For aspiring global leaders, the journey to a top MBA program often involves navigating a complex MBA application process, including demonstrating English proficiency. While TOEFL and IELTS have traditionally been the standard, the Duolingo English Test (DET) has rapidly gained acceptance among many leading business schools, offering a convenient and affordable alternative.
What is the Duolingo English Test (DET)?
The Duolingo English Test (DET) is a modern, online English proficiency assessment designed to evaluate your ability to read, write, speak, and listen in English. Unlike traditional tests, the DET is an adaptive exam, meaning the difficulty of the questions adjusts based on your performance. This makes it a highly efficient and accurate measure of your English language skills. The test typically takes about one hour to complete, including a short introduction and setup, an adaptive section (45 minutes), and a video interview and writing sample (10 minutes).
Why Choose DET Over IELTS or TOEFL?
The DET’s rise in popularity is no surprise, especially for MBA applicants. Here’s why it’s becoming a preferred choice for many:
- Convenience: You can take the DET from anywhere with a stable internet connection and a computer with a camera and microphone, eliminating the need to travel to a test center.
- Flexibility: The test is available on-demand, allowing you to take it whenever you’re ready, without needing to book specific dates weeks or months in advance.
- Speed of Results: You typically receive your scores within 48 hours, and for an additional fee, you can get them within 12 hours. This is significantly faster than TOEFL or IELTS, which can take several days or even weeks.
- Affordability: The DET costs significantly less than TOEFL or IELTS, making it a budget-friendly option for MBA applications. Plus, you can send your scores to an unlimited number of institutions for free.
- Adaptive Format: The adaptive nature ensures that the test is tailored to your proficiency level, making the experience more efficient and engaging.
MBA Programs Accepting the Duolingo English Test
A growing number of prestigious institutions recognize the DET’s validity as a robust assessment of English language skills. While some of the traditional “M7” schools may still primarily prefer TOEFL or IELTS, many other highly-ranked programs are embracing the DET.
Here’s a list of prominent business schools that have accepted the Duolingo English Test for MBA applications, along with their websites and generally recommended minimum scores.
University (Business School) |
Website |
Accepts DET |
Recommended/min score |
| University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) | https://mba.wharton.upenn.edu/ | Yes | No minimum |
| Northwestern University (Kellogg) | https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/ | Yes | No minimum |
| University of Chicago (Booth) | https://www.chicagobooth.edu/ | Yes | PBT – 600 or iBT – 104 ; IELTS – 7 ; PTE – 70, DET – 135 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) | https://mitsloan.mit.edu/mba | No | English proficiency scores are not needed |
| Harvard University (HBS) | https://www.hbs.edu/mba/ | Yes | iBT – 109 ; IELTS – 7.5 ; PTE – 75, DET – 145 |
| Columbia Business School | https://academics.business.columbia.edu/admissions/mba | No | English proficiency scores are not needed |
| University of California, Berkeley (Haas) | https://haas.berkeley.edu/mba/ | No | PBT – 570 or CBT – 230 or iBT – 90 ; IELTS – 7 |
| Stanford University (GSB) | https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba | No | iBT – 100 ; IELTS – 7 ; PTE – 68 |
| Yale University (SOM) | https://som.yale.edu/programs/mba | No | English proficiency scores are not needed |
| New York University (Stern) | https://www.stern.nyu.edu/programs/full-time-mba | Yes | No minimum |
| University of Virginia (Darden) | https://www.darden.virginia.edu/mba | Yes | No minimum |
| Duke University (Fuqua) | https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/mba | No | English proficiency scores are not needed |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ross) | https://michiganross.umich.edu/mba | Yes | iBT – 100, PTE – 70, IELTS – 7, DET – no minimum |
| Cornell University (Johnson) | https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/programs/full-time-mba/admissions/mba-application-guide/application-requirements/ | Yes | IBT-100 ; IELTS-7 ; DET-120 |
| University of California, Los Angeles (Anderson) | https://anderson.ucla.edu/mba | No | iBT 87 or PBT 560 ; IELST -7 |
| University of Southern California (Marshall) | https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/mba-programs | No | No minimum |
| University of Texas at Austin (McCombs) | https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/programs/mba/ | No | No minimum |
| Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) | https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/programs/mba/admissions/apply/index.html | Yes | 600 PBT/250 CBT/100 IBT/120 DET |
| Washington (Foster) | https://foster.uw.edu/academics/degree-programs/full-time-mba/admissions/ | Yes | DET – 125 |
| UNC (Kenan Flagler) | https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/programs/mba/full-time-mba/admissions/ | Yes | DET – 120 |
| Indiana (Kelley) | https://kelley.iu.edu/programs/full-time-mba/admissions/index.cshtml | Yes | DET – 130 |
| Georgetown (McDonough) | https://msb.georgetown.edu/mba/application-process/ | No | |
| Vanderbilt (Owen) | https://business.vanderbilt.edu/mba/admissions/ | Yes | No minimum |
| Dartmouth (Tuck) | https://www.tuck.dartmouth.edu/admissions/ | Yes | No minimum |
| Babson College (Olin) | https://www.babson.edu/graduate/admissions/how-to-apply/international-applicants/ | Yes | IBT-100, IELTS-7.5, PTE-65, DET-130 |
| HEC Paris (France) | https://www.hec.edu/en/mba-programs/ | Yes | ibt-100, pbt-600 ; IELTS-7 ; PTE-72 ; TOEIC: 340 Speaking & Writing and 850 Listening & Reading, DET 135 |
| SDA Bocconi (Italy) | https://www.sdabocconi.it/en/mba-executive-mba/full-time-mba/admissions | No | No minimum |
| University of Cambridge (Judge) | https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/programmes/mba/ | No | ibt-110 ; IELTS-7.5 |
| IMD (Switzerland) | https://www.imd.org/mba/ | No | English proficiency scores are not needed |
| ESADE Business School (Spain) | https://www.esade.edu/en/programmes/mba | Yes | TOEFL: +100 ; IELTS: 7.0 Academic test ; Certificate in Advanced English: B+ ; Certificate of Proficiency in English: C+ ; Academic Pearson: +68 , DET 130 |
| University of Oxford (Said) | https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/programmes/mbas/mba/application-requirements | No | ibt-110 ; IELTS-7.5 |
| IE Business School (Spain) | https://www.ie.edu/business-school/programs/mba/international-mba/ | Yes | MINIMUM RECOMMENDED SCORES: iBT-100, CBT-250, PBT-600 ; IELTS-7 ; PTE-73 |
| Rotterdam School of Management (Netherlands) | https://www.rsm.nl/mba/ | No | English proficiency scores are not needed |
| INSEAD | https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes/master-business-administration/admissions | No | PBT–620/CBT–260/iBT–105 ; TOEIC (TOEIC Listening and Reading (950); TOEIC Writing (170); TOEIC Speaking (190)), IELTS (minimum score: 7.5), CPE (minimum score: B), PTE (minimum score: 72). |
Please note that requirements can change, so always verify on the official school website 😊
For your MBA applications, it’s crucial to always check the specific requirements on each school’s official admissions website. While the Duolingo English Test offers fantastic flexibility, score requirements and acceptance policies can vary. ARINGO MBA Admissions Consulting is here to help you navigate these details and strategize your MBA application process for success. Contact us today to discuss how the DET can be part of your winning application strategy!
