By PrepEx team · Official guidance checked .
Can I take the Duolingo English Test at a test centre?
The DET is designed for online testing from home. Its normal booking process does not offer a test-centre appointment. You prepare the room and equipment yourself.
Taking it at home does not mean someone can help you. You must be alone. The test records your session so it can be checked before a result is certified. Certified means Duolingo has approved the result after its checks.
See Duolingo's official test-readiness guide.
Do I need to book a time slot for DET?
No. You buy the test and start when you and your setup are ready. You do not need to choose an appointment time.
A purchased test credit is permission to take a test. It has an expiry date. The current rules give you 21 days from purchase to use a credit. Check the expiry shown in your official account.
Allow about one uninterrupted hour for the test. Set up your room and check your devices beforehand. If you share a home, agree on a quiet time and ask others not to enter.
Check the current official test rules before purchasing.
Can I take the Duolingo English Test on my phone?
No. You answer the test on a supported desktop or laptop using the official DET desktop app. A phone, iPad or Chromebook cannot be your main test device.
You also need a phone as a second camera. The computer camera shows you from the front. The phone records another view, including your computer screen and keyboard. It does not replace the computer camera.
Before paying, check that you have access to both devices. If you borrow a computer, check that you can install the app and allow it to use the camera and microphone.
Sources: supported test devices and phone-camera requirements.
What do I need to take DET at home?
- A supported desktop or laptop, the DET app, a front-facing camera, microphone and speakers.
- A charged phone with a camera, set up beside your computer.
- A stable internet connection and a physical, accepted ID.
- A quiet, private, well-lit room where you can stay alone.
- One keyboard and one mouse, with extra monitors disconnected.
No headphones or earbuds, notes, extra devices, outside help, dictionaries or translators are allowed. Close other apps and disable extensions and writing aids.
Use our Duolingo English Test requirements checklist for the full setup steps, ID links and phone position.
How should I prepare before buying the test?
- Check acceptance. Find the exact DET score required by your university and course. Do not assume every course has the same rule.
- Check your setup. Make a list of any equipment you need to borrow. Choose the room you will use.
- Learn the tasks. Read the DET format guide, then try one question type.
- Plan your practice. Use the DET learning guides to work on skills you find difficult.
PrepEx practice may allow phones or headphones and may skip ID and camera checks. Those practice conditions do not meet the real test rules. PrepEx scores are practice estimates, not official DET results.