The Duolingo English Test (DET) is an online English test, accepted at most American universities, that you can take online from home. One interesting fact is that the Duolingo English Test is accepted even at all the academically hugely prestigious Ivy League schools, such as Harvard University, Columbia, Dartmouth and Cornell. The whole process takes around 60 minutes and tests four main language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Unlike traditional language exams, the individual skills are not divided into long separate sections. Different types of shorter task alternate throughout the test.
One of the most important features of the DET is that it is adaptive. The difficulty of some questions changes according to how you are doing. Answer correctly and you may get harder questions; make mistakes and the test adjusts accordingly. That is how Duolingo can estimate your level of English in a relatively short time. The graded part is followed by a Writing Sample and a Speaking Sample / Video interview. Those answers are made available, along with your score, to the institutions you send your results to. So do not treat the end of the test as a part you can just "get through somehow".
What score will you need?
The Duolingo English Test score required varies from school to school. Neither the NJCAA, the NAIA nor the NCAA has a single minimum score that applies to all its member schools. Every college and university sets its own requirements for admitting international students. As a rough guide, you can expect the following: