Which English test is shortest?

Of the sittings whose length the owner publishes: TOEFL iBT is listed at 1 h 23 min – 1 h 29 min, PTE Academic at 2 hours, and IELTS Academic at 2 hours 45 minutes. The Duolingo English Test's length is not published on the page we checked, so we do not rank it here.

How do the score scales compare?

They do not share a scale, so a number on one means nothing on another without a published concordance. TOEFL moved to 1–6 half-point bands in January 2026, IELTS reports 0–9 in whole and half bands, PTE Academic reports 10–90, and the Duolingo English Test reports 10–160 in 5-point increments. Each figure and its source is in the table on this page.

Why are some cells in your comparison empty?

Because the test owner does not publish that figure on the page we checked, and we would rather show the gap than fill it from somewhere unreliable. Every cell that does have a value is quoted from the owner's own page with the date we read it. Comparison tables that have a number everywhere have usually got some of them from each other.

How current is this comparison?

Each row carries its own read date — the sources were read between 2026-08-06 and 2026-08-12. Test owners change these details without notice, so confirm anything decision-critical on the owner's current page.

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TOEFL® vs IELTS, PTE and Duolingo — which test to sit

Name: Reach120
Author: Reach120

Written by the Reach120 research teamReviewed August 11, 2026

Before anything else: Start here instead: check which tests each institution accepts, on that institution’s own admissions page. It is the only thing that decides this, and no comparison of test lengths or score scales matters until it is answered. A test the institution does not take is the wrong test however well it suits you otherwise.

The comparison, with every figure sourced

Each cell is quoted from the test owner’s own page and carries the date we read it. Where an owner does not publish a figure, the cell says so and names the page we checked — we have not filled it in from anywhere else.

English test comparison, each figure quoted from the test owner’s own page with the date it was read
	TOEFL iBT (2026 format)ETS	IELTS AcademicIELTS partners	PTE AcademicPearson	Duolingo English TestDuolingo
Sitting length	1 h 23 min – 1 h 29 min“about 1 hour 23 minutes and 1 hour 29 minutes”ETS — TOEFL iBT test specifications 2026 (PDF), read 2026-08-06	2 hours 45 minutes“2 hours and 45 minutes”IELTS — IELTS Academic test, read 2026-08-12	2 hours“A single 2-hour test”Pearson — PTE Academic, read 2026-08-12	Not published on the page we checkedDuolingo English Test — How is the DET scored?, read 2026-08-12
Score scale	1–6 overall, in half-point increments“As of January 21, 2026, TOEFL iBT score reports feature a new 1 – 6 scale, in half point increments”ETS — Understand your TOEFL iBT scores, read 2026-08-06	0–9 bands, reported in whole and half bands“Scores are reported in whole and half bands”IELTS — Understanding your score, read 2026-08-12	10–90, on the Global Scale of English“PTE Academic scores your English proficiency on a 10–90 scale, using the Global Scale of English”Pearson — PTE Academic, read 2026-08-12	10–160, in 5-point increments“The Duolingo English Test is scored on a scale from 10 to 160”Duolingo English Test — How is the DET scored?, read 2026-08-12
Results turnaround	Not published on the page we checkedETS — Understand your TOEFL iBT scores, read 2026-08-06	Not published on the page we checkedIELTS — Understanding your score, read 2026-08-12	Typically within two business days“Most test takers get their PTE Academic results within two business days after taking the test”Pearson — PTE Academic, read 2026-08-12	Not published on the page we checkedDuolingo English Test — How is the DET scored?, read 2026-08-12
Where it is taken	Not published on the page we checkedETS — TOEFL iBT test specifications 2026 (PDF), read 2026-08-06	Test centre or online, with the same format either way“You can take the IELTS Academic at a test centre or remotely online. The test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes, and the format is the same wherever it is taken.”IELTS — IELTS Academic test, read 2026-08-12	Test centre only, on a computer“PTE Academic cannot be taken at home”Pearson — PTE Academic, read 2026-08-12	Not published on the page we checkedDuolingo English Test — How is the DET scored?, read 2026-08-12
Score validity	Not published on the page we checkedETS — Understand your TOEFL iBT scores, read 2026-08-06	Recommended as valid for two years; institutions may accept older results“We recommend that IELTS test results are considered valid for two years after a test has been taken”IELTS — Understanding your score, read 2026-08-12	Two years from the test date“A PTE Academic score is valid for two years from the test date”Pearson — PTE Academic, read 2026-08-12	Not published on the page we checkedDuolingo English Test — How is the DET scored?, read 2026-08-12

Every figure above is quoted from the test owner’s own page on the date shown, and nothing is filled in from a third-party comparison site. Test owners change these details without notice — confirm anything that will affect a decision on the owner’s current page, and confirm which tests your institution accepts with the institution itself.

Narrow it against your own constraints

Four questions. The result names no winner — it shows which of your constraints each test is documented to meet, and which its owner leaves unpublished.

1. Have you checked which tests your institutions accept?

2. How soon do you need the result?

3. How long a single sitting can you manage?

4. Which scale is the score requirement you were given written on?

Answer all 4 questions to see how the tests compare against your constraints. The full sourced comparison is published below either way.

Three things worth knowing before you choose

The scales do not translate freely. A TOEFL 1–6 band, an IELTS 0–9 band, a PTE 10–90 and a Duolingo 10–160 are four different measurements. Where a published concordance exists it is worth using; where one does not, converting between them is guesswork.
A requirement written as “100” is on the old TOEFL scale. TOEFL score reports moved to 1–6 bands on 21 January 2026, with a comparable 0–120 figure shown during a transition period. An institution still publishing a 0–120 requirement has not necessarily updated its page — ask which number they now want.
Availability where you live beats every other factor. A test with a shorter sitting is no use if the nearest centre is a flight away or the next slot is after your deadline. Check dates and locations before you weigh anything in the table above.

Common questions

Should I take the TOEFL or the IELTS?: Start here instead: check which tests each institution accepts, on that institution’s own admissions page. It is the only thing that decides this, and no comparison of test lengths or score scales matters until it is answered. A test the institution does not take is the wrong test however well it suits you otherwise.
Which English test is shortest?: Of the sittings whose length the owner publishes: TOEFL iBT is listed at 1 h 23 min – 1 h 29 min, PTE Academic at 2 hours, and IELTS Academic at 2 hours 45 minutes. The Duolingo English Test's length is not published on the page we checked, so we do not rank it here.
How do the score scales compare?: They do not share a scale, so a number on one means nothing on another without a published concordance. TOEFL moved to 1–6 half-point bands in January 2026, IELTS reports 0–9 in whole and half bands, PTE Academic reports 10–90, and the Duolingo English Test reports 10–160 in 5-point increments. Each figure and its source is in the table on this page.
Why are some cells in your comparison empty?: Because the test owner does not publish that figure on the page we checked, and we would rather show the gap than fill it from somewhere unreliable. Every cell that does have a value is quoted from the owner's own page with the date we read it. Comparison tables that have a number everywhere have usually got some of them from each other.
How current is this comparison?: Each row carries its own read date — the sources were read between 2026-08-06 and 2026-08-12. Test owners change these details without notice, so confirm anything decision-critical on the owner's current page.

The next step

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Nothing you type here is stored or sent anywhere — the tool runs in your browser. This tool does not issue or predict an official score; official TOEFL^® scores are issued only by ETS. Reach120 is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS; TOEFL is a registered trademark of ETS, used here only to name the test this tool is about.