The test-day rules below come from IDP Taiwan's pages, read on 24 October 2026, and apply to a booking with IDP Taiwan. British Council Taiwan also runs IELTS in Taiwan, but its test-day rules were not checked for this page, so if you booked there, follow the confirmation you received from it. Rules and wording change, so where your own confirmation email differs from this page, follow the email.
How early should you arrive for IELTS in Taiwan?
At least 30 minutes before the start time. IDP Taiwan's FAQ says check-in and the test briefing come before the test, so you must reach the centre at least 30 minutes ahead of the start time shown in the notice email. It also says that arriving at the start time counts as late, and that a late candidate gets no entry, no refund and no reschedule.
IDP's test centres page recommends arriving 30 to 45 minutes early for check-in and identity checks. Read the two together: 30 minutes is the minimum the FAQ sets, and 30 to 45 minutes is the centre page's recommendation.
Two general suggestions from a tutor, not IDP rules. Work out your route to the centre before the day, because under the rule above a delay on the way can cost you the booking. And have the ID your booking requires ready for the identity check: which ID IDP Taiwan accepts is covered in our guide to IELTS registration and passport rules in Taiwan, and centre addresses and station routes are in IELTS test centres in Taipei.
What you can bring, and what goes in storage
IDP Taiwan's what-to-bring page sets out the rules in the table. The headphone rule is on IDP's computer-based IELTS page.
| What | What IDP Taiwan says |
|---|---|
| Stationery | Since 1 May 2025 candidates may not bring their own. The test centre supplies stationery according to the test type: one pencil and note paper. Erasers, correction fluid, correction tape and similar items are banned. |
| Water | Only a fully clear, colourless bottle of water may be taken in. Other drinks are not allowed. |
| Phones, tablets, laptops and other electronics | Fully switched off, and kept in the storage area. |
| Watches and hats | Kept in the storage area. The page adds that a hat may not be worn except for religious reasons. |
| Pocket contents | Pockets must be emptied; otherwise it counts as a violation. |
| Headphones | IDP says the test centre provides headphones to candidates taking the computer test. Its page gives this as its answer to the question of why candidates cannot use their own headphones. |
| People who come with you | They may not enter the test area and must wait outside. |
IDP's pages do not agree on every detail. Its FAQ article, which carries a 2021 byline date and also mentions changes from 2026, says the centre supplies a black ballpoint pen, where the what-to-bring page lists one pencil and note paper. It also words the water rule differently: a clear bottle with no English labelling, holding plain water only. The what-to-bring page states the 1 May 2025 start date of the stationery rule, so the table above follows it. If your confirmation email says something else, follow the email.
Inside the room: candidate number and on-screen tools
IDP's FAQ says no candidate number is published beforehand. After you enter the room, the number is stuck on your desk, so there is nothing to look up in advance.
The same FAQ lists the tools of the computer test: adjustable font size and volume, a countdown clock that turns red when 10 and 5 minutes remain, moving back and forth between questions, highlighting and notes, and 2 minutes to check your answers after Listening. Our guide to computer-delivered IELTS in Taiwan covers how the on-screen test differs from paper and how to practise for it.
Typhoon rule: what IDP Taiwan's banner says
A banner on IDP Taiwan's test dates page says what happens to the test in a typhoon. It refers to announcements by the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (人事行政總局) and separates two cases:
| What is announced | What the banner says about the test |
|---|---|
| School closure only (停課) | The test goes ahead as normal. |
| School and work both suspended (停課併停班) | The test is suspended. The test centre contacts candidates after work resumes, to arrange what happens next. |
The banner stops there. It does not say how soon another session is offered or what happens to your fee, so this page does not guess: ask IDP Taiwan. Nor does this page say whether IDP's ordinary rules for changing or cancelling a booking apply to a typhoon suspension; those rules are set out in our guide to changing or cancelling an IELTS booking in Taiwan.
IDP's FAQ describes typhoons in different terms. It says the announcement of the government where the test venue is located decides, whereas the banner names the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration. In the FAQ, if school and work are both suspended the test is cancelled for that day and the centre helps candidates reschedule on the next working day, and if only school is suspended the test goes ahead. It also says the centre sends no separate notice on the day and asks candidates to look up the announcement themselves. The banner and the FAQ are therefore not worded alike. Check both the announcement for the city of your test centre and the one from the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, and confirm with IDP Taiwan.
Morning and afternoon sessions: the pattern
For computer sessions, IDP's FAQ describes two patterns. The difference is where Speaking falls:
| Session | Pattern in IDP's FAQ |
|---|---|
| Morning session | You check in, then take Listening, Reading and Writing in that order. Speaking is arranged in the afternoon. |
| Afternoon session | Speaking comes first, and you check in 30 minutes before it. The written tests (Listening, Reading and Writing) follow later in the afternoon, with their own check-in before they start. |
This page prints no clock times on purpose. The FAQ gives specific clock times, but it carries a 2021 byline date and also mentions 2026 changes, and the session cards on IDP's centre pages show start times that differ from centre to centre and do not all match the FAQ's. The times for your own session are on your booking and in your notice email; use the pattern above only to see the shape of the day. Where Speaking sits in the day, and what IDP's pages say about a separate Speaking slot, is covered in our computer-delivered guide.
A tutor's general suggestions for the day (not IDP guidance)
- Rehearse the written tests back to back. Listening is about 30 minutes, and Reading and Writing are 60 minutes each. One timed run-through of all three shows where your concentration drops.
- Pack from IDP's list the night before. The ID your booking requires and, if you want one, a fully clear, colourless bottle of water. Stationery is supplied, and your phone has to be switched off completely.
- Agree where your companion will wait. People who come with you cannot enter the test area, so decide the meeting point in advance.
- If Speaking comes first, warm up aloud. In the afternoon pattern you speak before you write anything, so spend a few minutes before leaving home talking in English.
Other Taiwan guides for before and after the day
- Registration: passport-only ID, name format, upload deadline and special arrangements.
- Changing or cancelling: IDP's deadlines, proof and limits.
- Taipei test centres: addresses, MRT exits and test types.
- Results: when they appear, the report form, remarks and extra copies.
Where one-to-one lessons with Mike fit, and what they are not
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service, not a test centre or the exam board. It does not register candidates, and it cannot change or interpret IDP's rules for your booking. Mike is a Cambridge CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi who teaches every lesson himself, one-to-one and live on Google Meet, in English rather than Chinese. His own IELTS Speaking result is 8.5 (about Mike).
- Speaking. You practise Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format, with feedback in the moment. This helps most if your session puts Speaking first. See IELTS Speaking coaching.
- Writing under time. Bring a Task 1 or Task 2 answer you wrote against the clock; Mike marks it against the public band descriptors, with feedback during the lesson. See IELTS Writing feedback.
Those two pages quote Vietnam prices; your own price appears on the booking page before you pay. Taiwan (UTC+8) is one hour ahead of Hanoi (UTC+7) all year, and the booking page shows each time in your own time zone, plus the payment options. The booking page may open in Simplified Chinese, because it has no Traditional Chinese version yet; its language menu offers English. A paid 30-minute trial can be taken once, on your first booking. No band is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work between sessions. More on lessons from Taiwan is in online IELTS tutor for Taiwan.
Registration, fees and dates
Register with IDP Taiwan directly, through its test dates page. Fees and test dates change, so this page quotes no exam fee or test date.