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English proficiency test

The Duolingo English Test, done right.

A short, online English exam you take from home in about an hour, scored from 10 to 160. More universities accept it every year, so the first thing we do is confirm your shortlist actually takes it.

Format
Online, from home
Length
About 1 hour
Score
10 to 160
Result
In about 2 days
The score band
5-point steps
one adaptive test, one number
Around 120
a common bar, roughly C1 (typical)
Result in ~2 days
certified, mapped to the CEFR

What it is

One short test, accepted by more universities every year.

The DET folds reading, writing, listening and speaking into a single adaptive test, sat online with live and AI proctoring. It is cheaper and faster than the traditional exams, and your certified score lands within a couple of days. Acceptance still varies by university and programme, so we always confirm the requirement before you book.


The score

One number, 10 to 160.

Your result is a single score in 5-point steps, mapped to the CEFR. Slide along the scale to see where a target sits. The marker shows a common, typical bar, not a guarantee for any one university.

10160
120of 160 · ≈ C1

CEFR bands shown here are approximate. The exact score a programme wants is set by that university, so we confirm it before you book.


How it works

Taken from home, in three moves.

No test centre, no travel. You need a quiet room, a webcam and a steady connection. The whole sitting runs about an hour.


The subscores

Behind the number, four subscores.

Alongside your overall score, universities see four subscores so they get the full profile of your English. Tap one to see what it measures and how we train it.

Literacy

Reading and writing

How well you read and write English: understanding text and putting clear English on the page.

We drill: reading for gist and detail, and short written answers that stay clear and on-topic under time.
Comprehension

Reading and listening

How well you understand English you read and hear, catching meaning and detail across both.

We drill: catching the answer when it is paraphrased not quoted, and holding detail while the audio plays once.
Conversation

Listening and speaking

How well you understand and respond in spoken English, the back-and-forth of real conversation.

We drill: answering spoken prompts in full sentences, fast, without freezing on the prep seconds.
Production

Writing and speaking

How well you produce English yourself, in the open writing and speaking samples shared with universities.

We drill: the open speaking and writing samples, so the unscripted English universities hear and read is your best.

How we help

From "is it accepted?" to a score that counts.

  1. Confirm it is accepted

    Not every university takes the DET, so we check each programme on your shortlist first, before any prep.

  2. Set the target score

    We turn each programme's requirement into the exact DET score you need, so practice has a clear finish line.

  3. Practise the real format

    You train on the adaptive question types and the speaking and writing samples through our language courses, so nothing on test day is a surprise.

  4. Book before your deadlines

    We time the test so your certified result lands well before application deadlines, with room for a retake if needed.


Questions

Duolingo English Test, answered.

Do German universities accept the Duolingo English Test?

Some English-taught programmes do, and the number is growing, but many German-taught degrees still require TestDaF or DSH. We confirm acceptance for each programme on your list before you rely on it.

What score do I need?

It depends on the programme. Many universities that accept the DET look for around 120, which is roughly C1. We map the exact figure for each of your targets.

Is it easier than IELTS or TOEFL?

It is shorter, cheaper and taken from home, but not necessarily easier. The real difference is acceptance, so the right test is the one your universities take.

How is it scored?

A single overall score from 10 to 160, in 5-point steps, plus four subscores: Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production. The whole result is mapped to the CEFR.

Next step

Find out if the Duolingo test fits your shortlist.

Send us your target programmes and we will tell you whether the DET works, and the score to aim for.