Computer-delivered IELTS: the complete 2026 guide

Mostly not. IELTS said in March 2026 that it would stop offering paper tests from mid-2026, with different timing in each country. Paper IELTS has ended in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, and in Pakistan the British Council keeps it only for candidates with special approval on medical grounds.

IDP and the British Council are two of the organisations that run IELTS. For the dates by country, read our computer vs paper IELTS comparison. If you already have a paper result, IELTS says it stays valid for the recommended two years.

You sit at a computer in a test centre and take Listening, Reading and Writing on screen. IDP Bangladesh says you take them one after another on the same day, in that order.

Speaking is not on the computer: you talk face to face with an examiner. IDP Bangladesh says that with IELTS on computer, Speaking is on the same day, before or after the other three parts. The table shows the time for each part.

A timer at the top of the screen shows how much time is left. IDP says it flashes when 10 minutes and 5 minutes are left in Reading and Writing. A Settings button lets you change the text size and the background colour.

In Reading, the passage is on the left and the questions are on the right. On screen, you can highlight words and make notes.

In Listening, you type each answer while you listen. There is no extra time at the end to transfer answers to an answer sheet. Instead, you get 2 minutes to check your answers. All 40 question numbers are shown at the bottom of the screen, and a Review button marks a question you want to check again.

In Writing, IDP says the task is on the left and you type your answer on the right. An on-screen word count shows how many words you have written, and your answers are saved automatically. IELTS does not say how this counter counts, so read how words are counted in IELTS. To check the length of a practice answer, use our IELTS word counter.

You can also make notes on paper. IDP Bangladesh says you can write notes on the login details sheet you get at the start of the test. In Listening, you may also use the rough paper provided.

Before your test day, try these tools in IDP’s familiarisation tests. A familiarisation test is a practice version of the computer test that shows you how the screen works.

You book IELTS on computer on the website of IDP or the British Council in your country. IDP says IELTS on computer has multiple test sessions a day.

For example, IDP Bangladesh says its test dates are available up to 7 days a week, 3 times a day: morning, afternoon and evening. That is IDP Bangladesh’s schedule, so check the booking page for your own city.

IELTS suggests about 20 minutes for Task 1, where you must write at least 150 words. It suggests about 40 minutes for Task 2, where you need at least 250 words.

To find the speed you need, divide the words by the minutes. For Task 1, 150 ÷ 20 = 7.5 words per minute (wpm). For Task 2, 250 ÷ 40 = 6.25 wpm.

But you also need time to plan and to check. If you use half of each task’s time for that, you type for only 10 and 20 minutes. Then you need 15 wpm for Task 1 and 12.5 wpm for Task 2.

These are the lowest speeds for the shortest answers. A longer answer, or more time for checking, needs a faster speed. In the chart, T1 is Task 1 and T2 is Task 2. Measure your own speed with our free IELTS typing test.

Writing on Paper is an option for IELTS on computer. You take Listening and Reading on the computer. The Writing tasks appear on the screen, but you write your answers by hand, in pen, on an IELTS Writing Answer Sheet.

The tasks, the time and the scoring are the same as when you type. Your Test Report Form (TRF), the official results document, does not say which option you chose. One Skill Retake lets you retake just one part of the test. If you retake Writing this way, you must use the same option as before.

It is offered only in selected countries. IDP India says it is available in India from 1 September 2026, and IDP Nepal says it is available in Nepal from 1 July 2026. IDP Bangladesh has a Writing on Paper page but gives no start date.

We did not find it on the British Council Pakistan or IDP Pakistan websites, so ask your test centre. It is not available for IELTS for UKVI, the test for UK visas. See Writing on Paper vs typing for the country table and how to choose.

IELTS says results for IELTS on computer are available 1–5 days after the test. If you choose Writing on Paper, you get your results within 5 days. Paper IELTS was slower: IDP Nepal says paper results typically took 13 calendar days.

Some local websites give shorter times. For example, IDP Bangladesh says results typically come in 1 day. If you have a deadline, plan with the 1–5 days that IELTS gives.

Your result shows a band from 0 to 9 for each of the four skills, and an overall band. See how IELTS band scores are calculated.