Duolingo score converter: DET to IELTS, TOEFL and CEFR
The DET is scored 10 to 160 in five-point steps, plus eight subscores. Here is every score against IELTS, TOEFL and CEFR on Duolingo's own official tables: DET 120 is IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 87–92 and CEFR B2 — and what Canadian institutions actually ask for.
Your Duolingo score
Type your overall score or drag the slider. Nothing is sent anywhere — this runs in your browser.
- TOEFL iBT
- 87–92
- CEFR
- B2
Meets the 120 most top-ranked universities ask for.
Duolingo's official concordance. Universities set their own thresholds per programme.
Duolingo English Test score chart
| DET | IELTS | TOEFL iBT | CEFR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 160 | 8.5–9 | 120 | C2 |
| 155 | 8 | 119 | C2 |
| 150 | 8 | 117–118 | C1 |
| 145 | 7.5 | 113–116 | C1 |
| 140 | 7.5 | 109–112 | C1 |
| 135 | 7 | 104–108 | C1 |
| 130 | 7 | 98–103 | C1 |
| 125 | 6.5 | 93–97 | B2 |
| 120 | 6.5 | 87–92 | B2 |
| 115 | 6 | 82–86 | B2 |
| 110 | 6 | 76–81 | B2 |
| 105 | 6 | 70–75 | B2 |
| 100 | 5.5 | 65–69 | B2 |
| 95 | 5.5 | 59–64 | B1 |
| 90 | 5 | 53–58 | B1 |
| 85 | 5 | 47–52 | B1 |
| 80 | 5 | 41–46 | B1 |
| 75 | 4.5 | 35–40 | B1 |
| 70 | 4.5 | 30–34 | B1 |
| 65 | 4.5 | 24–29 | B1 |
| 10–60 | 0–4 | 0–23 | Below B1 (60 is B1) |
IELTS and TOEFL figures are Duolingo's official concordance, from the DET Scoring Guide; CEFR levels are Duolingo's official CEFR alignment (checked on ). A concordance gives the most comparable score, not a promise of what you would score on the other test. TOEFL is shown on the 0–120 scale, which ETS still reports alongside its new 1–6 bands. Universities set their own thresholds per programme — always confirm with the admissions office.
Studying in Canada? Read this first
The Duolingo English Test is accepted by Canadian universities and colleges for admission. It is not accepted by IRCC for permanent residence or Express Entry — for that you need CELPIP, IELTS or PTE Core in English, or TEF/TCF in French. Students already in Canada often sit the DET for a programme offer and then take CELPIP later for PR. They are two different jobs.
Questions
What is a good Duolingo English Test score?
120 is the practical benchmark — it is the score most top-ranked universities ask for, and Duolingo's official concordance puts it at IELTS 6.5 and TOEFL iBT 87 to 92. Colleges and many undergraduate programmes accept 105 to 115. Below 100 your options narrow quickly. Always check the specific institution, because thresholds vary by programme, not just by university.
Is the Duolingo English Test accepted for Canada PR?
No. IRCC accepts IELTS, CELPIP and PTE Core for English, and TEF or TCF for French. The Duolingo English Test is not on that list. It is widely accepted by Canadian universities and colleges for admission, which is a different thing — if your goal is permanent residence or Express Entry you need CELPIP, IELTS or PTE Core.
How is the Duolingo English Test scored?
One overall score from 10 to 160 in five-point increments, plus eight subscores on the same scale: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, whose average is your overall score, and four integrated ones — Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production. The test is adaptive, so questions get harder or easier as you answer, and it takes about an hour at home instead of a test centre.
Why do universities accept a one-hour at-home test?
Cost and speed. It is far cheaper than IELTS or TOEFL, needs no test centre booking, and results arrive in about two days instead of two weeks. For students already inside Canada who need to start a programme soon, that turnaround is often the deciding factor.
Is the Duolingo English Test easier than IELTS?
It is shorter and cheaper, which is not the same as easier. It is adaptive, so it pushes you to your ceiling quickly, and the speaking and writing tasks are graded against the same underlying scale. What genuinely helps is that there is no interviewer and no test-centre pressure.
How the 10–160 score and the eight subscores are worked out is in Duolingo English Test scoring explained. Knowing the number is the easy part. Take a free Duolingo English Test practice test and get an AI score per task, so you know which subscore is holding your overall down.
Other free tools
All of them run in your browser with no account, and use the same conversion tables our scoring engine reports against.
- PTE
PTE score predictor
Enter your current scores and weekly study hours to estimate how many weeks it takes to reach your target, and which skill to start with.
- PTE
PTE score chart
PTE 10–90 converted to IELTS bands on Pearson's current concordance, plus PTE Core to CLB for Canadian PR.
- PTE Core
PTE Core CLB calculator
Convert PTE Core scores to CLB per skill and check Express Entry eligibility. IRCC reads your lowest skill, not the average.
- IELTS
IELTS band score calculator
Turn raw Listening and Reading answers into a band, with the overall band and the CLB level IRCC reads for PR.
- CELPIP
CELPIP score converter and chart
Set your CELPIP levels and see CLB, IELTS General Training and PTE Core, skill by skill from IRCC's charts, plus Express Entry points and what PR and citizenship need.
- TCF / TEF
French keyboard online
Type é è ê à ç ô ù œ on any keyboard, by click or shortcut, with the real TCF Expression écrite word limits alongside.