IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo vs PTE: Which English Test Should You Take in 2026?

Choosing an English test is one of the first — and most expensive — decisions you will make when you apply to study abroad. Book the wrong test and you can lose the fee, miss a deadline, or discover at the visa stage that your score cannot be used at all. Book the right one and the same preparation carries you through admission, scholarship applications and, in some countries, the visa itself.

This guide is for international students — including the many applicants from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Nigeria and Indonesia who read StudyGraduate — planning undergraduate or postgraduate entry in 2026 and 2027. It compares the four tests universities ask about most often: IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, the Duolingo English Test (DET) and PTE Academic. You will find how each test is structured, how it is scored, what it costs in different countries, how long scores last, and — crucially — where each test is and is not accepted for visas.

Two warnings before the detail. First, there is no single “best” test. There is only the best test for your shortlist of universities and your visa route. Second, requirements vary by university, by programme and sometimes by department within the same university. The figures in this guide are official minimums for visas where a government sets them, and clearly labelled typical university ranges everywhere else. Always confirm the exact requirement on your programme page before you pay for any test. If you are also weighing up scores country by country, read our companion guide to IELTS band requirements for the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Germany alongside this one, and browse programmes first through the StudyGraduate university directory so your test choice follows your shortlist — not the other way round.

At a Glance: The Four Tests Side by Side

The table below is the fastest way to see the trade-offs. Read it, then use the deep sections that follow before you decide — the headline fee or duration rarely tells the whole story.

Fees are examples verified at write time from official provider and booking sources and labelled by country. Every provider changes fees and varies them by test centre — confirm the exact fee on the official booking page for your city before you budget.

IELTS Academic: The Most Widely Accepted Test

IELTS — the International English Language Testing System — is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. For university admission you need IELTS Academic, not IELTS General Training (which is aimed at migration and work). There is also IELTS for UKVI, which is the same test in content, format and scoring, delivered only at UK Visas and Immigration-approved centres with additional security — that distinction matters enormously for UK visas, as explained below.

Format

IELTS has four papers taken in one sitting: Listening (about 30 minutes, 40 questions), Reading (60 minutes, 40 questions, academic texts), Writing (60 minutes, two tasks — describing data or a process, then an essay) and Speaking (11–14 minutes). The Speaking test is a genuine conversation with a trained human examiner in three parts: an introduction and interview, a one-to-two-minute long turn on a cue-card topic, and a discussion of more abstract questions. Many students find this the least stressful speaking format because it feels like a conversation; others dislike the unpredictability of a live interview. You can take IELTS on paper or on computer at a test centre. Computer delivery gives faster results and more test dates in most cities.

Scoring

Each skill is scored from 1 to 9 in half-band steps, and the four scores are averaged and rounded to give your Overall Band Score. There is no pass or fail — your score is simply matched against what each university and visa authority requires. IELTS scores have a recommended validity of two years. Since 2023, many centres also offer IELTS One Skill Retake for computer-delivered tests: if you fall short in a single skill, you may be able to retake just that skill within 60 days instead of the whole test, where your university and visa route accept it. Check acceptance first — not every institution accepts a retake result.

Where IELTS is strongest

IELTS is accepted by more than 12,000 organisations worldwide and is the safest single choice if you are applying across several countries at once — the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and much of Europe, plus a large and growing number of US universities. It is also one of only two tests in this comparison (with PTE Academic UKVI) that can serve as a UK Secure English Language Test, and it is firmly on the Australian Department of Home Affairs accepted list when taken at a test centre. If your plans might change country, IELTS rarely paints you into a corner. You can check official test information and find your nearest centre via IELTS.org and the British Council IELTS site.

TOEFL iBT: The US-Origin Test — With a New Score Scale

The TOEFL iBT, run by ETS, was built for North American academic admissions and remains deeply embedded in US and Canadian university requirements pages. It tests all four skills in an academic context, entirely on computer, either at a test centre or — via the Home Edition — at home under a live human proctor.

