Frequently Asked Questions About the Duolingo English Test

Answers to the common DET questions, grouped by topic: the test itself, results and scores, what happens while you test, and payment.

Lume Test

Apr 22, 2025

•

5 min read

Frequently Asked Questions About the Duolingo English Test

Key Takeaways

Answers to the common DET questions, grouped by topic: the test itself, results and scores, what happens while you test, and payment.

Duolingo English test (DET), with the ubiquitous owl mascot, has just been accepted more widely in recent years.

That’s why many candidates may feel confused as the test is quite different from traditional language exams.

LUME Test will list out frequently asked questions in the Duolingo English test with answers so that you’ll understand more about the exam.

Let’s follow us for more details!

Want to ACE the Duolingo English Test (DET) And Reach Your Goals?

Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock…

✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers

✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring

✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan

GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW

(Limited seats available!)

Key Takeaways

Duolingo English Test (DET) is a convenient, fast, and budget-friendly online exam that assesses your English language proficiency.
The level of difficulty will be based on your answers.
You’ll take the test online, and your answers are scored by computers.
More frequently asked questions with answers will be revealed in this article.

Related:

Frequently Asked Questions in Duolingo English Test (DET)

General

What is the Duolingo English Test (DET)?

Duolingo English Test or DET is an online modern English proficiency test.

Candidates don’t need to make an appointment and go to a center to sit an exam.

All testing procedures will be done online at home.

You just need to ensure you have a good Internet connection, a computer, and a webcam.

Duolingo English Test (DET) uses computer adaptive technology, assigning questions whose difficulty depends on each candidate.

Why do I need a Duolingo English Test (DET)?

Duolingo English Test (DET) offers you a chance to approach a more accessible, convenient, and cost-effective English language assessment.

Other traditional English tests require candidates to book a schedule and travel to a test center.

Meanwhile, Duolingo English Test (DET) allows students to sit the exam at home online.

It eliminates the cost of traveling and reduces stressful testing experiences.

Besides, the testing time is shorter (around 1 hour).

The result is available within a short period (usually, 2 days and 12 hours for Faster Result purchase).

You can also share your results with numerous institutions.

Your speaking sample (video) and writing sample will also be sent to the institutions together with your score to showcase your English ability.

Which schools or institutions recognize the Duolingo English Test (DET)?

Duolingo English Test (DET) is recognized worldwide, including numerous universities and secondary schools.

Visit this site to check if your dream institution is on the list.

Can I apply for a study visa with a Duolingo English Test (DET) certificate?

Yes, you can.

There’s no guarantee 100% you can get a study visa to your dream destination.

However, you can use the Duolingo English Test (DET) certificate as a document in your visa application.

About The Test

When and where can I take the Duolingo English Test (DET)?

You can take the exam online any time you want within 21 days of purchasing.

How long does the Duolingo English Test (DET) take?

It takes about 1 hour to complete the Duolingo English Test (DET).

How do I take the Duolingo English Test (DET)?

First, you need to create an account, purchase the Duolingo English Test (DET), and take it within 21 days.

How often can I take the test?

You can take the Duolingo English Test (DET) a maximum of 3 times within 30 days.

For example, if you sit your first exam on 1st June, then you’ll have 2 more chances until 30th June.

What do I need in order to take the Duolingo English Test (DET)?

You need to prepare a computer with a properly working camera, microphone, and speaker.

Ensure your camera is in the top-middle of the screen.

About The Result And Scores

Where can I find my test results?

Your result will be sent to the email you used for registration.

You can also find it on the Duolingo English Test DET website.

Go to the site and click on “My Test.”

Your results and history will be displayed on the screen.

Note that it’s only for official tests.

For practice tests, the estimated score will be shown at the end of each practice session only.

Once you close the window, the result will no longer be stored.

How long does it take to receive my results?

Duolingo English Test (DET) offers fast results.

You’ll receive your score within 2 days after completing the exam.

It can even be faster (within 12 hours) if you purchase the Fast Results service.

You’ll receive an email notification once the result is ready.

When do my Duolingo English Test (DET) results expire?

Just like other English proficiency tests (such as TOEFL or IELTS), your Duolingo English Test (DET) result will be valid for 2 years.

