Duolingo vs PTE

English is one of the basic requirements of studying abroad and most universities require students to submit proof of English language proficiency along with a series of documents. Some of the most common English proficiency tests today are IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Duolingo English Test. But how can you choose the right English language test? The answer depends on a variety of factors, including whether the test/exam is accepted by the university where you want to apply, which exam centres are close by, and how much you’re willing to pay, etc. In this blog, we will help you choose between Duolingo vs PTE!

Exam	Price	Online or test centre?	Where is it accepted?	How soon do I get my results?	Where can I book my test?
PTE	INR 13,300	Test centre	USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and China	48 hours	Register on the PTE website to book a test and 14 days in advance
Duolingo English Test (DET)	About £40 (INR 4,091.23)	Online	3000+ universities across the globe	48 hours	Register on the Duolingo website to book a test

PTE Academic

Pearson’s PTE Academic test, which uses artificial intelligence to provide an unbiased assessment of your English proficiency, is run by the education corporation Pearson.

The PTE Academic is widely recognized by universities throughout the world, and it may be taken at Pearson test centres that are approved and COVID-secured. The charge varies by region, and you can check out how much it costs in your country on the PTE Academic website, which also offers a selection of helpful preparation tools.

Duolingo English Test

Since the Duolingo English Test may be taken from anywhere in the world at any time ahead of booking, it has been more generally accepted during the Covid-19 pandemic. The results are ready in 48 hours and the procedure costs around £40 (INR 3,452).

The test lasts an hour and contains a graded component that assesses your reading, speaking, and listening abilities, as well as a recorded video section where you answer open-ended questions.

IELTS vs TOEFL: Which is the Best Test?

Exam Pattern for Duolingo and PTE

The format of DET consist of 4 sections:

• Reading
• Speaking
• Listening
• Writing 

The format of PTE consists of 3 sections:

• Speaking and Writing (Together)
• Listening
• Reading

Reading Section

Exam	Reading Section
PTE	The reading component of the PTE consists of 15 to 20 questions that assess the candidate’s independent and integrated abilities. The candidate will attempt a range of tasks in the reading part, including MCQs, fill-in-the-blanks, and reordering paragraphs. One of the tasks in the PTE Academic also tests writing ability.
Duolingo	The reading section consists of reading the sentences carefully and filling in the missing letters and words for the statement to make sense.

Listening Section

Exam	Listening Section
PTE	The listening component of the PTE exam has eight question types or subsections, each of which tests at least two skills. Each part may include two or three questions. This part is divided into subsections that contain text summary, MCQs, dictation and fill in blanks.
Duolingo	The listening section consists of listening to a list of spoken words that will include both actual and pseudo-English terms and identify the correct English words. They will also be provided audio recordings that must be correctly transcribed.

Writing Section

Exam	Writing Section
PTE	The written and speaking components of the PTE Exam are integrated into this example. It has eight subsections that span from a personal introduction to an essay, a read-aloud, a sentence repetition, and a summary of the written content. The candidate’s ability to speak proper English in an academic setting is tested in the speaking section. The candidate’s ability to produce responses in proper academic English, with proper grammar and spelling, is tested in the writing section.
Duolingo	The candidate will be required to choose real English words from a list of pseudowords, fill in the missing text from a given sentence, write a minimum of 500-word response to a given question, and type the statement after listening to the audio recording.

Speaking Section

Exam	Speaking Section
PTE	There are three subsections in the speaking section, with a total of 11-17 questions. While the first section focuses on the candidate’s personal life and interview, the last two sections consist of the candidate speaking about and being questioned on a topic from a task card. The Speaking Section is administered on the same day as the rest of the exam.
Duolingo	Candidates will be provided with an image and asked to explain it. They’ll also have to read out the sentences that will be handed to them. They must also verbally respond to any questions posed in this portion. In addition, the Duolingo English Test’s video interview component includes speaking about a specified topic and providing writing sample prompts. Candidates will be given two subjects to choose from and will be required to talk for at least 1-3 minutes.

IELTS vs. PTE – Learn about all the Differences

Results

Exam	Results
PTE	The results of those who take the PTE exam will be available online in 5 business days. Candidates will be alerted when their results are available, and they can access them through their online accounts.
Duolingo	DET exam results are posted after two days on the DET website. The candidates’ ratings are even mailed to them individually.

Proficiency Level for Duolingo vs PTE

Both PTE vs Duolingo are designed to test the ability and the level of skills and understanding among the students for the English language. The following table states the proficiency level for PTE vs Duolingo tests along with the scores. 

Proficiency Level	PTE	Duolingo
Expert	89-90	155-160
Very Good	83-85	145-150
Very Good	74-84	135-140
Good	73-77	125-130
Good	64-72	115-120
Competent	58-63	105-110
Competent	50-57	95-100
Modest	42-49	85-90
Modest	35-41	75-80
Limited	30-34	65-70
Extremely Limited	0-30	55-60

Must Read: Duolingo IELTS Conversion and Score Interpretation

Top Universities Accepting Duolingo vs PTE 

Next in the Duolingo vs PTE, let’s find out the top universities that accept the USA, UK and Canada:

PTE Accepted Universities in the USA

• Harvard University
• Yale University
• Columbia University
• University of Pennsylvania
• George Mason University
• Babson College
• University of Southern California
• SUNY, Binghamton
• Colorado State University
• Pace University
• University of Illinois, Chicago

PTE Accepted Universities in the UK

• London Business School
• University of Oxford
• Aston University
• University of Southampton
• University of Bath
• University of Warwick
• University of Glasgow

PTE Accepted Universities in Canada

• University of British Columbia
• McGill University
• University of Ottawa
• University of Calgary
• University of Waterloo
• Dalhousie University
• York University
• University of Saskatchewan

Duolingo Accepted Universities in Australia

Duolingo Accepted Universities in UK

• Anglia Ruskin University
• Bangor University
• University of Bristol
• Brunel University
• University of Glasgow
• University of Birmingham
• Queen’s University Belfast
• Middlesex University
• University of Stirling
• Plymouth University
• University of Hertfordshire
• Leeds Beckett University

Duolingo Accepted Universities in USA

• University of North Alabama
• Arizona State University
• University of Arkansas
• California Institute of Technology
• California State University Northridge
• Humboldt State University
• Yale University
• University of Bridgeport
• Florida Atlantic University
• Georgia State University
• University of Idaho
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Carnegie Mellon University

Duolingo Accepted Universities in Canada

• Algoma University
• Cape Breton University
• Concordia University
• University of Calgary
• University of Alberta
• Thompson Rivers University
• University of New Brunswick – Saint John
• University of Windsor
• Yorkville University, Toronto
• University of Regina

Also Read: IELTS and GMAT Scores to Study in UK

FAQs

Also Read: How to Improve English Pronunciation for IELTS?

Want to know which is the best exam for you in Duolingo vs PTE? Sign up for a free profile evaluation with Leverage Edu on 1800 572 000 and pave the way for a bright study abroad journey!