What changed — in 2023, and again in January 2026

Two changes matter for anyone reading older advice. First, in July 2023 ETS shortened the TOEFL iBT to under two hours and replaced the old Independent Writing task with Writing for an Academic Discussion, among other streamlining changes. Second — and more important for 2026 applicants — ETS introduced a new 1–6 score scale on 21 January 2026. ETS’s official test-content page confirms that you now receive four section scores and an overall score on the 1–6 scale (in half-point steps; the overall is the average of the sections, rounded to the nearest half band), and that for a two-year transition period you will also receive a comparable overall score on the familiar 0–120 scale. The current test sections use newer task types — for example Reading includes Complete the Words and Read in Daily Life alongside an academic passage, Writing includes Build a Sentence and Write an Email, and Speaking includes Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview — and ETS states you should allow approximately two hours in total.

Practical consequence: if a university page still says “TOEFL 90” or “TOEFL 100”, that is the old 0–120 scale. Your new score report shows both scales during the transition, so you can compare directly — but always read the university’s updated guidance, because institutions are revising their stated minimums to the 1–6 scale at different speeds. Do not convert scores yourself using unofficial charts found on forums.

Where TOEFL is strongest — and its limits

TOEFL is an excellent choice if your list is concentrated on the USA and Canada, where admissions teams know it intimately, and MyBest Scores (combining your best section scores from multiple sittings within two years, where a university accepts them) can work in your favour. Its limits are visa-related: TOEFL is not a UK SELT, so it cannot by itself satisfy a UK Student visa English requirement that calls for a SELT — although, at degree level, a UK Higher Education Provider can assess your English itself and record that on your CAS, which is a separate route explained in the visa section below. For Australia, test-centre TOEFL iBT is accepted by Home Affairs, but you must follow ETS and Home Affairs instructions at registration (including selecting the Australia option where required), and at-home scores have faced restrictions — verify the current position before relying on Home Edition for an Australian visa. Official details are at ETS TOEFL.

Duolingo English Test: Fast, Cheap, At Home — With Real Acceptance Limits

The Duolingo English Test is the disruptor in this comparison. It is a fully online, computer-adaptive test you take from home on your own computer, at any time, with no appointment and no travel to a centre. It takes about an hour, costs a fraction of the other tests, returns results within 48 hours, and lets you send scores to unlimited institutions for free. Duolingo states the test is accepted by more than 5,500 institutions worldwide (with some sources now citing over 6,000 programmes), including many well-known US universities.

Format and scoring

The DET adapts in real time: answer well and the next questions get harder. It blends the four skills into integrated tasks — reading and listening together, interactive writing, speaking to prompts — rather than four separate papers. You receive an overall score from 10 to 160 in 5-point steps, plus subscores: the integrated subscores (Literacy, Comprehension, Conversation and Production) and, in the current score report, individual skill subscores as well. A 10-minute Writing Sample and video interview are shared with universities alongside your score but do not change the number. Scores are valid for two years, results can be rushed to about 12 hours for an extra fee, and you may buy up to three tests in a 30-day period under Duolingo’s rules.

The honest limits — read this before you book

DET’s convenience comes with three hard limits you must not gloss over. First, visas: the DET is not a UK Secure English Language Test, so it cannot be used as a SELT for a UK Student visa; and the Australian Department of Home Affairs does not accept tests taken entirely at home for the Student visa — the DET is not on its accepted test list. Second, university acceptance is broad but not universal: some highly selective universities do not accept the DET at all — Oxford and Cambridge are well-known examples — and others accept it for some programmes but not others. Third, proctoring is strict: your whole session is recorded and reviewed, and results are regularly withheld for rule breaks students did not realise were rules — looking away from the screen, another person entering the room, headphones, or background noise. Follow the official rules at englishtest.duolingo.com to the letter. Used for the right shortlist — especially US universities that explicitly list the DET — it is superb value. Used as a shortcut around a visa test requirement, it can cost you your intake.

PTE Academic: Fully Computer-Scored, Fast Results

PTE Academic, run by Pearson, is taken entirely on computer at a Pearson test centre — including the speaking, which you record into a microphone while other candidates do the same around you. It lasts about two hours across three parts: Speaking & Writing together, then Reading, then Listening. Tasks are heavily integrated: you might listen to a lecture and summarise it in writing, or read a text aloud for scoring.

