How much does the Duolingo English Test cost in 2026?

Duolingo gives Access Program fee waivers to universities once a year, and more in situations such as political conflict or natural disaster, through universities that want to help affected students (help centre). A waiver makes the test free. You cannot apply to Duolingo for one yourself; ask the universities you are applying to whether they have any.

You must wait for your results before taking another test, and you can buy three tests in any 30-day period (help centre). A test credit expires 21 days after purchase and cannot be extended (help centre).

The DET terms of service, last updated 6 August 2026, say all payments are non-refundable, including for expired or unused tests and premium processing (terms). If the test fails or your results do not arrive within a reasonable time, Duolingo will refund, give a credit or try to fix the problem, at its choice. Report a problem to support within 24 hours.

Results are valid for two years; after that you can no longer share them (help centre). More detail is in Duolingo score validity.

Duolingo says more than 6,500 institutions accept the test (DET), mainly for university admission. It is not a UK visa test: gov.uk lists only Trinity College London, the IELTS SELT Consortium, LanguageCert and Pearson as Secure English Language Test providers in the UK, plus PSI outside it (gov.uk). Australia's Department of Home Affairs does not list it among the tests it accepts for visas (Home Affairs).

Many universities accept DET for admission but ask for IELTS or another listed test for the visa. Compare the two in Duolingo vs IELTS for universities and convert your score with the Duolingo to IELTS converter. If you need IELTS for a visa, try a free IELTS mock test before you pay the fee.