Bee English

IELTS Paper Test Ends in 2026: What Changes and What Doesn't

From mid-2026 IELTS is computer-only. What the change means for you, the Writing on Paper option, old paper results, and how to prepare.

2 min read · Updated 2026-10-31

On 5 March 2026, the IELTS partners announced that the paper-based test would be withdrawn. From mid-2026, IELTS is delivered on computer only. The exact switch-over date was set market by market, so some countries ran their last paper tests later than others.

What changed

  • Listening, Reading and Writing are taken on a computer at a test centre. Learn the tools in the computer-delivered test screen.
  • Listening has no transfer time. On paper you had 10 minutes at the end to copy answers onto the answer sheet. On computer you type as you listen and then have 2 minutes to check.
  • Writing is typed, with a live word count and no spellcheck.
  • Writing on Paper: in selected markets you can choose to handwrite the Writing section. The other sections stay on screen.
  • UK visas: the IELTS test for UK Visas and Immigration is offered in the fully digital format only.

What did not change

  • The skills tested and the question types.
  • The timings of each section, apart from Listening transfer time.
  • The marking criteria and band scale. IELTS reports that research found scores comparable across formats.
  • Speaking is still a face-to-face interview with an examiner.

If you already have a paper result

Paper results you already hold are unaffected. They stay valid for the usual two-year period that organisations recommend.

How to adapt your preparation

  1. Practise on screen. Read passages on a monitor with questions alongside, not on printed pages.
  2. Type your essays. Build enough speed to plan, write and check 400+ words in an hour.
  3. Drop the spellcheck. Practise in a plain editor so you notice your own errors.
  4. Use the review flag habit. Skip hard questions, flag them and come back, rather than stalling.
  5. Try the official familiarisation test from your test provider before test day.

Sources

Questions people ask

Is IELTS on paper still available?

No. The IELTS partners announced on 5 March 2026 that IELTS would be delivered on computer only from mid-2026, with timelines varying by country.

Are my old paper-based IELTS results still valid?

Yes. Existing paper results are unaffected and stay valid for the usual recommended two-year period.

Is the computer test harder than the paper test?

No. The skills tested, the question types and the marking are the same, and IELTS reports that scores are comparable across formats.

What is Writing on Paper?

An option in selected markets where you handwrite the Writing section, while Listening and Reading are still taken on computer.

Try it in a real-format test.

Practise free