Which format will you sit in these five countries?
This page covers IELTS Academic and General Training; check IELTS for UKVI with the provider. The pages cited were read in October 2026 and can change. IDP and the British Council both have pages for all five countries (linked below) that describe IELTS on computer, and on 5 March 2026 ielts.org announced that from mid-2026 IELTS would no longer be offered as a paper-based test, with timelines varying by market.
The provider pages do not agree on whether paper is still offered. IDP's Qatar and Oman news pages (dated 22 April 2026) say all tests will be on computer from 21 March 2026 (Qatar) and 22 August 2026 (Oman), without naming the country. Its Bahrain address leads to its global article (mid-2026); its Kuwait and Saudi Arabia sites had no such article at the same address. IDP's Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain test-dates pages, however, still say you can choose between IELTS on computer and IELTS on paper at the test centre closest to you; this general sentence does not show paper at any particular centre. The British Council's Academic pages for all five countries still mention paper, and its Bahrain page says both that all tests are on computer from 1 February 2026 and that you can choose paper. Confirm the format when you book. For special arrangements, ask which format applies: the British Council's Saudi Arabia and Qatar computer pages direct such candidates to paper, while ielts.org says its access arrangements continue.
Computer IELTS in Saudi Arabia
The British Council's Saudi Arabia page says you can take IELTS on computer at its centres in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, and lists paper at centres in eleven cities, including Makkah, Madinah and Tabuk. IDP's page says it has 31 centres (its finder lists 27) in cities including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Makkah, Madinah and Tabuk, with "Writing on computer" and "Writing on paper" test types, but it does not state the format at each centre. As read on 22 October 2026, ielts.org's centre finder showed no plain "Paper" tag on any Saudi Arabia card, only "Computer" and "Computer (Writing on Paper)", so the finder and the British Council's list of paper centres do not match. Check that computer testing is offered in your city before you book.
Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman: what each provider's page says
| Country | IDP | British Council |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 3 test centres, all listed under Doha | Two locations. Its booking page lists computer and IELTS Online (Academic only); its dates page adds Writing on Paper; its main page says non-residents will not be permitted to sit an IELTS on paper test, while its Academic and General Training pages still say paper or computer. |
| Kuwait | 4 test centres | 8 locations; its dates page describes only computer, but its Academic and General Training pages say paper or computer |
| Bahrain | One test centre, in Manama | One location, Manama |
| Oman | 5 test centres; its test-dates page describes only computer and lists IELTS Online separately, but the FAQ on its Muscat sessions page says most regional IDP centres in Oman offer both IELTS on paper and IELTS on computer | Muscat, Salalah, Buraimi and Rustaq: paper or computer, or IELTS Online |
IELTS on computer vs paper: what changes, section by section
What changes is how you answer, the Listening timing and how soon results arrive. IDP Kuwait and the British Council's Saudi Arabia and Qatar computer pages say content, question types and timings are the same, but the British Council's Academic pages for all five countries, and its Saudi Arabia test-day page, say computer Listening is timed slightly differently, because there is no answer-sheet transfer step.
| Section | Format | On computer |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 4 parts, 40 questions, recording played once | Answers entered on screen. 30 to 34 minutes with 2 minutes to check answers (British Council; IDP Oman). |
| Reading | 60 minutes, 40 questions, 3 sections | Questions and answers on screen. |
| Writing | 60 minutes: Task 1 (at least 150 words, about 20 minutes), Task 2 (at least 250 words, about 40) | Typed; handwritten in the Writing on Paper variant. |
| Speaking | 11 to 14 minutes, 3 parts (some British Council Academic pages say 10 to 14) | Not on a computer: an interview with an examiner. |
The Writing on Paper variant
Writing questions appear on screen and you handwrite the answers. ielts.org says it is available in selected countries, with results within 5 days, and that it is not available for IELTS for UKVI. The provider pages read list it for Saudi Arabia (IDP and the British Council) and Qatar (the British Council's dates page, and the Writing on paper tag on some IDP Doha session cards); some IDP Muscat session cards in Oman also carry Writing on paper, although IDP's Oman test-dates page describes only computer. The pages read do not list it for Kuwait or Bahrain. As read on 22 October 2026, ielts.org's centre finder showed "Computer (Writing on Paper)" at some centres in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman and at none in Kuwait or Bahrain, and no plain "Paper" tag in any of the five countries. Centre lists change, so ask your provider before you book.
