Duolingo Was Accepted.
Then It Wasn't.
Check whether your institution still accepts it before you book anything
Quick answer
The Duolingo English Test is no longer widely accepted. It has been removed from the approved lists for UK and Australian student visas, and most UK and Australian universities have gone back to IELTS, PTE or TOEFL. Some US and Canadian universities still take it for admissions, but it is not valid for UK, Australian or Canadian immigration. Always check both the university and the visa authority before you book.
During the pandemic, universities and governments needed an English test that students could take at home. Duolingo filled that gap. It was fast, cheap, and accessible. Dozens of countries and hundreds of universities agreed to accept it. That arrangement, for most of them, has now ended.
Who pulled it and what to use instead
| Who | What happened | What to use instead |
|---|---|---|
| UK Home Office (student visa) | Off the SELT approved list. Not valid for UK student visas. | IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Trinity ISE II or III |
| Australian Dept of Home Affairs | Off the approved list for student visas. | IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 or C2 |
| Most UK universities | Majority reverted to pre-pandemic requirements. | Check each university's own requirements page |
| Most Australian universities | Most stopped accepting from 2023 onward. | Check each university's own requirements page |
| US universities | Mixed. Some still accept it. | Check the specific programme before registering |
Requirements change. Check directly with the institution or government website before booking.
Why it happened
Duolingo's test is taken at home without a supervised test centre. That made it accessible and affordable. It also raised questions about how consistently results could be verified compared to a proctored, in-person test. Universities and visa authorities that had accepted it as a temporary measure decided, once test centres reopened, that they wanted the additional security of in-person testing back.
The people hardest hit were students from Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and other countries where test fees are a significant financial commitment. Many had spent months preparing for Duolingo specifically, based on information that was accurate when they found it but had since changed.
The most dangerous assumption: confusing university acceptance with visa acceptance
A university accepting Duolingo for admissions does not mean it is accepted for your visa. UK student visas require a test from the Home Office SELT list. A student who satisfied their university's Duolingo requirement but never separately checked the visa list discovered the problem at the visa stage, not at the admissions stage. By then, their application timeline had collapsed.
Who is still accepting it
Some US universities still accept Duolingo. Some Canadian universities accept it for admissions. It is not accepted for Canadian immigration. It is not accepted for UK or Australian visas. A university that accepted it last year may have updated its policy for the current intake. The Duolingo website lists accepting institutions, but that list changes and is self-reported. Verify on the university's own admissions page.
Two checks before you book anything
Check the English requirements on the specific course page, not the university homepage. Then check the visa requirements for your destination country separately. These are two different lists, maintained by two different organisations. A score can satisfy one and fail the other.
Go deeper
Nine Tests. One Is Right for You. Here Is the Full Scorecard.
Every major English and academic test compared: what each one is accepted for, who accepts it, and how to pick the right one for your specific goal.
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About the author
Sadia
Co-founder, WizardTeacher · Marketing and student experience
Sadia is co-founder of WizardTeacher and heads marketing, operations, and student experience. Her articles draw on official exam board documentation, student feedback data, and extensive research into how students prepare and improve under test conditions.