Duolingo English Test (DET) is an English Proficiency Test taken by non-native speakers of the English language if they have to study abroad. It evaluates your reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. The test contains multiple-choice questions as well as open-ended questions. These will analyse your spoken and written capabilities in the language. The popularity of this test has increased over the years. More and more universities have started to accept Duolingo in place of tests like TOEFL, SAT, ACT etc.
What Is The Duolingo English Test?
The Duolingo test is becoming popular in recent times. It checks how accurate you are in the usage of the English language. The test has a speciality; for every wrong answer you make, the difficulty of the test increases and vice versa. The Duolingo English Test can help not only in studies but also in fetching a good job abroad. You have the option to link your Duolingo test scores with your LinkedIn profile if you need to. There was once a time when IELTS was considered the only standardised test. From there, several universities now have even nullified the need to have IELTS. This has also led to the increased importance that Duolingo enjoys.
Highlights Of The Test – Duolingo Exam
The highlights of the DET are as follows:
| Name of the test | Duolingo |
| Full form of the test | Duolingo English Test (DET) |
| Official website | https://englishtest.duolingo.com/ |
| Accepted countries | UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada |
| Popular for | The study, work, migration |
| Mode of test | Online/internet-based |
| Duration | 45 minutes |
| Conducted by | Duolingo |
| Test fee | USD 49/INR 3600 – INR 3800 |
| Result | Within 28-48 hours |
| Validity | 2 years |
Why Duolingo English Test?
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You can attend the test from your home. It is also the reason why more universities now prefer Duolingo.
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Less costly as compared to IELTS/TOEFL. You will need to spend around INR 14,000 to take TOEFL and INR 15,000 for IELTS. On the other hand, Duolingo costs around INR 3600.
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The results are out within 48 hours.
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There is no limit on the number of colleges to which you can send your Duolingo test score for free. As against this, the maximum number of colleges to which you can send your TOEFL score for free is four, and IELTS is five.
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The Duolingo test takes only an hour to complete, considerably less than IELTS and TOEFL.
Duolingo Test Pattern 2022
The DET is an internet-based test, and you can take it easily from home. There are two patterns of the test, which are described below:
- The English Adaptive Test: This is the first segment of the test. It evaluates your reading, writing, speaking and listening capabilities in English. The scores will be provided differently on the screen. There will be no repeated questions, and you will find questions that test all your skills.
- Duolingo Video Interview Test: This is the second segment of the test, which lasts around 10 minutes. You will be asked open-ended questions and will have to record the answers.
Duolingo Test Requirements
However, you need to fulfil the following requirements to take the test.
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Have a passport or any valid ID.
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Quiet and well-lit room.
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Stable internet connection.
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A laptop/desktop.
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Your desktop/laptop should have a speaker, webcam and microphone.
Duolingo English Test Rules & Regulations
It is evident that students take the Duolingo test from their homes. As such, you need to follow a few rules to take the test, failing which you can even be disqualified. These rules are given below.
- You should not interact with anyone.
- You should not use a mobile phone or other devices.
- You should not use earphones.
- You should not look elsewhere.
How To Register For Duolingo?
It is not a tedious task to apply for Duolingo. You have to follow a few steps and do everything right. You can attend the test immediately after registration if you want to. The steps to register for Duolingo are as follows.
- Visit the Duolingo official website: To start with your registration process, you should first take the Duolingo official website. You can then open the “Take the test” page.
- Download the Duolingo app: You should now download the Duolingo application and instal it successfully. It is only with the app that you can take the test.
- Check the requirements: You should have read about and kept in hand the necessary documents you may need to submit at the time of registration. At this step, you may need to check the required documents.
- Test everything: Your speaker and microphone will be tested to ensure they work properly. Also, your photo will be taken.
- Upload the documents: You will need to provide basic details like name, age etc. After that, you will need to upload the required documents.
- Take a photo of your ID: A picture of your valid government ID will be taken here. You need to hold it properly in front of the camera.
- Create an account: You may next need to create a Duolingo account. For this, you will have to provide your email address, name, age, address, password etc.
- Choose answers for questions: You will next be asked the question “What are you interested in?” and you will have to choose the Program/job you are planning to do abroad.
- Payment: The final step is to make the payment. You can pay the Duolingo test fee, which can come to around INR 3600.
How Much is Duolingo English Test Fee?
When you compare Duolingo to other leading tests like IELTS and TOEFL, you will find that Duolingo is way cheaper than them. You need to spend only around INR 3600 for the Duolingo test fee. The Duolingo test fee in India is about INR 10,000 less than the other tests. This helps cut down your expense. But at the same time, you should note that there is no scholarship available for Duolingo.
