Duolingo English Test Not Certified? Rules, Reasons, and What to Do Next
Duolingo English Test not certified? Learn the official test rules, the three types of broken rules, how retakes and appeals work, and a pre-test checklist.
The Email Nobody Wants to Get
You finish the Duolingo English Test (DET), feel good about your answers, and wait for your score. Two days later the email arrives, and instead of a number you see that your result could not be certified.
For many test takers this is not about cheating at all. It is about small habits nobody warned them about: glancing to the side while thinking, a phone camera that slipped, a messaging app still running in the background, or a family member opening the door.
This guide explains, using the official DET Help Center, what the rules are, what the different "not certified" outcomes mean, when you get a free retake, when you can appeal, and how to set up so it never happens to you.
Policies change. Everything here is based on the official pages listed at the end, checked on the date of this post. Reread them before your test.
Certified vs Not Certified: The Basics
The DET is taken at home and recorded. After you finish, your session is reviewed and you receive your result within two days (or within 12 hours if you bought Faster Results). The result is either:
- Certified: you get your score and can share it with institutions. Certified results are valid for two years.
- Not certified (invalid): the reviewers could not confirm that the session followed the rules, or a technical problem stopped the test from being uploaded or certified.
Logging in at englishtest.duolingo.com shows the specific reason your test was invalidated. That reason decides everything that happens next.
How Credits and Attempts Work
Before you can understand retakes, you need to know how the DET counts tests.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Credit | What you buy. A single test gives one credit; a test bundle gives two |
| Certified result | You can receive one certified result per credit |
| Attempt | Each credit has three attempts to complete and upload the test. Any time you start the test, it counts as an attempt |
| Credit validity | A credit must be used within 21 days of purchase, and this cannot be extended |
| Purchase limit | You may buy up to 3 tests in any 30-day period |
So if your internet drops twice and the test ends both times, you have already used two attempts. You have one left on that credit. This is why the setup before you press start matters so much.
Why a Result Is Not Certified
The Help Center groups invalid results into a few situations. The consequences are very different.
1. Technical error
Something stopped your test from being uploaded or certified, such as a lost connection. If you still have attempts on the credit, you can retake at no additional cost. Technical errors cannot be appealed; the solution is simply to test again.
2. ID problem
If the ID you submitted has an issue, you only need to resubmit a valid ID to receive your result. You do not need to take the full test again.
3. Broken rules
This is where most people get caught. Duolingo sorts broken rules into three categories:
| Category | What it means | What happens | Can you appeal? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule Violation | Evidence your test environment may not have been secure | Retake at no cost if attempts remain. Two Rule Violations on the same credit make the credit expire | No |
| Possible Misconduct | Strong evidence you may have received help from a person or an external resource | Your credit expires immediately, even with attempts left. You can buy a new credit | Yes |
| Evident Misconduct | You received help from a person or an external resource (for example, an impersonator) | You are permanently blocked from taking the test again, on any account | Yes |
There is also a one-year suspension: if you show a pattern of Rule Violations or Possible Misconduct across multiple tests within 365 days, your account may be suspended for a year from the date of the earliest broken rule. During that time you cannot buy or take the test on any account, and you cannot share your certified results with new institutions (results you already shared stay accessible to those institutions).
And one rule applies to every category: if you break the test rules, you are not eligible for a refund.
The Official Rules, in Plain Language
These come from the Help Center's "Test Policies, Rules, and Requirements" page. Read them as a checklist, not as background.
During the test
- Do not look away from the screen, except when typing
- Do not memorize answers or read answers from other sources
- Do not type or speak until you are told to
- Do not take notes or record the questions, and remove paper and notes from your testing space
- Take the test alone in a room and do not interact with anyone
- Remove headphones and earbuds, and do not wear smart glasses
Computer setup
- Turn off anything with predictive text, proofreading, typing suggestions, or reference functions, and use a standard input method
- Close every program except the DET desktop app: browsers, chat and call apps, streaming software, and remote desktop tools
- No virtual machines and no VPN
- Use only one keyboard, one mouse, and one phone
- Stay in the camera frame with your ears, eyes, and mouth visible
- Remove extra screens and devices from the testing area
- Your phone camera must capture your head, shoulders, screen, and keyboard, and you must not interfere with its recording
General
- Use only one account, never share it, and have a valid ID
The Five Rules People Break Most Often
The official DET blog has listed the rules test takers break most often. Here is each one with a practical fix:
| Commonly broken rule | Why it happens | Practical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Looking away from the screen | Looking up or to the side while thinking | Practice thinking with your eyes on the screen. Looking down at the keyboard to type is fine |
| Phone camera set up incorrectly | Phone placed too close, at a bad angle, or touched during the test | Check the live preview until your head, shoulders, screen, and keyboard are all in frame, then leave the phone alone |
| Getting help during the exam | Someone walks in or speaks | Tell everyone at home beforehand and lock the door if you can. If someone enters, ask them to leave without talking |
| Copying responses from another source | Using memorized or pre-written answers | Build flexible structures, not scripts, and write every answer from scratch |
| Running external software | Messaging or video apps start automatically | Restart your computer and close everything except the DET desktop app before you begin |
The Phone Camera Setup, Step by Step
The phone camera is a relatively recent addition to the DET setup, and it is one of the rules people break most often. According to the Help Center:
- Open the DET desktop app, sign in, and continue until you are asked to set up your phone
- Scan the QR code with your phone's own camera app
- Make sure the phone is fully charged, or plug it in and leave it charging for the whole test
- Turn on Do Not Disturb, and check that no contacts can bypass it. Notifications can get your session invalidated
- Lean the phone against something heavy to the left or right of your computer. Placing it horizontally is the most stable option
- Move it until your head, shoulders, screen, and keyboard are fully in frame in the preview on your computer
You will also scan your room and your ears with the phone. Take off glasses and clip-on or magnetic earrings before the ear scan (you can put your glasses back on afterwards).
