Where this page gets its details
This page goes through four Sarawak towns, Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri, one venue at a time. It draws on four kinds of page: IDP Malaysia's own centre and test-dates pages and British Council Malaysia's dates, fees and locations page (all read on 24 October 2026), venue records on ielts.org (read in October 2026) and the UK Home Office's list of approved test centres outside the UK (file dated 9 October 2026). They are maintained separately, so where they differ on a detail we show both versions and do not choose between them.
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service, not a test centre. It does not register candidates, hold places or set fees, it is not affiliated with IDP, the British Council or any venue named on this page, and this page quotes no exam fee or test date, because the providers set and change them. For the whole country, start with the guide to IELTS test centres in Malaysia.
The four towns at a glance
| Town | Provider | Venue, as the source prints it | Page read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kuching | IDP | Sunway College Kuching, Jalan Tun Jugah | IDP's Kuching centre page |
| Kuching | British Council | The Meeting Place Kuching, Jalan Song, Kampung Tabuan Lalang | ielts.org venue record; British Council Malaysia's locations page |
| Sibu | British Council | Methodist Pilley Institute, Queensway | ielts.org venue record; British Council Malaysia's locations page |
| Bintulu | IDP | PTMJ Bintulu, at Pusat Tuisyen Medan Jaya, Medan Jaya Commercial Centre | IDP's Bintulu centre page |
| Miri | IDP | RIAM Tech, Riam Road | IDP's Miri centre page |
Sibu is the town that IDP's list leaves out: ielts.org and British Council Malaysia's own locations page list a British Council venue there, but IDP's list of Malaysian centres has no Sibu. For Bintulu and Miri this page has IDP's centre pages and no British Council record to quote; that is a limit of what we read, not a statement that none exists.
Kuching
IDP Kuching, at Sunway College Kuching
IDP's Kuching centre page prints the address as: Sunway College Kuching, No 1, Song Plaza (1st Floor), Lot 12168, Block 16, KCLD, Jalan Tun Jugah, 93350 Kuching Sarawak. The session cards on the page carry an “Accessible IELTS test centre” tag, and the page lists opening hours for weekdays and for Saturday; read the hours on the page itself, since they can change. We do not know what the tag covers, so if you have an access need, ask IDP what is provided at this venue.
When read on 24 October 2026, IDP's Kuching dates page showed session cards labelled IELTS for UKVI, for Academic (for example IELTS for UKVI (Academic)) and for General Training. No UKVI card appeared on IDP's Kota Kinabalu or Ipoh dates pages that day; the Kota Kinabalu and Ipoh guides say more.
Three sources, one Kuching venue: what they say about UKVI
- IDP's dates page shows the IELTS for UKVI session cards just described (read 24 October 2026).
- ielts.org lists Sunway College Kuching with four tests on computer, among them IELTS UKVI Academic and IELTS UKVI General Training.
- The Home Office list (file dated 9 October 2026) includes Sunway College at the same Jalan Tun Jugah address under the IELTS SELT Consortium, and does so twice, in two rows that are not named alike. We cannot say why, and we do not read the second row as a second venue.
That shows where the lists point, not whether you need IELTS for UKVI. The organisation that receives your result decides which version it accepts, this page gives no visa advice, and the Home Office file may be updated, so check the current list on gov.uk. IELTS for UKVI in Malaysia goes through where the lists show it, and IELTS Academic vs General Training covers the other choice.
The British Council venue: The Meeting Place Kuching
ielts.org lists a British Council venue in Kuching called The Meeting Place Kuching. The address on its record includes 1st & 2nd Floor, Sublot 6, Lot 10969, and the road and area are given as Jalan Song and Kampung Tabuan Lalang. The record lists IELTS Academic and General Training on computer, and British Council Malaysia's own locations page also lists The Meeting Place, Kuching, under Sarawak (read 24 October 2026).
The two Kuching records name different roads, Jalan Tun Jugah for IDP and Jalan Song for the British Council venue, and this page makes no claim about the distance between them. Check which provider your session is with, and read the address on your confirmation.
Sibu
Sibu is not on IDP's list of Malaysian test centres, but ielts.org lists a British Council venue there: Methodist Pilley Institute, whose address reads Jalan Lily off Jln Tun Abang Hj Openg, then Queensway, 96000 Sibu. The record lists IELTS Academic and General Training on computer, and British Council Malaysia's own locations page lists Methodist Pilley Institute, Sibu, under Sarawak (read 24 October 2026).
This page has no further facts on Sibu, such as how often sessions run or how Speaking is arranged. Check the British Council's booking pages for the sessions on offer rather than assuming they match Kuching's.
