IELTS, TOEFL, or Duolingo: How to Choose Based on Target Country, University, and Purpose

2026-10-04 · Guides

Choose the right English test based on your purpose: for degree programs, check which tests your target universities accept; for Canadian post-graduation work permits and immigration, only IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, and French TEF/TCF are accepted—IELTS Academic is not included. This article summarizes official information and provides a scenario comparison chart to help parents avoid taking the wrong test.

Many families ask, "Which is better: IELTS, TOEFL, or Duolingo?" In reality, there is no single "best" option—only what fits your needs. Here is the bottom line: For applying to universities abroad for a degree, IELTS Academic and TOEFL are the most common choices; for Duolingo, you must first confirm that your target schools accept it. If you plan to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) or immigrate to Canada later, you will need IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, PTE Core, or the French tests TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Neither IELTS Academic nor TOEFL is on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) approved list. A student may need to take two different tests over time, and planning ahead can save a lot of time and money.

First, Understand the Difference: Academic vs. Immigration Purposes

The same "IELTS" is divided into Academic and General Training (often called IELTS General). According to the official IELTS guidelines:

Academic: For those applying to universities or graduate schools in English-speaking countries, as well as for certain professional registrations. When applying for undergraduate or master's programs, this is almost always the version required by schools.
General Training: For those immigrating to English-speaking countries (officially listed as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK), as well as for secondary education, work experience, or training programs below the degree level.

Both versions share the same Listening and Speaking sections, but differ in Reading and Writing. The General Training Reading section uses everyday materials such as advertisements, company handbooks, official documents, and newspapers, and the first Writing task is to write a letter.

There is also "IELTS for UKVI" (UK Visas and Immigration), a test version approved by the UK visa system, which will be discussed later in the UK section.

Basic Facts About the Three Tests (Officially Verified Information Only)

Item	IELTS	TOEFL iBT	Duolingo
Test Format	In mainland China, regular IELTS will be fully computer-delivered from September 1, 2026 (paper-based UKVI IELTS has been suspended since July 1)	New scoring scale of 1–6; see TOEFL Score Conversion for details	Online test
Score Release	1–5 days after the computer-delivered test (subject to the official IELTS China website)	Available in your ETS account 3 days after the test	Within 2 days after the test; within 12 hours if "Faster Results" is purchased
Fee	¥1,990 (from January 1, 2026, same for regular and UKVI IELTS); rescheduling or cancellation fee is ¥380	Listed as $283.17 under "China" in the ETS fee table; actual RMB amount is subject to the registration page	Subject to the official purchase page
Other	Computer-delivered and paper-based tests are identical in content, question types, difficulty, and scoring criteria	Schools may set individual minimum section scores	Must be completed within 21 days of purchase; scores are valid for two years

IELTS fees are based on the 2026 price adjustment announcement on the official IELTS China website, and the computer-delivered test schedule is based on the July–September 2026 test center announcement. Test prices and rules are subject to change, so please check the official website again before registering.

Purpose 1: Applying to Universities for a Degree

When applying for a degree, take the test that your target schools accept. Most schools accept both IELTS Academic and TOEFL. Duolingo's acceptance is growing, but not all schools or programs accept it. Here are the undergraduate English requirements for two Canadian universities as examples:

University (Undergraduate)	IELTS Academic	TOEFL iBT (New Scoring)	Duolingo
University of British Columbia (UBC)	Overall 6.5, no section below 6.0	Overall 4.5, Reading 4.5, Listening 5, Writing 4.5, Speaking 4	Overall 125, Reading 115, Listening 115, Writing 120, Speaking 120
University of Toronto	Overall 6.5, no section below 6.0	Overall 4.5, Writing 4.5, Speaking 4.0	Scores from July 1, 2024, onwards: Overall 120, Production 120

These two universities highlight a few key points:

Duolingo is indeed accepted by some top universities, but there are also minimum section score requirements, so you cannot just look at the overall score.
Section score requirements are very specific. For example, in UBC's TOEFL requirements, the Listening score is higher than the other sections.
IELTS General Training cannot be used for university admissions. UBC explicitly states that it does not accept IELTS General Training, IELTS Indicator, or IELTS One Skill Retake.
Pay close attention to score combining rules. UBC requires meeting the standards in a single test sitting; section scores from different test dates cannot be combined. The University of Toronto explicitly states that it does not accept TOEFL MyBest scores.

