Duolingo English Test fee: where the real number is
Duolingo does not publish a price on any public page. The fee is shown at the point of purchase, it varies with promotions and region, and it is the one number on this site we will not quote second-hand — a stale fee is worse than no fee. What is documented, and what actually decides the total cost, is everything around it.
Where to find the current price
- Go to the official Duolingo English Test site.
- Create an account and open the purchase flow — the price for your region appears there.
- Check whether a test bundle is offered: Duolingo sells multi-test bundles at a discounted per-test price, which is worth knowing if you expect to sit more than once.
Duolingo also runs an Access Program with fee waivers and reductions for candidates who cannot afford the test. If cost is the obstacle, look for it before assuming the test is out of reach.
What the fee includes
- The complete test — about an hour end to end.
- Results in two days.
- Unlimited score sharing, free. This is the part that matters: you can send your results to as many institutions as you like at no additional cost, ever.
- Your Writing Sample and Speaking Sample, which are shared with every institution that receives your results.
That unlimited sharing is a genuine structural difference. IELTS gives five free reports then charges INR 350 each; TOEFL gives four then US$29; the GRE charges INR 4,150 per extra report. A student applying to a dozen universities can save a meaningful amount on Duolingo alone.
The cost comparison that actually matters
| Test | Score sending | Result wait | Where you sit it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo English Test | Unlimited, free | 2 days | At home |
| PTE Academic | Unlimited, free | ~2 days | Test centre |
| IELTS | 5 free, then INR 350 each | 3–5 days | Test centre |
| TOEFL iBT | 4 free, then US$29 each | 3 days | Centre or at home |
Duolingo is normally the cheapest of the four by a clear margin, and it is the only one with no travel cost attached — which for a student outside a metro can be the larger saving.
Before you pay, check one thing
Acceptance is per programme, not per university. A university that takes the Duolingo English Test for its taught master's may not take it for a research degree, and a country's visa rules are a separate question again from the university's academic requirement.
Duolingo is accepted by more than 6,500 institutions, which is a lot — and still fewer than IELTS or TOEFL. Confirm on your programme's own page before you buy, because this is the one English test where "my friend used it" is genuinely unreliable advice.
Duolingo English Test exam fees — FAQs
4 questions
Duolingo does not publish a public price list — the fee is shown when you purchase and varies by region and promotion. Check the official site rather than a third-party figure, which may be out of date.
Normally yes, by a clear margin, and it has no travel cost because you sit it at home. It also sends score reports to unlimited institutions free, where IELTS charges after five.
No. Sharing is unlimited and free, to as many institutions as you like.
Duolingo runs an Access Program offering fee waivers and reductions. Details are on the official site.
Sources
Checked on 25 September 2026 against the official pages below. Fees and formats change — the official page is always the final word.
Practice materials are Vibedu-original and modelled on official exam formats — not actual official test content. IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, GRE, GMAT and other exam names are trademarks of their respective owners; Vibedu is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.