Shamsa Rehna, Nazia Yasmeen
For students in South Asia, English language competency tests are now a crucial entry point to higher education, professional mobility, immigration, and foreign work. Universities, governments, corporations, and professional associations have all used the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as one of the most popular tests of English ability for decades. However, the Duolingo English Test (DET), an online, computer-adaptive, technology- mediated test that can be performed remotely and typically yields results considerably faster than traditional testing routes, has established a fundamentally different concept. A crucial question for South Asian educational systems is brought up by the increasing adoption of DET: For students looking for overseas educational options, can the Duolingo English Test successfully replace IELTS, or should it continue to be an alternative rather than a replacement? With a focus on Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, this study examines the possible effects of replacing IELTS with DET among South Asian students. Secondary quantitative and qualitative evidence, psychometric research, institutional evidence, published predictive-validity studies, official testing data, and illustrative cases of students and institutions were all used in the comparative study technique. Accessibility, cost, time efficiency, academic validity, technology requirements, and institutional acceptance are the six categories in which the study assesses the two examinations.