The Duolingo English Test (DET) has grown into a genuinely mainstream alternative to IELTS and TOEFL — and for African applicants specifically, its cost and format solve two real, practical problems: expensive test centers and long travel to reach one.
Figures reflect general ranges based on current published guidance as of August 2026 and vary by institution — confirm your specific target university’s current policy directly before relying on this test.
Cost and format
The DET costs $70 per attempt — a fraction of IELTS or TOEFL’s typical $140–$250 range. The entire test takes about 60 minutes: a 5-minute setup and identity verification, a 45-minute adaptive section testing reading, writing, listening, and speaking together (the test adjusts difficulty based on your answers), and a final 10-minute section combining a video interview response and a writing sample. You take it from home, on your own computer, with webcam-based remote proctoring — no test center, no travel, no scheduling around limited local availability.
Scoring
Scores run from 10 to 160, in increments of 5, with an overall score plus separate subscores for literacy, comprehension, conversation, and production — useful if a specific program asks for a minimum in a particular subskill rather than just the overall number. Results typically arrive within 48 hours, dramatically faster than the 1–2 week wait common with IELTS or TOEFL.
Which universities accept it
Acceptance has expanded well beyond early adopters. In the US, it’s accepted at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Duke, MIT, and more than 5,500 institutions overall. In Canada, schools including the University of Toronto, UBC, and McMaster accept it, though several set a relatively high bar (often 115–120+). In the UK, Imperial College London, the University of Bristol, and the University of Birmingham are among the accepting institutions. Australia (Melbourne, Monash, ANU) and Ireland (Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin) also have a growing list of accepting programs. Most competitive programs look for scores in the 115–130+ range, while some pathway or foundation programs accept scores closer to 90–105.
Why this matters specifically for African applicants
Beyond the lower cost, the home-based format removes a real barrier: IELTS and TOEFL test centers are concentrated in major cities, which can mean significant travel time and cost for applicants outside those hubs. The DET only requires a computer, webcam, and stable internet connection, and it can be taken on short notice rather than requiring a booking weeks in advance — genuinely useful if you’re applying against a tight deadline.
The one thing to check before relying on it
Acceptance still varies significantly by university and even by specific program within the same university, and policies change — some institutions that accepted it during pandemic-era flexibility have since tightened requirements back to IELTS/TOEFL-only for certain programs. Confirm directly on your target program’s admissions page, not through a general “DET accepted here” list, before deciding to skip IELTS or TOEFL in favor of it.
Comparing your options
See IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo for the full side-by-side comparison, including which test tends to fit which type of applicant. And once your English test is sorted, Studying in the USA, Studying in the UK, and Studying in Canada cover what else those applications require.