Speaking stays an interview
As read on 22 October 2026, ielts.org and the providers do not describe how Speaking is delivered in one voice. ielts.org's format pages and its Ways to take IELTS page describe a face-to-face interview with an examiner and, for test-centre IELTS, mention no video call, but its Guide for Test Takers says you take Speaking face to face or via video call. IDP's pages for these countries describe a face-to-face interview and, in the pages read, do not mention a video call (its Bahrain addresses lead to IDP's global pages, which say the same). The British Council's pages are not consistent either: its English pages for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait say some of its test centres deliver Speaking by video call at the test centre, and its Bahrain and Oman Academic pages say so too, but its Kuwait, Qatar and Oman computer-delivered pages say Speaking will remain face to face, and its Bahrain and Oman test-day pages have no video-call wording. Its Saudi Arabia and Qatar pages describe video-call Speaking as having the same content, scoring and timing. No page read says which centres use a video call. IDP's computer-delivered pages for Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia say that in some test centres Speaking is on the same day or up to 7 days before or after your test date, and elsewhere in the same answer that on computer it is the same day. The British Council's test-day pages for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait say the same day or up to a week before or after. Check your confirmation email, and ask your provider how yours is held.
How long do computer-delivered results take?
Usually within about 2 days, with published ranges up to 5. These are typical timings, not promises.
- ielts.org. 1 to 5 days on its ways to take IELTS page; most within 2 days on its fast-results page, which gives 13 days for paper.
- IDP. 1 to 5 days (business days on its Qatar and Kuwait pages), but its computer pages carry a banner quoting a later range, and its Arabic Saudi page differs from the English one; confirm with IDP.
- British Council. Its results page for Saudi Arabia, like those for the other four countries, says typically within two days and lists 1 to 2 days. Its Saudi Arabia computer page says 1 to 5 days.
On test day: what the providers say
Your confirmation email is what applies to you. IDP's Qatar computer page says the centre provides computers, headphones, pens and paper, and IDP's computer pages say you can write notes on a sheet during the test. Phones, pagers and smartwatches must be switched off and left outside the exam room, and keeping a device means disqualification; the British Council's Saudi Arabia test-day page says watches of any kind are not allowed.
One Skill Retake and IELTS Online
The providers describe One Skill Retake for all five countries, but not at every centre: IDP does not mark every centre it lists in Oman or Saudi Arabia. ielts.org says the original test must be on computer and the retake sat within 60 days. See One Skill Retake or a full retake.
IELTS Online is Academic only, and ielts.org says it is not currently accepted for immigration purposes. IDP's Qatar and Oman sites and the British Council's Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain pages mention it; the other pages read do not list it as a local option, so ask your provider. As read on 22 October 2026, ielts.org's centre finder showed an IELTS Online booking card through the British Council for Qatar, Bahrain and Oman, and none for Saudi Arabia or Kuwait.
Computer-based IELTS tips: how to practise
From the providers
- IDP. Its familiarisation tests are offered at no charge: untimed, for Listening, Academic Reading and Academic Writing, and a close representation of the real test, except that timing, highlighting and notes work differently.
- British Council. Its familiarisation test has an interface like the real one. Listening and Reading results are shown at no charge; Writing and Speaking are not marked.
General advice (not from the providers or ielts.org)
- Type both Writing tasks in one 60-minute sitting. Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1. The provider pages read state no typing-speed requirement that this page found, so it quotes none.
- Enter Listening answers as you listen. The recording plays once, so practise typing while it plays.
- Keep Speaking practice live. Practise aloud with another person; the Speaking Part 2 timer helps.
How one-to-one lessons with Mike can help
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service, not a test centre: it does not register candidates, set exam fees or issue results. Register with a test centre such as IDP or the British Council, or another centre on ielts.org's finder; each sets its own fees and dates, so this page quotes none. Mike holds the Cambridge CELTA, is based in Hanoi, and teaches every session himself, live on Google Meet in English. His own IELTS result is 7.5 overall with 8.5 in Speaking (about Mike). A session is practice with a teacher, not an IELTS test.
A session can go through a Task 1 or Task 2 answer you wrote to a time limit and share on screen, and practise Speaking Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real format, with feedback during the session. See IELTS Writing feedback and IELTS Speaking coaching.
Hanoi is on UTC+7. The IANA time zone database (Kuwait, Bahrain and Muscat are links in its backward file) puts Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain on UTC+3 and Oman on UTC+4, with no daylight saving, so Hanoi is 4 hours ahead of the first four and 3 hours ahead of Oman all year: 19:00 in Hanoi is 15:00 in Riyadh and 16:00 in Muscat. The booking calendar shows every slot in your own time, and the booking page shows your price in your own currency, and the payment options, before you pay. Details: online IELTS tutoring for these five countries. No band is promised.