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GMAC has formally recognized the Duolingo English Test in its 2026 Graduate Management Education Admissions Reporting Standards. The update marks a significant shift toward digital-first English proficiency assessments, giving business schools clearer guidance and offering international applicants greater flexibility through remote, secure language testing options.
The landscape of English proficiency testing for business school admissions shifted this week as the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) formally recognized the Duolingo English Test (DET) in its 2026 standards. This is a move that signals the growing acceptance of digital-first assessment tools in higher education.
GMAC is the global association representing leading graduate business schools and steward of the widely-followed Graduate Management Education (GME) Admissions Reporting Standards. This week they announced the inclusion following a review by a task force of business school admissions professionals. The standards shape how institutions report admissions data and evaluate applicants. They are updated only every two years and solely when field-wide consensus emerges around significant changes.
The inclusion carries particular weight given GMAC’s conservative approach to modifying its standards. Since reintroducing their reporting framework in 2020, the organization has focused primarily on updating structural shifts such as new program models, improved data clarity and reporting. Including the DET, a relatively new assesmnet tool, to the list of approved assessments signals widespread adoption and trust from global business schools.
“GMAC’s recognition of the Duolingo English Test highlights the direction graduate admissions are moving: toward modern, secure, and rigorous digital assessment. Built for today’s admissions landscape and backed by award-winning security and research, the DET reflects what institutions now expect from language testing.”
Elie Bechara, Head of Duolingo English Test, Europe
For graduate management programs, the formal recognition provides clearer guidance on reporting English proficiency data while offering additional flexibility in evaluating international candidates. Business schools can now include DET scores in their admissions reporting without any ambiguity about whether they meet GMAC’s standardized frameworks.
International applicants stand to benefit from the expanded acceptance of a remotely administered assessment. The test, taken online from home, removes logistical barriers associated with traveling to testing centers, a consideration that became particularly salient during the pandemic and continues to influence prospective students’ testing preferences.
The development reflects wider changes in how graduate programs approach standardized testing. Many business schools have increasingly adopted test-optional policies or expanded the range of assessments they accept. Driven by desires to reduce barriers for qualified candidates and acknowledge diverse preparation pathways, this shift is building momentum.
Digital assessments that offer on-demand scheduling and remote proctoring have gained traction across multiple educational sectors. However questions about test security, score validity, and comparability with established standards remain topics of ongoing discussion in admissions circles.
The Duolingo English Test’s recognition by GMAC adds institutional validation to a product that has already secured acceptance at numerous universities globally. This is quite a milestone as traditional tests like TOEFL and IELTS continue to dominate the English proficiency assessment market.
As business schools navigate evolving applicant expectations and technological capabilities, the next GME standards review cycle in 2028 will likely provide further insight. Whether other emerging assessment tools gain similar recognition or whether the field consolidates around a more limited set of accepted measures, is yet to be seen.
For now, this shift represents a notable endorsement of innovation in alternative testing pathways in graduate management education. Institutions staying ahead of the curve is always on our radar at MASTERGRADSCHOOLS, and this is a positive shift forward for higher education. Let’s hope it is one that may influence assessment practices beyond the business school sector.
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*Image courtesy of Duolingo, 2026.
