Duolingo English Test for Canada: study, PR and citizenship
The Duolingo English Test is not on IRCC's list of approved language tests, and for citizenship IRCC says it does not accept other third-party tests. Many schools accept it for admission, so check the body that will read your result.
People ask whether the Duolingo English Test works for Canada, and the honest answer depends on the purpose. This page keeps IRCC's rules and Duolingo's statements apart, so you can see who is saying what. It is not immigration advice: IRCC and your school decide.
The answer, by what you need it for
It depends on the purpose, and the purposes are treated very differently.
The Duolingo English Test, or DET, is a one-hour online English test that many universities and colleges accept for admission. Whether it counts in Canada depends on what you are using it for. Here is what the sources say, purpose by purpose.
| What you need it for | What the sources say | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Express Entry and other permanent residence streams | Not on IRCC's list of approved tests. IRCC lists CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. | IRCC |
| Canadian citizenship | IRCC lists the third-party tests it accepts, then says it does not accept any other third-party test results, even if they are similar. | IRCC |
| Post-graduation work permit | IRCC's page that turns test results into language levels has tables for CELPIP, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada, and none for Duolingo. | IRCC |
| Admission to a university or college | Many institutions accept it. Duolingo says each institution sets its own accepted tests. | Duolingo |
Our reading: treat the DET as an admissions test, not an immigration test. Before you pay for it, confirm the purpose on the page of the body that will read the result.
What IRCC says
The designated list, quoted in full.
For most immigration purposes IRCC wants a result from an approved test run by an organisation it has designated. IRCC defines the word.
"“Designated” means we accept the results of an organization’s test as proof of language ability, because the organization and their test meet all our criteria."
IRCC's language requirements guidance then lists the English language organisations and tests it has designated. It is short. Read it for the name Duolingo.
"English language testing organizations Designated testing organization Approved test Note Paragon Testing Enterprises, a Prometric company Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) The CELPIP-General (CELPIP-G) test is accepted by IRCC for immigration and citizenship purposes. The CELPIP-General – Listening and Speaking (CELPIP-G LS) test is accepted by IRCC for citizenship purposes only. Cambridge University Press and Assessment International Development Program (IDP) Australia British Council International English Language Testing System (IELTS) The IELTS General Training test is accepted by IRCC for immigration and citizenship purposes. The Economic Mobility Pathway Pilot is the only program that accepts the IELTS One Skill Retake test for immigration purposes. Pearson Canada Inc. Pearson Test of English (PTE) Core The PTE Core test is accepted by IRCC for immigration and citizenship purposes. Educational Testing Services Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Essentials This test isn’t currently accepted by IRCC. This page will be updated once we start accepting it."
Duolingo is not on it. Notice that even TOEFL Essentials, which IRCC lists as designated, carries a note saying it is not currently accepted. IRCC's guidance says designated means it accepts a test's results, so its own pages do not agree here. Go by the note on the list.
For Express Entry, the language test page names the approved tests directly.
"You can take any of these approved language tests: English French CELPIP: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program You must take the CELPIP-General test. TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de français IELTS: International English Language Testing System You must take the IELTS General Training option. We don’t accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry. TCF Canada: Test de connaissance du français PTE Core: Pearson Test of English You must take the PTE Core option."
For citizenship, IRCC's help centre ends its list of accepted tests with a firm line.
"We don’t accept any other third-party test results, even if they’re similar."
What Duolingo says about Canada
A December 2024 post, about study permits.
Duolingo's own blog has a post about Canada ending its Student Direct Stream. It is the Duolingo page we found that talks about Canadian rules, so read it carefully. It is dated December 11, 2024, and it is about study permits, not permanent residence.
"Students can use any English language proficiency test accepted for admission by the academic institution they’re applying to – we know because we asked IRCC and they confirmed that for us!"
That is Duolingo reporting what IRCC told it, and it is more than a year old. We could not check it against an IRCC page, so check the current study permit instructions yourself. The same post says the test is trusted by more than 300 institutions in Canada.
"Wide Acceptance: The DET is trusted by more than 300 institutions in Canada, including top universities and publicly funded colleges"
Duolingo's terms also say it is not liable for decisions by anyone else, and they name immigration and visa decisions.
"DUOLINGO WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR THE ACTIONS OR DECISIONS OF ANY THIRD PARTY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ADMISSIONS, EMPLOYMENT, IMMIGRATION, OR VISA DECISIONS"
What the test is
The basics, from Duolingo's own pages.
Duolingo says you can take the test online, at home, with no appointment, and get results in 2 days. The test process takes an hour in total.
| Part of the hour | Time Duolingo gives |
|---|---|
| Setup and ID verification | 5 minutes |
| Scored assessment | 45 minutes |
| Writing and speaking samples | 10 minutes |
The writing and speaking samples are not scored, but Duolingo shares them with institutions. Duolingo says they are ungraded but shared, so give them a proper try.
"At the end of the graded section, you’ll complete: A video interview A writing sample These are ungraded but shared with institutions"
Duolingo says the practice test is free and can be taken more than once. You can send your certified scores to as many institutions as you like at no extra cost.
How to check it will work for you
Four steps before you pay.
- Name the purpose: admission, a study permit, a work permit, permanent residence or citizenship.
- For admission, open the school's own page on accepted English tests, and check Duolingo's list of accepting institutions too. Duolingo says each institution's accepted tests are posted on its own website.
- For anything run by IRCC, read IRCC's own list and book only a test that is on it.
- Keep the date in mind: Duolingo says a certificate is valid for two years, and IRCC has its own time limits for results.
Duolingo's own list says the institutions marked with a star accept the test but may ask for extra proof of English.
"Institutions marked with * accept the Duolingo English Test and use results in the admissions process, but some applicants may be required to submit additional proof of English proficiency."
If you need language proof for Canadian immigration
Choose a test on IRCC's list.
If your goal is a permanent residence or citizenship application, pick a test IRCC names. Our pages help you compare them, and the CELPIP and PTE Core pages show what each test owner says.
- English tests accepted by IRCC: the approved tests side by side.
- CELPIP against IELTS: two of the approved tests compared.
- Duolingo English Test fees: what the test costs, if you only need it for admission.
- TOEFL for Canadian immigration: the same question for TOEFL.
Common questions
Not on the IRCC pages we read. IRCC's Express Entry list names CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada, and Duolingo is not among them.
No. IRCC says you must take one of the approved language tests it lists, and the DET is not on that list.
IRCC lists the third-party tests it accepts for citizenship and says it does not accept any other third-party test results, even if they are similar.
Duolingo said in December 2024 that students can use any English test accepted for admission by the school they apply to, and that IRCC confirmed this to Duolingo. We could not check that against an IRCC page, so confirm it for your own application.
Duolingo says it is trusted by more than 300 institutions in Canada and 6,500+ institutions worldwide. Each institution sets its own accepted tests, so check your school.
IRCC says designated means it accepts the results of an organisation's test as proof of language ability because the organisation and its test meet all of IRCC's criteria. IRCC's language requirements page shows one designated test, TOEFL Essentials, that it says is not currently accepted, so check the note beside any test.
IRCC's page for finding your language level for the work permit has tables for CELPIP, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada, and none for Duolingo. Check IRCC's page for your own case.
A Duolingo guide updated in February 2026 says it costs $70USD. An older Duolingo post from December 2024 said $65 USD. The Duolingo payment page we read only asks you to create an account and shows no price, so check the price on screen before you pay. See our Duolingo fee page for the detail.