Duolingo English Test

The Duolingo English Test is taken online, at home, on your own computer, with remote proctoring. It is adaptive: questions become harder or easier depending on how you answer, so the test can measure your level in far less time than a conventional test. It is typically the cheapest and fastest of the English tests, and the least demanding logistically — no test centre, no travel, no fixed date.

Who accepts it

Acceptance has expanded substantially, particularly among US and Canadian institutions, and many universities across all six destinations now accept it for admission. The critical caveat is that university acceptance and immigration acceptance are separate questions, and the DET is not accepted for every student visa route. Verify both before you book — this is the test where students most often discover a problem late.

Who should take it

• Students applying to institutions that have explicitly confirmed they accept it, particularly in the USA and Canada.
• Applicants who need a result very quickly, since results arrive faster than any centre-based alternative.
• Students outside Kathmandu for whom travelling to a test centre is a genuine obstacle.
• Students on a tight budget — but only after confirming acceptance for both admission and visa.

1. 1First, confirm in writing that your target institutions accept the DET — and confirm the immigration position for your destination separately.
2. 2Create an account on the official Duolingo English Test site.
3. 3Check the technical requirements: a working webcam and microphone, a supported browser, and a stable internet connection.
4. 4Prepare a quiet, well-lit room where you will not be interrupted.
5. 5Have your passport ready for identity verification at the start.

• 1Confirm acceptance before you spend any time preparing. This is the single most important step for this test, and the one most often skipped.
• 2Test your internet connection, webcam and microphone thoroughly. A dropped connection mid-test is a real risk in Nepal and can invalidate the session.
• 3Practise the rules as strictly as the test enforces them — no looking away, no speaking to anyone, no notes. Students fail on procedure, not English.
• 4Take the official practice test to get used to the adaptive format, which feels unlike any other English test.
• 5Practise speaking to a webcam. The video interview is shared with institutions, so it is worth being able to speak fluently to a camera.
• 6Because the test is adaptive, answering early questions carefully matters — they shape the difficulty of everything that follows.

• Acceptance check for your specific institutions and destination before anything else.
• Familiarisation with the adaptive question types.
• Technical readiness check covering connection, webcam, microphone and environment.
• Practice on the specific task types, particularly read aloud and write about the photo.
• Video interview practice with feedback on delivery to camera.
• Full practice test under real conditions.