Which format will you actually sit in Hanoi?
This page covers IELTS Academic and General Training. IELTS for UKVI and UKVI Life Skills have their own details (Writing on Paper, for example, is not offered for IELTS for UKVI), so check those with the provider.
IDP and British Council Vietnam announced that after 29 March 2025 all IELTS tests in Vietnam are delivered on computer. They list exactly two exceptions for paper: candidates who need special arrangements, and very limited cases at educational institutions that work with the two providers. So prepare for computer delivery; paper is the previous format.
When this page was written in October 2026, British Council Vietnam's page on ways to take IELTS listed two in-centre options, IELTS on computer and IELTS on computer with Writing on Paper, which is consistent with the announcement. One point is not fully settled. A few provider pages still carry paper-era wording that conflicts with the announcement. This page cannot rule out that a particular institution or situation still uses paper, so check the format shown on the session you book.
The Writing on Paper variant
Here the Writing questions are on screen and you handwrite your answers; the rest is on computer. British Council Vietnam lists it and some IDP Hanoi sessions show it, but it is not clear that every centre or session offers it, so check the booking page. Scoring and timing are the same, and the Test Report Form does not say which way you answered.
Section by section: what changes on computer
IDP and British Council Vietnam say the format, questions and scoring are the same on computer and only the delivery method differs.
| Section | Time and parts | What changes on computer |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 30 minutes, 4 parts, 40 questions | Questions on screen; you enter answers directly on the computer. |
| Reading | 60 minutes, 3 parts | Passage on the left, questions on the right. Highlight, annotate, skip and return; answers recorded directly. |
| Writing | 60 minutes, 2 tasks | Typed answers with an automatic word count. Handwritten in the Writing on Paper variant. |
| Speaking | 11 to 14 minutes, 3 parts | Still an interview with a certified examiner, face to face or, according to British Council Vietnam, in certain situations by video call at a test centre. |
Listening review time. There is no separate transfer time on computer: IDP describes a short review at the end instead of the paper test's 10 minutes. This comes from IDP guidance written in 2021 and 2022, so it may have changed.
Speaking. British Council Vietnam's announcement says video-call Speaking is also run at a test centre, with the same identity checks, and matches the face-to-face test in content, scoring and timing. It describes video call as used in certain situations, while its dates, fees and locations page says candidates can choose the Speaking slot and format. The descriptions differ slightly, so confirm what applies to your booking.
The skills tested do not change. ielts.org (5 March 2026) says the delivery change does not alter the skills assessed or how institutions interpret results. The band scale is the same: 0 to 9 in whole and half bands.
Results and test-day rules
Results
British Council Vietnam's announcement says about 2 days for IELTS on computer; other provider pages say within 2 days or 1 to 5 days, and British Council Vietnam lists 1 to 5 days for Writing on Paper. Expect results usually within about 2 days. The longest range quoted is 5 days, but timings are typical rather than promised, so confirm with your provider.
Rules to check before you go
Summarised from IDP Vietnam, British Council Vietnam, the British Council's global IELTS on computer page and IDP's global test-day guide. Your confirmation email is what applies to you.
- ID. Bring the same passport or national ID card you used to book. British Council Vietnam says the old-type CMND has not been valid since 1 January 2025, and that invalid or expired ID means you cannot sit the test.
- Equipment. The centre provides the computer and headphones. Provider pages differ on pens and pencils, so bring no stationery unless your confirmation email says so.
- Phones and watches. Phones and electronic devices must be switched off and left outside the room. IDP Vietnam and the British Council's global page say a candidate who keeps a device is disqualified. Watches, including smartwatches, are not allowed.
- Food and drink. Water only, in a transparent bottle (the British Council's global page adds: without any label). No food in the test room.
- Breaks. Listening, Reading and Writing are one sitting with no scheduled breaks. IDP's global test-day guide for the Writing on Paper option says bathroom visits are not allowed during Listening and that the timer keeps running during Reading and Writing.
- Arrival. Arrive in good time, because a late arrival may not be admitted. IDP says check-in times vary by centre, so follow your confirmation email.
Preparing: what IDP recommends
IDP states that there is no minimum typing speed. It recommends practising reading on screen, typing full Writing answers against a timer, entering Listening answers on a computer, and taking the free Familiarisation test, which has no time limit and lets you try highlighting and notes.
A teacher's general advice (not guidance from IDP or the British Council)
This is general teaching advice based on how the format works. It does not promise any band.
- Keep Speaking practice live. Speaking is still a conversation with an examiner, so practise aloud with another person.
- Type both Writing tasks in one 60-minute sitting. Decide your order of tasks beforehand, use the word count to check each task's minimum length, and leave a few minutes to re-read. If you choose Writing on Paper, practise by hand.
Where private coaching fits in
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service, not the exam board or a test centre: it does not register students, set exam fees or provide exam software. Sessions are one-to-one over Google Meet with Mike, covering Listening, Reading, Writing (marked against the public band descriptors) and Speaking (Parts 1 to 3 in the real test format, with feedback in the moment).
See Speaking coaching, Writing feedback, Listening coaching and Reading coaching, or online IELTS tutoring for all four skills. Prices are on the booking page; students outside Vietnam see their own region's price, in their own currency, before paying.
Mike holds the Cambridge CELTA (July 2017), has taught English and IELTS for more than twelve years in Vietnam, Turkey and Iran, and has taught more than 500 one-to-one sessions. His own IELTS result is 7.5 overall with 8.5 in Speaking; see the about Mike page.
Where to register, and where to find exam fees and dates
Register with the providers themselves, through IDP Vietnam's Hanoi test dates page or British Council Vietnam's booking page. Exam fees and test dates change, so this page quotes none; see IELTS test dates and fees in Hanoi and the providers' own pages for current figures. A Vietnamese version of this page is also available.