Your DET Score, Explained: Bands, CEFR, and University Minimums
Type in your Duolingo English Test score and find out what it really means — your band, your CEFR level, rough IELTS and TOEFL equivalents, and whether real universities would accept it. Everything is worked out in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Check your DET score
Enter your overall score (10–160). Add your four subscores and the checker will also work out your combined subscores. Add a target score to see how far away you are.
Subscores are optional. If you enter all four, the checker calculates your overall score from them instead — average, rounded up to the nearest 5, which is the official DET rule.
Please enter a score between 10 and 160.
Will your score get you in?
Pick a university to see the DET minimum it publishes. Minimums change and vary by programme — always check the university’s own admissions page before you apply.
What each score band means
Duolingo reports one overall score from 10 to 160, in steps of 5. There is no pass or fail mark — universities set their own minimums.
| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 120–160 | Advanced | Complex written and spoken language, including specialised and academic topics; effective in social, academic and professional situations. |
| 90–115 | Upper-Intermediate | Communicate on familiar and unfamiliar topics; understand key ideas in concrete and abstract writing; talk easily with fluent speakers. |
| 60–85 | Intermediate | Understand everyday topics from school or work; talk about plans, opinions and experiences, sometimes with hesitation. |
| 10–55 | Basic | Understand basic words and phrases; communicate in familiar situations, like greetings or simple directions. |
Some guides split the top band at 125 instead of 120 — the boundary is a guide, not an official cut-off.
DET, CEFR, IELTS and TOEFL — rough comparison
| DET | CEFR | IELTS (approx.) | TOEFL iBT (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 155–160 | C2 | 8.5–9.0 | 119–120 |
| 130–150 | C1 | 7.0–8.0 | 94–118* |
| 120–125 | B2 | 6.5–7.0 | 84–93 |
| 100–115 | B2 | 6.0–6.5 | 60–83 |
| 90–95 | B1 | 5.5 | 46–59 |
| 60–85 | B1 | 4.5–5.0 | 35–52 |
| 10–55 | A1–A2 | up to 4.0 | up to 31 |
*The 94–118 TOEFL range for 130–150 is worked out from the rows around it — treat it as a rough guide. A converted score is never an official score: universities read your actual DET result.
Example minimums from real universities
Published DET minimums from named universities. These are examples, not a full list — over 6,500 institutions accept the DET, and minimums vary by programme and change over time.
| University | Level | Min. DET |
|---|
Always verify on the university’s own admissions page before you apply.
The test in numbers
How your score is calculated
- Four main subscores. Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking — each on the 10–160 scale, in steps of 5.
- Your overall score. The average of the four subscores, rounded up to the nearest 5. So an average of 112.5 becomes 115.
- Four combined subscores. Each one averages two main subscores: Literacy (Reading + Writing), Comprehension (Reading + Listening), Conversation (Speaking + Listening) and Production (Speaking + Writing).
- Score bands. 10–55 is Basic, 60–85 Intermediate, 90–115 Upper-Intermediate and 120–160 Advanced.
- Conversions are guides only. CEFR, IELTS and TOEFL equivalents are approximate — a converted score is never an official score.
Three worked examples
Try these in the checker above to see how the numbers move.
Example 1 — 115, aiming for 120
A score of 115 is Upper-Intermediate, about B2, roughly IELTS 6.0–6.5 and TOEFL 60–83. Against a target of 120 you are 5 points short — one step of 5. You would already meet 3 of the example universities: Arizona State (95), Michigan (100) and Columbia College Chicago (105).
Example 2 — four subscores, one overall
Reading 120, Listening 115, Writing 110, Speaking 105. The average is 112.5, rounded up to an overall of 115. Combined subscores: Literacy 115, Comprehension 120, Conversation 110, Production 110 — and Speaking is the weakest skill, so that is where to focus first.
Example 3 — 135 opens most doors
A score of 135 is Advanced, about C1, roughly IELTS 7.0–8.0 and TOEFL 94–118. It meets 9 of the 10 example universities — every one except Stanford, which publishes no fixed DET minimum.
Questions about DET scores, answered
Is there a pass mark on the Duolingo English Test?
No. The DET reports a score from 10 to 160 and there is no pass or fail. Each university sets its own minimum — most ask for 100 to 120, and the most competitive ask for 120 or more.
What score do I need for university?
It depends on the university and the programme. Many universities accept 100 to 110; competitive ones usually ask for 120 or higher, and some ask for 130 or 135. The university checker above shows the published minimum for each example university — always confirm it on the programme page.
How is my overall score worked out?
From your four main subscores — Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. Duolingo averages the four and rounds the result up to the nearest 5. So an average of 112.5 becomes 115, and an average of 102.5 becomes 105.
Are the IELTS and TOEFL conversions official?
No — they are approximate. They come from Duolingo’s own comparison tables, but a converted score is never an official score. Universities read your actual DET result, not a conversion of it.
How long is my score valid, and how fast do results arrive?
Results arrive within 2 days (48 hours), and your score stays valid for 2 years. You can send your results to as many institutions as you like, free of charge.
My score is below the minimum — what now?
Work on your weakest skill first — the checker above names it and gives you a tip for it. Retake the test once your practice scores are close to the target. And check the programme page before you give up: minimums vary by programme, and some programmes ask for less than the university’s headline figure.
Keep reading on DuolingoGuides
- Duolingo English Test Score Explained →
- Duolingo English Test Preparation 2026 →
- Duolingo English Test Question Types →
- Duolingo English Test Fees 2026 →
- How to Send Duolingo Scores to Universities →
- Duolingo Accepted Universities in USA →
- 115 Duolingo Score to IELTS →
- Duolingo English Test Sample Questions and Answers →
DuolingoGuides is an independent guides site and is not connected to Duolingo. Scores, prices and university requirements change — always confirm the current requirement on the university’s official admissions page and the current price at checkout on the official DET site.