CEFR vs IELTS vs TOEFL vs the Duolingo English Test

By Dr. Ahmed Hamdy · Founder & Editor at Nest English

These four scales measure similar skills but report them very differently, which is why comparison tables are always approximate — and why learners get confused comparing one number to another.

CEFR is not a test you sit. It is a descriptive ladder of six bands (A1 to C2) that states what a learner can do at each level, published by the Council of Europe and now the most widely used reference in Europe and far beyond. When a job advert asks for B2, it is using this description, not the result of any particular exam.

IELTS reports a band from 0 to 9 in half-point steps, and is widely used for study and immigration in the UK, Australia and Canada. It comes in Academic and General Training versions, and its speaking section is a face-to-face interview with a human examiner — a real difference from most alternatives.

TOEFL iBT uses a 0–120 scale across four sections of 30 points each, and is the default choice at many US universities. It leans academic rather than everyday: lectures, seminar discussions, textbook prose. Its speaking section is recorded rather than conversational.

The Duolingo English Test scores from 10 to 160. It has grown quickly for two practical reasons: it is taken entirely online from home, and results arrive within days rather than weeks, at a fraction of the cost. Acceptance is expanding but still narrower than IELTS or TOEFL, so that is the first thing to verify before you book.

How should you choose? The useful question is not which test is easiest, but which one the institution you are applying to actually accepts. Start from their requirements, not from the test. Then check three details: the minimum overall score, whether they also require a minimum in each section separately, and how long the result stays valid — usually two years.

A necessary warning about conversion. None of these scores converts exactly into another. The tables you find online — including the approximate one on this site — give you a rough orientation and nothing more. An official conversion table published by the institution you are applying to is always more reliable than a quick chart. And a free estimate like this one is not a substitute for an accredited exam; its value is telling you roughly where you stand before you pay real fees.