Short answer
A university can accept the Duolingo English Test, and many do, but that is an admission decision. As of 5 November 2026, it is not on the UK Home Office list of approved Secure English Language Tests, and it is not in the Australian Home Affairs tables. For a UK degree course the university may assess your English itself, and Australia refuses tests delivered completely online. Get the university’s acceptance and the visa answer in writing before you rely on it.
Is the Duolingo English Test accepted for study abroad?
By some institutions, yes, and for some purposes, no. The test is accepted by a large number of universities for admission, and the list changes. It is not a government visa test in the United Kingdom or Australia, because it does not appear on the lists those governments publish. Whether that matters to you depends on which of the two doors you are trying to open.
I am not going to give you a list of universities, because a list printed here would be wrong by the time you read it. What I can give you is the rule that each government publishes, and the exact questions that turn an uncertain acceptance into a written one.
Why students choose it
Students like that the test can be taken on a computer at home, that the result arrives quickly, and that the price is usually lower than a centre-based test. These are real advantages. The problem is that a convenient format and an accepted format are not the same thing, and the gap shows up at the visa stage, not at the booking stage.
What are the two doors: admission and visa?
Every student has to get through two separate checks. The university decides whether your English is good enough for the course. The immigration authority decides whether your English meets the visa rule. The same test can pass the first and fail the second.
The admission door
The admission door is the university’s. It publishes the tests it accepts and the scores. Some accept the Duolingo English Test for some courses and not others, and some accept it only from certain countries or for certain intakes. That is why a general statement that “universities accept Duolingo” is not enough. You need the university and the course.
The visa door
The visa door belongs to the government. In the United Kingdom it can require a Secure English Language Test or let the university assess you. In Australia it points to tables of approved tests. In both cases the university’s email does not change the government’s list.
What does the UK position say?
The Home Office keeps a list, and the Duolingo English Test is not on it. But the Student visa rules give degree-level students another route, which is the one most Pakistani postgraduates will use.
The approved list
The Home Office guidance on approved English tests says that outside the UK you can take a Secure English Language Test only with one of these providers: PSI Services, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LANGUAGECERT or Pearson. The tests named are IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills, PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home, the LANGUAGECERT International ESOL SELT, Academic SELT and General SELT, Skills for English UKVI, and the Trinity tests taken inside the UK. The Duolingo English Test does not appear.
| Route | What it needs | Is Duolingo involved? |
|---|---|---|
| UK school qualification or UK degree | The qualification, as the gov.uk page describes | No |
| Degree taught in English, from outside the UK | An Ecctis assessment and code | No |
| Approved Secure English Language Test | A test from the Home Office list, within two years | Not on the list |
| Provider assessment, degree level or above | The university states on the CAS how it assessed you, at B2 or above in all four components | Only if the university chooses it |
The route that matters for degrees
The gov.uk page on knowledge of English says that if you are studying at degree level or above with a Higher Education Provider, the provider can assess your level of English itself, which means it may ask you to do a different test, and that this must still be equivalent to CEFR level B2. The Immigration Rules add that the provider must state on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies that it has assessed your English and how it did so.
So if a UK university accepts the Duolingo English Test as its own assessment and records that on your CAS, the visa rule can be met that way. That is the university’s decision to make, not yours, and it is not something a test provider or an agent can promise. Ask the university to confirm in writing that it will assess your English by this route, and what it will write on the CAS.
Below degree level
For a course below degree level, the page sets the level at CEFR B1, and the provider assessment route in the Immigration Rules is for degree level or above. For these courses, plan on an approved test, and check the university’s own English page for which one.
The test must be recent and at an approved location
For an approved SELT, the Home Office says the test must have been sat at an approved test location and awarded in the two years before the date of your application. A Duolingo result does not meet this rule, because it is not on the list. That is a plain reason why a student who has only a Duolingo result needs a university assessment or a second test.
What does the Australian position say?
Australia takes a different approach. It publishes a table of accepted tests by English level, and a student visa applicant shows a result from one of those tests, or another form of evidence that the visa page allows.
