Duolingo Reviews 

Horrible, Just read all the other reviews. I have exactly the same problem. Definetly a big scam.

Avoid at any cost!!! Save your money and take something like Oxford English Test online.

Charged insane money for one test. Scanning all room, records you while doing a test. And all that just to receive email that a test was invalid.

No final marks, no reasonable physical evidence of a failed test, just someone somewhere saying that test invalid and PAY AGAIN??!!!

Do not wasting your money,I did the test om my own, it came out invalid. I am so disappointed.

Scam alert. Their AI false-flags innocent students. I studied hard, memorized standard English structures, and they stole my money claiming 'plagiarism' without proof. Their support is a bot. Do not use this test; use IELTS instead.

Absolute garbage vid and mic keeps getting disconnected after 3 times and wants you to pay another 70$ are you shitting me ???

Misleading Support Caused Me Significant Financial Loss
I am writing this review to warn other students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, to be extremely careful when relying on information provided by Duolingo English Test support.
Before spending any money on university applications, I contacted Duolingo support with a very specific and clear question. I asked whether they could send my Duolingo English Test score to additional institutions if I provided proof that I had applied to universities. Their response clearly indicated that this would be possible if I shared the required proof.
Based on this confirmation, I proceeded to apply to multiple universities. I did this intentionally because applying to more universities increases the chances of receiving financial aid. Each application required a fee, and I paid these fees using money that I had saved slowly over a long period of time. I come from a financially weak background, and every dollar matters to me. This was not easy money for me to spend.
After paying the application fees, I sent Duolingo the proof they had asked for, expecting them to honor what they had already told me. Instead, I received a reply saying that they cannot send my score to additional institutions. This response directly contradicted the information they gave me earlier, the same information that influenced my decision to spend hundreds of dollars.
As a result of this misleading communication, I lost around $500 in university application fees. This loss has had a serious impact on me financially and emotionally. For a student like me, this amount is not small — it represents months of saving, sacrifice, and hope for a better future.
What makes this situation even more painful is that this could have been avoided entirely if Duolingo support had been honest and precise from the beginning. If sending scores to additional institutions was not possible, they should have clearly stated that before encouraging me to proceed.
I am not asking for special favors or exceptions. I am asking for accountability, transparency, and consistency. An education testing organization should understand how financially vulnerable many international students are and should take responsibility for the guidance they provide.
This experience has damaged my trust in Duolingo English Test. I hope they improve their support system so that no other student is misled into losing money they cannot afford to lose.

Avoid. They just claim they limit your test attempts to 3 even though your computer crashes or internet disconnects.

Plan yourself ahead and use regular test environments such as IELTS, Pearson or Toefl.

This one is a money trap.

Besides, I found out that in some of the countries they don't pay taxes, so they might do tax evasion as well so I informed some authorities as well.

Zero customer service. ZERO. Incredulous how a company potentially so large can provide ZERO customer support. Disgusting. There are many alternatives these days so avoid this like the plague.

I prepare setup for test 2 hours and after making the test 2 days later i get email that I was cheating by getting help from another person but that time i was home alone and I don't need to cheat. After that I wrote Email to recheck my test and I get the same answer. I really need test results for Assist Scholarship but right now it's done. I can't get any results, nothing. Also I was asking to send me a proof that i was cheating but they didn't send it. If AI checks you all time on test why it don't show during the test that i look like I am cheating why i must make a hard work and after that get a nonsense email?

I’m disappointed with my experience taking the Duolingo English Test. I paid once, and the test gives you 3 attempts, but all of mine were marked invalid even though I carefully followed every guideline.

The most frustrating part is that Duolingo’s own system approved my camera setup at the start, but later went on to invalidate the test saying the camera angle was incorrect. If the system approves it, it shouldn’t later claim it was wrong — and if something needs to be adjusted, they should be clear about it.

Their customer service was not automated, but the replies still failed to give any real solutions or clear explanations of what I needed to fix. I kept trying to understand what went wrong so I could correct it, but the answers were vague and unhelpful.

People rely on this test for important things like school, work, and immigration, and the lack of transparency makes the process extremely stressful. Duolingo needs to improve the review system and provide real human support that actually solves the problem.

Based on my experience, I cannot recommend the Duolingo English Test.

