Duolingo to IELTS Score Chart: Convert Your DET Score

If you already have a Duolingo English Test score and want to know what it means in IELTS terms, here is the short version. A DET score of around 120 lines up with roughly IELTS 7.0. A DET of about 105 sits near IELTS 6.5. A DET near 95 is in the region of IELTS 6.0. These are drawn from Duolingo’s own published comparison, and they let you translate one test into the language of the other.

This matters because many universities still list their English requirement in IELTS bands, even when they accept the DET. Being able to convert quickly tells you whether your score is likely to clear the bar. If you are still deciding which test to take or want the bigger picture of what DET scores mean, start with our Duolingo English Test score guide.

Keep one caution in mind from the outset. A concordance is a bridge, not a law. Each institution decides its own equivalence, so a conversion that looks fine on paper still needs checking against the actual requirement your programme publishes.

Below is the mapping most commonly used, based on Duolingo’s official comparison between the DET and IELTS. Because the DET moves in 5-point steps and IELTS moves in half bands, the alignment is approximate. Read each row as a nearby match rather than an exact identity.

Notice that the higher you climb, the wider the DET range that maps to a single IELTS band. That is normal for concordance tables and is one reason to treat the edges of each band with a little caution.

Start with the requirement, not your score. Find the IELTS band your target course asks for, then read across to the DET range you would need. If a master’s programme wants IELTS 6.5, the chart points you toward a DET in the region of 105 to 115. That becomes your working target.

Then build in a margin. Because the mapping is approximate and the DET jumps in 5-point steps, aim for the upper part of the range rather than the very bottom. Scoring a 115 when the equivalent is 6.5 is safer than scraping a 105, especially at competitive universities.

Finally, look past the overall number. Some universities set minimums for individual skills, for example a writing sub-band. The DET reports four subscores, so a strong overall total can still hide a weak area. Check whether your programme has any per-skill requirement before you assume you are clear.

The two tests are built differently, so a conversion can only ever be an estimate. IELTS uses separate, human-marked sections for listening, reading, writing and speaking, with a live examiner for the speaking test. The DET is adaptive, taken at home, and scored through a mix of automated and human review. Different formats measure ability in different ways.

The DET also blends skills across its tasks rather than keeping them in strict silos, which is why its four subscores are Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production rather than the familiar four IELTS skills. Mapping one framework onto the other therefore involves some smoothing.

None of this makes the concordance useless. It is a well researched, statistically grounded guide. It simply means you should treat a converted figure as a strong indicator, not a guarantee, and confirm the real requirement with the institution.

There is one more practical wrinkle. IELTS reports a separate band for each of the four skills and an overall average, while the DET headline is a single overall figure supported by four subscores. So when a university asks for a minimum in a particular IELTS skill, you cannot always read that straight off a converted DET total. In those cases, look at the relevant DET subscore and, if in doubt, ask the admissions team how they interpret it.

Many universities, especially in Europe, describe English requirements using the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference. It runs from A1 for beginners up to C2 for near-native proficiency. Both the DET and IELTS map onto it, which gives you a third way to read your score.

The rough alignment below helps you place a DET score in CEFR terms. As with the IELTS mapping, these are approximate bands, and any given institution may draw its own lines slightly differently.

The most useful thing a concordance does is turn a vague goal into a concrete number. Once you know your course wants, say, IELTS 6.5, the chart tells you to aim for a DET around 110 to 115. Now you have a finish line to train toward instead of guessing.

From there, work backward from your current practice-test score. If you are sitting at 95 and need 115, that is four 5-point steps, and each step usually comes from real gains in a specific skill rather than luck. Identify your weakest subscore and pour your effort there.

This is where structured coaching helps. In our 1-on-1 online classes you spend the whole session speaking and getting corrected, which is exactly what lifts the Conversation and Production subscores that many learners find hardest. A clear target plus focused speaking practice is a reliable way to move up a band.

A small planning tip: build in time for at least one retake. If your first attempt lands a step or two below the DET you need, a short burst of targeted practice on your weakest area often closes the gap. Setting the target early, from the concordance, is what makes that recovery quick rather than a scramble near the deadline.

No chart replaces the official requirement page. Universities update their accepted tests and minimum scores from cycle to cycle, and a few list an exact DET minimum rather than an IELTS equivalent. When both are listed, follow the DET number directly and ignore the conversion.

If your programme only publishes an IELTS figure, use this chart to estimate the DET you need, then email the admissions office to confirm they accept the DET and at what score. A two line email now can save a rejected application later.

For a country-by-country view of who accepts the test and how to check a specific course, see our guide to universities accepting the Duolingo English Test. Treat the chart on this page as your planning tool and the university page as the final word.