Is the Duolingo English Test accepted in United Kingdom?

The Duolingo English Test is accepted for admission by a range of institutions in United Kingdom. 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 United Kingdom?

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 United Kingdom 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.

DET requirements

🇬🇧 Duolingo English Test requirements for United Kingdom

More than 130 UK universities accept the DET for admission, including several Russell Group institutions.

Institutions accepting the DET

130+ universities

Score scale

10–160

What score you need

Scores run on the 10–160 scale; most UK universities want 110–125 for taught programs, and some set minimum subscores.

Competitive and Russell Group programs sit at 120–130+; foundation and pre-sessional routes lower.

Score bands by tier

Tier	DET range	Examples
Competitive / Russell Group	120–130+	Imperial, Bristol, Birmingham
Most taught programs	110–125	wide range of universities
Foundation / pre-sessional	90–105	pathway & foundation routes

Universities that accept the DET in United Kingdom

Imperial College London120–130+
University of Bristol115–125
University of Glasgow
University of York

Admission is not the same as the visa

Important: the DET is accepted for UK university ADMISSION but is NOT on the UK Home Office's approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) list, so it cannot serve as a standalone SELT for the student visa. Many universities (especially post-1992) assess English internally and issue a CAS that enables the visa without a separate SELT — if a university says its DET offer 'covers visa requirements', confirm that in writing with admissions. For most students, IELTS for UKVI remains the standard visa route.

DET vs IELTS — cost

The DET (~$70) secures a UK admission offer cheaply; budget separately for IELTS UKVI (~£200) only if your specific university requires a SELT for the visa.

Admission

130+ universities including Russell Group members.

Visa (SELT)

Not on the UKVI SELT list — not a standalone visa test.

Sources

Universities in United Kingdom 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.

University of OxfordOxford
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Business and Management
University of CambridgeCambridge
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Business and Management
Imperial College LondonLondon
Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Medicine and Health Sciences · Computer Science
University College London (UCL)London
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Business and Management
University of EdinburghEdinburgh
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering · Business
King's College LondonLondon
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Business and Management · Medicine and Health Sciences
University of BristolBristol
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering · Business
University of WarwickCoventry
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering · Business (Warwick Business School)
University of BirminghamBirmingham
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Business and Management
Cardiff UniversityCardiff
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Business and Management
Durham UniversityDurham
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Business and Management
University of ExeterExeter
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Business and Management
University of LeedsLeeds
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Business and Management
University of LiverpoolLiverpool
Arts and Humanities · Sciences · Engineering and Technology · Business and Management

Showing 14 of 56 matched universities.

Common questions

Is the Duolingo English Test accepted in United Kingdom?: The Duolingo English Test is accepted for admission by a range of institutions in United Kingdom. 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 United Kingdom?: 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 United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom

AlmiStudy

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AlmiPrep

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Practice the DET

Try AlmiDET practice tasks on the real 10–160 scale with honest AI feedback.

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.