Duolingo English Test: who can take it, and who should check first

Check acceptance before anything else

More than 6,500 institutions accept the Duolingo English Test — a lot, and still fewer than IELTS or TOEFL. Acceptance is decided per programme, so:

• A university may accept it for taught master's and not for research degrees.
• A country's visa rules are a separate question from the university's academic requirement, and several visa routes require a Secure English Language Test that the DET is not.
• The programme's own page is the only source worth trusting.

This is the one English test where checking first genuinely matters. Sitting IELTS when you needed IELTS UKVI is a wasted fee; sitting Duolingo when your programme does not accept it is the same mistake with fewer second chances near a deadline.

What you need on the day

• A government-issued photo ID, submitted during setup.
• A computer with a working camera, speakers and microphone.
• A phone, positioned to record your computer as a second camera angle.
• About an hour of uninterrupted time in a quiet room.
• A stable internet connection.

The phone requirement is recent enough that candidates still arrive unprepared for it. Work out where the phone will sit and how you will prop it up before you start the test, not during setup.

Age

There is no upper limit. Candidates under 18 need parental or guardian consent, and Duolingo publishes the specific requirement in its help centre — read it before booking if it applies to you.

Retaking

Because results come in two days and the test is taken at home, a retake near a deadline is more realistic on the Duolingo English Test than on any other. Duolingo does set limits on how many certified tests you may take in a given period — check the current rule in the help centre before you build a plan that depends on three attempts in a month.