Scoring

PTE gives an overall score from 10 to 90, plus communicative skills scores (Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing) and enabling skills scores (such as grammar, pronunciation, fluency and vocabulary). Scoring is automated, with Pearson stating that human expert scoring and review layers apply to aspects of the test — in August 2025 Pearson added two new speaking task types (Summarise Group Discussion and Respond to a Situation) and strengthened human review for some tasks, a further reason to prepare with current official materials rather than old templates. Results typically arrive within 48 hours and scores are valid for two years. As with IELTS, there are visa-specific versions: PTE Academic UKVI is the SELT version for UK visas, and standard PTE Academic is accepted by the Australian Department of Home Affairs for student visas and by IRCC-designated routes in Canada for immigration programmes (note: PTE Core, a different test, is the one IRCC lists for Canadian permanent residence language proof — do not confuse the two).

Where PTE is strongest

PTE suits students who type fast, think in templates and structures, and would rather perform to a computer than to a human examiner. It is particularly well established for Australia, where universities and Home Affairs both know it well, and it offers frequent test dates and fast turnaround when a deadline is close. Its speaking room can be noisy — you will hear other candidates — so do a realistic practice run before deciding. Official information and booking are at pearsonpte.com.

Fees Compared: What You Will Actually Pay

Test fees are set locally and change without a single global announcement, which is why round numbers copied from blogs go stale so quickly. The table below gives verified examples labelled by country at the time of writing. Treat the fee on the official booking page for your own city as the only final figure.

On headline price alone the DET wins by a wide margin, and PTE and TOEFL sit in the middle in most markets, with IELTS often the most expensive — especially the UKVI version. But the cheapest test is only cheap if your universities and your visa route accept it. A $70 score you cannot use is more expensive than a £257 score that carries you from offer to visa. Budget, too, for the realistic possibility of a second sitting: most students should book early enough that a retake is still possible before application deadlines. While you plan, use the StudyGraduate tools hub — including the tuition and budget calculators — to place the test fee inside your full application budget, and check the test preparation hub for structured practice routes for each exam.

Visa Acceptance: The Section That Decides Everything

Universities decide admission. Governments decide visas. The two decisions use overlapping but different rules, and confusing them is the single most expensive mistake in this whole topic.

United Kingdom. GOV.UK states that for a Student visa you must prove English to CEFR level B2 for degree-level study (B1 below degree level). Where a Secure English Language Test is required, it must be from an approved provider — IELTS for UKVI and PTE Academic UKVI are the SELTs in this comparison. In IELTS terms, B2 corresponds to at least 5.5 in each component on IELTS for UKVI, and B1 to 4.0 in each component (British Council UKVI guidance). However, if you study at degree level with a Higher Education Provider, GOV.UK confirms the provider can assess your English itself — so a university may accept standard IELTS, PTE, TOEFL or even DET for admission and record its assessment on your CAS, without you taking a SELT. That is the university’s choice, not yours: never assume it. Below degree level, a SELT is required. Full rules: GOV.UK — Student visa: Knowledge of English.

Australia. The Department of Home Affairs sets a minimum English level for the Student (subclass 500) visa itself — since the 2024–2025 changes, an IELTS overall 6.0 (or equivalent in an accepted test, taken at a secure centre) for direct entry, with lower packaged routes via ELICOS (see our band-requirements guide). IELTS, TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic taken at a test centre are accepted; at-home tests are not. Universities then set their own — usually higher — course requirements on top.

Canada. IRCC does not set a fixed IELTS score for a study permit in the regular stream, and the former Student Direct Stream — which had its own “IELTS 6.0 with no band below 6.0” rule — ended on 8 November 2024. Any guide still quoting the SDS rule as current is out of date. Today, your score matters because your Designated Learning Institution requires it for admission, and because a credible, consistent application matters for the permit decision. Choose the test your DLI lists.

