IELTS is moving to computer: two weeks of screen rehearsal before test day

The English you have built does not change because the paper went. The habits you built around the paper do.

What changed and what did not

IELTS announced in March 2026 that paper-based testing would be retired from mid-2026, with tests moving to computer. This is a change in delivery, not in content. The four skills and their question types are the same.

Only your test centre can tell you what is offered where you live and on which dates. Ask in writing, and do not assume a mode exists because it did last year.

Three details that touch your plan

• Results arrive in one to five days on computer and in six to eight days for IELTS Online. An IELTS Online result comes only as an electronic Test Report Form and can be shared only electronically.
• A One Skill Retake is open only after a test taken on computer.
• Not every organisation accepts every mode, so ask each one whether it accepts IELTS Online before you choose it.

Week one: change how you read and type

Spend the first week on the two skills where the change is largest.

1. Type one timed Task 2 essay of 250 words in 40 minutes and note how long it actually took.
2. Do your Reading practice on a screen, not a printout.
3. Plan the essay in the way you intend to plan it on the day.
4. Compare your typed essay with your handwritten average and write down the difference.

If your handwritten essays averaged a good band and your typed essay finishes without a check, the problem is speed, not English. A candidate who rehearsed every essay by hand can find that typing leaves no time for checking Task 2, which carries two-thirds of the Writing score.

Week two: simulate the whole sitting

Run one full practice test on screen with the timings you will meet. Listening, Reading and Writing come in a single sitting, so practise sitting that long. Read each section's instructions before you begin, as you will on the day.

For Speaking, ask your centre when it falls. It may be on the same day or on another day your centre arranges, so rest the night before it as you would for the main test.

What to do with old paper material

Material with paper answer sheets and transfer time is still useful for content. Use it, but answer on screen under timed conditions.

If Writing on Paper is offered

If you write much faster by hand, ask whether your market offers Writing on Paper. If it does not, plan to type. IELTS for UKVI is not available with Writing on Paper at all.

If you hold a paper booking

Ask your test centre in writing what happens to it. Quote your booking number and test date, and set a reply date. IELTS states that if the centre itself cancels a test, you can choose a full refund or a transfer.

Type one timed Task 2 essay on a computer this week and compare it with your last handwritten one.