The table does not include it
As of 5 November 2026, the Home Affairs page for Competent English lists Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic and General Training, the Michigan English Test, the Occupational English Test, LANGUAGECERT Academic, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT. The Duolingo English Test is not among them. The page also says that tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 are in a new table, and that results must have been achieved in the three years before the application, depending on the visa.
Tests delivered completely online are refused
The same page says the department does not accept evidence from English language tests that are delivered completely online, also known as remote proctored or at home, and gives examples such as IELTS Online and TOEFL iBT Home Edition. The point for you is the principle: even a well-known test is refused if it is taken at home. A student who assumes that any recognised test will do is making an assumption the page does not support.
What to do
If Australia is on your list, open the page for your visa, read which level it needs and which forms of evidence it allows, and plan on a centre-based test from the table. If a provider or a university tells you something different, ask them for the exact line on the Home Affairs site. The IELTS or PTE guide sets out the Australian scores and the August 2025 change.
What about Canada, the USA and Europe?
In these places the answer comes mostly from the institution, because the visa authority does not publish one list of tests that governs everyone.
Canada
The IRCC page for study permit documents lists a letter of acceptance, proof of identity and proof of funds, and describes a letter of explanation as recommended. It does not list a language test among those items. So the institution’s own requirement applies, and the institution may or may not name the Duolingo English Test. The site gives general information on Canada and a free first consultation only, because section 91 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act reserves paid advice on an application to an authorised representative.
The USA
Many American universities accept the test for admission, and each says so on its own international admissions page. The F-1 process itself is built around the I-20 the university issues, so the university’s acceptance is the practical answer. Confirm it in writing and read the USA study guide for the rest.
Europe
European universities set their own English requirements, and the visa decision usually follows from the admission letter and the documents listed by the embassy or the immigration authority. A university that accepts the test may still ask for a particular score in each part. Read the programme page, and email the admissions office.
What should you ask a university before you book?
A short, specific email beats an hour on forums. These are the questions that matter, in the order that matters.
The admission questions
- Is the Duolingo English Test accepted for this course and this intake?
- What overall score is required, and are there minimum sub-scores?
- Is the acceptance different for applicants from Pakistan?
- Is a conditional offer issued on a Duolingo score, and what must I submit to turn it unconditional?
The visa questions
- For a UK Student visa, will you assess my English yourselves and say so on the CAS?
- If you will not, which approved test do you want?
- For an Australian Student visa, do you expect an accepted test from the Home Affairs table?
- If my visa is refused for English, what is your refund and deferral policy?
Keep every reply. If the answer arrives by telephone or at a fair, ask for the same words in an email. A promise that exists only in conversation will not help you on the day it matters.
When is it a sensible choice, and when is it not?
It is a sensible choice when the facts line up, and a risky one when they do not. A short checklist makes this plain.
It can work when
- every university on your shortlist has confirmed in writing that it accepts the test for your course;
- for the UK, the university will assess your English itself for a degree-level visa and record it on the CAS;
- none of your visas needs a test from a government list that excludes it.
It is risky when
- your list includes Australia, because the table does not include it and at-home tests are refused;
- you are applying below degree level in the UK, where an approved test is the usual route;
- you are relying on an agent’s statement and not on a university email;
- your intake is close, and a second test would cost you the date.
The cost of being wrong
A cheaper test that has to be repeated is not cheaper. A student who saves a small amount on the first test and then pays for a second, with the delay, a missed intake and a new deposit, has lost far more than the saving. For many families the safest plan is to book the accepted centre-based test once and be done.
What are the rules on test day?
Because the test is taken on your own device, the rules about the environment are strict, and a breach can cost you the result. I am not going to repeat the provider’s rules here, since they are the provider’s to publish and update. Read them on the official site before you book.
What to prepare
- A quiet, private room, and a time when nobody will enter.
- The identification document the provider names, in date and in your own name.
- A computer with a working camera and microphone, charged and tested.
