Online only: there is no classroom in the UAE
Band Booster does not run group classes or in-person lessons in Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi or anywhere else in the UAE. Every session is one-to-one on Google Meet, with Mike teaching from Hanoi, Vietnam, and you join from home. If you want a group or a teacher in the same room, this is not that service. Sessions are taught in English; the website interface is also available in Arabic.
For how sessions run, see online IELTS tutor (its prices are for Vietnam); to compare formats, private tutor versus group course (written for Hanoi); for who teaches, about Mike. Specific to the UAE: the clock, the test, and a regional price higher than Vietnam's, shown in dirhams before you pay.
The time difference: the UAE is 3 hours behind Hanoi
Hanoi is on UTC+7. The UAE is on UTC+4 (the UAE Government's official portal says 4 hours ahead of GMT), and the IANA time zone database lists no daylight saving for either country. So the gap is 3 hours all year: 20:00 in Hanoi is 17:00 in the UAE.
Open slots appear on the booking calendar in your own timezone. No particular hours are promised, so look at what is open before you plan around a test date.
Where to book the IELTS test in the UAE: IDP or the British Council
In the UAE, you book IELTS with IDP or the British Council, each through its own UAE site. Band Booster is not an IELTS test centre: it does not register you for the test, set exam fees, run the exam or issue results, and it is independent of IDP, the British Council and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. No band is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions. The provider pages cited here were read on 5 October 2026.
- IDP IELTS UAE has a test city selector that includes Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, among other locations.
- British Council UAE says it offers tests in locations across the UAE and that you can book at an official IELTS test centre online.
According to ielts.org, IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. This page quotes no exam fees or dates; they change, so check the providers' sites.
IELTS on computer in the UAE, and what to check about paper
The ielts.org page on ways to take IELTS describes IELTS on computer at a test centre: Listening, Reading and Writing are on screen with answers entered on the computer, Speaking is face to face with an examiner, and results arrive 1 to 5 days after the test. The British Council's UAE results page says computer results typically arrive within two days. Timings are typical, not promised.
The British Council's UAE dates page says you can choose IELTS on computer or IELTS on computer with Writing on Paper; the Writing on Paper option is not available for UKVI tests. In a 5 March 2026 notice, ielts.org says that from mid-2026 IELTS will no longer be offered as a paper-based test, with exact timelines varying by market, yet some UAE provider pages still mention paper, so this page cannot say whether paper is available in the UAE: check the format on the session you book.
Can you take IELTS Online from home in the UAE?
The UAE pages of IDP and the British Council mainly describe IELTS on computer, taken at a test centre, not at home. They mention IELTS Online in passing, but the pages read for this page do not say whether UAE test takers can book it, so check their booking pages.
According to ielts.org, IELTS Online is a way to take IELTS Academic only, at home or in a private space, with Speaking by video call. It is offered in some countries, it is not accepted for immigration or professional registration purposes, and ielts.org advises checking with your institution before booking.
IELTS One Skill Retake in the UAE
Both UAE providers list it: IDP's and the British Council's UAE sites include One Skill Retake among their tests. The ielts.org One Skill Retake page says it lets you retake one section (Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking) instead of all four, and that you should check availability with your test centre. Eligibility, rules and acceptance of a retake result are for the providers and your university or employer to answer; see IDP UAE's retake page. Sessions with Mike can concentrate on one skill.
Which IELTS do I need: Academic, General Training or UKVI?
It depends on what the result is for: the university, employer, professional body or immigration authority asking for it decides, so check with them before you book, as ielts.org advises. Here is how ielts.org's test types page and UKVI page describe them:
| Test | What the official sites say |
|---|---|
| Academic | ielts.org: likely right if you plan to study in a country where English is spoken; can also be taken for professional registration. |
| General Training | ielts.org: suits migrating to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the UK, and training or studying below degree level. |
| IELTS for UKVI | ielts.org: accepted by UK Visas and Immigration as proof of English for those who want to live, work or study in the UK. IDP's UAE page says UKVI accepts only tests taken in person at an official centre. |
Check the requirement with the body that sets it. IDP's UAE site says the institution, not IELTS, sets the band score for study, and that whether an Academic result is accepted in place of General Training is the receiving organisation's decision. This page states no score or test-type requirement for any university, employer or immigration body. Our study abroad scores page gives dated examples, but is no substitute for asking.