Test preparation
Duolingo coaching and exam guide
One hour, taken at home, results in two days, and a fraction of the cost of the alternatives. Acceptance has grown quickly but is still not universal, so confirm your specific universities take it before booking.
- Score range
- 10–160
- Test duration
- 1 hour
- Test fee
- $70
- Result time
- 2 days
Book free Duolingo counseling
No feesTakes 30 seconds. A trainer calls you back with a Duolingo prep plan built around your target score.
Set your target
What Duolingo score are you aiming for?
Pick a band and see what it opens, plus how much preparation it realistically takes from a standing start.
Exam format
What the Duolingo actually looks like
1h in total, across 3 sections.
Adaptive assessment
Difficulty adjusts to your answers in real time. Tasks cover reading, writing, listening and speaking, mixed rather than separated into blocks.
Writing sample
An unscored writing sample shared with the universities you nominate, so they see your unedited English.
Speaking sample
A recorded interview sent alongside your score. Not scored directly, but admissions officers do watch it.
Free diagnostic test
Find out your Duolingo starting score before you pay for coaching
Sit a full-length Duolingo paper under real conditions. You get a section-by-section breakdown showing exactly where marks are leaking, and how many weeks it takes to close the gap to your target.
- Full-length paper under timed conditions
- Section-by-section score breakdown
- A realistic target date for the real test
- No charge, and no obligation to enrol
Scoring
How the Duolingo is scored
10 to 160, in 5-point increments. Valid for 2 years from the test date.
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 140 – 160 | Equivalent to IELTS 8.0+. Exceeds every requirement. |
| 125 – 135 | Equivalent to IELTS 7.0–7.5. Competitive everywhere. |
| 115 – 120 | Equivalent to IELTS 6.5. Meets the usual masters requirement. |
| 105 – 110 | Equivalent to IELTS 6.0. Accepted for many undergraduate courses. |
| Below 105 | Below most university requirements. |
Duolingo fees
| Duolingo English Test | $70 (about ₹5,900) |
|---|---|
| Score reports to universities | Free, unlimited |
| Retake | $70 |
Fees are set by the test provider and change annually. Confirm the current amount when you book.
Who accepts the Duolingo
Accepted by more than 5,000 institutions, including many in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia. Acceptance is broad but not universal, and it is generally not accepted for visa purposes — check both your university and your visa route.
Our Duolingo coaching
- Focused training
- 20 hours
- Students per batch
- 10–15
- Practice tests
- 6
- Booking possible
- Same week
Know your Duolingo target but not how to reach it?
Tell us where you are and where you need to be. We will send a week-by-week Duolingo plan built around your test date.
Preparation
How to prepare for the Duolingo
Set your room up properly
The test is proctored remotely. A quiet, well-lit room with nothing on the desk avoids an invalidated result after you have already sat it.
The adaptive engine punishes early errors
Difficulty rises and falls with your answers. Slow down on the first few questions — they shape the ceiling of your score.
Take the samples seriously
The writing and speaking samples are unscored but sent to universities. Admissions officers do read and watch them.
Confirm acceptance first
Cheap and fast is no help if your shortlist will not take it. Check every university on your list before you book.
Questions
Duolingo, answered
The questions students actually ask us about the Duolingo.
Free consultation
Talk to a counselor who has placed 2.5 lakh students
Tell us where you are in the process. We will come back with a shortlist, realistic costs and the deadlines that actually apply to you.
- Free counseling, always — no hidden fees
- A counselor calls you back within 24 hours
- Your details are never sold or shared