- A stable internet connection, and a backup plan for a power cut.
What not to do
Do not use another person, a script or any assistance, and do not leave the camera view. Test providers watch for these, and a flagged result can be cancelled. A cancelled result is worse than a low score, because a university may ask why. Never pay anyone who offers to “take the test for you”. That is fraud, and it can lead to a ban from an institution and a refusal for misrepresentation.
Is it accepted for family and visit routes?
Not on the evidence of the pages I checked. The Home Office guidance on approved tests says that for partner and parent routes you need a test assessing speaking and listening, and that the test you take must be on the approved list. The Duolingo English Test is not on it. If you are planning a family route, read the guide for that route, such as the UK spouse visa guide, and book a test from the approved list.
How do you use the test safely, step by step?
The order below puts the questions before the payment. That is the only part of this process where a little discipline saves a lot of money.
Ask each university in writing whether it accepts the test for your course
Send a short email to the admissions office naming the course and the intake. Ask whether the Duolingo English Test is accepted for admission, at what overall score and with what sub-scores, and whether it is accepted for your course or only for some. Keep the reply.
Ask the separate visa question
For the United Kingdom, ask whether the university will assess your English itself for a degree-level Student visa and will say so on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. For Australia, read the visa page and the Home Affairs test table. Do not treat an admission email as an answer to the visa question.
Decide on a second test before you need it
If the visa rule names tests the Duolingo English Test is not among, book a centre-based test such as IELTS or PTE as a fallback while the offer is still conditional. Paying for one test twice is cheaper than losing an intake.
Book on the official site and prepare the room
Take the test through the official Duolingo English Test site only. Read the rules on identification, the room and the equipment well before the day, because a breach can invalidate the result.
Send the result through the official route and keep the evidence
Share the result with each institution using the method the institution asks for. Keep the confirmation, the date and a copy of the university’s written acceptance of the test together in one folder.
What goes wrong most often?
Treating an admission email as visa proof
A university saying it accepts the test is not a government saying so. A student who stops asking at that point can arrive at the visa stage with a result the authority will not use.
Trusting a list on a website
Lists of “accepting universities” go out of date. They are written by people with something to sell, and they rarely say which course or which intake. Use the university’s own page.
Assuming Australia will follow the university
The Home Affairs table is the table. If the test is not in it, a university’s acceptance does not add it. Plan a centre-based test for Australia.
Forgetting the validity window
Every test result has a life. If you test very early and apply late, the result can lapse for the purpose that matters. Count the months from the test date to the visa application date.
Buying a score
Sellers online offer scores for a fee. They are offering fraud. The consequences include cancelled results, withdrawn offers and bans. The guide to checking a visa consultant lists the warning signs of this kind of offer.
A realistic example
This is a hypothetical illustration, not a real client. Usman, 24, from Sialkot, has a bachelor’s degree and wants a master’s in the UK. He wants to avoid a centre-based test because the nearest centre is far.
- First. He emails two UK universities. Both say the Duolingo English Test is accepted for admission at a stated score.
- Second. He asks the visa question. One university replies that it will assess English itself for degree-level students and will say so on the CAS. The other says it expects an approved Secure English Language Test.
- Third. He decides on the first university and keeps the email. He takes the Duolingo test at the quiet time in the house he has arranged, with his CNIC and passport ready.
- Fourth. For the second university he books IELTS for UKVI at a centre, as a fallback, because the intake is close.
- Fifth. He keeps both results and both emails in one folder, ready for the visa application.
Nothing in his plan is clever. He separated admission from the visa and got the university’s answer in writing before he relied on a result.
The version that goes wrong
Now imagine Rida. An agent tells her that “UK universities accept Duolingo”, and she applies to Australia as well. She takes the test at home, gets an offer, and learns only at the visa stage that the test is not in the Home Affairs table and that at-home tests are refused. She books IELTS at a centre, pays again, and moves her intake by six months.
Key takeaways
- Admission and the visa are two separate checks. A university accepting a test does not make it a visa test.
