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In today's globalised world, being able to display and authenticate proficiency in the English language is essential for academic and professional pursuits abroad. Among the various assessments available for international candidates, the Duolingo English Test (DET) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) stand out.
Both tests evaluate English skills but differ in their formats and scoring systems. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for choosing the assessment that best aligns with your goals.
Join us as we explore the intricacies of the Duolingo English Test and IELTS band scores, uncovering how these assessments can shape your future endeavours.
The Duolingo English Test (DET) has gained popularity as a convenient and accessible option for assessing English language proficiency. Unlike traditional standardised tests, the DET offers flexibility with its online format and quick turnaround for results, making it a favoured choice for many test-takers.
DET scores are broken down into four subscores assessing English proficiency in the areas of Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation, and Production. An overall score averaging out these four results will also be provided. These scores are reported on a scale of 10-160, with 10 being the lowest score and 160 being the highest.
DET exam scores remain valid for up to two years. Test-takers will no longer be able to share their result or view their certificate after the two years have passed, although they can view the expired results within the DET website.
The four skills being assessed during the Duolingo English Test are reading, writing, listening, and speaking, with each subscore assessing the following skills, respectively:
Literacy: reading and writing
Comprehension: reading and listening
Conversation: listening and speaking
Production: writing and speaking
Unlike traditional English proficiency tests such as the IELTS or PTE, which measure just one skill per subscore, DET scores look at how multiple skills are used simultaneously to gauge natural and effective English use and communication.
The official Duolingo English Test certificate doesn’t just display a single number for the overall score or four subscores. Instead, it will display the test-taker’s score (e.g. 125 for the overall score) and score range (e.g. 120-130), as well as some simple descriptions of the test-taker’s abilities and proficiencies.
This will give institutions a better idea of the test-taker’s range of abilities beyond a number, affirming their overall English proficiency.
Understanding what constitutes a good Duolingo English Test score depends largely on your academic or professional goals. Generally, scores above 120 are considered strong and indicative of advanced English proficiency. Scores between 90 and 119 are considered passing and typically sufficient for academic admissions, while scores below 90 may require additional language support or preparation.
According to Duolingo’s own technical manual for the DET, the top 25% of scores per subscore (between May 2023 to May 2024) begin from:
Overall: minimum of 125
Literacy: minimum of 125
Comprehension: minimum of 130
Conversation: minimum of 115
Production: minimum of 105
Test-takers intending to excel in the DET can aim for these as benchmarks for higher performers.
If you’re applying to an institution or organisation that accepts DET scores, it’s always best to reach out to them directly to find out about their updated DET score criteria.
Additionally, as the DET is still relatively new compared to other English proficiency tests, institutions and organisations may require additional English proficiency results to accompany DET scores. In these situations, it may be useful to aim for a DET score equivalent to the desired score of the other test.