Can students from South Korea use the Duolingo English Test for United States?

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

Your corridor

🇺🇸 Duolingo English Test for United States — from South Korea

Around 3,000+ US institutions accept the DET, including 95% of the U.S. News Top 100 universities and all eight Ivy League schools for undergraduate admission.

What United States asks for

Scores run on the 10–160 scale. US minimums range from ~90 at community colleges to 125+ at the most selective programs.

Admission is not the same as the visa

For the F-1 student visa, USCIS does not mandate a specific English test. Your university issues the I-20 on its own admission criteria — so if your university accepted your DET, you are covered. The consular officer assesses your spoken English at the interview in person.

From South Korea — the essentials

Costs in: South Korean Won (₩)
Credentials: Korean Council for University Education (KCUE); NIIED administers government study-abroad selection
Funding to search: Kwanjeong Educational Foundation Scholarship, NIIED Korean Government overseas study, Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies (KFAS), Fulbright Korea
Where students go: United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom
Apply from: Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daejeon

English-taught programmes need Duolingo English Test/IELTS; Korean applicants overwhelmingly take the Duolingo English Test iBT, often through dedicated prep academies. At about $70 the DET is taken online from South Korea — no test-centre travel, and far cheaper than IELTS.

Plan the rest of your move for United States

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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.