The Short Answer
If your target universities accept both, the Duolingo English Test (DET) is usually the easier path: it's shorter, cheaper, taken from home, and returns results in about two days instead of a week or more. The main reason to take the TOEFL instead is straightforward — your program requires it, or doesn't accept the DET. Acceptance is the deciding factor here, not difficulty, so check your target schools' admissions pages before choosing a test purely on convenience.
Side-by-Side: The Practical Differences
| Factor | Duolingo English Test | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| Length | About 1 hour | Under 2 hours (shortened from the older 3+ hour format) |
| Cost | Roughly $59–70 | Roughly $190–300, plus per-school score reports beyond what's included |
| Where you take it | At home, any time, on demand | A test center, or the at-home Home Edition on a more limited schedule |
| Results | About 2 days | Roughly 4–10 days |
| Score scale | 10–160, in 5-point increments | 0–120 (ETS is phasing in an additional 1–6 band scale alongside it through 2028) |
| Note-taking | Not allowed | Allowed, and effectively necessary for the listening-heavy sections |
| University acceptance | 6,000+ institutions and growing fast, though some selective programs still don't accept it or set a higher bar than they would for TOEFL | Accepted virtually everywhere; still the safer default if you haven't confirmed your program's policy |
Score Conversion: What a DET Score Means in TOEFL Terms
Both tests anchor to the CEFR scale, which is how Duolingo publishes an official conversion chart. As a rough guide:
- DET 160 ≈ TOEFL 119–120 (CEFR C2)
- DET 130 ≈ TOEFL ~102–104 (CEFR C1)
- DET 120 ≈ TOEFL ~90–95 (CEFR B2–C1)
- DET 105 ≈ TOEFL ~75–80 (CEFR B2)
These are approximations, not exact equivalents — the two tests measure language differently enough that your actual results can land slightly off this chart. If a program lists a TOEFL requirement but not a DET one, use Duolingo's official concordance table to estimate your equivalent target, then double check with the admissions office if the score matters for a scholarship or hard cutoff.
Why the Two Tests Feel So Different to Take
The score conversion makes the tests look interchangeable, but the actual experience of taking them is not. A few differences matter more than the numbers suggest:
- Pacing: The DET moves through short, varied tasks and adjusts difficulty as you go. The TOEFL is organized into four longer, fixed sections — Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing — each testing one skill in depth before moving to the next.
- Listening and note-taking: TOEFL listening passages are long enough that most test-takers need to take notes to keep track of details before answering. The DET doesn't allow notes at all, so it leans more on short-term memory and immediate comprehension rather than sustained tracking of a long passage.
- Speaking format: TOEFL speaking tasks are tightly structured — read or listen to source material, then respond within a strict time limit summarizing it. DET speaking tasks are more open-ended: describing an image, giving an opinion, or responding naturally to a prompt, closer to a real conversation than an academic summary.
- Writing format: TOEFL's writing tasks include synthesizing a written passage with a listening clip, which tests your ability to combine sources. The DET's writing prompts are more personal and opinion-based, with the AI scoring weighing how accurately and how naturally — not just how impressively — you use vocabulary and grammar.
If you read fast but get fatigued during long stretches of focused listening, the DET's shorter, faster-moving format will likely suit you better. If you're comfortable taking detailed notes and synthesizing multiple sources under time pressure, the structure of TOEFL may actually play to your strengths rather than against them.
Which Test Should You Actually Choose?
In order, here's the decision process worth going through:
- Check your target programs' admissions pages first. If even one school on your list requires TOEFL specifically, that settles it — take TOEFL, or take both if your budget allows.
- If both are accepted, compare your testing style against the differences above rather than assuming one test is universally "easier." Plenty of strong English speakers do better on one format than the other.
- Factor in cost and timeline. If you're on a tight application deadline or budget, the DET's lower cost and two-day turnaround are real practical advantages.
- If you're still unsure, take a free practice version of each — Duolingo offers a free practice test, and TOEFL prep platforms typically offer sample questions — to see which format feels more natural before committing to either.
Is the Duolingo English Test Actually Easier Than TOEFL?
