Short Answer
Not for most people — a single test costs around $70 USD. But it can be free if you qualify for a fee waiver through Duolingo's Access Program, which is aimed at students who can't afford the standard fee.
Who Typically Qualifies
- Applicants from low-income or financially disadvantaged backgrounds
- Refugees or displaced individuals
- Students applying to institutions that actively partner with Duolingo's Access Program
The Catch: You Can't Apply Directly
This trips a lot of people up. You generally cannot request a fee waiver yourself directly through the Duolingo website. Instead, the request typically has to come through:
- A school counselor, admissions office, or educational institution that partners with the Access Program, or
- An NGO or scholarship body that distributes waivers as part of its own programs
In practice, this means your first step is usually contacting your target university's admissions office to ask whether they participate in the Access Program, rather than looking for an application form on Duolingo's own site.
How Competitive Is It?
Duolingo distributes a limited number of fee waivers each year through this program, and demand has grown alongside the test's overall popularity. Applying as early as possible in your admissions timeline meaningfully improves your odds, since waivers are typically allocated on a rolling basis rather than guaranteed to everyone who qualifies.
Cheaper Alternatives If You Don't Qualify
- Buy the two-test bundle — around $59 per test instead of $70, useful if you expect to need a retake anyway.
- Check whether your target university offers its own test voucher — some do, separate from Duolingo's own Access Program.