An alternative to IELTS: an online English test accepted by colleges in Canada

Going to a Canadian college is a sure way to immigration. Canadian higher education institutions are considered not very difficult to enter, because there are usually no entrance exams. But you need to prove your level of English. There are two ways to do this: take a language test or take a special English program to prepare for admission. If you are confident in your knowledge and are not afraid of exams, you can safely choose to take the test.

Everyone is familiar with such tests as IELTS and TOEFL. Over the years, they have become shrouded in many myths among international students, and these myths are not always positive. But IELTS and TOEFL are not the only tests that Canadian universities accept.

One alternative is the Duolingo English Test (DET), which is administered by the American company Duolingo. Duolingo has been the world's most popular resource for learning foreign languages online for many years. Thanks to the service, it is possible to study almost 100 languages of the world, and over 300 million users have registered on the Duolingo website over the entire period of its existence.

In 2018, Duolingo launched their English language test, which is taken online, setting it apart from many language exams. The DET saw a major boost in popularity in 2020, when a pandemic caused many test centers around the world to close, while the need for international students to take language exams remained. Since then, thousands of English-speaking institutions of higher education around the world and hundreds of universities in Canada accept DET results as proof of English language proficiency.

Which Canadian universities accept Duolingo

The Duolingo website lists over 370 institutions in Canada that accept DET results. These include top universities and colleges:

• University of Toronto;
• University of British Columbia;
• University of Waterloo;
• Algonquin College;
• McGill University;
• McMaster University;
• Fanshawe College;
• Georgian College;
• University of Alberta;
• University of Ottawa;
• University of Calgary;
• Douglas College;
• Camosun College;
• Columbia College and others.

The Duolingo test differs favorably from IELTS and TOEFL. First, it is taken online. This eliminates stressful factors and saves time. Secondly, the exam takes only an hour, and the results are available in 48 hours. For an additional USD 40, you can get your results in 12 hours.

And another advantage of DET is its cost. While taking IELTS and TOEFL costs about USD 200, you will have to pay only USD 59 for Duolingo.

It's not uncommon for prospective students to fail a test the first time they take it, and Duolingo provides for that too. You can purchase two tests at once for USD 49 each. In total, you will pay less for taking two Duolingo tests and receiving the results promptly (within 12 hours) than for taking one IELTS or TOEFL exam.

Features of the Duolingo test

DET is fundamentally different from IELTS and TOEFL.

First, we need to understand the scoring system. First, let's take a look at how Duolingo test scores compare to other popular tests:

In the past, applicants noted that Canadian universities had different requirements for Duolingo and IELTS/TOEFL results. But since then, Duolingo has been updated several times, the grading scale has changed, and grades are now better correlated.

However, we still recommend that you carefully study the requirements of the university you are going to apply to in order to know exactly what its requirements for different tests are. There may be other nuances. For example, the University of British Columbia only accepts Duolingo results for students from countries where other language tests are not available.

Another difference between the DET and other tests is the assessment of skills. The usual IELTS and TOEFL tests assess Listening, Speaking, Writing and Reading. Duolingo decided to assess combinations of skills. Therefore, the categories of knowledge in the test are as follows:

• Literacy — reading and writing skills;
• Comprehension — listening comprehension and reading skills;
• Production — written and oral communication skills;
• Conversation — speaking and listening comprehension skills.

Each of these components is scored on a scale of 10 to 160. It is worth mentioning that some Canadian universities have adapted the requirements for Duolingo results. For example, Algonquin College has a DET total score requirement of 105, as well as Literacy requirements of 105 and Production requirements of 85.

DET results are valid for 2 years, just like TOEFL and IELTS.

Components of the test

The test consists of two main parts. It is preceded by an introductory part, during which you are told about the test, checked if your computer is working well enough and made sure that you have enclosed your ID document when registering for the test. This will take 5 minutes.

The first section of the test lasts 45 minutes. It is called "Adaptive Test" and contains several types of tasks:

Notably, there is no specific number of questions in this part of the test. Duolingo's grading system determines over the course of the test whether you've answered enough questions to give you a score. This part is also called "adaptive" because the difficulty of the questions adjusts to you — you get harder or easier questions depending on how you did on the previous task.

The second part of the test, which takes 10 minutes, tests your ability to write and speak fluent English. This section was not previously assessed, but from May 2023 it will also affect your final score. You will need to choose a question to answer. You will then be given 3 minutes to respond orally and 5 minutes to respond in writing.

Taking the test

To take the Duolingo English Test, you need to go to the official website of the test, pay either for one test or two tests at once, and attach a scan of your ID card — a passport, a driver's license in some countries or an ID card will do. You can start the test at any time, but there are a few nuances.

To take the Duolingo English Test, you need a well-lit, quiet room, a computer with a webcam, working microphone, speakers, and stable internet.

The computer must have speakers. Duolingo will disqualify you for using headphones, as it is believed that you can listen to prompts through headphones.

Also, many students complained that they were disqualified when they plugged the laptop into the charger. Therefore, take care to ensure that the battery charge is sufficient for the entire test.

And you can also be disqualified if someone comes into your room during the test and starts talking to you, even if it has nothing to do with the DET. So if you will be home alone during the test, ask your loved ones not to disturb you.

Preparing for Duolingo

The IELTS and TOEFL tests have an undeniable advantage over the DET when it comes to preparation. Duolingo is a rather young test, and a couple of years ago there was no preparation system, manuals and examples of the Duolingo test at all. Now things are better and you can find special courses and textbooks to prepare for the DET. And on the Duolingo website, you can take a practice test that lasts 15 minutes. You can take the practice test an unlimited number of times.

But the most important advice to give when preparing for Duolingo: just learn English. The DET does not focus on "academic" or "business" English. The Duolingo tests exactly how well you know English. It's impossible to prepare for everything, but the broader your English-speaking horizons, the better. And if you don't know where to get the best English lessons, we'll tell you about it at the end of this article.

You'll have to hurry

Unfortunately, for all the advantages of the Duolingo test, it has one major drawback. As the pandemic has receded, some universities in Canada are going to opt out of accepting DET results or have already did it.

For example, University Canada West stopped accepting the test on July 31, 2023, and Georgian@ILAC accepts Duolingo results only until the end of 2023. So if you are planning to apply to universities in Canada, first of all, carefully read the language requirements of a particular college. And secondly, if you plan to take Duolingo, you may need to hurry.

Even if you have decided on a school and it accepts DTE, you should not delay in taking the exam and enrolling.

English courses

Another alternative to taking a language test is to take an English Pathway Program. A certificate of completion allows you to enter a college or university without taking a language test at all.

ILAC is a world-renowned English language school that teaches thousands of people around the world, both on campuses in Canada and online. At ILAC you can:

• improve your English, which will be useful for the Duolingo test;
• prepare for IELTS and TOEFL;
• complete the University Pathway program for admission to universities.

Pathway allows you to apply to dozens of institutions across Canada without exams. What's more, some colleges offer 12 weeks of Pathway training free of charge.

We are partners with ILAC and always recommend this school, as well as offering discounts on tuition to make an already modest price even better for you. You can sign up for ILAC classes here.