Duolingo English Test Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the Duolingo English Test, eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
$59
Provider
Duolingo
Validity
2 years
Available
Global
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
6-12 months of relevant experience recommended
Specific Requirements
- No academic prerequisite. There is no required qualification, course or prior test.
- A government-issued photo ID showing full date of birth, a recent photo of your face, a valid expiration date, the country of issuance and your full legal name. Duolingo also accepts official stamped UNHCR asylum-seeker or refugee certificates carrying a photo, name and date of birth.
- Handwritten IDs, photocopies, digital images of an ID on a phone, and damaged or tampered documents are refused.
- A desktop or laptop computer running the DET desktop app, with a working camera, speakers and microphone. Virtual machines are not permitted.
- A smartphone, fully charged, for the QR code, ear scan, 360-degree room scan and the recording of your screen and keyboard during the test. Either the Duolingo English Test app or the QR-code browser route will connect it.
- A private room where you are alone, with no extra screens, devices, paper, notes, headphones or earbuds.
- 70 US dollars per test on Duolingo's published price, with a discounted two-test bundle available. A credit expires 21 days after purchase and the expiry cannot be extended.
- One account per person. Accounts may not be shared, and each test taker must test on their own account.
Number of Questions
Variable, because the test is adaptive. Adding the ranges in Duolingo's published question frequency table gives roughly 73 to 91 individual prompts per sitting.
Duration
About 60 minutes
Question Format
Read and Select, 15 to 18 items, 5 seconds each, deciding whether a written word is a real English word, Fill in the Blanks, 6 to 9 items, 20 seconds each, completing one unfinished word in a sentence, Read and Complete, 3 to 6 items, 3 minutes each, typing the missing letters across a whole passage, Listen and Type, 6 to 9 items, 1 minute each, transcribing a spoken passage with up to three plays, Interactive Reading, 2 sets of 6 questions, 7 or 8 minutes per set, including Complete the Sentences, Interactive Listening, 2 sets of 8 to 10 questions, 6 minutes 30 seconds per conversation plus 75 seconds to summarise it, Write About the Photo, 3 items, Interactive Writing, 1 set of 2 questions, Speak About the Photo, 1 item, Read, Then Speak, 1 item, Interactive Speaking, 1 set of 6 to 8 questions, 35 seconds per answer, questions chosen from your previous answers, Writing Sample, 1 item, shared with institutions that receive your result, Speaking Sample, 1 item, shared with institutions that receive your result
Passing Requirement
None. There is no pass mark; each institution sets its own minimum. Duolingo's externally validated CEFR alignment places 60 to 95 at B1, 100 to 125 at B2, 130 to 150 at C1 and 155 to 160 at C2.
How It Is Delivered
Online from your own computer using the DET desktop app, with a smartphone as a second camera. Setup requires ID submission, an ear scan, a 360-degree room scan, a scan of the area behind the screen, and the phone positioned to record your head, shoulders, screen and keyboard throughout.
Languages Offered
English. The test is entirely in English with no first-language instructions., The Duolingo English Test help centre is published in more than 20 interface languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese.
Rules specific to this exam
- Duolingo's help centre states that the number of test questions varies, because the engine administers more or fewer questions according to its confidence in your score. Questions are drawn from a very large pool, so repeat items across sittings are unlikely.
Visit the official Duolingo certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
Score Scale
10 to 160 overall, reported in increments of 5. The four individual subscores (reading, writing, listening, speaking) and the four integrated subscores (literacy, comprehension, conversation, production) all use the same 10 to 160 scale.
Score You Need
None. There is no pass mark; each institution sets its own minimum. Duolingo's externally validated CEFR alignment places 60 to 95 at B1, 100 to 125 at B2, 130 to 150 at C1 and 155 to 160 at C2.
How It Is Calculated
The test is computer-adaptive in both difficulty and length: item difficulty shifts with your performance and the engine stops when it is confident in your score, so the number of prompts differs between candidates. Duolingo states the overall score is the average of the four individual subscores rounded to the nearest 5, and each integrated subscore is the average of its two component individual subscores. Missing responses on Read and Select are marked incorrect. Duolingo does publish a penalty rule for the rest: a wrong answer costs no more than a skipped one, partial credit applies, a blank and an incorrect response score identically on Read and Complete, and on Listen and Type a missing word costs more than a mistyped one. Answer every prompt.
When You Get Results
Within two days of completing the test as standard, or within 12 hours if Faster Results was purchased. An email notification arrives when the result is released. Once a test enters review, Duolingo states it cannot be expedited.
In raw terms: Duolingo publishes concordance tables mapping DET scores to IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT. The subscore tables were built from official score reports collected between 2024 and 2025, covering 1,943 IELTS Academic test takers and 948 TOEFL iBT test takers, all TOEFL reports using the historical 0 to 120 scale. Duolingo warns that averaging the subscore concordances does not always match the overall concordance.
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the Duolingo English Test?
No academic prerequisite. There is no required qualification, course or prior test.. A government-issued photo ID showing full date of birth, a recent photo of your face, a valid expiration date, the country of issuance and your full legal name. Duolingo also accepts official stamped UNHCR asylum-seeker or refugee certificates carrying a photo, name and date of birth.. Handwritten IDs, photocopies, digital images of an ID on a phone, and damaged or tampered documents are refused.. A desktop or laptop computer running the DET desktop app, with a working camera, speakers and microphone. Virtual machines are not permitted.. A smartphone, fully charged, for the QR code, ear scan, 360-degree room scan and the recording of your screen and keyboard during the test. Either the Duolingo English Test app or the QR-code browser route will connect it.. A private room where you are alone, with no extra screens, devices, paper, notes, headphones or earbuds.. 70 US dollars per test on Duolingo's published price, with a discounted two-test bundle available. A credit expires 21 days after purchase and the expiry cannot be extended.. One account per person. Accounts may not be shared, and each test taker must test on their own account..
How much does the Duolingo English Test cost?
The Duolingo English Test exam costs $59. This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the Duolingo English Test?
Visit the official Duolingo certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the Duolingo English Test?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
Ready to prepare for Duolingo English Test?
Get the complete exam guide with study plan, tips, and practice questions.
View Duolingo English Test Guide