US$70 — the same price worldwide
Duolingo does not price by country, so Ethiopian students pay exactly what everyone else pays. At current exchange rates that is roughly a third of the IELTS fee in Ethiopia, which runs from ETB 22,000 to ETB 24,800. There is no test-centre charge and no travel cost, because you take it at home.
Verified August 2026 against the official Duolingo English Test site. Prices and rules change — confirm before you pay.
You take it at home on a computer, there is no test centre to book, and results arrive in about two days. For students outside Addis Ababa, and for anyone racing an application deadline, that combination is the reason to consider it first.
Sit it at home on your own computer. Students in Bahir Dar, Mekelle, Hawassa or Jimma do not have to travel to Addis Ababa or pay for a hotel.
IELTS paper results take around 13 days and TOEFL about a week. Duolingo turns around in roughly 48 hours, and you can send it to unlimited institutions free.
US$70 flat against ETB 22,000–24,800 for IELTS in Ethiopia — with no additional score-report charges later.
The test is taken at home, which is an advantage until your power or your internet lets you down mid-test — an interrupted session can void the attempt and the fee. Book through Maraki and take it at our designated testing area with fibre-optic internet and the latest laptops.
The proctoring rules are strict and the fee is not refunded if your session is rejected. Check every item below before you buy the test.
A desktop or laptop with a working microphone and speakers. Phones and tablets are not allowed.
Your face must stay visible for the whole test. The session is recorded and reviewed by proctors.
Use the passport you will apply to universities with, so the name on your certificate matches your application.
Alone, door closed, no headphones, nobody else speaking or entering. Any interruption can void the result.
A two-camera rule is now in effect: you set up a phone as a secondary camera showing your desk and surroundings for the duration of the test.
The test streams video throughout. A dropout mid-test can invalidate the attempt.
During the test you must not look away from the screen, speak to anyone, use notes or another device, or leave the room. The whole session is recorded and reviewed before your certificate is issued.
Check each programme page, or ask us. Paying US$70 for a test a university will not read is the one avoidable mistake here.
Enter your name exactly as it appears on the passport you will use for your applications.
Payment is in US dollars. If your card cannot complete an international transaction, Maraki can handle the purchase for you.
It rehearses the format and confirms your camera, microphone and internet meet the requirements before your paid attempt.
About an hour, uninterrupted. Results arrive in about two days and you send them to as many institutions as you like at no extra cost.
Thousands of institutions accept the Duolingo English Test, but acceptance genuinely varies — by country, by university and sometimes by individual programme within the same university. Some competitive courses, and some student visa routes, still require IELTS or TOEFL, and a handful of institutions accept Duolingo for admission but not for the visa application that follows.
Acceptance is strongest in the USA and Canada, common across our Hungary, Italy, Cyprus and UAE partners, and more mixed for the United Kingdom, where a Secure English Language Test is required for some visa routes. Check your specific programme, or send us your shortlist and we will tell you which of them will read a Duolingo score.
If your shortlist turns out to need something else, compare IELTS test dates and fees in Ethiopia and TOEFL in Ethiopia before booking.