Duolingo Exam: Syllabus, Eligibility & Requirements

DET Full Form 

The full form of the DET is the Duolingo English Test. The DET was launched in 2016 as an alternate English proficiency exam that is affordable and convenient. Its ‘test anytime, anywhere’ feature has made it a popular choice among test takers. Today, the DET scores are accepted by over 5000 institutions worldwide.

What is Duolingo Exam? 

The Duolingo exam is a computer-based global English proficiency test that determines the language abilities of the candidates planning to migrate to any English-speaking country. It tests the test-takers reading, writing, speaking, and listening abilities.

The Duolingo exam is computer-adaptive. This means with every correct answer, the difficulty level keeps rising. If your answer is wrong, the next question will be relatively easier.

Duolingo English Exam: Important Facts

Here are some essential facts about the Duolingo English Test that you must know:

1. The exam is accepted by more than 1,000 universities globally.  Here is the list

• Duolingo Accepted Universities in UK
• Duolingo Accepted Universities in Australia
• Duolingo Accepted Universities in USA  
• Duolingo Accepted Universities in Canada

2. The exam is for candidates enrolling in higher education in countries like the USA, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, France, etc.

3. The Duolingo exam fee is quite affordable. Currently, it is $65, amounting to approximately  INR 5,400. Before April 15, 2024, the DET fee was $59.

The Duolingo test duration is around 60 minutes (including the 10-minute video interview), which is less than other English proficiency exams.

What is Importance of Duolingo Exam

The Duolingo test has become a prominent English proficiency test because of its transparency and science-backed assessment methodology. It is designed by integrating Data Forensics and AI, which means the results are accurate and represent true abilities of the test taker. 
Not only that, the test is transparent as it is built on industry-leading security. Moreover, you get to access the results dashboard, where your scores, certificates, and speaking and writing samples are recorded, and you can review them. Thus, you get a deeper insight into your performance in each section. 

Eligibility for Duolingo Exam

• The Duolingo English Test does not require any minimum academic qualification. Anyone who wishes to appear for the test can do so without hassle. 
• Before appearing for the test, please check the language proficiency requirement stated by the university you are applying to. 
• There is no age restriction. However, candidates younger than 13 need to get their parents' consent to apply for the test.

How to Register for Duolingo Exam

You can register for the Duolingo test through the official website or on the Duolingo app. You can appear for the test immediately after registration. Here are the steps you must follow to register for the test-:  

1. Visit the official website of Duolingo.
2. Click 'Take the Test.'
3. Download the app and install it on your system. 
4. Meet all the requirements, such as sitting in a well-lit room with your front camera on. Keep your government ID or passport handy.
5. Test your speaker, and microphone
6. Upload the required documents, such as your official ID, to verify your mentioned information.
7. Hold your ID card and take a picture for identification. Please do not hold the ID next to your face or tilt it.
8. Select the purpose behind taking the test. Here are the options- 
   1. UG University Admissions
   2. School building
   3. Graduate admissions 
   4. Middle or high school admission
   5. Applying for a promotion or job
   6. None of the above
9. After selecting options from above, you can create your Duolingo account.
10. Complete the payment process. The DET fee is $65.

Upon completing the payment and process mentioned above, you can take the test.

How Much is Duolingo Exam Fee 

The Duolingo test fee is more affordable than other English language tests, such as TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, etc. The price for the Duolingo exam is $ 65 plus the taxes (if applicable), whereas the other tests cost above $200. There are zero test waivers for the exam.

Important Dates for Duolingo Exam

There are no fixed dates for the Duolingo English Test. All you need to do is visit the website, purchase the test, and take the exam. Enter all the information required on the website and log in with your initials. You can take the test from anywhere if you meet all the requirements.

Duolingo Exam Pattern and Syllabus

The online test helps aspirants to check their knowledge of the English language. Here's a brief about the Duolingo exam syllabus and pattern:

Test	Duolingo English Exam
Mode of exam	Online
Sections in exam	2
Exam Duration	1 hour
Question types	Descriptive and objective

English Adaptive Test: 

The 45-minute-long graded section of the English assessment exam evaluates the candidates' reading, writing, speaking, and listening abilities. Different types of questions are combined and appear randomly during the test in the section. None of the questions are repeated in the test. There is no limited number of questions in this section. The test will end when the grading engine is persuaded by your score. You will receive separate scores for this section.