Duolingo Rescheduling Fee
After registering for Duolingo, you can take the test within 21 days. Though there is no limit on the number of times you can take the test, you can attend the test only twice within 21 days. If you cannot attend the test on a particular day, you can reschedule it to another day, which should be within 21 days of registration. You need not pay an extra fee for that.
Duolingo Cancellation Fee
If the candidate does not take the test within 21 days of registration, the test automatically gets cancelled. In such a case, no refund will be provided. At the same time, if you face any technical error during your test and cannot complete the test, you can contact Duolingo’s customer service and get a refund.
Duolingo Fee Payment Options
When you pay for the Duolingo test, you can make online payments in any of the following forms
- PayPal (Unique Online Payment Platform).
- Card Payment (Debit/Credit).
Duolingo Test Dates
You take the Duolingo test from your home, and you need not travel to any examination centre. This proves that you can take the test whenever you are comfortable. After you register for the test, you can appear for it whenever you want. The only thing is to be prepared before the test.
How Can I Take The Test?
The Duolingo test can be taken from within your house. You need not visit an examination centre for the same. The results will be available within 48 hours as well. You just need a desktop/laptop to take the test. You can take the test starting anytime, just after the registration.
What Happens After The Test?
You will get the result of your Duolingo test after 48 hours of taking it. You can take the result from the page and send them to the educational institutions you need. It is worth noting that you can use the score for unlimited colleges/universities for free.
Who Accepts The Duolingo Test?
The Duolingo test is accepted by almost all universities abroad. It has seen a surge in recent years, and it is a piece of good news for students who wish to take Duolingo over TOEFL/IELTS. The list of s few universities/colleges that accept Duolingo in the USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are below.
USA Universities that Accept Duolingo
UK Universities that Accept Duolingo
Canada Universities that Accept Duolingo
Australian Universities that Accept Duolingo
New Zealand Universities that Accept Duolingo
Difference Between IELTS, TOEFL & DET
IELTS, TOEFL and Duolingo are some of the most popular English language tests that you will come across. They are all different in certain aspects, and it is better to know the differences in detail before proceeding to apply for the test.
On a surface level, the notable differences are given below:
| Features | IELTS | TOEFL | DET |
| Established | 1980 | 1964 | 2016 |
| Test fee | USD 149 | USD 180 | USD 49 |
| Accepted by | 10,000+ colleges & 400+ countries | 11,000+ colleges & 150+ countries | 3000+ colleges & 50+ counties |
| Mode of the test | Internet-based or paper-based | Internet-based & paper-based | Internet-based |
| Score scale | 0 to 9 | 0 to 120 | 10 to 160 |
| Test structure | Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening | Reading, Writing, Speaking (only for iBT), Listening | Quick Set-Up, Adaptive Test, Video Interview |
| Result | Within 3-13 days | Within 6-10 days | Within 28-48 hours |
| Duration | 2 hours 45 minutes | PBT – 2.5 hours, iBT – 3 hours | 45 minutes – 1 hour |
Important Tips For Duolingo Exam
The first peculiarity of Duolingo is that there is no fixed syllabus for the test. You will need to find ways to prepare yourself. A few tips to help you are given below
- Be a good reader. You can read novels, newspapers or anything that comes your way that is written in advanced English. This will help you gain a better understanding of playing with words.
- You can practice yourself with the help of mock tests available both on the Duolingo website and elsewhere.
- Indulge in conversation with people who are fluent in English. You can even start conversing in English.
- Know the exam pattern, types of questions etc., in a detailed way.
- Go through the official website of Duolingo and read blogs and other related sections to get helpful resources.
FAQs About the Duolingo Exam
Ans – Duolingo assesses your reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in English.
Ans – Yes, several leading universities in the USA, including Stanford University, Yale University etc., accept Duolingo.
Ans – Duolingo is accepted by over ten countries, including the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, China, Qatar, Japan, Thailand, Ireland, and the European countries (Spain, Germany, Austria, France, Hungary, Italy).
Ans – The Harvard Extension School, which is the extension school of Harvard University, accepts Duolingo test scores.
Ans – There is no considerable difference in the difficulty level of Duolingo and IELTS.
Ans – Though Duolingo tests your English skills, your cracking of the test doesn’t mean you become proficient in the language. You need to converse more in the language to become fluent.
Ans – You can register for the Duolingo test from home with a laptop/desktop. The registration is done directly from the Duolingo official website.
Ans – There is no limit on the number of times you can take the Duolingo test. However, you can attend the test only twice within 30 days.
Ans – The Duolingo test certificate will be released after 48 hours of completing the test. You can download the same from your Duolingo English Test Account.
Ans – There are ten leagues in Duolingo.
Ans – You should first click on the language flag in the top right corner and select “Add a new course” from the drop-down. Click the drop-down on the right side of the language page. You can choose the base language you want your course to be in.
