Academic warns MPs over reliance on Duolingo entry tests

An academic has warned that universities in the United Kingdom risk being hit by “academic misconduct” and poor student performance because of their use of online Duolingo tests for admissions, writes Poppy Wood for iNews.

A one-hour online English language test, which the language learning app markets as a cheap and convenient alternative to traditional proficiency tests, was widely adopted by universities during the pandemic when in-person test centres were forced to close. In the UK, 62 universities and higher education institutions started allowing potential international students to use Duolingo tests as proof they had the necessary English language skills.

The majority have since dropped it. But iNews has established that at least 23 UK universities are still using Duolingo for admissions – including three from the elite Russell Group. Professor John Heathershaw from the University of Exeter linked the acceptance of “things like Duolingo tests” to lower English language standards and described it as a “major issue” when he appeared before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee last week.
Full report on the iNews site