Duolingo English Test vs. the New TOEFL: My Take

Hi everyone, I'm David,

co-founder of SK2 TOEFL (TOEFL 119) / founder of Ace DET (DET 155)

10/24 free open class on the DET (Duolingo English Test), with a prize draw for one DET intensive course and one DET exam!:

https://forms.gle/xJ2zBd5DGYrwQLsc6

Students keep asking me lately: "Will the TOEFL get harder after it changes next January?"

"Will it get cheaper?"

My honest answer: the questions themselves won't get harder, but preparing won't necessarily be easier,

because the question types are more varied and the content is more about everyday life.

Before, you could focus on academic and campus-life topics.

Get your note-taking skills down and you'd won half the battle;

practice the echo method and build a word bank, and the other half was taken care of too.

But the new format calls for a wider range of skills.

And unfortunately, the price probably won't come down.

On the other side, the IELTS is pretty pricey too,

and word on the street is that the IELTS will get revamped next year as well.

So besides the TOEFL and IELTS, more and more people are now switching to the DET (Duolingo English Test).

It's an English test from Duolingo (you've probably seen that owl).

What sets it apart:

💰 Cheap (just 1/4 of the TOEFL registration fee)

🕐 Short (done in under an hour)

💻 Take it anytime (any time within 21 days after you register)

On top of that, it counts the same as the TOEFL or IELTS, and more than 6000 institutions worldwide accept it.

Many students don't know this option exists, so I'm sharing it with you.

Check the official website to see whether the schools you're applying to accept DET scores.

If they do, you may have a cheaper, faster option.

https://englishtest.duolingo.com/accepting_institutions

And from my own experience, the content isn't harder than the TOEFL.

The question types are as varied as the rumored new TOEFL ones, but with some preparation and practice,

most students should handle it with ease.

I checked a few schools for students applying this year, and they all accept the DET.

Some students also took my advice and switched to trying the DET

(of course, there are some sunk costs, but in the long run you may still have saved time and money).

Do the schools/departments you're applying to accept DET scores?

The DET hasn't reached some of them yet, so if you email to ask, you might have a chance!

(Some don't accept online tests, so neither the TOEFL home edition nor the DET will work.)

Here's a DET/TOEFL/IELTS score conversion chart for your reference.

I think it's a really interesting test, and compared with the TOEFL and IELTS, it's less stressful to take.

If you have any questions about the DET, feel free to talk them over with me!

Here's my score report. I think it's great that it has integrated skill scores, so one weak section score won't drag you down

(many schools also set their requirements on the integrated skill scores).

Starting with the next post, I'll share in detail how I prepared for and took the DET to get 155!

OfferLand students are welcome to join:

10/24 free open class on the DET (Duolingo English Test), with a prize draw for one DET intensive course and one DET exam!:

https://forms.gle/xJ2zBd5DGYrwQLsc6

David