Horrible, horrible, absolutely horrible.
I have taken exams thrice with duolingo, and everytime they have an excuse for cancelling/invalidating my exam, I will be doing a chargeback, this is a scam. I have taken other tests online like pearson test. And they never caused any problem, I am not the problem, your idiotic rules and system and lack of invigilator during the exam are the problem.
STAY AWAY, THEY WANNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR ANOTHER TEST

I’m only saying that I tried to take the test on more than 10 different computers, iPhones, and iPads, using every possible browser. After 22 days, it expired. I’ve been sending them an email every day for a month—still no reply. Don’t waste your €70; just go take the TOEFL or IELTS. At least you won’t lose anything and will gain both prestige and peace of mind.

I am submitting this complaint because my Duolingo English Test (DET) result was unfairly invalidated. I completed the test on 11/07/2025, and later received a message saying my result was canceled because I "looked away from the screen more than once."

This decision is unjustified. The only time I briefly looked away from the screen was to drink water, which is a normal and human action. I did not engage in any form of misconduct, and it is impossible to cheat on this test given the extremely short response times and strict monitoring system.

I asked your support team to review my case and allow me to see the test video to understand what triggered the invalidation, but I have not received a clear or transparent explanation. The support chat simply repeats the same automated response, telling me to buy another test, which I cannot afford. I have already spent a significant amount of money on English tests over the past few months and cannot pay again for something I did correctly.

It's very easy for them to say I cheated and refuse to show the video. It seems like they're doing it on purpose.

Absolutely the WORSE experience ever; happy to steal your money under some obscure rules hidden in their Terms & Conditions and accuse you of cheating !!

Have filled a complain with VISA and just cancelled my DuoLingo family susbscription, hope it was worth it DuoLingo ??

⭐ (One star — and that’s being generous)

My experience with Duolingo English Test was absolutely terrible. The platform is completely non-transparent, unaccountable, and unfair in how it treats test takers.

I was permanently banned for alleged “Evident Misconduct” without any proof, explanation, or chance to defend myself. When I requested clarification or evidence, the only response I received was: “security protocols” — in other words, “we won’t tell you anything, just accept it.”

To make matters worse, they refused to refund my test fee, even though I never received the certified result I paid for. This is dishonest and feels like outright fraud, as they failed to deliver the service yet kept the money.

Their customer support is practically nonexistent — no human follow-up, only automated replies that go nowhere. The whole process shows a complete lack of respect for paying customers who rely on this test for academic or professional purposes.

Honestly, one star is too generous. This platform is unfair, untransparent, and untrustworthy. I strongly advise everyone to avoid it and choose a testing service that values honesty, fairness, and accountability.

I paid $70 for the Duolingo English Test, but my result was unfairly invalidated. Duolingo claimed I used “predictive text,” even though I never used Grammarly, proofreading software, or any external help. The only issue was the built-in autofill/predictive input on my device, which I misunderstood as allowed.

I carefully reviewed their rules before the test. While “predictive text” is mentioned, it is not clearly explained that built-in system autofill must be disabled. This was an honest misunderstanding, not cheating. I had only the test window open, and I followed the rules to the best of my knowledge.

Despite explaining this and appealing, Duolingo refused to refund me or offer a retake. Their support relies mainly on automated replies, with no real assistance. I am a student with financial hardship, and $70 was all I could afford. Losing both my money and result feels extremely unfair.

I am requesting a full refund because the service was not delivered fairly, and Duolingo failed to treat me as a customer in good faith.

The test technology compared to lockdown browser is backward and does not help their test take to complete the test without issue.

Unfortunately, is one of those test you need to take to enter an educational institution.

The test stopped working mid-way twice. I had to start again and it was on both mac and windows as I changed computer just to make sure this wouldn't happen again. Do not buy this.

I’m deeply disappointed with my Duolingo English Test experience. My test was invalidated despite following all the rules—I didn’t use another device or external materials, and I stayed fully within the monitored frame. Duolingo recorded my screen, hands, and surroundings, yet I received no evidence or explanation for the violation. Their support has been unresponsive, and the decision stands even though I’m certain I complied fully. This isn’t fair—or acceptable. Lessons, pencils, or a clean desk do not equate to cheating. Duolingo must reconsider such invalidations and improve transparency.

On August 25, 2025, I paid 381 BRL via Pix through Wise for the Duolingo English Test (DET).

✅ Wise confirmed that the money was successfully transferred to EBANX Ltda. (Transfer #1690140695).
❌ However, Duolingo informed me that the payment was declined and that they never received the funds.

As a result, I was charged but never got access to the test.
This is extremely urgent because I need the DET for an academic application this week.

I have already contacted Duolingo Support, EBANX, and Wise, but the situation remains unresolved.

👉 Has anyone experienced something similar? How did you manage to solve it?
@Duolingo @EBANX @Wise — I kindly request urgent support to either release the test or process a full refund.