Duolingo vs IELTS: An In-depth Comparison

Duolingo vs IELTS: IELTS is better than Duolingo for university admissions, job opportunities and visa applications—over 4 million IELTS test takers versus 300,000 (approx.) test takers of DET a year.

Duolingo and IELTS are the two most common international standardized tests. Both tests evaluate a candidate’s proficiency in a foreign language—reading, writing, listening and speaking but differ in their purposes, formats, eligibility, duration, fees and scoring systems. Non-native speakers choose either one of the tests to demonstrate their language proficiency for an intended purpose. Similarly, if you must choose one, understanding their distinctions is crucial.

In this article, we will provide an in-depth comparison of Duolingo vs IELTS to help you make the right choice.

What is the Duolingo English Test?

The Duolingo English Test (DET) is an online international standardized test assessing a candidate’s reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Since DET is a fairly new entrant, often used as an alternative to traditional language tests like IELTS or TOEFL, it’s important to check whether it is accepted or not at the applied institution or organization before taking the test.

What is IELTS?

IELTS stands for the International English Language Testing System. IELTS is the most trusted and popular English language proficiency test, assessing a candidate’s Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking skills.

Difference Between IELTS and Duolingo

The difference between IELTS and Duolingo is given in the table below.

Details	Duolingo	IELTS
Developer/Administrator	Duolingo	British Council, IDP IELTS, Cambridge English
Eligibility Criteria	13 years of age	16 years of age
Exam Format	Computer-based test	Paper-based and Computer-delivered
Exam Syllabus	2 sections: Adaptive (45 minutes) Video Interview (10 minutes)	4 sections: Listening (30 minutes) Reading (60 minutes) Writing (60 minutes) Speaking (11-14 minutes)
Accepted Universities	More than 11,500 universities	More than 6,000 universities
Score Comparison	Scale from 10 to 160	Scale from 0 to 9
Proficiency Level	Skill level ranges from A1 (beginner) to C2 (advanced)	Skill level ranges from non-user to expert

Duolingo vs IELTS: Eligibility Criteria

The IELTS eligibility is 16 years of age or above, while the eligibility for Duolingo is 13 years or above. Students are not required to show any certificates or transcripts (marksheets) for qualification.  

Duolingo vs IELTS: Exam Format

Here, you will get a detailed comparison of IELTS and Duolingo exam formats.

Duolingo Test Format

Duolingo contains two formats:

S No.	Sections	Questions	Duration
1	Adaptive Section	Multiple-choice questions on grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension	45 minutes
2	Video Interview Section	Record short video responses to prompt questions	10 minutes

IELTS Exam Format

IELTS contains four formats:

S No	Sections	No. of Questions	Time Duration
1	Listening	40	30 Minutes
2	Reading	40	60 Minutes (1 Hour)
3	Writing	2	60 Minutes (1 Hour)
4	Speaking	2	11 to 14 Minutes

Duolingo vs IELTS: Exam Syllabus

Exam Syllabus	IELTS	Duolingo
Listening	The IELTS Listening Section contains questions like note completion, MCQs, maps, table questions, flow charts, etc. Test-takers must focus on the accent and keywords.	The Duolingo Listening Section requires test-takers to listen to some specific words with the wrong ones in English, and choose the right ones. Test-takers must focus on synonyms and eliminate distractors.
Writing	The IELTS Writing Section contains questions like bar charts, formal, informal or semi-formal letters, tables, pie charts, line graphs etc. Test-takers must follow a single writing style and pattern.	The Duolingo Writing Section contains a list of pseudo words where test-takers must choose the right ones and fill out the missing text. They first hear the response and then type the statement.
Reading	The IELTS Reading Section contains questions like MCQs, Sentence Completion, Note, Short Answer Questions, Table, Summary, Matching Features, etc.	The Duolingo Reading Section contains reading passages, where the candidate needs to fill up the words by reading all sentences.
Speaking	The IELTS Speaking Section contains three types of questions. The first question is about your family, interests, etc. The second question is about a general topic on a card which they need to speak about. The third question is a normal discussion.	The Duolingo Speaking Section requires the candidate to speak from the two topics and speak for about 60 seconds to 3 minutes max.

Duration

The IELTS duration is 2 hours and 45 minutes, and Duolingo is 45 minutes + 10 minutes (interview).

Documents required

To take IELTS, a government ID or passport is required.
For Duolingo, a government ID proof, passport, driving license or aadhaar card is required.

Validity Period

Both IELTS validity and the Duolingo English Test scores validity are of the same period of 2 years from the test date.

