Computer-Delivered IELTS Mock Test: What the On-Screen Exam Looks Like and How to Practise

Is Paper-Based IELTS Still Available?

For most test takers, no. In March 2026, the three IELTS partners, the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment, announced that all IELTS tests will be delivered on computer from mid-2026. The change is being rolled out market by market, so the last paper test date depends on where you take the test. In Hong Kong, for example, the British Council and IDP stopped offering IELTS on paper from 1 July 2026, and many other markets ended paper tests at the end of June 2026.

• Which tests are affected: IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, and IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). The UKVI Secure English Language Test is only available in the fully digital format.
• What stays the same: the skills tested, the question types, the timing, and the band scores. Universities and governments read your results exactly as before.
• Writing on Paper: in some countries, you can choose to handwrite your Writing answers while taking Listening and Reading on computer. See Typed Writing vs the Writing on Paper option.
• Results you already have: paper-based results stay valid for the usual recommended period of two years.
• Special requirements: access arrangements, such as large print, braille, and support for hearing-impaired test takers, are still available.

The partners say test takers prefer the computer format because it is more convenient, results arrive faster, and it allows One Skill Retake. For the official announcement, see IELTS test delivery updates for 2026, and check the dates with your local test centre before you book.

What Is Computer-Delivered IELTS?

Computer-delivered IELTS, also called IELTS on computer, is the official IELTS test taken on a computer at an IELTS test centre. You answer Listening, Reading, and Writing on screen, and the Speaking test stays a face-to-face interview with a certified examiner. It is not an at-home online test: you sit it in a supervised room with other candidates, usually in smaller groups than the old paper sessions.

It’s available for both Academic and General Training, and the result is the same official IELTS score. Because there is no paper to print, collect, and mark by hand, test centres can offer far more test dates, often several a week and sometimes evening or weekend sessions, and results arrive within a few days.

Each Section on Screen

Listening

The four parts play once, and the questions for each part appear on screen while you listen. You can adjust the volume on your headphones before and during the test. Because there is no answer sheet, your answers are saved as you type, so spelling and word limits count straight away. The 2 minutes at the end are for checking, not for writing up answers you missed.

Reading

The split screen means you no longer flip pages, but you do scroll. Use the highlight tool for names, dates, and key words in the question. It saves time when you come back to the passage for the next question. For the question types themselves, see our IELTS Reading guide.

Writing

Typing makes planning and editing easier: you can write your body paragraphs first and add the introduction last. The word counter removes the guesswork about the 150-word and 250-word minimums. There is no spell check, though, and typing errors count as spelling mistakes, so leave a few minutes to read your answer.

Speaking

The Speaking test is identical in both formats. Practise it out loud with our IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions and IELTS cue cards.

On-Screen Tools You Can Use

The test screen gives you a few simple tools. Knowing them before test day saves time and stress:

• Highlighting and notes: select text in a Reading passage or a Listening question to highlight it or add a short note.
• Navigation bar: a bar at the bottom of the screen shows every question number, so you can jump between questions and see which ones you’ve answered.
• Timer: the time left in the section is shown on screen throughout.
• Word count: the Writing screen counts your words as you type.
• Volume control: you can set your headphone volume in Listening.
• Automatic saving: your answers are saved regularly as you work.

What you won’t have: a spell checker or grammar checker. Both British and American spelling are accepted, as long as you are consistent, but every typo counts as a spelling mistake.

Typed Writing vs the Writing on Paper Option

In selected countries, IELTS offers Writing on Paper for test takers who prefer to write by hand. You still take Listening and Reading on computer. When you reach the Writing section, the tasks appear on screen and you write your answers on an answer sheet with a pen. IELTS research shows the scores are comparable between the two formats, both overall and within each band.

Choose typed Writing if you type at least as fast as you write and like editing on screen. Choose Writing on Paper, where it’s offered, if you plan and write better by hand. Either way, the band you need stays the same. Our IELTS band score calculator shows how your mock test results convert to bands.

