TOEFL vs. IELTS vs. Duolingo: How to Choose Your English Test and Hit Score Requirements Before November Deadlines
The Duolingo English Test can replace IELTS for an application when the receiving institution accepts DET for your particular program and you meet its conditions. Start with that eligibility check, then compare TOEFL, IELTS and DET using the score requirements, available preparation and your actual deadline.
Can Duolingo replace IELTS? Check the recipient first
A concrete example is the University of California’s first-year English-proficiency requirement. Its current list includes IELTS at 6.5 or higher, DET at 115 or higher, and TOEFL iBT or Home Edition at 4.5 or higher for the updated January 2026 scale. These are UC’s published benchmarks for this requirement. Check the relevant campus and program instructions when applying.
Make a separate row for every institution and program on your list. Record the accepted test and version, overall minimum, any section minimum, score-validity rule, reporting method and deadline. Save the official page and the date you checked it. If DET is absent or the wording is unclear, ask the admissions office before booking it. A provider’s institution directory can help you find a recipient, but the program’s own current instructions determine your application plan.
Check retake and combined-score rules as well. For example, the same UC requirement excludes IELTS One Skill Retake and TOEFL MyBest, allowing the highest composite from a single sitting. Acceptance of a test does not automatically include every retake or score-combination option.
Compare current formats before choosing preparation
TOEFL iBT: use the current ETS task list. Reading and Listening are adaptive. Writing includes Build a Sentence, Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion; Speaking includes Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview. ETS advises allowing approximately two hours, with timing and item counts varying as the test adapts. Sample those current tasks before choosing a study plan.
IELTS Academic: the official format covers Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, with a total test time of two hours and 45 minutes. Academic and General Training have different Reading and Writing tests. Confirm that your recipient accepts the test type and delivery option you intend to book, then try the applicable official sample tasks.
Duolingo English Test: if the recipient check permits DET, inspect its current official test preview, question types and equipment requirements. Try the tasks using the equipment you would use for the test. Compare how clearly you understand the instructions, complete responses and review mistakes. Budget, appointment availability and a suitable testing environment belong in the decision alongside test familiarity.
Read score requirements on the right scale
For tests taken from January 21, 2026, ETS reports TOEFL section and overall scores on a 1–6 scale in half-point increments. During the two-year transition after January 2026, the report also includes a comparable overall 0–120 score. If a recipient still lists an older-scale requirement, use the information on your official report and confirm its instructions. Do not turn an old section threshold into a new one by dividing it yourself.
IELTS reports overall and individual section bands. Its overall band is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest half band. The overall requirement and a section minimum answer different questions. Read both before deciding which skill needs work.
Worked example with a fictional program: suppose it requires IELTS overall 7.0 and no section below 6.5. A student has Listening 8.0, Reading 7.5, Writing 6.0 and Speaking 6.5. The average is (8.0 + 7.5 + 6.0 + 6.5) ÷ 4 = 28 ÷ 4 = 7.0. The overall benchmark is met, but Writing is 0.5 band below the section minimum. Extra Reading points do not satisfy that Writing requirement. Use the program’s actual rules to decide the next action.
Test the shortlist with a decision matrix
Consider a fictional applicant with two programs. Program A accepts all three tests. Program B accepts TOEFL and IELTS but does not accept DET. The shared options are TOEFL and IELTS. Choosing DET alone would leave Program B’s requirement unmet. The applicant can compare official TOEFL and IELTS samples and logistics, or deliberately plan a second accepted test if keeping DET serves another need. This is an eligibility exercise, not a ranking of test difficulty.
For each shared option, note one observed strength, one difficulty from your sample work, available test dates and total cost shown at booking. Then choose the test for which you can make a workable preparation and reporting plan. Avoid treating practice results from different tests as interchangeable scores or assuming that the test with the shortest appointment will be easiest for you.
Use each program’s actual deadline
As of this November 2, 2026 update, November 1 has passed. If a relevant deadline has passed or your score is pending, check the applicant portal and contact the program about its current instructions. For remaining deadlines, distinguish the application deadline, latest accepted test date, and score receipt or self-report deadline. Confirm the exact delivery option and processing time before booking. A universal early-October test date or fixed preparation period cannot settle these individual requirements.
Turn the decision into a focused practice session
After choosing an accepted test, use current official samples to identify the first skill to improve. Write down the specific task and the reason a response fell short, then reserve time to review it and try a fresh task. If IELTS One Skill Retake is part of your plan, our eligibility and acceptance guide explains the checks to make before relying on it.
Explore TOEFL and IELTS practice on XMocks and inspect the available topics and format before starting a session. Use the recipient matrix to keep your test choice clear, and use your practice work to choose the next learning task.