Bintulu
IDP's Bintulu venue is listed as PTMJ Bintulu. Its centre page prints the address as: Pusat Tuisyen Medan Jaya, First Floor, Lot 49 & 50, Medan Jaya Commercial Centre, 97000 Bintulu, Sarawak.
IDP's Bintulu dates page lists IELTS Academic and General Training sessions on computer. When read on 24 October 2026 it showed 12 session cards, and every one said IELTS on computer.
The Bintulu page also lists ieltssupport.kuching@idp.com as its contact email. The address may be stale and we cannot tell whether it is still answered, so rely on the contact details in your booking confirmation.
Miri
IDP lists a Miri centre at RIAM Tech. Its page prints the address as: RIAM Tech, Miri, Lot 1305, Mile 3.5 Riam Road, 98000 Miri Sarawak.
When read on 24 October 2026, IDP's Miri dates page showed no sessions. An empty page describes that moment, not the venue: sessions come and go, so check again later, widen the search or ask IDP. IDP's list of centres does not tag Miri for One Skill Retake, but IDP's tags do not always match its centre pages (the Malaysia guide gives the Shah Alam example). If a retake might matter, ask about the exact session; One Skill Retake or full retake explains the choice.
The Miri page lists frontdesk.kuching@idp.com as its contact email. As with Bintulu, the address may be stale, so use the contact details in your booking confirmation first.
Computer format on every Sarawak session card we read
No session card we read for Sarawak was paper-based. On 24 October 2026 every session card on IDP's Kuching dates page (46 at one reading that day and 44 at a later one) and all 12 on its Bintulu page said IELTS on computer, and Miri's dates page showed no cards at all. The ielts.org records for Kuching and Sibu also list their tests on computer.
One wrinkle: the format filter on IDP's Miri centre page offered only “All test formats” and “IELTS on computer”, but the delivery-format filters on IDP's Kuching, Bintulu and Miri dates pages also list “IELTS on paper”, although no card we read carried it. That describes those pages on that day; it is not a rule set by either provider. Whether paper is offered in Malaysia is a question on which provider pages disagree, and computer-delivered IELTS in Malaysia sets out where. Confirm the format on the session you book.
What this page does not tell you
- Session dates, availability and exam fees. The providers set them and they change.
- How Speaking is arranged at each venue; the Speaking tutor page for Malaysia sets out the wording.
- Distances, travel times, transport or places to stay between the Sarawak towns.
- Which version of IELTS you need. That depends on whoever receives your result.
How to check a Sarawak venue before you book
This is general advice, not guidance from IDP, the British Council or ielts.org, and it promises no band.
- Ask who needs your result. A university, employer or authority may name the version and the score. IELTS scores for study abroad explains why visa and admission requirements differ, and MUET or IELTS? helps if a Malaysian institution accepts either.
- Choose a provider, then a session. IDP says you can book online or at an IDP branch. British Council Malaysia says you can book online or at its offices in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and our computer-delivered page records it as saying it offers tests across several states, Sarawak among them. Where you book and where you sit the test are separate questions.
- Match the address, not just the name. The Home Office file lists Sunway College twice, IDP's Bintulu venue is listed as PTMJ Bintulu while its address begins Pusat Tuisyen Medan Jaya, and Kuching has two providers on different roads.
- Read the format on the session you choose, not on a general list.
- If IELTS for UKVI might matter, ask the organisation that wants your result which version it accepts, then confirm the session with the provider. Of the four towns here, Kuching is the one where the sources we read show it.
- Plan your own route. Read the provider's confirmation for the day itself; IELTS test day in Malaysia covers ID and what to bring.
Lessons with Mike for candidates in Kuching and Sarawak
Lessons are online, so none of these venues is where you study. Every lesson is one-to-one on Google Meet, live and in English, with Mike, who holds the Cambridge CELTA, teaches from Hanoi and scored 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS (about Mike). A session can cover Listening, Reading, Writing (Task 1 and Task 2, marked against the public band descriptors) or Speaking (Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format), with feedback during the lesson.
Malaysia keeps one time all year (UTC+8, Sabah and Sarawak included), one hour ahead of Hanoi. The booking page shows each slot in your own time and your price in your own currency before you pay; Malaysia is in the middle regional price tier, above the Vietnam price and below the highest tier. A paid 30-minute trial can be taken once, on your first booking, you can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before a slot, and there is no subscription or package. Online lessons do not suit everyone: if you want fixed class hours or classmates, a class near you may fit better (see how to choose an online IELTS tutor), and no band is promised either way.