Duolingo vs IELTS: Proficiency Level

Proficiency Level	IELTS	Duolingo
Expert	9	155-160
Very Good	8.5	145-150
Very Good	8	135-140
Good	7.5	125-130
Good	7	115-120
Competent	6.5	105-110
Competent	6	95-100
Modest	5.5	85-90
Modest	5	75-80
Limited	4.5	65-70
Extremely Limited	4.0	55-60

Duolingo vs IELTS: Score Comparison

The Duolingo vs IELTS score comparison highlights that each section of IELTS is scored on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 9 (highest), and the overall IELTS band score is the average of these four scores. Whereas Duolingo proficiency score is given in numbers ranging from 0 (minimum) to 170 (maximum).

Refer to the table below for a detailed score comparison.

Duolingo Score	IELTS Score
160	8.5 - 9
155 - 150	8
145 - 140	7.5
135 - 130	7
125 - 120	6.5
115 - 105	6
100 - 95	5.5
90 - 85 - 80	5
75 - 70 - 65	4.5
10 - 60	0 - 4

What is 110 Duolingo to IELTS?

A 110 Duolingo score is equivalent to 6.0 in IELTS Academic test. 

What is 120 Duolingo to IELTS?

A 120 Duolingo score is equivalent to 6.5 in IELTS Academic test. 

Duolingo vs IELTS: Scores Accepted by Popular Universities

S No	Popular Universities	IELTS Score Requirement	Duolingo Score Requirement
1	Harvard University	7.5	125
2	Stanford University	7	110
3	University of Oxford	7	120
4	University of Cambridge	7	120
5	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	7	120
6	Imperial College London	Overall 7.0 (6.5 in each section)	125 overall (115 in each)
7	University of Pennsylvania	7	120 minimum
8	University of California, Berkeley	6.5	115
9	University of Toronto	6.5	115
10	University of Sydney	6.5	115
11	University of Edinburgh	6.5	110
12	University of Hong Kong	6.5	110
13	Dublin Business School	6	105
14	Australian National University	6.5	110 plus recorded interview
15	Schiller International University	6.5 for Masters	105 for all programs

Conclusion

After comparing the above factors, IELTS and Duolingo are good in their respective ways. Both the tests have merits and demerits. Duolingo is an amazing learning platform for basics of English and indulging in daily-life conversation, whereas IELTS is an advanced level of English, perfect for general and academic purposes. Hope this blog has resolved your "Duolingo vs IELTS" struggle. For specific information, check the FAQs or contact our experts. 

FAQs

1. Is Duolingo easier than IELTS?

Yes. Duolingo is easier than IELTS because Duolingo is a learning platform that covers the basic language skills like grammar and vocabulary. But IELTS is a standardised language proficiency test with more advanced topics in English and evaluates your skills in different sections.

2. Do universities prefer Duolingo or IELTS?

Universities prefer both Duolingo and IELTS. Duolingo is officially accepted by over 4500 universities and educational institutions across the globe. And IELTS is accepted by 11,500+ organisations worldwide.

3. Is the Duolingo test equivalent to IELTS?

No. Both the Duolingo English test and IELTS are different exams in terms of syllabus, exam format, scores, etc. So the Duolingo test is not equivalent to IELTS. A research study by Cushing, S. T., & Ren, H. (2022) comparing IELTS Academic and Duolingo English Test (DET) revealed that for all four skills (reading, listening, speaking, and writing), IELTS tasks elicit a wide range of cognitive processes than the DET tasks, and the DET items are generally less oriented to academic skills required in higher education contexts.

4. What is 105 Duolingo to IELTS?

A Duolingo 105 score is equivalent to 6.0 in IELTS Academic test. 

5. What is 125 Duolingo to IELTS?

A 125 Duolingo score is approximately equivalent to 6.5 band in IELTS Academic test.

6. What is the fee for the Duolingo and IELTS tests?

The fee of the Duolingo English Test is $59 (4,904 INR) and the fee of the IELTS (computer-delivered) test is Rs. 17,000/-

7. Is Duolingo valid for IELTS?

No. Duolingo is not valid for IELTS. Duolingo and IELTS are separate standardized tests with their validity period. Some colleges and universities accepting IELTS do not consider Duolingo as an alternative.  

8. Can I take the Duolingo test instead of the IELTS?

Yes. You can take the Duolingo test instead of the IELTS. Many universities in English-speaking countries allow students to take the Duolingo test instead of the IELTS.

9. Duolingo vs. IELTS: Which is Affordable?

Duolingo is more affordable than IELTS. The duolingo test fee in India is $59 or INR 4,900 (Approx.), whereas the IELTS test fee in India is INR 17,000. This cost of taking the IELTS exam applies to both the IELTS Academic and the IELTS General Training test.