Guide · Last updated 22 September 2026
Paper-Based IELTS Is Ending
What the IELTS partners announced, where paper has already gone, what Writing on Paper is and where you can get it, what changes on the day, and how to make the switch work for you.
What was announced?
On 5 March 2026 the IELTS partners announced that from mid-2026 IELTS will no longer be offered as a paper-based test and that all tests will be delivered on computer, with exact timelines varying by market. In selected markets a new option, IELTS on Computer with Writing on Paper, lets you handwrite the Writing paper while the rest of the test stays on screen. The Secure English Language Test for UK visas is digital only. Existing paper results stay valid for the usual two years.
Where has paper already gone?
As of 22 September 2026, read from the providers' own pages for each country guide on this site:
| Country | Status | Writing on Paper? |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | Computer only; paper withdrawn during 2026 | No |
| India | Computer, with Writing on Paper | Yes, same ₹19,000; results in 7 days instead of 1 to 2 |
| Pakistan | Computer only | No |
| Sri Lanka | Computer only since the end of 2024 | No; the British Council also runs IELTS Online remotely |
| Nepal | Paper ended 27 June 2026 | Yes, British Council Kathmandu, same NPR 36,000 |
| Vietnam | Paper ended after 29 March 2025 | No |
| Indonesia | British Council ended paper on 21 June 2026; IDP calendar is computer only | No |
| Kazakhstan | Computer only for Academic, General Training and UKVI | No; Life Skills is still on paper |
| United Arab Emirates | Computer, with Writing on Paper | Yes, AED 1,620 at IDP (AED 150 more), residents only, results in 13 days |
What changes on the day?
| On paper | On computer | |
|---|---|---|
| Listening answers | Written on a sheet, then 10 minutes to transfer | Typed on screen, 2 minutes to check |
| Reading | Booklet and answer sheet | Passage and questions side by side, with highlighting and notes |
| Writing | Handwritten, counting words by hand | Typed, live word count (or handwritten with Writing on Paper) |
| Speaking | Face to face with an examiner | Face to face with an examiner |
| Results | Up to 13 days | 1 to 5 days |
| Dates | A few per month | Several a week; up to three sittings a day in Dhaka |
The questions, the marking and the band scale are identical. What the switch really tests is whether you have practised on a screen. A candidate who meets the interface for the first time on test day loses minutes to it in every paper; one who has sat full mocks in the on-screen format gains the two-minute check and the word count. Our mock test runs in the computer-delivered format for exactly this reason.
Should I choose Writing on Paper?
Only if you write faster and more accurately by hand than you type, and your country offers it. It costs the same in India and Nepal and AED 150 more in the UAE, it is not available for UKVI tests, and your result takes 7 to 13 days instead of 1 to 5. If your typing is slow today, a month of typed practice essays usually closes the gap and keeps the faster result.
Frequently asked questions
Is paper-based IELTS really ending?
Yes. On 5 March 2026 the IELTS partners announced that from mid-2026 IELTS will no longer be offered as a paper-based test and every test will be delivered on computer, with exact timelines varying by market. In most of South and South-East Asia the last paper sittings have already happened.
What is IELTS on Computer with Writing on Paper?
A computer-delivered test in which you handwrite the Writing paper. Listening and Reading are on screen, Speaking is face to face as always. It is offered in selected markets only: in India for the same ₹19,000, at the British Council in Kathmandu for the same NPR 36,000, and in the UAE, where IDP charges AED 150 more for it. It is not available for UKVI tests, which are digital only.
Are my old paper-based results still valid?
Yes. The announcement states that current paper-based results are not affected and remain valid until the end of the recommended two-year period.
What changes for me on test day?
You type. Listening answers go straight into the screen, with two minutes to check them instead of ten minutes of transfer time; Reading passages and questions sit side by side on screen with highlighting and notes; Writing is typed with a live word count. Results arrive in 1 to 5 days instead of 13, and sittings run several times a week, in Dhaka up to three times a day.
Is the computer test harder or easier?
Same questions, same marking, same band scale. What differs is the skill of reading and typing on screen: candidates who practise in the on-screen format do as well or better; candidates who first meet it on test day lose time to the interface. The one real trade-off is Writing, where typing suits most people but not everyone, which is what Writing on Paper is for.
What if I was booked on a paper test that has been withdrawn?
Your provider transfers you to a computer sitting or refunds you under its transfer policy; the notice from the centre tells you which. If the new date does not suit you, ask for another before accepting, since transfers inside the normal window are usually free when the provider made the change.
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