How the old paper test compared

If you’ve studied with older materials, you may see advice for the paper test that no longer applies. On paper, Listening gave you 10 minutes at the end to transfer your answers to an answer sheet, Reading had a separate question booklet and answer sheet, and results took about 13 days. On computer, you answer directly on screen, get 2 minutes to check your Listening answers, and usually receive results within 1 to 5 days.

What Happens on Test Day

1. Check-in: bring the same ID you used to book. Staff check your identity, take your photo, and store your belongings outside the test room.
2. Set-up: you’re shown to a computer with a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and headphones, and you check that the sound works.
3. Listening, Reading, and Writing: you take the three sections in that order, with no break between them, for about two and a half hours in total.
4. Speaking: a face-to-face interview with an examiner, usually on the same day, either before or after the other sections.
5. Results: usually available online 1 to 5 days after the test. About half of results are ready within 1 day and most within 2 days.

IELTS One Skill Retake

If one section brings your band down, you don’t always need to take the whole test again. With IELTS One Skill Retake, you retake just Listening, Reading, Writing, or Speaking and keep your scores for the other three.

• It’s for computer tests: your original test must be IELTS on computer, including the Writing on Paper option, and the retake is taken in the same format.
• Within 60 days: you must sit the retake within 60 days of your original test.
• Once per test: you can retake one skill, once, for each full test you take.
• Fees and availability vary: not every test centre offers it, and prices are set locally.
• New results: you receive a new Test Report Form with your retake score and your other three original scores.

One Skill Retake works best when you missed your target in one skill by half a band or so. If more than one section is below target, practise first and retake the full test.

Tips for the On-Screen Test

1. Try the official familiarisation test once. The British Council offers a free sample version of IELTS on computer, so you can see the real screens before test day.
2. Practise typing under time pressure. Write at least a few Task 2 essays on a computer in 40 minutes, so you know how many words you can type and still check them.
3. Turn off spelling help when you practise. The test has no spell check, so practise without it and learn the words you usually get wrong.
4. Decide early how you’ll write. If your test centre offers Writing on Paper, choose the format you’ll use when you book and practise in that format.
5. Use highlighting, but not too much. Highlight the key words of each question and the answer locations, not whole sentences.
6. Check your Listening answers as you go. You only get 2 minutes at the end, so check spelling and word limits while you type.
7. Watch the clock on screen. The time left is shown on screen throughout each section. Decide in advance when you’ll move on from Reading Passage 1 and Writing Task 1.
8. Take at least one full mock test. Two and a half hours on a screen is tiring. One full simulation shows you where your focus drops.

Take a Computer-Delivered IELTS Mock Test

With paper-based IELTS phased out, practising on screen is the best way to get used to the real test. Our IELTS practice tests are full 2.5-hour exam simulations, with 50 Academic and 40 General Training tests. They work like the computer-delivered exam:

• Listening: the audio plays while you answer on screen, with 2 minutes at the end to check your answers.
• Reading: a timed section where you can highlight the passage and add notes.
• Writing: you type both tasks, and a word counter updates as you write.
• Speaking: you hear each question and record your answer within the time limit.

When you finish, the score report gives you a band for every section. Writing and Speaking answers get an instant AI score, and you can ask a certified teacher for a review. See our IELTS writing review and IELTS speaking review guides.

Short on time? Practise one section at a time, for example IELTS Writing Task 2 or IELTS Speaking Part 2.

How Our Learners Score in Full Mock Tests

Across 61.104 Listening and 43.123 Reading sections of our full practice tests, plus scored Writing and Speaking sections, our learners reached these average bands:

Typing speed matters in Writing, too. In 3.778 Task 2 essays reviewed by our AI, the average length was 287 words, and 14% were under the 250-word minimum. On screen, the word counter makes that easy to avoid.

Frequently Asked Questions About Computer-Delivered IELTS