Majority of universities and colleges in English-speaking countries require the students to display a good hold in the English language. They should provide reasonable capability in speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Since most of the lectures and classes will be held in English it is imperative that students are able to understand them. There are many English proficiency tests out there like, IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, TOEIC, PET, etc. Here we will focus specifically on IELTS vs Duolingo and understand which is a better test.
What Is IELTS?
IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System and is designed to assess a student’s English comprehension in Writing, Reading, Speaking, and Listening. The test is managed jointly by the British Council, IDP: Australia, and Cambridge Assessment English. It began in the year 1989 and still tuns as the most popular English proficiency test. This English test is accepted and recognised globally and is necessary when moving to an English-speaking country to study, work or settle.
Countries that accept IELTS are Australia, The United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, The United States, most of Europe, and Ireland. The exam has an application fee with reading, writing, and listening held different from speaking. The exam is scored on a scale of 9 with the four individual sections having their own scores. The cut-off score depends on the country or the university that the student plans to go to.
What Is Duolingo?
Duolingo is a language learning application, that offers an interactive and fun way to learn new languages. They have a wide range of languages to excel in and include bite-sized lessons which prove to be an easy way of picking up a new language. It was originally started in the year 2011 by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker and has grown into a well-recognized application worldwide. Their iconic green bird logo integrates well with any IOS, Android, or web browser.
Between IELTS vs Duolingo, the latter also has the option of an English proficiency test which was started in 2016 called the Duolingo English Test (DET). DET is an online test that needs a computer and internet connection and is scored on a scale of 10-160. The test can be taken at any time from anywhere and test results are generated just after 48 hours.
Comparison Between IELTS Vs Duolingo
Duolingo and IELTS at the core are English proficiency tests but even then they have their own formats and other particulars that make them dissimilar. Below let’s understand a little more about these two exams.
Exam Format
IELTS: There are four sections to the exam, they are reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Academic and General Training are the two module types present, the former is meant for people engaging in education and studies while the latter is for work and immigration. The entire exam lasts for 2 hours 45 mins and is segregated as below:
- Reading – 60mins
- Writing – 60mins
- Listening – 30mins
- Speaking – 11-14mins
The reading section consists of lengthy essays and 40 questions which may be multiple choice, short answers, identifying information etc. The writing section will have two writing tasks based on a prompt, the first task needs to be 150 and the second one 250 words. In the listening section, the candidate will listen to a pre-recorded audio with 4 sections and answer 10 questions in each section. The speaking section included a one-on-one interview with an examiner and includes 3 sections.
Duolingo: When comparing IELTS vs Duolingo the former has a very convenient and easy examination format and system. The exam has three sections and lasts for a duration of 60mins. The three sections are the introduction, adaptive test, and writing and speaking sample. The segregation is done as follows:
- Introduction – 5mins
- Adaptive Test – 45mins
- Writing and Speaking sample – 10mins
The introduction section is for the candidate and system to calibrate appropriately by checking the microphone, speakers, and camera. Here is also when an ID verification is done and the guidelines are displayed. The adaptive test does not have a question limit and the AI will present questions and based on certain data and input will conclude the test. The speaking and writing sample has the candidate write and speak about a given topic.
Score System
An IELTS test is scored on a scale from 0 to 9 and grades of 0.5 increments are possible too. Each section is individually scored and an aggregate of these scores provides the overall score. However many institutes required certain cut-offs in individual sections too. The scoring system for IELTS is given below:
| Band Score | Skill Level |
| 9 | Expert user |
| 8 | Very good user |
| 7 | Good user |
| 6 | Competent user |
| 5 | Modest user |
| 4 | Limited user |
| 3 | Extremely limited user |
| 2 | Intermittent user |
| 1 | Non-user |
| 0 | Did not attempt the test |
When talking about IELTS vs Duolingo, the latter is scored between 10-160 and a score of 110 is the golden mark for many institutes. The scoring system for DET is given in the table.
| DET Score | Proficiency | Analysis |
| 125-160 | Advanced | An advanced student with a good command over English |
| 90-115 | Upper-Intermediate | Unfamiliar topics will be provided & questions will be those that can be answered by an upper-intermediate student |
| 60-85 | Intermediate | The questions that can be answered by an Intermediate English speaker is given |
| 10-55 | Basic | The basic understanding of English words & phrases is analysed here |
Application Procedure
Between IELTS vs Duolingo, the former has the option of pen and paper examination too, which is preferred by many as well. However, the application for offline and online remains almost the same.
- Visit an offline centre or the official IELTS website. There are close to 1600 centres in around 140 countries.
- A registration fee has to be paid offline or online and a completed application has to be submitted.
- A government ID will be required during registration and on the examination day.
- Once registered, the system will send a confirmation regarding the date and time of the exam.
The Duolingo English Test is online and hence the registration has to be done on the Duolingo application. A registration fee and a completed application need to be submitted. ID verification using a government document is required during registration. The exam can be then taken on the selected date and time.
Conclusion: IELTS Vs Duolingo
Candidates who are travelling abroad for studies, work, or migration need to mandatorily take up an English proficiency test. It may be that IELTS is the gold standard for English proficiency but DET is gaining popularity and is being accepted in numerous institutes globally too. It finally boils down to preference and accessibility but regardless good preparation is required for both exams. IELTS vs Duolingo both stand as exceptional English assessment tests and open many opportunities worldwide.
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I have done Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts from India and completed my graduation in the year 2022 .I am 22 years old. After graduation, I have done 1 year paid internship from USA .Now, I would like to take occupational experience and learn culinary skills and also do masters in Culinary arts.How can I find the college n best course / country where I can persue studying further