Can students from South Africa use the Duolingo English Test for Australia?

DET acceptance depends on the Australia university, not your nationality. This page pairs Australia's requirements with practical notes for applicants from South Africa.

Your corridor

🇦🇺 Duolingo English Test for Australia — from South Africa

More than 90 Australian universities accept the DET for undergraduate and postgraduate programs, with acceptance growing.

What Australia asks for

Scores run on the 10–160 scale; program-specific requirements generally 95–125.

Admission is not the same as the visa

Australian universities increasingly accept the DET for admission, but the student-visa English requirement is nationality- and category-dependent: some applicants must provide a test taken at a physical centre, others are exempt. The DET is not a guaranteed standalone for the visa — check your visa category and nationality-specific rules.

From South Africa — the essentials

Costs in: South African Rand (R)
Credentials: SAQA — South African Qualifications Authority
Funding to search: Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Rhodes Scholarship (Oxford), Commonwealth Scholarships, Fulbright South Africa
Where students go: United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Netherlands, Germany
Apply from: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria

South Africa is largely English-medium, so Duolingo English Test is often waived where prior study was in English; NSFAS funds domestic study only, so overseas study uses external scholarships. At about $70 the DET is taken online from South Africa — no test-centre travel, and far cheaper than IELTS.

Plan the rest of your move for Australia

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Practice the DET

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Practice on the real 10–160 scale

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The Shamool pledge

AlmiDET is part of the AlmiWorld family. 25% of our sales go to the Shamool Foundation to support students who cannot afford fees and tests — so the work you do here helps fund a place for someone else.

AlmiDET is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Duolingo. All practice material is original and never copied from the Duolingo English Test. Acceptance figures and score bands change — always confirm the current requirement on the official university or government page before you rely on it.