Duolingo English Test and PTE Acceptance in Europe

Two newer alternatives to IELTS and TOEFL

The Duolingo English Test (DET) and PTE Academic are increasingly used as English-proficiency tests for English-taught degrees in Europe. Both are convenient — PTE is computer-based with fast results, and the Duolingo English Test is taken online at home — which has driven their popularity with applicants.

However, neither is accepted everywhere yet. Acceptance is growing across European universities but remains far less universal than IELTS or TOEFL, so they must be checked case by case.

What each test is

PTE Academic, from Pearson, is a computer-based English test covering speaking, writing, reading and listening, known for quick score turnaround. The Duolingo English Test is an online, adaptive, remotely proctored English test that can be taken from home on a computer.

Both aim to measure academic English, but each university decides independently whether to accept them and at what score.

• PTE Academic — computer-based test at a test centre, fast results
• Duolingo English Test — online, adaptive, at-home with remote proctoring
• Acceptance and required score are set by each university

Acceptance is growing but not universal

A rising number of universities in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, Italy and Spain accept PTE Academic and/or the Duolingo English Test for their English-medium programmes. Many others still accept only IELTS or TOEFL.

Because there is no Europe-wide rule, never assume acceptance. Confirm on the specific programme's admissions page that your chosen test is accepted and check the minimum score it requires.

Check the visa stage separately

Acceptance by a university does not automatically mean a test is accepted for the national student visa or residence permit. Some immigration processes accept a narrower set of English tests than universities do, and rules differ by country and can change.

This is general information, not immigration advice. Verify whether your test is accepted for the visa on the official national government immigration source before you commit to it.

How to decide which test to take

Pick the test only after you have confirmed it works end to end. Check the programme page for university acceptance, confirm the minimum score, then check the relevant immigration source for the visa stage — and keep IELTS or TOEFL as a fallback if either step does not accept Duolingo or PTE.

• Confirm the university accepts the test for your exact programme
• Note the minimum score and any section requirements
• Check the national immigration source for visa-stage acceptance
• Keep IELTS/TOEFL as a backup where DET or PTE is not accepted