Duolingo English Test scores: the 10–160 scale and its subscores
Duolingo English Test scores run from 10 to 160 in five-point steps. A certified test also returns eight subscores: four individual ones that average to your overall score, and four integrated ones that are each the average of two individual subscores. Results arrive in two days.
The eight subscores, and how they relate
- Individual subscores — Speaking, Writing, Reading, Listening. These average to your overall score.
- Integrated subscores — Production, Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation. Each is the average of two individual subscores.
The distinction matters when you read a requirement. A university asking for "Production 105" is asking about the average of your Speaking and Writing, not about a separately measured skill — so the way to lift it is to lift whichever of those two is behind.
How it compares with TOEFL
Duolingo publishes a direct comparison, and against TOEFL it maps one to one. This is the table to use when a programme states a TOEFL requirement and you hold a Duolingo score.
| Duolingo score | TOEFL iBT (0–120 scale) |
|---|---|
| 160 | 120 |
| 150 | 117–118 |
| 140 | 109–112 |
| 130 | 98–103 |
| 120 | 87–92 |
| 110 | 76–81 |
| 100 | 65–69 |
| 90 | 53–58 |
| 80 | 41–46 |
| 70 | 30–34 |
Duolingo's published comparison uses the TOEFL 0–120 scale. ETS moved TOEFL to a 1–6 scale on 21 January 2026, so if your target programme now states a TOEFL requirement in the new numbers you will need to convert twice — Duolingo to old TOEFL here, then old TOEFL to the 1–6 scale using ETS's own table, which is on our TOEFL results guide.
How it compares with IELTS
Duolingo publishes an IELTS comparison alongside the TOEFL one. The anchor points students meet most often:
| Duolingo score | Approximate IELTS band |
|---|---|
| 150 | 8.0 |
| 140 | 7.5 |
| 130 | 7.0 |
| 120 | 6.5 |
| 110 | 6.0 |
| 100 | 5.5 |
| 90 | 5.0 |
Most taught master's programmes that accept Duolingo ask for something in the 115 to 125 range, which is the equivalent of IELTS 6.5. Competitive programmes go to 130 and above.
These are comparisons, not conversions, and no university is obliged to use them. The number that governs your application is the Duolingo score your programme states on its own page.
Subscore minimums, which are easy to miss
A programme may ask for an overall score and a minimum in one or more subscores — most often Production or Conversation, because those are the speaking-weighted ones. An applicant strong in reading and weak in speaking can clear the overall and fail the subscore, and that is the commonest way a good Duolingo result is rejected.
Getting your results, and sending them
- Results arrive within two days.
- Sharing is unlimited and free, to as many institutions as you choose.
- Your Writing Sample and Speaking Sample go with the score to every recipient.
Duolingo English Test results & scores — FAQs
5 questions
Most taught master's programmes that accept the test ask for something in the 115 to 125 range, which is around IELTS 6.5. Competitive programmes go to 130 and above.
Around IELTS 6.5, using Duolingo's own published comparison. The number that governs your application is whatever your programme states on its own page.
Four individual subscores — Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening — which average to your overall score, plus four integrated subscores: Production, Literacy, Comprehension and Conversation, each the average of two individual ones.
Within two days.
No. Sharing is unlimited and free.
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.