Duolingo English Test
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy it if your target universities accept DET and you have a quiet room, stable internet, and a second camera ready.
New check
Comparison
Duolingo English Test vs Pearson PTE
Duolingo English Test and Pearson PTE both land on Depends.
Pearson PTE
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Take PTE if your target university or visa program accepts it and you want fast, AI-scored results.
| Compare | Duolingo English Test | Pearson PTE |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Applicants to universities that accept DET | University applicants needing fast English scores |
| Who it's not for | Applicants whose programs require IELTS or TOEFL only | Applicants whose target school only accepts IELTS or TOEFL |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | Multiple reports of slow, frustrating dispute resolution | Rescores need human review; waiver processes exist |
| Public sentiment | Test takers like the low price and home convenience but often report AI proctoring false flags, mid-test glitches, and painful review disputes.³ | Test takers praise fast results and booking ease, but some report shocking AI-scored outcomes and capped retakes. |
| Biggest gotcha | Invalidated tests are not refunded . one user lost $118 across attempts² | Rescore fee applies and outcome is not guaranteed.16 |
Pick Duolingo English Test when
- Applicants to universities that accept DET
- Budget-conscious test takers
- People needing at-home, on-demand testing
- Retakers improving scores cheaply
When Duolingo English Test is not a fit
- Applicants whose programs require IELTS or TOEFL only
- Anyone without a quiet, private, well-lit room
- People on unstable internet or old hardware
- Test takers who can't risk losing the fee
Pick Pearson PTE when
- University applicants needing fast English scores
- Australian and UK visa applicants
- Canadian economic immigration (PTE Core)
- Test takers comfortable with computer-based, AI-scored exams
When Pearson PTE is not a fit
- Applicants whose target school only accepts IELTS or TOEFL
- Guess: anyone needing a paper-based test . PTE is computer-delivered
- Guess: budget test takers . official AI practice platform costs extra
- Institutions or employers . this is a test-taker service, not software
Sources
news
review
- Trustpilot reviews of englishtest.duolingo.comtrustpilot.comreview
- Duolingo Statistics 2026sqmagazine.co.uknews
- DET Technical Manualscribd.comofficial
- The 5 most broken rules on the Duolingo English Testblog.englishtest.duolingo.comofficial
- Born Digital: human-in-the-loop AI test securityblog.duolingo.comsecurity
- Duolingo English Test selects Sumsub for exam securityprnewswire.comnews
- DET setup: secondary camera, room scan, ear scanblog.englishtest.duolingo.comofficial
- Duolingo English Test Alternativesinternationalenglengtest.comnews
- Pearson PTE homepagepearsonpte.comofficial
- PTE test centers and feespearsonpte.comofficial
- PTE Academicpearsonpte.comofficial
- PTE Rescore Policypearsonpte.comofficial