Compare DET, IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, PTE

There is a ton of English proficiency tests on earth that test-takers can take any test kinds to fulfill their needs. In this article, we will be simply comparing some basic criteria to give students a better understanding of all currently popular English proficiency tests, so they are able to make their decisions easier. 

Let’s explore these most well-known English tests, including IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, PTE, and DET.

1. IELTS

Introduced in 1980, IELTS had gone through several changes to offer two test versions nowadays, including paper and computer. As far as we’re concerned, IELTS is one of the most famous tests and used in a wide range of sectors, including employers, higher education, immigration, and so on. However, there are also drawbacks to taking the IELTS, such as high test fees, long time to get the certificate, or test-takers need to go to the test center to prove their English skills. 

Even though IELTS has paper and computer test versions, the core difference is only about your experience on test day. In detail, you take your Reading, Listening, and Writing completely in front of a screen if you choose the computer version; regarding the Speaking skill, you still have to take it face-to-face with an examiner. 

2. TOEFL

TOEFL is the oldest among all tests; it was initially published in 1964 and has been helping millions of students achieve their oversea study goals besides other purposes. TOEFL has two major test types, including TOEFL Essentials and TOEFL iBT. 

First things first, TOEFL iBT is accepted in most institutions for the admissions process and study abroad. It has two versions of taking the test in the center and at home. Secondly, you can take the TOEFL Essentials at home. If we put them in comparison, the TOEFL iBT is more popular than the Essentials. But it completely depends on your needs and purposes to pick the suitable one. 

3. TOEIC 04 skills

We’re all aware of TOEIC 02 and 04 skills version. Because we are comparing with other tests, which evaluate your English proficiency based on 04 skills; therefore, we will only discuss TOEIC 04 skills to obtaina more accurate result. 

TOEIC 04 skills is established to evaluate your English levels using in the workplace. TOEIC 04 skills is accepted by most employers worldwide in order to test their candidates’ skills before going on board. Besides, in lots of countries such as Vietnam, universities require their students to have a certain score of TOEIC 04 skills to graduate.  

*The pricing varies in different regions; you should check ETS Preferred Network for an accurate price in your country. Additionally, you can take TOEIC normally every 28 days after receiving your test results from the previous test. 

4. PTE

PTE is another prestigious English test on earth offered by Pearson, and test-takers can use a PTE certificate to get through admissions processes, visa purposes, or migrations. It was first introduced in 2009, which is quite young compared to IELTS or TOEFL. 

*Note: It depends on your region to specify a certain fee to take PTE Academic or Internet-based version, so you should check it carefully with any test centers in your country. You can still take the Internet-based (PTE Online) version if your country doesn’t have any PTE test centers. However, there is a very limited number of institutions that accept PTE Online. According to Pearson, The PTE Academic at test centers is accepted worldwide for institution admissions, visa purposes, and immigration. However, the PTE Academic Online is presently only accepted by over 3,000 universities in 73 countries (updated in Oct 2023) and is it just for admission processes.

5. DET 

If none of the above tests satisfy you, then the Duolingo English Test may be the best option. Let’s check out our comparison table below for your study.  

Currently, the DET is accepted by over 4,700 institutions across the world, and this number is steadily increasing day after day. Obviously, more universities accept IELTS and TOEFL than DET; however, if you want to study in English-speaking countries such as the US, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, or others, you should check on the Duolingo Official website because most of the institutions there accept the DET.

We should not discuss other elements further as everything is crystal clear in the Comparison table above. It’s time to choose the most suitable to pursue your dreams.  

In case you plan to take the Duolingo English Test, feel free to practice on DET Practice Platform – TADE Hub. We offer thousands of practicing questions similar to the real ones, so you can experience everything exactly the same on your test day. On top of that, you receive instant feedback for every practicing question, especially for Speaking and Writing sample questions, as we evaluate your English skills based on Fluency, Lexical Sophistication, Lexical Diversity, Grammatical Accuracy, and Acoustic Features (Pronunciation and Pace). 

The image below is sample feedback of the Acoustic Feature element that you need to know for every Speaking answer. You can always review a video sample here. 

Are you ready to get your DET Ready and pursue your study abroad dream? Go to the DET Practice Platform, create your FREE account, and enhance your DET scores today.