DET: Duolingo English Test Guide: Fee, Format, Dates and Minimum Scores

The Duolingo English Test measures reading, writing, listening and speaking in a single online session that takes just under an hour. It opens with about 5 minutes of instructions, then a computer adaptive core section of about 45 minutes where question difficulty adjusts to the test taker's answers, followed by a roughly 10 minute video interview and a short writing sample. The interview and writing sample are not part of the adaptive scoring but are sent to institutions alongside the score so admissions staff can see a short unscripted sample of the test taker's English.

The test is taken on demand from a computer with a webcam, anywhere private and quiet, rather than at a test centre; there is no appointment to book, only a test to purchase and then start whenever the test taker chooses. Each purchase must be used within 21 days, and the webcam and microphone stay on throughout so the session can be proctored for later review.

Scores are reported on a single scale from 10 to 160 in steps of 5. Alongside the overall score, the test reports four skill subscores for literacy, comprehension, conversation and production, each blending two of the four underlying skills. Reading and listening items are scored by fixed rules, while speaking and writing responses are scored by a model trained on expert graded samples. Results are typically certified within 48 hours of finishing the test, and a certified result can be shared with an unlimited number of institutions, up to 15 at a time from the test taker's account, with more addable later at no extra charge.

A result stays valid for two years from the test date; after that it can no longer be shared or viewed. A test taker can purchase up to three tests in any 30 day period, and each purchase carries three attempts to complete and upload a session before the 21 day window closes, so a technical failure does not automatically cost a full retake.

Thousands of universities and colleges accept the Duolingo English Test for both bachelor and master level admission, but each institution and each programme sets its own minimum score, and postgraduate programmes commonly ask for a higher score than undergraduate programmes at the same institution. A candidate should confirm the exact score a programme requires rather than assume one figure applies everywhere.