RECRUITMENT & MARKETING
nt g
Adopting the Duolingo English Test: Two Institutions Share Their Challenges and Successes By Melissa Sersland, MS, Northwestern University
s
ycle, nt, ort
Photo credit: Duolingo
t
c
ff, l ent
uity, on
F
or years, two main English language proficiency test providers have been the go-to for graduate admissions applications: ETS’ Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Then, five years ago, a new player came onto the market: the Duolingo English Test. Though some schools began researching Duolingo as an option before COVID-19, the closing of TOEFL and IELTS test centers in the winter and spring of 2020 prompted many to adopt Duolingo as a short-term option for students. More than 2,000 new institutions began accepting the Duolingo English Test in 2020, and the test experienced a 2,000% increase in test volume that year. Now Duolingo is increasingly being accepted as a formal English language proficiency test option and is currently accepted by more than 3,500 institutions and programs. In late November 2021, Duolingo sponsored a NAGAP webinar inviting two of its participating institutions to
NAGAP.org
share their takeaways. The following is a summary of that webinar with some added insights from each institution. Overview of Duolingo The Duolingo English Test was launched about five years ago as a digital-first language test. An at-home, on-demand and internet-based test, the Duolingo English Test costs $49, which includes allowing students to share their scores with as many institutions as they choose. The test is administered through an app that locks down test takers’ browsers; results are then reviewed and certified by expert human proctors with the help of artificial intelligence. Scores are certified within 48 hours. Spring 2022
9