 Here are the different types of questions you will come across- 

• Answer the missing letters and complete the sentences. 
• Record yourself while repeating any given sentence. 
• Describe the given image in writing.
• Hear the words and identify the correct one. 
• Read the words and identify the real English ones.
• Type the sentence that you hear. 
• Write down your answer in at least 50 words.
• Speak your answer to a spoken question. 

Duolingo Video Interview Test: 

The video interview test is the second segment of the exam, with a time limit of 10 minutes. The section requires candidates to respond to a prompt. They have a 1–3 minute response time for the Speaking sample and a 3–5 minute response time for the Writing sample. 

Remember these points while answering the video questions- 

• Ensure your face is in the frame.
• You must be audible, clear, and straightforward.
• Plan your answers, and do not jumble the answers. 

Benefits of Duolingo English Test

Here are the benefits of taking the Duolingo English Test

• You can take the test from your home at your convenience.
• You can take mock tests for practice.
• The fee is affordable in comparison to other language proficiency test.
• You can get results within 48 hours.
• Various universities accept the test scores as an alternative for IELTS/TOEFL.

How is Duolingo Test Scored

The score is calculated on the 10 to 160 scale through statistical machine learning algorithms. The DET score is bifurcated into the overall and four sub-scores. Here's a brief description of how the Duolingo English Test scores are interpreted:

DET Score Range	Description
120-160	Learners are apt in writing and speaking the language. Learners can understand pragmatic, figurative and idiomatic phrases.
90-115	The learner can communicate about new topics which are unknown to him/her. Learners can clearly understand and interact on both abstract and concrete topics.
60-85	Learners can grasp the valuable and main aspects and points related to work or their educational content. Learners can easily communicate personal details without any hassle.
10-55	Learners can identify all of the basic English and phrases. Learners can articulate the straight given information.

What Happens After Taking Duolingo English Test

It takes one hour to complete the Duolingo test. After you have taken the test, you will get your scores within 48 hours. The scores are valid for two years, during which you can apply to universities abroad and furnish your scores to prove your English language proficiency wherever required.

How to Get Duolingo Exam Results

You can receive your Duolingo English test score within 24 to 48 hours of taking the test. The exam score usually provides information about the applicant, the overall performance, and the sub-score. The candidates can access the score through the Duolingo application. 

You can send the test score to the selected university or college as a test-taker. Here's how you can check your scores-: 

• Log in to the Duolingo website with credentials.
• Enter your registration information. Ensure the details are correct.
• View your scorecard.
• You can download or print the report if required and send it to the university you are applying to. 

Duolingo English Test vs IELTS Exam vs TOEFL

Duolingo English Test, IELTS exam, and TOEFL analyze a test taker’s English language proficiency. If you are a student migrating to a different country to pursue higher education, you must take one of these tests to be eligible for admission to English-speaking countries. Here’s the difference between the three tests.

Parameters	IELTS	TOEFL	Duolingo
Administrator	IDP	Educational Testing Service (ETS)	Duolingo
Accepted By	Over 10,000 academic institutions worldwide	Over 11,000 universities in 140+ countries	Over 5,000 academic institutions worldwide
Test Types	Academic IELTS, General IELTS	Internet-based Test (iBT)	Computer-based test with adaptive questions and virtual interviews
Test Mode	Paper-Based and Computer-Based	Internet-based only (Test Center and Home-Based)	Online
Skills Assessed	Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing	Speaking, Listening, Writing, Reading	Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing
Test Duration	2 hours and 45 minutes	116 minutes	1 hour (45 minutes adaptive test and 10 minutes open-ended interview questions)
Fees (Indian Students)	₹17,000	₹16,900	$65 (approximately ₹5,400)
Score Range	1 - 9 (band scores)	0 - 120	10 - 160

Source: official websites

Important Tips for Duolingo Exam

There is no fixed syllabus or book prescribed specifically to score higher bands in the Duolingo exam. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for the Duolingo exam: 

• Read novels with advanced English. Read newspapers and practice learning new words to enhance your vocabulary.
• Indulge in random conversations with people fluent in the English language. 
• Get a clear understanding of the exam pattern, syllabus, and the types of questions asked in the exam. 
• You can try mock tests available on the Duolingo website.
• Read the blog section on the Duolingo website and understand the resource materials provided.

Now that you know about the Duolingo eligibility criteria, syllabus, and fees for the English proficiency test, start making study plans to prepare for the exam efficiently and on time. This one move is a step closer to pursuing your dreams of studying abroad. Prove your language skills with the DET to show you are ready to take on the world.

Disclaimer: All exam details and fees are provided per the currently available information on official sites and are subject to change at any time.