A 60-minute online proctored test you take from home. Adaptive question types, video interview, writing sample — accepted by most major US, UK, Canadian and Australian universities.
AECS handles equipment checks, format walk-through, timing drills and score send-out. Two attempts every 30 days; ~half the cost of IELTS or PTE.
The Duolingo English Test (DET) is the fastest-growing English-language admissions test. Since its rapid uptake during the 2020 pandemic, the DET has been accepted by 5,500+ universities including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, the University of California system, the entire Russell Group in the UK, and most Australian Go8 universities. Once viewed as a "pandemic substitute," it has settled in as a permanent admissions option at top institutions.
The test is taken online from a private room with a webcam, microphone and stable internet connection. The full session is ~60 minutes — about half the duration of IELTS or PTE. Cost is roughly USD 65 — about 40–50% of IELTS / PTE fees. Results arrive within 2 working days, with free score send-outs to your university list.
The DET is adaptive: easier questions during the first half lift the difficulty curve as you answer correctly. Item types repeat across attempts but vary in content — short, intense, with no breaks. Strong timing, clear speech and disciplined typing carry most of the gain. AECS' prep is therefore lighter on content cramming and heavier on rhythm and equipment setup.
~60 minutes total. A 5-minute "Quick Setup" (ID check, room scan, webcam check), then ~45 minutes of adaptive test items, then a ~10-minute writing sample + video interview. Single uninterrupted session, no scheduled breaks.
Photograph your government photo ID. Room scan with webcam (no other people, no notes). Audio check.
Read-aloud, listen-and-type, complete-the-passage, photo description, listen-and-select. Difficulty adapts to your accuracy.
Open-ended written prompt. Sent to your universities alongside the score — read by humans, not the AI grader.
Spoken response to an open prompt. Reviewed by admissions officers, not auto-scored. Adds context to your written sample.
Adaptive question types, video interview, writing sample — every section explained in plain language. We demystify the AI-grader and the human-review steps.
Webcam setup, room layout, ID rules. We run the full check at AECS before you book — most disqualifications happen because of room or equipment, not English.
Short, intense practice sets keyed to the tight Duolingo clock. The test rewards rhythm more than content cramming.
Up to three universities included free with the official test. We also help interpret the sub-scores (Literacy / Conversation / Comprehension / Production) against your shortlist.
Duolingo scores typical for direct undergraduate / postgraduate entry. The Duolingo Score Comparison chart (published by Duolingo Testing) is the canonical IELTS ↔ DET mapping; ranges below are conservative for Nepali applicants.
Most DET disqualifications come from room layout or ID issues, not English. We run the full pre-test check at the centre so your real attempt is clean.
The DET rewards consistent rhythm under a tight clock. Our practice sessions are short and intense — closer to mock exams than to lectures.
We verify DET acceptance and threshold for each university on your shortlist before you book the test — DET acceptance is institution-specific, not national.
Sticker price already includes mock tests, faculty review and end-to-end booking. Full breakdown lives on /pricing.
Indicative weekday timings — exact session times rotate by batch and faculty. Saturday hours 08:00 – 14:00.
Confirm your slot during the free counselling. New batches start monthly.
Cornerstone guides written by the AECS counselling desk.
The diagnostic mock in week 1 tells you honestly which test fits your strengths. Or read about the others first.
IELTS preparation in Kathmandu — Computer-Delivered and Paper-Based prep, weekly writing reviews, full mock tests, and end-to-end booking at British Council / IDP. AECS Learning Center.
Read about IELTSPTE Academic preparation on a Pearson Top-Achiever exam-simulation lab in Kathmandu. Item-type drilling, AI-graded mocks and direct slot booking at the Pearson centre. AECS Learning Center.
Read about PTEFree 30-minute counselling, real-format mock test, and direct booking when you're ready. No payment until you confirm the date.
