How to take the Duolingo English Test: buy, set up, sit
There is no registration in the usual sense: no appointment, no centre, no form. You create an account, buy a test, and take it. What replaces registration is setup, and it is where candidates actually come unstuck — particularly the phone camera.
The steps
- Create an account on the official Duolingo English Test site.
- Take the free practice test first. It is unscored, it uses the real interface, and it removes nearly everything that goes wrong.
- Buy a test. The price is shown at purchase; check whether a bundle is offered if you expect to sit more than once.
- Prepare your room and your equipment before you start — see below.
- Start when ready, and complete the whole hour in one sitting.
The five-minute setup, in detail
The test opens with about five minutes of setup and identity verification. Have all of this ready beforehand:
- A working camera, speakers and microphone, checked in advance rather than discovered during setup.
- A government-issued photo ID, which you submit on camera.
- Your phone, positioned to record your computer — a second security angle. Work out where it sits and how it stays there before you begin.
- A read-through of the test rules and requirements, which you confirm.
The phone-camera step is the most common surprise. Material that does not mention it is out of date, and a candidate improvising a phone stand during setup has started the test badly.
Rules that void a test
The session is recorded and reviewed. Behaviour that looks like assistance can invalidate a result after the fact, which is worse than failing it — you lose the fee and the time.
- Do not leave the camera view at any point.
- Do not read aloud or move your lips while reading.
- Do not let anyone else enter the room.
- Do not have other devices, notes or applications accessible.
- Do not look away from the screen repeatedly — it reads as consulting something.
The two things to decide before you start
- Does your programme accept it? Acceptance is per programme, not per university, and visa requirements are separate again. This is the one check worth doing before you spend anything.
- What score do you need? Most taught master's programmes accepting the test ask for 115 to 125. Knowing the target changes how you use the hour.
Duolingo English Test registration — FAQs
4 questions
There is no registration. You create an account on the official site, buy a test, and take it when you are ready — there is no appointment or test centre.
A computer with a working camera, speakers and microphone; a government-issued photo ID; a phone positioned to record your computer; a quiet private room; a stable connection; and about an hour.
It provides a second camera angle recording your computer, as part of Duolingo's security setup. Have it and a way to prop it up ready before you start.
Yes. Sessions are recorded and reviewed, and behaviour that looks like assistance — leaving the camera view, reading aloud, another person in the room — can void the result after the fact.
Sources
Checked on 25 September 2026 against the official pages below. Fees and formats change — the official page is always the final word.
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