Onterra TutorIELTS to Duolingo English Test: what your IELTS band is worth
You hold an IELTS result and want to know where it lands on Duolingo English Test. The table below is keyed by your IELTS band, with the Duolingo English Test range the boards align with it beside it.
Check another IELTS score
Try a different band. The answer names the CEFR level and the range on every other test, a published alignment and so a range, not a promise.
Reading your IELTS result
An IELTS report gives a band from 0 to 9 in half-band steps for each skill, then an overall band. This page starts from the overall band, so find that figure first and keep your lowest skill band in mind, because many institutions set a floor for each skill as well.
IELTS bands and where they land on Duolingo English Test
Rows are keyed by the IELTS band you hold. The Duolingo English Test column is the range the boards align with the same CEFR level.
| IELTS | CEFR | Duolingo English Test |
|---|---|---|
| 8.5 to 9.0 | C2 Proficient | 160 |
| 7.0 to 8.0 | C1 Advanced | 130 to 155 |
| 5.5 to 6.5 | B2 Upper intermediate | 100 to 125 |
| 4.0 to 5.0 | B1 Intermediate | 60 to 95 |
| 3.0 to 3.5 | A2 Elementary | 35 to 55 |
I have IELTS 6.5: what is that on Duolingo English Test?
Say your IELTS result is 6.5. On the boards' published alignments that band sits at CEFR B2 (upper intermediate), and the Duolingo English Test range placed at the same level is 100 to 125. So a Duolingo English Test result inside 100 to 125 says roughly the same thing about your English as your 6.5 does.
IELTS 5.5 is the lowest band the boards place at B2. One step lower, 5.0, falls to B1, so a result just under a level line can read a whole level down on Duolingo English Test. If you are a step or two under, it is worth knowing before you book a resit.
I need Duolingo English Test 130: what do I need on IELTS?
Now the other way round: suppose the institution asks for Duolingo English Test 130. That figure sits at CEFR C1, and the IELTS bands placed at that level run 7.0 to 8.0. Aim for the bottom of 7.0 to 8.0 as the lowest result that lines up, and for something above it if you want room to spare.
Duolingo English Test targets move in steps of 5 between 10 and 160, and the test is taken at home on a computer, so the practical question is which multiple of 5 gets you over the line.
IELTS to Duolingo English Test: questions people ask
I scored 6.5 on IELTS. What is that on Duolingo English Test?
IELTS 6.5 sits at CEFR B2, and the Duolingo English Test range aligned with B2 is 100 to 125. It is a range because both boards publish their alignment by level, not by single score.
Is the IELTS to Duolingo English Test conversion official?
No board publishes a table between IELTS and Duolingo English Test. This page goes through the CEFR level each board assigns to its own scores, so every figure here is an approximate range.
My IELTS report has a band for each skill. Which one do I convert?
Convert the overall band first, then look at the skills one by one. A conversion table cannot tell you whether a weak skill will clear a section minimum.
Can a Duolingo English Test target fall between two steps?
Scores come in steps of 5, so the lowest score that reaches any target is a multiple of 5. When a range starts between two steps, plan for the higher one.
Other comparisons
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