Duolingo vs IELTS Online: Scores, Acceptance and Costs (2026)

Duolingo vs IELTS at a glance

Choose DET when your programme accepts it and its shorter home format suits you. Choose IELTS Online when the programme explicitly accepts that version and you prefer live examiner-led Speaking.

This guide compares two home tests. Test-centre IELTS and IELTS for UKVI are separate options with different availability and immigration uses.

Read the DET overview or IELTS Online guide for each test’s format.

How much does each test cost?

DET’s listed single-test price is 70 USD, with free score sharing. Check the checkout total and optional faster results.

IELTS Online fees depend on the provider and country. It issues electronic results, not paper Test Report Forms. Confirm receiving organisations and sharing instructions. Official IELTS Online guidance

A new paid test and a restart on an existing DET credit are different. Read the DET retake policy.

Voucher offers change; verify terms before paying.

How long is each test and what does it cover?

The DET takes about one hour, including setup and timed questions.

• Setup checks your identity, equipment and room. Use the DET desktop app and required secondary camera.
• Adaptive questions assess reading, listening, writing and speaking. Some question difficulty changes with your performance.
• Interactive tasks include two-part Writing and short spoken follow-up questions.
• The Writing Sample and Speaking Sample are shared with score recipients.

There is no separate fixed 10-minute video interview in the current format. Official preparation guide

IELTS Online has Listening, Reading, Writing and live video-call Speaking. Writing lasts 60 minutes: Academic Task 1 describes visual information such as a chart, table, process or map; Task 2 is an essay. Task 1 is not a General Training letter. IELTS Online

DET and IELTS scores: approximate comparisons

DET uses 10–160 in five-point increments. IELTS reports bands from 0–9. TOEFL iBT introduced a 1–6 scale in half-point steps in January 2026, with a comparable 0–120 total during its transition. TOEFL scoring

Concordance research estimates comparable scores; it cannot convert one person’s result into a guaranteed result on another test. CEFR alignment also does not make scores interchangeable. Duolingo concordance research

Use the programme’s stated DET or IELTS requirement. Do not substitute a conversion table for an admissions rule.

Where is each test accepted?

The worldwide acceptance figure for the IELTS brand does not establish acceptance of IELTS Online. Ask the receiving programme to confirm the home version. IELTS Online

For DET, search the official directory and check the current programme page. Acceptance can vary by campus, course, degree level and intake.

Before booking either test, confirm minimum overall scores, subscores and score validity.

Can the Duolingo English Test replace IELTS?

For admission, DET can replace IELTS only where your programme accepts DET. For immigration, check the exact route separately.

• UK: DET is not a UKVI SELT. For degree-level study, a qualifying higher education provider can assess English itself and record this on the CAS. Ask your sponsor which evidence it accepts. UK student-visa English rules
• Canada: ordinary study-permit eligibility does not impose one universal SELT requirement. Your school and visa office may request evidence. Canadian study-permit eligibility
• Ireland: the published DET visa minimum is 55 for the listed foundation/second-level/preparatory routes and 75 for other courses. Colleges can require higher scores. Ireland study-visa requirements
• Australia: Home Affairs does not accept fully at-home tests for student-visa English evidence. Check approved tests and exemptions. Australian student visa
• New Zealand: check your specific student-visa requirements and your provider’s entry rules rather than assuming a universal SELT requirement. New Zealand study visas

IELTS Online is for academic admission, not immigration. If you need an approved immigration test, select the exact test version required for that route.

If your DET result is not certified, read invalid-result options and the appeal eligibility guide. Not every result can be appealed.

Which test is harder: DET or IELTS?

Logistically the DET is easier: 1 hour at home versus nearly 3 hours of fixed sections. Academically it depends on your strengths.

The DET is adaptive, so questions get harder as you answer correctly. There is no easy section to bank points in. Speaking is recorded on camera and graded later, which suits confident self-starters but punishes long silences.

IELTS keeps every section fixed. You know exactly what is coming. Speaking is a live conversation with a certified examiner, which suits students who think out loud and read social cues. Writing is the grind: two tasks in 60 minutes, including a full essay.

If you type fast, stay calm on camera and handle shifting difficulty, the DET feels easier. If you want predictable sections and a human examiner, IELTS feels easier. Match the table below to your own strengths.

Where can you take each test?

IELTS Online availability differs between British Council and IDP. Check each provider’s country-specific booking portal for this exact product. A general IELTS country list is not evidence of IELTS Online availability.

DET also requires supported equipment, an accepted ID and access to registration/payment. Do not assume booking is possible in every country. Check the official site before making plans.

For availability checks, see IELTS Online booking countries. Admission and visa acceptance remain separate questions.

Which test should you choose?

• Choose DET after your programme confirms acceptance and required scores.
• Choose IELTS Online after your programme confirms that home version and it is bookable in your country.
• For immigration: book the exact approved test required by your route, where a test is needed.

Do not pay for either test before confirming acceptance. If you want the choice made for you, send us your schools, score, and deadline and we will confirm the right test within 24 hours.

Read the DET exam guide or IELTS Online exam guide.

How Linguistic Academy helps you get the score you need

Most test-takers spend weeks on practice tests and vocabulary drills. Even after all that, they might still fall short.

At Linguistic Academy, an experienced professional works with you during your real test. You get the score you need without weeks of prep.

You tell us your target exam, score, and deadline. We assess your case and confirm within 24 hours. We handle the equipment and technical setup. On test day, we prepare your system and support you throughout. Your certified score gets sent to your university.

We have done this over 1,000 times across 30 countries with a 99.9% success rate. If your deadline is close, you probably do not have weeks to waste.

For the full DET process, see how our Duolingo English Test help works.

How the exam help process works

Frequently asked questions