This is the question almost everyone asks, and there isn't a clean answer. Duolingo has published a correlation of roughly 0.82 between DET and TOEFL iBT scores among people who took both — meaning your results on the two tests tend to land close together, but "close" isn't "identical." Some test-takers genuinely do better on one than the other.
What tends to drive the difference isn't overall English level, it's which skills the format rewards. TOEFL leans on sustained academic reading and listening — two 700-word passages with 10 questions each in 36 minutes, plus long lecture-based listening sections where note-taking is practically required. The DET skips that entirely: shorter passages, no academic lecture content, and no notes allowed at all. If long-form academic reading is your weak point, the DET will likely feel easier. If you process information better with time to take notes and structure a response, TOEFL's pacing may suit you more than its reputation suggests.
Retakes, Score Validity, and Sending Scores to Schools
| Duolingo English Test | TOEFL iBT | |
|---|---|---|
| Score validity | 2 years | 2 years |
| Retake limits | Up to two attempts in a rolling 30-day period | No fixed limit, but you must wait for each result before rebooking, and test center availability can limit how soon you retake |
| Sending scores to universities | Unlimited free score reports to any institution | A limited number of free reports at registration; additional schools cost extra per report |
If you're applying to a long list of schools, the DET's unlimited free reporting is a real cost saving on top of its lower base price — TOEFL's per-institution fees add up quickly if you're applying broadly.
Does It Matter Where You're Applying?
Acceptance isn't uniform by country, and this is worth checking before you assume either test is universally fine. TOEFL remains accepted almost everywhere. The DET has grown fastest in the US and Canada, where thousands of institutions now take it; acceptance is also strong in Ireland. The UK, Australia, and New Zealand have been slower to adopt it broadly — many institutions in those countries still default to IELTS or TOEFL, so don't assume the DET is accepted just because it's accepted somewhere. The only reliable check is your specific target university's admissions or international-students page.
FAQ
Is the Duolingo English Test easier than TOEFL?
Not inherently — both are calibrated to measure the same underlying English proficiency, and a given CEFR level should produce comparable scores on either test. What differs is the format: shorter and faster-paced on the DET, longer and more structured on TOEFL. Some people score relatively better on one than the other based on which skills the format leans on.
Can I take notes during the Duolingo English Test?
No. Note-taking isn't permitted on the DET, which is a real difference from TOEFL, where note-taking is expected and often necessary for the longer listening passages.
Do more universities accept TOEFL or the Duolingo English Test?
TOEFL still has broader acceptance overall, especially among more traditional or highly selective programs, and in countries like the UK and Australia where DET adoption has been slower. The DET's acceptance has grown quickly — over 6,000 institutions at last count, concentrated heavily in the US and Canada — but it's still worth confirming on your specific target school's admissions page rather than assuming.
How do I convert my Duolingo score to an equivalent TOEFL score?
Use Duolingo's official concordance table, which maps DET scores to TOEFL, IELTS, and CEFR levels. Treat the conversion as an estimate rather than an exact match, since the two tests don't measure language in identical ways.
How many times can I retake the Duolingo English Test?
Up to two attempts within any rolling 30-day period. TOEFL doesn't set the same fixed cap, but you need your previous result back before rebooking, and test center seat availability can effectively limit how soon you can retake it.
Does the Duolingo English Test include a speaking interview?
Yes — alongside the scored questions, the DET includes a video interview component that's shared with universities you send your score to, giving admissions officers a glimpse of you beyond the numeric score. TOEFL has no equivalent; its speaking section is scored audio only.
Is the TOEFL writing section harder than the Duolingo English Test's?
They test different things rather than being simply harder or easier. TOEFL's writing includes an integrated task where you synthesize a written passage with a listening clip — a source-synthesis skill the DET doesn't test at all. The DET's writing prompt is a shorter, more personal response, generally 50–200 words, with no formal multi-source essay.
Can I send Duolingo English Test scores to as many schools as I want?
Yes, score reports to universities are unlimited and free with the DET. TOEFL includes a limited number of free reports at registration, and you pay per additional institution beyond that — a real cost difference if you're applying to many schools.