Duolingo

Duolingo English Test

Duolingo English Test (DET)

An online, on-demand, computer-adaptive English proficiency test accepted by thousands of universities worldwide. Its low cost and at-home delivery make it a popular admissions alternative to TOEFL and IELTS for non-native speakers.

$70About 60 minutes (5 min onboarding; ~45 min adaptive test; ~10 min writing and speaking sample)Career gateway

What's on the exam

Duolingo English Test — subscore structure (four individual subscores average to the overall score; integrated subscores average pairs of them)

Reading

25%

Reading comprehension · Vocabulary recognition (real vs. fake words) · Interactive reading passages · Inferring meaning from written input

Listening

25%

Listening for detail · Dictation tasks · Listen and respond · Interactive listening dialogue

Writing

25%

Written production · Extended writing sample · Grammar and spelling accuracy · Topic development in writing

Speaking

25%

Spoken response to a prompt · Spoken interaction · Fluency and coherence · Range of vocabulary and grammar

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Duolingo English Test cost?

The Duolingo English Test costs $70. Single global price set by Duolingo; occasionally adjusted.

How long is the Duolingo English Test and how many questions does it have?

Adaptive mix of reading, writing, listening, and speaking item types (counts vary as difficulty adapts) — About 60 minutes (5 min onboarding; ~45 min adaptive test; ~10 min writing and speaking sample).

What do you need to pass the Duolingo English Test?

No pass/fail — overall score on a 10–160 scale (the average of Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking subscores), plus integrated subscores for Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation, and Production; institutions set their own requirements.

Can you retake the Duolingo English Test?

Up to a limited number of certified tests per period (commonly 3 per 30 days).

What is the best way to study for the Duolingo English Test?

Start from the official outline and your primary study materials: the exam is weighted by domain (Reading 25%, Listening 25%, Writing 25%, Speaking 25%). Once you've learned the material, spaced-repetition flashcards organized by those domains are an efficient way to retain it and refresh it before test day.

Program in development

We're building a program for this exam. Meanwhile, explore live programs across 84 exams.

Explore programs →