AlmiDET

DET requirements

🇨🇦 Duolingo English Test requirements for Canada

More than 400 Canadian universities and colleges accept the DET, including every English-speaking U15 research university.

Institutions accepting the DET
400+ institutions
Score scale
10–160

What score you need

Scores run on the 10–160 scale; there is no single national minimum — each university and program sets its own.

Top universities cluster around 120–135; mid-tier 110–120; colleges and pathways 95–110.

Score bands by tier

TierDET rangeExamples
Top research universities120–135UofT, UBC, McGill
Mid-tier universities110–120York, Dalhousie, SFU
Colleges & pathways95–110community colleges, foundation routes

Universities that accept the DET in Canada

  • University of Toronto120–135
  • University of British Columbia120–130
  • McGill University120–130

Admission is not the same as the visa

Canada ended the Student Direct Stream (SDS) on 8 November 2024, which used to require IELTS specifically — so older guides are out of date. Today everyone uses the regular study-permit process: if a Canadian university accepts your DET and issues a Letter of Acceptance (LOA), that's generally sufficient for the permit. Note: Permanent Residency later requires an approved immigration test (IELTS General or CELPIP) — the DET is not used for PR.

DET vs IELTS — cost

Since SDS ended, there's no longer a visa advantage to IELTS over the DET for Canadian study permits — at ~$70 vs ~$245, the DET is the cheaper route for admission.

Admission
400+ universities and colleges; every English-speaking U15 university.
Study permit
DET-based admission + LOA generally sufficient since SDS ended.
PR (later)
Not used for Permanent Residency — needs IELTS General or CELPIP.

Sources

Universities in Canada that accept the DET

Confirmed on Duolingo's accepting-institutions list, with course data from AlmiStudy. Each university sets its own DET score — confirm on its official page.

Showing 14 of 48 matched universities.

Common questions

Is the Duolingo English Test accepted in Canada?
The Duolingo English Test is accepted for admission by a range of institutions in Canada. Each university — and often each programme — sets its own minimum score on the 10–160 scale, so confirm the figure on the official admissions page.
What DET score do I need for Canada?
There is no single national minimum. Requirements vary by university and programme; this page lists honest score bands by tier. Always confirm the current figure with your specific programme.
Does the DET work for a Canada student visa?
Admission and visa are separate. A test accepted for university admission is not automatically accepted for the visa. See the admission-versus-visa note on this page and confirm with the official authority.

Plan the rest of your move for Canada

AlmiStudy
Find universities and the subjects they teach, by country.
AlmiPrep
Preparing for IELTS instead? Practice all four skills with honest feedback.
Practice the DET
Try AlmiDET practice tasks on the real 10–160 scale with honest AI feedback.

Practice on the real 10–160 scale

Honest AI feedback, no inflated numbers.

Start practising

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.