USA. There is no government IELTS or TOEFL minimum for the F-1 visa. Your university sets the English requirement, admits you, and issues your I-20; the visa interview then tests the credibility of your overall application. That is why US requirements are always quoted as university ranges, never as a national floor.

Germany. For English-taught programmes there is likewise no national visa IELTS floor: each programme sets its requirement (commonly IELTS 6.0–6.5) and the visa follows your admission. German-taught programmes require German proof (such as TestDaF or DSH) instead. Funding routes such as those in our guide to scholarships in Germany for international students follow the programme’s stated language rule.

How to Choose: A Decision Framework That Actually Works

Work through these five steps in order. Do not start with step 4 — most students do, and it is how the wrong test gets booked.

Step 1 — List your universities first. Shortlist five to eight programmes using the rankings explorer and university directory, and write down, for each programme, exactly which tests it accepts and at what scores. If a test is missing from even one must-have programme, it is not your main test.

Step 2 — Apply the visa filter. UK below degree level, or a UK route where your provider will not assess English itself? You need a SELT: IELTS for UKVI or PTE Academic UKVI. Australia? Test-centre IELTS, TOEFL or PTE only. Any plan that depends on DET or Home Edition scores for a visa should be re-checked against the official government page today, not a blog.

Step 3 — Match the format to your strengths. Strong conversationalist who freezes at a microphone? IELTS speaking with a human may lift you. Fast typist who performs consistently to a screen? PTE or TOEFL. Need a score this week, from home, for a US list that accepts it? DET. Academic reading and integrated tasks closest to US campus work? TOEFL. Take one free official practice test for your top two candidates before paying — format fit is worth half a band.

Step 4 — Compare total cost, not headline cost. Add score-sending fees, travel to the centre, likely retake cost and preparation materials. DET’s unlimited free sending and $70 fee are genuinely hard to beat where accepted; equally, a single IELTS sitting that covers five countries can be cheaper than two different tests for two countries.

Step 5 — Book backwards from your deadline. You need the score before universities will issue an unconditional offer or CAS/CoE, and scores expire after two years — do not test so early that your score lapses before enrolment, nor so late that a retake is impossible. For most Fall 2027 applicants, testing in late 2026 to mid-2027 leaves room for one retake. Fund the plan properly too: scholarship deadlines often fall before admission deadlines, so align your test date with guides such as scholarships in the USA for international students and scholarships in the UK for international students if funding is part of your route.

Common Mistakes That Waste Money

Booking IELTS General Training for university admission. Universities require Academic. The names are similar; the acceptance is not.

Booking standard IELTS when you need IELTS for UKVI. Same test, different delivery and report form. If a SELT is required, a standard result cannot be converted afterwards — you will pay and sit again.

Assuming DET or Home Edition scores work for every visa. They do not — see the UK and Australia limits above. Check the government page, not the test marketing page.

Quoting the old TOEFL 0–120 scale as if nothing changed. From 21 January 2026 your primary TOEFL scale is 1–6, with the 0–120 comparable shown in transition. Read each university’s updated wording carefully.

Using the dead Canada SDS rule. SDS ended in November 2024. There is no current IRCC “6.0 in every band” study-permit rule — your DLI’s admission requirement is the operative one.

Ignoring component minimums. An overall score can hide a disqualifying skill score. Universities and visa rules alike set per-skill floors (the UK B2 rule is per-component). Compare all four scores, not just the headline.

Testing once, at the deadline. One bad day — illness, noise, a hard listening recording — then decides your intake. Book early enough for a retake, and consider IELTS One Skill Retake where it is accepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which English test is easiest — IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo or PTE?

None is objectively easiest; they measure the same underlying English through different formats. Students who speak well in conversation often prefer IELTS; strong typists who like predictable, computer-scored tasks often prefer PTE; students targeting the USA often find TOEFL’s academic tasks most relevant; and DET’s adaptive, one-hour format feels shortest. Your mock-test scores under real conditions — not other students’ opinions — are the only reliable guide. Try official practice material for two tests before you pay.

Can I use the Duolingo English Test for a UK or Australian student visa?

