Your DET score is stuck because of this
Why repeated attempts do not repair the academic-English gap behind a score plateau.
Duolingo English Test specialists
You keep retaking the DET. The score won't move.
Because past the mid bands, retaking does nothing. The high scores measure academic English — not the conversational English you already have. We diagnose what's capping you and teach the gap.
+15
avg. score lift
130
top student score
3 wks
typical repair
Official Duolingo English Test
Global Partner — verified results portal
HarvardMITUAB Barcelona
The test is online, so you take it again. And again. Same score.
Every student who came to us had done exactly this — bought attempt after attempt, expecting a different result. But retaking only measures your English. It doesn't build it. Above the mid bands, more attempts change nothing, because the thing holding you back isn't the test. It's the kind of English you're using.
95
attempt 1
95
attempt 2
96
attempt 3
94
attempt 4
120
after the repair
You're fluent in conversation. The DET's top bands measure something else.
Linguists call it BICS versus CALP. You've mastered conversational English — the everyday language that comes quickly. But the higher DET bands reward academic English: structured argument, precise vocabulary, complex sentences. It's the difference between chatting easily and writing like a university student — and it's the exact gap that caps your score.
BICS
Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills
Everyday, social English — enough to chat, travel, and get by. It develops fast, and it's all that retaking or casual practice ever exercises.
CALP
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
The abstract, structured English universities run on. It doesn't arrive by exposure — it has to be taught. Learn it, and the top bands open up.
Three academic-English skills decide your top bands.
Production, not comprehension
Writing and speaking are the lowest-scoring, highest-leverage part of the test — and where academic English is judged most directly.
Precise vocabulary
Vague, simple words cap your score even when your grammar is perfect. The bands reward range and exactness.
Structured ideas
Clear topic sentences, complex structures, ideas that build. Repeating tasks without fixing structure just locks the plateau in.
"It's just AI, so I can game it."
The DET's writing and speaking are scored by AI — but that AI is trained on thousands of responses rated by expert human examiners, and it agrees with them about as often as two humans agree with each other. Human proctors then review every test for integrity before it's certified.
So padding and memorized lines don't work — only real academic English does. That's what we build. And unlike the instant-AI prep apps, every practice test you send us is marked by hand by our teachers — feedback an algorithm can't give you.
Adapts difficulty
Scores writing & speaking
Reviews for integrity
Certifies your result
Your practice tests with us, though — marked by hand by our teachers.
Diagnose. Repair. Verify.
01
Diagnose
A full scored mock exposes exactly which question types — and which academic-English skills — are costing you points.
02
Repair
We teach the CALP gap — vocabulary, structure, production — and drill your weak types with live feedback until they hold.
03
Verify
You re-test under exam conditions. We don't sign off until your score clears your university's bar — verified in the portal.
A structured sequence, built in 10-point bands.
Nothing about your program is ad-hoc. Our materials are organized into units, each targeting the next 10-point band on the DET scale. You move up one band at a time — no skipping, no guessing what to study next.
01
Work the unit at home
Complete the online tasks for your current band at your own pace.
02
Finish every activity
The live session unlocks once all at-home activities in the unit are done.
03
Join your live session
Meet in our online classroom — private or small group — to lock the band in, then move up.
The gap between 110 and 120 is the gap between offers.
100–110
Mid-tier undergraduate admission across the US, Canada, UK & Ireland.
115–125
Well-ranked universities — many Russell Group and leading Canadian research schools.
125+
Highly selective and Ivy League programs, competitive master's.
Choose your level of support.
Start with free guided practice, then choose the support that matches your needs.
The Assessment
A full scored mock plus a leak-by-leak report and a repair plan. The honest place to start.
Learn more →Full Repair Program
The CALP gap taught and every weak type drilled to your target, backed by our score guarantee — it applies when you complete every unit on our timeline.
Learn more →1-on-1 Private Coaching
Fully private coaching with certified, experienced teachers and qualified second-language specialists — the fastest path to the highest ceiling.
Learn more →Every score confirmed in the official partner portal.
As an official Duolingo English Test Global Partner, we see and verify our students' real results — no screenshots, no cherry-picking. Our top student reached 130.
Admitted to Harvard
after their score repair
Now at the United Nations
a former LU English student
Recognized directly by the Duolingo English Test.
LU English is an official DET Global Partner — not a third-party course. That status gives our students advantages you can't get from self-study or a generic tutor.
Verified results. We confirm every score in the official partner portal.
Official materials. We prepare you with authentic DET resources, not guesswork.
Referral codes. Partner status lets us share a discount toward your official test.
.png?width=240&quality=90&format=webp)
Get your free DET starter pack.
Receive the DET Score Repair Starter Guide, your official partner invite, and access to free guided practice.
- ✓ Score-repair guide
- ✓ Official DET partner invite
- ✓ Guided practice with automated feedback on selected tasks
If you don't hit your target, you don't pay for the next block.
Every repair program is backed by our score guarantee. We only win when your score does.
The guarantee applies when you complete every activity in your program on our timeline — students who do the work get results.
"I don't sell more attempts. I teach the academic English the top bands are actually testing — then we don't stop until your score proves it."
Sean — Founder & lead DET coach, LU English
Meet Sean →
From the blog
Read all DET articles →
Why your DET Production score won’t go up
Your English may be fine. The real problem is often developing specific ideas fast enough under the timer.
What the DET wants at 110, 120, and 130
See how the test moves from accurate description to interpretation and flexible academic thinking.
Why storytelling beats templates in Write About the Photo
Listing objects creates thin answers. A simple story produces detail, connections, and stronger language.
English and academic preparation for every stage.
DET Score Repair
Targeted coaching to break the plateau and clear your target band.
IELTS Preparation
Targeted band-by-band coaching for the academic and general IELTS.
ESL Tutoring
Ongoing English with certified PGCE teachers and US-certified educators.
Elementary Math
Foundational math tutoring for elementary-school students.
Not sure where you stand? Find your score ceiling.
Answer 8 quick questions and get an instant band estimate — plus the exact conversational-to-academic gap that's capping you.
Finished the free practice? Get feedback on your actual work.
Complete the free practice first, then add a one-time $7 teacher review when you need personal feedback.
Get Your Free DET Starter Pack