Duolingo English Test 2026: Can Indian Students Use It Instead of IELTS?
Every month, at least a dozen students ask me some version of this question: “Nisha, can I just do Duolingo instead of IELTS? It is so much cheaper and I can do it from home.”
The honest answer is: sometimes yes, and sometimes it will cost you your visa. Let me explain.
What Is the Duolingo English Test?
The Duolingo English Test (DET) is a one-hour, at-home English proficiency test that costs approximately ₹6,200. You get your results within 48 hours. Compare that to IELTS, which costs ₹17,000 to ₹18,000, requires you to travel to a test centre, and returns results in about two weeks.
On cost and convenience, DET wins easily. It is also now accepted at over 5,800 institutions worldwide — including most Ivy League universities, major UK universities, and a growing list of programmes in Europe.
So why is not everyone using it? Because acceptance by a university and acceptance by an immigration authority are two very different things.
The Problem: Visa Requirements Are Not the Same as Admission Requirements
Here is where a lot of students make an expensive mistake. A university might accept your DET score for admission purposes. But your visa — your right to actually enter and stay in the country — is governed by immigration authorities, not the university. And those authorities often have their own rules about which English tests they accept.
United Kingdom: This is the clearest case. If you are applying for a UK Student Visa, you need a Secure English Language Test (SELT). Only IELTS for UKVI, TOEFL iBT, and PTE Academic are on the UKVI’s approved list. The Duolingo English Test is not accepted for UK visa purposes, full stop. It does not matter if the university itself accepts DET — if you need a Student Visa (which almost every Indian student does), you need IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE.
Canada: Most Canadian universities accept DET for admission. But Canadian student visa applications are assessed by IRCC, and the financial and admissions documents you submit are scrutinised carefully. While IRCC does not formally specify which English test to use for study permit applications, Canadian immigration officers expect to see widely recognised qualifications. More practically: many Canadian university conditional offer letters still specify IELTS or TOEFL as the accepted proof of English proficiency. Always check your specific offer letter and programme requirements before deciding.
Australia: Australian student visas (Subclass 500) require proof of English proficiency through approved tests. IELTS, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and Cambridge C1/C2 are all accepted by the Department of Home Affairs. DET is not on the approved list for Australian visa purposes. If Australia is your target, do not rely on DET.
Ireland: This is more nuanced. Ireland does not have the same SELT requirement as the UK for student visas. The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) does not maintain a rigid list of approved English tests in the same way UKVI does. More than 80% of Irish universities and institutes of technology accept DET for admission. For most Irish programmes and visa applications, DET is a viable option — but I would always recommend checking the specific programme requirements, as some postgraduate courses still require IELTS.
USA: This is where DET is genuinely strong. Most US universities — including highly selective ones — accept DET for admission. There is no English test requirement for F-1 visa applications; the visa officer assesses English proficiency in the interview. A handful of top programmes (some medical schools, certain business school programmes) still prefer or require IELTS or TOEFL, so check your specific programme requirements. But for the vast majority of US university applications, DET is a fully legitimate and accepted option.
My Recommendation
I am going to make this simple:
If your target country is the UK, Canada, or Australia — do IELTS. Yes, it costs more. Yes, it takes longer. But it is the only English test that works for both admission and visa across all three countries. Taking DET and then discovering you need IELTS anyway is a waste of time and money.
If your target country is the USA or Ireland — DET is a genuine, valid option. It saves you roughly ₹11,000 and two weeks of waiting. Use that time and money for something more useful. Just confirm with each programme on your list that they accept it.
One more thing: if you are applying to a mix of countries — some USA, some UK — just take IELTS once. A single IELTS score is universally accepted everywhere. The extra cost is worth the flexibility.
The DET is a good test and its growing acceptance reflects that. But test strategy is not just about what the test costs — it is about what the test unlocks for your specific goals.
If you are unsure which English test to take based on your university shortlist, I can help you figure it out in a single conversation.