Is IELTS in the UK on paper or on computer?
On computer. In a news item dated 5 March 2026, ielts.org announced updates to IELTS test delivery: from mid-2026 it no longer offers IELTS as a paper-based test. It adds that exact timelines will vary by market and that the item names no countries. It also says paper-based results you already hold remain valid until the end of the recommended two-year period.
So this page does not give a date by which paper ended in the UK, because ielts.org does not give one. If you are booking now, assume computer delivery and read the format shown for your centre and date.
What is Writing on Paper?
It is a computer test where you answer Writing by hand. ielts.org's page on IELTS on computer (Writing on Paper) says the task types, scoring and time allocation of Writing are the same, and that the questions appear on screen while your answers are handwritten. Listening and Reading stay on computer, and Speaking is with an examiner. It also says your results form will not show that you chose the option, and that results arrive within five days.
The news item says Writing on Paper is introduced in selected markets, and neither it nor the Writing on Paper page names the United Kingdom or any other country. What can be seen is ielts.org's UK test-centre list: as read on 31 October 2026 it shows 111 results, every title carrying the British Council name, and the label "Computer (Writing on Paper)" on 11 of them (a count made by reading the list, so treat it as approximate). Check the label for your own centre and date when you book.
IELTS for UKVI: fully digital, no Writing on Paper
Two statements matter if you need a result for a UK visa. The news item says the Secure English Language Test for UK Visas and Immigration will only be available in the fully digital format, and the Writing on Paper page says: "Writing on Paper is not available for test takers taking an IELTS for UKVI test." ielts.org's ways to take IELTS page adds that tests for UK visas must be taken at an official IELTS test centre. The same page describes IELTS Online as Academic only and offered in some countries.
GOV.UK's guidance on secure English language tests (updated 26 October 2026 when read) says the test must be sat at an approved test location, and names the IELTS SELT Consortium as an approved provider of IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills. It links the list of approved UK test centres. Whether your visa route needs a secure test at all is a question for the route's own GOV.UK page. This page is general information, not personal advice.
| Option | Writing | Where the rule comes from |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS on computer | Answers entered on the computer | ielts.org, ways to take IELTS |
| IELTS on computer, Writing on Paper | Handwritten | ielts.org, Writing on Paper page; check your centre |
| IELTS for UKVI | Fully digital; paper option not available | ielts.org news item and Writing on Paper page |
For a visa test, use GOV.UK's list of approved test centres, linked from the guidance above, and check the current rule on the named official page.
Section by section on computer
- Listening: 30 minutes, 4 parts. You enter your answers on the computer.
- Reading: 60 minutes, 3 parts.
- Writing: 60 minutes, 2 parts. On the computer, or handwritten only with Writing on Paper where it is offered.
- Speaking: 11 to 14 minutes, 3 parts, a live session with an examiner.
How long do results take?
ielts.org says results for IELTS on computer are available 1 to 5 days after the test, and its results page says most are issued within 2 days (that page bases the figure on data from May and June 2024). Treat these as typical timings, not promises. If you have a deadline, leave a margin.
One Skill Retake and the delivery mode
The news item says a Writing on Paper retake must be taken in the same delivery mode as the original test. How One Skill Retake works in the UK has its own page: see IELTS One Skill Retake in the UK.
How lessons with Mike can help with this
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service. It is not a test centre, does not register candidates or set exam fees, and a lesson is practice, not the test. Mike is a Cambridge CELTA-certified teacher (July 2017) based in Hanoi, Vietnam, with 12+ years teaching English and IELTS in Vietnam, Turkey and Iran. His own IELTS result is 8.5 in Speaking. He teaches every session himself, one-to-one, live on Google Meet, in English (about Mike).
- Typing or handwriting: practise Task 1 and Task 2 in the way you will sit them. Mike marks both against the public band descriptors (IELTS Writing feedback).
- Speaking: Parts 1 to 3 in the real format, with feedback in the moment (IELTS Speaking tutor).
- Progress notes: written notes stay in your account after lessons.
No band is promised; progress depends on your starting point and your work between sessions. The booking page shows each slot in your own time zone. Hanoi is seven hours ahead of the UK in winter and six in summer, so check the slots offered before you plan around a UK evening. The exact price is shown on the booking page before payment, and PayPal charges the US-dollar equivalent. A paid 30-minute trial can be taken once, on your first booking.
Registering, fees and dates
Book through the test provider named on your centre's listing, and check that provider's page for the current process. Fees and test dates change, so this page gives no exam fees or dates.