Two details people miss:
- If the phone video is interrupted, obscured, or interfered with, the test is canceled or invalidated and you start again from the beginning
- If your phone falls over, the Help Center recommends quitting and retaking the test from the beginning, because the questions are timed
If you do not own a smartphone, you can borrow one, or use a tablet if needed. The phone camera does not replace your computer's camera; both are required.
Your Result Was Not Certified: What to Do Now
Step 1: Read the exact reason
Log in, open My Tests, and read the reason listed next to the invalid status. Do not guess from the email alone.
Step 2: Check your attempts
If it was a technical error or a Rule Violation and you still have attempts left on the credit, you can retake for free. Fix the specific cause before you start again, because every start counts as an attempt.
Step 3: Appeal only if you are eligible, and fast
You can appeal only if you received an email saying your account is blocked, or if the invalid result immediately used up your credit. If you are eligible:
- An "Appeal This Result" button appears under the reason in My Tests
- It is available for only 72 hours after the not-certified notification
- You describe your reason in the form, and an appeals specialist sends a decision within 4 business days
- You can appeal a result once, and the decision is final
If you do not see the button, you are not eligible to appeal. Technical issues are never appealable, and neither are Rule Violations.
Step 4: Report technical problems within 24 hours
If something went wrong with the test itself, contact DET support within 24 hours of the issue. Remember that refunds are not available when a test rule was broken.
Pre-Test Checklist
- Test credit is still within its 21-day window
- Valid ID ready on the desk
- Room is private, quiet, and well lit, with the door locked if possible
- Everyone at home knows not to come in or talk to you
- Desk has only your computer, your phone, and your ID: no paper, notes, headphones, or extra devices
- Computer restarted; only the DET desktop app is open
- Predictive text, grammar checkers, and typing suggestions are turned off
- VPN off, single monitor, one keyboard and one mouse
- Desktop notifications off
- Phone charged or plugged in, Do Not Disturb on
- Phone placed horizontally to one side, showing your head, shoulders, screen, and keyboard
- Glasses and clip-on earrings removed for the ear scan
- Camera lens clean, face fully visible in the preview
Practice So the Rules Feel Normal
The rules about eyes on the screen, no notes, and no memorized answers are easiest to follow when you have already practiced that way. Reciting a script you wrote in advance breaks the rule against memorized answers, and looking away to search for words can look like you are reading from somewhere else.
A better approach is to practice Write About the Photo and Speak About the Photo under the real timer, with nothing on your desk, building flexible structures (overview, details, impression) instead of memorized paragraphs. Wono DET lets you do exactly that with AI feedback on every answer. It is an independent practice tool, not affiliated with Duolingo, and it focuses on the photo tasks only, so use it alongside the official practice test.
Official Sources
All policies above come from official Duolingo English Test pages. The Help Center is linked from the footer of englishtest.duolingo.com.
- Test Policies, Rules, and Requirements
- What are the consequences for violating the rules?
- How many chances do I get to take the test when I purchase it?
- How can I appeal my results?
- Using your phone to record your computer
- Using your phone to scan your ears
- How long does it take to receive my results?
- How long do I have to take the test after I pay for it?
- What is your refund policy?
- How long are Duolingo English Test results valid?
- Duolingo English Test setup: camera, room scan, ear scan
- The 5 most broken rules on the Duolingo English Test
Conclusion
A "not certified" result is usually avoidable. Every start uses one of your three attempts, so finish your setup before you press start. Technical errors and Rule Violations usually mean a free retake while attempts remain, while misconduct ends the credit or the account and can only be challenged through a 72-hour appeal. Keep your eyes on the screen, nothing on the desk, nobody in the room, and nothing running but the DET app, and you can spend test day thinking about your English instead of the camera.
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