Lessons for someone in Taipei: what Band Booster offers
Band Booster IELTS is one-to-one tutoring, online only. Mike, a Cambridge CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi, teaches every session himself, live on Google Meet and in English (lessons are not in Chinese). His own IELTS result is 7.5 overall and 8.5 in Speaking; About Mike has more.
IELTS classes in Taipei: this is one-to-one, not a class
There is no classroom, test centre or group class in Taipei. If you searched for IELTS classes or coaching in Taipei, this is a different format: one student and one teacher, each session booked from Mike's open calendar. A class can suit you better if you want a fixed timetable and classmates; private tutor versus group course compares the two (written for Hanoi, with Vietnam prices).
What a session covers
A session can be Speaking (Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format), Writing (Task 1 or Task 2, marked against the public band descriptors) or a mix, with feedback during the session rather than days later. See IELTS Speaking coaching and IELTS Writing feedback (both quote Vietnam prices), and IELTS Speaking tutor for Taiwan.
Taiwan is in the higher regional price tier, so the price is above Vietnam's; the booking page shows yours in your own currency before you pay. The Taiwan page explains how pricing works, payment and rescheduling.
Three anonymous results reported back by students are 6.0 to 7.5 overall, 5.5 to 7.0 in Writing and 6.5 to 8.0 in Speaking. No band is promised: progress depends on your starting point and the work between sessions.
Taipei time is one hour ahead of Hanoi, all year
Taipei (UTC+8) is one hour ahead of Hanoi (UTC+7) all year: 20:00 in Taipei is 19:00 in Hanoi. In the IANA time zone database, Asia/Taipei has a standard offset of UTC+8 and its last Taiwan daylight-saving rule dates from 1979, while Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh, which the database says agrees with all of Vietnam since 1975, is UTC+7 with no daylight-saving rules. The database lists no current daylight-saving rule for either place, so subtracting the offsets gives one hour all year (the database does not print the gap itself).
The calendar on the booking page shows each slot in your own time zone, so there is nothing to convert. Open slots depend on Mike's calendar and no hours are promised, so check it first if your hours are fixed. You can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before the slot.
Taking the IELTS test in Taipei
There is more than one place to sit the test in Taipei; which you use depends on the provider and session you book. The ielts.org finder lists IDP Taipei and several British Council entries (table below). Band Booster IELTS does not register students, hold places or set fees and dates, so this page gives no fees, exam dates or venue count. What follows was read on ielts.org, IDP Taiwan and British Council Taiwan in October 2026; venue lists change, so confirm with the provider you book with.
Who lists Taipei as a test location
- IDP Taiwan says it offers IELTS at computer test centres in four cities, Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung (test dates page); its directory also lists venues in other cities, noted below.
- British Council Taiwan's dates, fees and locations page says its test locations cover Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung; the sentence read does not name Tainan.
- The ielts.org test centre finder lists Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan and Taipei for Taiwan.
Venue entries listed for Taipei on ielts.org
The finder shows 11 results for Taipei, but several names repeat, so that is not a count of venues. The table lists the distinct entries with the address and tags printed on at least one listing of each.
| Entry on the finder | Address as printed (punctuation tidied) | Tags shown |
|---|---|---|
| IDP Taipei | 6F, No. 289, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Daan District, Taipei City | Computer, One Skill Retake, UKVI Approved |
| British Council, Daan District-Taipei Xinyi Building | 9F-1, No. 149, Section 3, XinYi Rd., Taipei | Computer, One Skill Retake |
| British Council, Taipei Xinyi Building CDI | 9F-1, No. 149, Section 3, XinYi Rd., Taipei | Computer, One Skill Retake, UKVI Approved |
| British Council, Zhongzheng District (Xuchang Branch) | 13, No. 17, Xuchang St., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City | Computer, One Skill Retake |
| Entry at 8F, No. 34 Guanqian Rd. (printed name shortened) | 8F, No. 34, Guangqian Road, Zhongzheng, Taipei | Computer, One Skill Retake |
Treat the table as a pointer, not a booking guide. Tags differ between listings of the same venue (one IDP Taipei listing shows only UKVI Approved, and one Xinyi Building CDI listing shows no Computer tag). In its note on One Skill Retake, the finder says to check specific availability with your test centre. The 8F entry does not say which provider runs it, and the finder spells its road Guanqian in the name but Guangqian in the address. The table shows the Zhongzheng District and 8F entries by branch and address only; the finder prints their full names. Your booking confirmation is what applies.
IDP's own venue directory still carries paper labels
IDP Taiwan's test dates page lists venues in other cities such as Taoyuan and Hsinchu, all labelled paper-based, and several Taipei entries carry the same label. IDP's paper-based IELTS page is headed as a discontinued service and says paper IELTS is no longer offered in Taiwan from 1 February 2026, so those labels look out of date. Ask IDP what a venue offers before you plan a trip.
Computer test, and how Speaking is held
British Council Taiwan says IELTS in Taiwan is currently a computer test, and the ielts.org finder shows the Computer tag at Taipei venues of both providers and no paper tag for Taiwan. Computer-delivered IELTS in Taiwan covers the format, results timing and practice material in full. ielts.org says that at a test centre Speaking is a face-to-face session with a trained examiner, 11 to 14 minutes in three parts, although its Guide for Test Takers says face to face or via video call, and IDP Taiwan's Speaking page says all its Speaking tests are held face to face.
British Council Taiwan's Academic and General Training pages differ: they say some of its test centres deliver Speaking by video call, still at a test centre and with an examiner, with content, scoring and timing the same as the in-person test. Those pages do not say which centres. How Speaking is held can therefore differ by provider and venue; ask the provider you book with how it is held at yours. IELTS Speaking tutor for Taiwan covers how it is arranged.
One Skill Retake and UKVI
The finder shows a One Skill Retake tag on Taipei entries from both providers, and IDP Taiwan's directory marks its Taipei office as supporting it. ielts.org says the retake is offered only at centres where it is available, so check your venue before you book the full test; One Skill Retake or a full retake compares it with a full retake. Some Taipei listings also carry a UKVI Approved tag. ielts.org lists IELTS for UKVI as a separate test type, accepted by UK Visas and Immigration, so ask the authority that will receive your result which test you need. For dates and fees, use the two provider pages linked above.
Using lessons alongside practice material
ielts.org describes the same Speaking and Listening for IELTS Academic and General Training, while Reading and Writing differ; check which one your university, employer or authority asks for (Academic vs General Training). For practice material, computer-delivered IELTS in Taiwan lists what the providers publish, including ielts.org's sample test questions and IDP Taiwan's practice tests page.
Practice material shows the tasks; a lesson shows what to do about your own answers. Do one section under timed conditions, then bring the result to a lesson. For Writing, bring the answer you wrote: Mike marks it against the public band descriptors and goes through it with you during the session. For Speaking, a lesson runs Parts 1 to 3 to time, with feedback in the moment. It is practice with a teacher, not an IELTS test. Between lessons, the IELTS band score calculator shows how four skill scores average into an overall band, and the Speaking Part 2 timer times a long turn.
Booking lessons from Taipei
Open the booking page, pick a slot in your own time, and see your price in your own currency before you pay; payment options are shown there. A Google Meet link and calendar invite arrive by email after payment, so check beforehand that you can open Google Meet on your device. Your first booking can be the paid 30-minute trial, available once per student.