need to fulfill the technical requirements to be eligible for the test. DET also has no specific eligibility criteria for age, however, candidates under the age of 13 must get their parental content to apply for the test.
The Duolingo English Test can be taken online anytime from home, without needing to visit a test centre. Candidates must have the following equipment to appear for the DET 2025:
A supported browser (Chrome or Opera)
A microphone
A front-facing camera
Speakers
Passport, driver's license, or government ID
A computer
A well-lit room
A reliable internet connection
To take the Duolingo English Test (DET), you first need to register on the official website. Follow these steps to complete your registration:
Go to the official Duolingo English Test website.
Sign up by entering your email address to create an account.
On the left side of the page, click the ‘Purchase a Test’ option.
You will see two choices: buy a single test for USD 70 (approximately INR 6,000) or a bundle of two tests for USD 118.
Select ‘Add to cart’ and proceed to checkout. If you want your results faster (within 12 hours), you can pay an additional USD 40.
Enter your email address, country, and state or region, then complete the payment to finalize the registration.
There is no maximum number of times you can take the DET. However, you are not allowed to take the test more than three times within any 30 days. After purchasing a test, you have 21 days to start it. If you want to buy another test, check your test purchase history for the last 30 days to see how many times you have already bought the test. Candidates can take the test as many times as they want.
The Duolingo test fee in Indian is USD 70, which is around INR 5961.98. It is one of the most affordable English language proficiency tests in the world. Test takers can benefit from a 'Best Value' offer when booking two Duolingo English Tests at the same time. The total fee will be USD 118, which amounts to USD 59 for each test.
The DET has no specific exam dates. The test is organised in the convenience of your room. Therefore, you can take the DET 2025 test any time you want. The Duolingo test dates are available at any date and time of the year. However, candidates need to appear for the test within 30 days after completing the DET registration.
The DET test format for the 2025 test is given below:
|
Duolingo English Test Pattern 2025 |
||
|
Section |
Skills Tested |
Duration |
|
Introduction and Onboarding |
System check, ID verification, and rule overview |
5 minutes |
|
Adaptive Test |
Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking (various question types such as Read and Complete, Listen and Select, etc.) |
45 minutes |
|
Writing and Speaking Sample |
Long-form response to a given prompt (video and written sample) |
10 minutes |
Duolingo has updated its question types in 2025. The key changes of the DET 2025 are as follows:
Format: Incomplete sentences where test takers must fill in the correct word.
Time Limit: 20 seconds per sentence.
Number of Items: 6 to 9 sentences per test.
Purpose: Assesses vocabulary and grammar in context under time pressure.
Format: Replaces the old "Read then Write" section.
First Task: Write about a topic for 5 minutes.
Follow-up Task: Respond to a related prompt in 3 minutes, shown after a 30-second pause.
Purpose: Evaluates sustained written communication and ability to build ideas.
Old Format: Select all real English words from a list.
New Format: One word appears on the screen at a time.
Response Time: 5 seconds to decide whether it is a real word (“Yes” or “No”).
Purpose: Tests vocabulary recognition and fast decision-making.
The Duolingo test has released no specific syllabus for 2025 test. Candidates are assessed based on their four English language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The test module includes a variety of integrated tasks:
Adaptive Questions
Reading and Listening Tasks
Speaking and Writing Prompts
Video Interview and Writing Sample:
The DET test results are released within 48 hours of completing the test. The DET test result is based on a candidate’s performance in four core skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. However, the scorecard displays only the overall score. The candidates are scored on a holistic scale of 10-160 based on their English language proficiency.
Here are the details of DET scores for 2025:
Score Range: 10–160
10–55: Basic understanding of English
60–85: Intermediate level of English communication
90–115: Upper-intermediate to advanced proficiency
120–160: Highly proficient in academic and professional settings
Duolingo also provides subscores in the following areas:
Literacy: Ability to read and write
Comprehension: Ability to listen and read
Conversation: Ability to speak and listen
Production: Ability to speak and write
Here is a comparison table showing how Duolingo English Test (DET) scores align with IELTS and TOEFL iBT scores:
|
DET vs IELTS vs TOEFL Score Comparison |
||
|
Duolingo Score (DET) |
IELTS Band Score |
TOEFL iBT Score |
|
160 |
9.0 |
120 |
|
150 |
8.5 |
115–119 |
|
145 |
8.0 |
110–114 |
|
135 |
7.5 |
102–109 |
|
125 |
7.0 |
94–101 |
|
115 |
6.5 |
79–93 |
|
105 |
6.0 |
60–78 |
|
95 |
5.5 |
46–59 |
|
85 |
5.0 |
35–45 |
|
75 |
4.5 |
32–34 |
|
Below 75 |
Below 4.5 |
Below 32 |
You can send your DET test results directly to different universities from the results page. The test results are generally released within 2 days of completing the test, therefore, you can start applying to universities once the scorecard is released on the official website. Duolingo has no limitations on the number of universities you can send scores to. Candidates can send their DET test scores to as many universities as they want, depending on their goals. There is no additional cost charged by the DET to send test scores to universities.
Do colleges accept Duolingo English tests? Yes, many study abroad universities accept Duolingo test scores to admit international students. Test-takers can check the DET accepting programs on the official website of Duolingo. According to the latest reports, DET is accepted by over 4000 programs across the world. Some popular universities accepting Duolingo test scores are as follows:
University of Arizona
University of Colorado Boulder
New York University (NYU)
Northeastern University
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Waterloo (Canada)
Dalhousie University (Canada)
University of Sydney (Australia)
University of Auckland (New Zealand)
Trinity College Dublin (Ireland)
Candidates can improve their English language skills in many ways. Duolingo mainly assesses the overall language proficiency of test-takers. Therefore, to improve your performance in the DET 2025, follow the below-mentioned preparation tips and strategies:
To improve your reading to listening skills, listen to English podcasts, read articles, news, and English magazines.
Engage yourself in regular English conversation with other people.
Practice Duolingo speaking topics to strengthen your speaking skills for the test.
Attempt various free Duolingo practice tests available on many online websites to familiarize yourself with the DET test format.
Access paid DET mock tests to experience a real-life exam environment.