What are the highest and lowest scores on the DET?

In theory, the highest score is 160, and the lowest score is 0.

Yet, in reality, based on test takers’ performance, the highest and lowest scores are 155 and 60, respectively.

How is Duolingo English Test (DET) score compared with a TOEFL or IELTS score?

Here’s a comparison table for your reference:

Duolingo English Test (DET)	TOEFL	IELTS
160	120	8.5 -9
155	119	8
150	117 – 118	8
145	113 – 116	7.5
140	109 – 112	7
135	104 – 108
130	98 – 103
125	93 – 97	6.5
120	87 – 92	6.5
115	82 -86	6
110	76 – 81	6
105	70 – 75	5.5
100	65 – 69
95	59 – 64
90	53 – 58	5
85	47 – 52	5
80	41 – 46	4.5
75	35 – 40
70	30 – 34
65	24 – 29	4
60	18 – 23	1-4
10 – 55	0 – 17	1-4

While Taking The Test

How is the test set up?

Duolingo English Test (DET) uses computer-adaptive technology, allowing the difficulty of the questions to change based on your performance.

The question types are various, assessing all 4 skills: speaking, reading, writing, and listening.

Open-ended questions are also included to assess your flexibility in written and spoken responses.

How can I make sure my camera and microphone are working properly?

Here are links to enable your microphone and camera:

Can I click on another program or window during the test?

No, you can’t.

If you open/ click on another program/ window during the exam, Duolingo English Test (DET) will cancel your performance.

In this case, you’ll lose one of your attempts and have to retake the test.

Therefore, ensure you only interact with the Duolingo English Test (DET) app during the exam.

What if I quit the exam before finishing it?

Quitting the Duolingo English Test (DET) before completing it will take one of the attempts on your credit.

Duolingo will not return the lost attempts to you for this reason.

What to do if my test cancels, freezes before I complete it, or can’t be submitted once I finish?

If freezing or canceling issues happen midway through, you need to take the exam again from the start.

Don’t open other windows/ programs or exit the Duolingo English Test (DET) app while uploading your test.

The uploading process may take several minutes, depending on your Internet speed.

If you fail to upload, you need to take the entire test one more time.

What does it mean when I receive a message that my session is timed out?

Your Internet is slow, leading to a long time to answer a question.

You may also not have enough time to complete all question types due to this reason.

To ensure you get an accurate score, you need to retake the Duolingo English Test (DET).

Can I cheat during the exam?

No, cheating in Duolingo English Test (DET) is impossible.

There are cases when candidates did not cheat, but their scores are not certified.

They are asked to take the exam again.

It means Duolingo English Test (DET) does everything to ensure that they don’t miss any suspicious cheating cases.

Human proctors will observe you while you record your performance.

Remember not to look away from the screen too many times since many people need to retake the Duolingo English Test (DET) due to this reason.

If there’s clear evidence of cheating, Duolingo English Test (DET) will ban you for life!

Payment

How many Duolingo English Tests (DET) can I take for one purchase?

It depends on the package you purchase.

If you buy a single Duolingo English Test (DET) , you’ll get 1 credit.

If you choose a test bundle, you can take 2 tests.

Can I get a Duolingo English Test (DET) voucher from a third-party seller?

Yes, you can.

However, it’s not recommended.

For some reason, Duolingo may not accept your coupon, and you’ll lose money.

How do I apply a voucher code?

You need to:

Go to the Duolingo English Test (DET) homepage, sign in, and click BUY NOW.
On the payment method page, choose APPLY COUPON CODE.
Enter the code and choose SUBMIT.
The details of the active coupon will appear.

Select USE COUPON to redeem it.

Can someone else purchase the test for me?

Yes. Someone else can buy the Duolingo English Test (DET) for you.

Yet, they need to use your Duolingo English Test (DET) account to make a purchase.

Make sure they enter the correct username and password to avoid confusion.

If they create an account to purchase the Duolingo English Test (DET) for you, you need to use this account to log in and access the credit that was bought.

If that person pays for you through a third party, Duolingo English Test (DET) is not responsible for accessing the account or for payment problems.

Note that Duolingo English Test (DET) only gives a refund for the original payment method.

Once you use a third-party service, you need to work with them to receive a refund if required.