Graduate programs and specific majors often have higher requirements than the university's general minimums, so always refer to the specific program page.

Purpose 2: Working and Immigrating to Canada in the Future

This is where families most often make mistakes. The tests accepted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and Express Entry immigration are different from those accepted for university admissions.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

PGWP applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024, require language test scores (applications submitted before this date do not).
For bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees, all four sections must reach the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 (French NCLC 7); for college, polytechnic, or other non-university programs, the requirement is CLB 5 (French NCLC 5).
IRCC accepts only five tests: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core for English; and TEF Canada, TCF Canada for French.
At the time of application, test scores must be less than two years old, and the test must be taken in person.
According to the IRCC conversion table, an IELTS General Training score of 6.0 in all four sections corresponds to CLB 7.

Express Entry Immigration

The tests listed by IRCC are the same: CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada, and TCF Canada. They also explicitly state that IELTS One Skill Retake scores are not accepted.

What this means for parents: If your child uses IELTS Academic or TOEFL to get admitted to a Canadian university, they will need to take the General Training, CELPIP, or PTE Core test again when applying for a work permit upon graduation. Therefore, families planning to go to Canada should schedule this during the university years, such as taking the test in the final year, to ensure the scores are valid (less than two years old) when submitting the work permit application.

Purpose 3: UK Student Visa

According to the UK government website, the English language requirement for a student visa is: CEFR B2 for degree-level courses and above; B1 for courses below degree level.

For degree-level courses at a licensed UK higher education provider, the school can assess the student's English proficiency themselves (which still needs to be equivalent to B2). Therefore, many universities accept standard IELTS Academic, TOEFL, and other scores, subject to the specific school's requirements.
If there are no other qualifications to prove English proficiency, you must take a Secure English Language Test (SELT) approved by the UK. This situation usually arises for courses below degree level, and IELTS for UKVI is a commonly used option.

Therefore, if you are applying for an undergraduate or master's program in the UK, check the school's requirements first. If you are applying for foundation programs, language courses, or other below-degree-level courses, make sure to confirm whether the UKVI version is required.

Decision Guide for Parents

Scenario	Recommended Test	Reason
Applying for US undergraduate or graduate programs	TOEFL or IELTS Academic	Widest acceptance; check each school's website for Duolingo acceptance and score requirements
Applying to Canadian universities	IELTS Academic or TOEFL; consider Duolingo if accepted by target schools	UBC and the University of Toronto accept all three tests, but section requirements differ
Planning to apply for a PGWP after graduating in Canada	IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General, or PTE Core (TEF/TCF for French)	IRCC only accepts these five; Academic and TOEFL are not on the list; scores must be less than two years old
Planning to immigrate via Canada's Express Entry	Same as above	Express Entry accepts the same tests as the PGWP and does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake
Applying for UK undergraduate or master's programs	Primarily IELTS Academic; TOEFL and others depend on school acceptance	English proficiency for degree courses can be assessed by the school; follow specific school requirements
Studying below degree level in the UK (e.g., foundation, language courses)	IELTS for UKVI	SELT is required if no other English proof is available; B1 is required for below-degree-level courses
Applying to multiple countries simultaneously	Take IELTS Academic or TOEFL first	One score can cover most schools, avoiding redundant preparation
Short on time and target schools explicitly accept Duolingo	Duolingo	Online test with scores in two days; but confirm that every school accepts it

How to Make the Decision Step-by-Step

List all target schools and programs. Open the English requirements page for each one, and note which tests are accepted, along with the overall and section score requirements.
Check the details carefully: whether Duolingo is accepted, whether the TOEFL Home Edition is accepted, whether score combining is allowed, and how long the scores are valid.
Choose one test that covers the most target schools as your primary test.
If your goal is Canada and you are considering working after graduation, add the General Training, CELPIP, or PTE Core test to your plan for the final year of university.
Check the test's official website again for fees and test center availability before registering.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice. For Canadian work permit and immigration requirements, please refer to the official IRCC website. For university requirements, please refer to the respective school's official website.

Need Help?

If you are unsure which test your child should take or whether they can meet the target school's section score requirements, you can check out our IELTS preparation and TOEFL preparation courses. You can also book a one-on-one consultation, and we will help you plan the test sequence based on your target countries and schools.