- As of 5 November 2026, the Duolingo English Test is not on the Home Office list of approved Secure English Language Tests.
- For a UK degree-level Student visa, the university can assess your English itself at B2 or above and must say so on the CAS, so ask it in writing.
- It is not in the Home Affairs Competent English tables, and Australia does not accept tests delivered completely online.
- Canada, the USA and Europe depend on the institution, so the university’s own page and email decide.
- Plan a centre-based fallback test if any of your destinations names a list that excludes it.
- Never buy a score or use someone to take the test for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Duolingo English Test accepted for a UK Student visa?
It is not on the Home Office list of approved Secure English Language Tests. As of 5 November 2026, that list names IELTS for UKVI, PTE Academic UKVI and PTE Home, the LANGUAGECERT tests, Skills for English UKVI and the Trinity tests. For degree-level study, the Immigration Rules let a Higher Education Provider assess English itself, so ask the university what it will do.
If a UK university accepts Duolingo, do I need another test for the visa?
Not necessarily, and not automatically. For a degree or above, the university may assess your English itself and must state on the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies that it has done so and how, confirming B2 or above in all four components. Below degree level, the page says CEFR level B1 and an approved test is the usual route. Get the university’s answer in writing.
Does Australia accept the Duolingo English Test for a Student visa?
It does not appear in the Home Affairs table for Competent English, which lists tests such as IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, LANGUAGECERT Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP, MET and OET. The department also says it does not accept evidence from tests delivered completely online. Read your own visa page for the level and for any other evidence it allows.
Which universities accept the Duolingo English Test?
Many do, but acceptance changes by university, by course and by year. No list in a blog or an agent’s brochure can be relied on. The only reliable source is the university’s own English language page, and then an email that confirms it for your course and your intake.
Is the Duolingo English Test cheaper than IELTS or PTE?
I am not printing a price here, because the test provider sets it and revises it. Read the current fee on the official Duolingo English Test site, and compare it with the price documents of the British Council and Pearson. Count the cost of a second test if the visa needs one, because a cheap test that has to be repeated is not cheap.
What happens if the university accepts the test but my visa authority does not?
You need a second result or another accepted way to prove English, and that can delay the visa and the intake. This is why the visa question must be asked at the start. A conditional offer based on an English score is usually conditional on the score the university named, so confirm the condition and the evidence it needs.
Can I take the Duolingo English Test at home?
It is designed to be taken on your own computer, so the rules about the room, the camera, the identification and the equipment matter. Home Affairs refuses tests delivered completely online for Australian visas, which is another reason not to assume that a convenient format is an accepted one. Read the official rules before you book.
Is the Duolingo English Test accepted for Canada or the USA?
Acceptance is set by each institution. The IRCC study permit page does not list a language test among the documents to prepare, so the institution’s requirement is the one that applies. Ask the institution in writing. For Canada, the site gives general information and a free first consultation only.
Can I use the test to prove English for a family or visit visa?
Not on the evidence of the pages I checked. The Home Office page on approved tests says partner and parent routes need a test assessing speaking and listening, and that the test must be on the approved list. The Duolingo English Test is not on it. Read the page for your own route.
Can an agent guarantee that a university will accept my Duolingo score?
No. Acceptance is the university’s decision, and visa acceptance is the government’s decision. An agent who guarantees either is guessing or selling. Ask for the university’s written policy and keep it.
Should I take the Duolingo English Test or a centre-based test?
If your shortlist is entirely universities that accept it in writing, and none of your visas needs an approved test, it can work. If any destination names a list that does not include it, or if you want the safest single result, a centre-based test is the lower risk choice. Many students take both.
Can Ch. Bilal Rasheed help me decide?
He offers a consultation in Lahore, on WhatsApp or by phone, where your shortlist can be read against each university’s English page and each visa page. No one can guarantee that a test is accepted or that a visa is granted. He is an immigration advisor in Pakistan, and for Canada the site gives general information and a free first consultation only.
