Duolingo’s quarterly financial report was published a few days ago. It indicates that for the three months ending September 30, revenue from the DET was about $10,772,000. If we divide that number by the cost of the DET ($65) we can estimate that the test was taken about 165,723 times in the quarter. That’s down about 8% from the same period last year, when the same math suggests the test was taken about 179,864 times.
Keep in mind that this is an imprecise calculation. Some people pay less than $65 by purchasing a bundle of tests. Others pay more than $65 to get fast results. Some people pay less (or nothing) because they get vouchers from a third party partner or through Duolingo’s Access program.
With that said, the math suggests that the test was taken 547,223 times for the nine months ending September 30. That’s basically unchanged from the same period last year, when the test was taken about 549,231 times. The lack of a year-on-year decline is due to a very strong Q1 in 2024. Indeed, I think Q1 of 2024 is actually the high water mark for the test.
These numbers track what’s going on in this industry as a whole. Pearson has suggested that PTE test volumes will likely be flat for the year. And IDP Education reported an 18% decline in IELTS volumes for the year ending June 30, 2024.
Note that if you are looking for these sorts of numbers from Duolingo, you have to check the 10-Q forms filed by Duolingo. Nowadays, they aren’t reported elsewhere.