No — not as the visa English test itself. DET is not a UK Secure English Language Test, so it cannot satisfy a SELT requirement for a UK Student visa, although a UK university at degree level may accept it for admission and assess your English itself for the CAS. For Australia, the Department of Home Affairs requires an accepted test taken at a secure centre and does not accept at-home tests; DET is not on its list. Always check GOV.UK and Home Affairs directly.

What is the new TOEFL score scale in 2026, and what happened to 0–120?

From 21 January 2026, ETS reports TOEFL iBT scores on a 1–6 scale in half-point steps — four section scores plus an overall average — confirmed on ETS’s official test-content page. For a two-year transition period your report also shows a comparable 0–120 overall score, which is why universities can still read older-style requirements. After the transition, expect the 1–6 scale to stand alone. Do not use unofficial conversion tables to restate your score.

Is IELTS or PTE better for Australia?

Both IELTS (test-centre) and PTE Academic are accepted by the Department of Home Affairs for the Student visa and by Australian universities. Choose on format: IELTS if you prefer a human speaking interview and paper-or-computer flexibility; PTE if you prefer fully computer-based delivery and typically 48-hour results. Your university’s required scores — commonly IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6.0 for degree entry, or the stated PTE equivalent — matter more than the test brand.

How long are English test scores valid for?

Two years for all four tests in this guide: IELTS (recommended validity), TOEFL iBT, Duolingo English Test and PTE Academic. The clock runs from the test date, and your score generally must still be valid when the university and, where relevant, the visa authority assess it. Testing more than two years before enrolment means testing again.

Can I retake just one section if I miss my target?

For IELTS, yes in many centres: IELTS One Skill Retake lets computer-delivered candidates retake a single skill within 60 days, where the receiving institution accepts it — confirm acceptance first. The other tests generally require a full retake, although TOEFL’s MyBest Scores can combine your best section scores across sittings within two years at universities that accept them. DET allows up to three purchased tests in 30 days, and PTE can be retaken under Pearson’s scheduling rules.

Which test should I take if I am applying to several countries at once?

IELTS Academic is usually the safest single investment for a multi-country list covering the UK, Australia, Canada and Europe, with PTE Academic a close alternative where your universities list it. Add TOEFL if a must-have US programme prefers or requires it. Use DET only when every programme on your list explicitly accepts it and no visa route on your plan requires a SELT or test-centre exam. Cross-check funding at the same time via the scholarships directory.

Do I need IELTS for UKVI, or is standard IELTS enough for the UK?

It depends on your level and provider. For below-degree study, or wherever a SELT is required, you need IELTS for UKVI (Academic) taken at an approved centre. For degree-level study with a Higher Education Provider, GOV.UK allows the provider to assess your English itself, and many universities therefore accept standard IELTS for admission and visa purposes via the CAS. Your university’s offer and CAS wording decide — ask them in writing before you book.

Sources & Verification

Facts in this article were verified at write time against official sources: ETS (ets.org/toefl — test content, the 1–6 score scale from 21 January 2026 and the two-year 0–120 transition, and ETS country fee listings); IELTS partners (ielts.org and British Council takeielts.britishcouncil.org — format, band scoring, UKVI/SELT guidance including B2 = 5.5 in each component and B1 = 4.0, and country fee examples); Duolingo (englishtest.duolingo.com — $70 fee, 10–160 scale, 48-hour results, acceptance and test rules); Pearson (pearsonpte.com — PTE Academic format, 10–90 scoring, UKVI status and country fee examples); GOV.UK (Student visa: Knowledge of English — CEFR B2 for degree level, B1 below degree level, HEP assessment route); the Australian Department of Home Affairs (Student visa subclass 500 English requirements); and IRCC/Canada.ca (study permit requirements and the end of the Student Direct Stream on 8 November 2024). University score ranges are labelled as typical ranges, not guarantees.

Figures and rules change — always confirm on the official government and university website before applying.

Disclaimer: StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency, consultancy or visa adviser. This article is general information only and does not promise admission, a scholarship, a job or visa approval for any applicant. Your university’s programme page and the relevant government website are the authoritative sources for your application.