computer based ielts writing test

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Academic test - sample test questions

Ielts academic is your key to studying where you want to go., jump to section.

• Academic - paper tests
• Academic - computer tests
• Computer practice experience

Preparing for your IELTS Academic test

We want you to do well in your test. To help you get ready, here are some sample tests for the Academic test.

Listening and Speaking tests are the same for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, but the Reading and Writing tests are different.

With these official practice materials you can:

• get used to the test format
• experience the types of tasks involved
• test yourself under timed conditions
• review your answers and compare them with model answers.

IELTS Academic - paper sample tests

Listening (30 minutes) .

The Listening test is the same for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training and consists of four recorded monologues and conversations. The following IELTS Listening sample tasks are to be used with the Answer Sheet and MP3 audio files and/or transcripts. Each answer sheet indicates which recording to listen to, or if a transcript is provided.

Listening sample tasks

• Listening sample tasks (PDF 777 KB)  
• Listening answer sheet (PDF 1 MB)  

Find out more about the Listening test

Academic Reading (60 minutes)

Texts for the Academic Reading test are taken from books, journals, magazines and newspapers.

A variety of tasks is used, including: multiple-choice questions, identifying information, identifying writer’s views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.

Academic Reading sample tasks

• Academic Reading sample tasks (PDF 934 KB)
• Academic Reading answer sheet (PDF 490 KB)

Find out more about the Academic Reading test

Academic Writing (60 minutes) 

The Academic Writing test consists of two writing tasks of 150 words and 250 words. In Task 1, you are asked to describe some visual information (graph/table/chart/diagram). You need to write 150 words in about 20 minutes. In Task 2 you are presented with a point of view or argument or problem. You need to write your response in 250 words in about 40 minutes.

Academic Writing sample tasks

• Academic Writing sample tasks (PDF 1 MB)

Find out more about the Academic Writing test

Speaking (11–14 minutes)

In the Speaking test, you have a discussion with a certified examiner. It is interactive and as close to a real-life situation as a test can get. There are three parts to the test and each part fulfils a specific function in terms of interaction pattern, task input and test taker output. In Part 1, you answer questions about yourself and your family. In Part 2, you speak about a topic. In Part 3, you have a longer discussion on the topic. The Speaking test is the same for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Each of the three parts is designed to test a different aspect of your communication ability.

Speaking sample tasks

• Speaking sample tasks (PDF 403 KB)  

Find out more about the Speaking test 

IELTS Academic - computer sample tests

Listening (30 minutes).

The Listening question types for IELTS on computer are the same as in the IELTS on paper test. 

A variety of tasks is used including: multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, summary completion, sentence completion, short-answer questions.

Listening Sample task Multiple Choice (one answer)

You will hear an extract from a Part 3 recording in which a student called Judy is discussing her research with her tutor and fellow students.

For each question, click on the correct answer.

• Listening Sample task Multiple Choice (one answer)
• Listening Sample task Multiple Choice (one answer) Answer Key (PDF 24 KB)
• Listening Sample task Multiple Choice (one answer) Recording Transcript (PDF 84 KB)

You will hear an extract from a Part 1 recording in which two people are discussing a guide to a library.

For each question, click on the correct answers.

• Listening Sample task Multiple Choice (more than one answer)
• Listening Sample task Multiple Choice (more than one answer) Answer Key (PDF 23 KB) 
• Listening Sample task Multiple Choice (more than one answer) Recording Transcript (PDF 78 KB)

Listening Sample task Plan/Map/Diagram Labelling (Type A)

You will hear an extract from Part 2 of the test in which a tour guide describes different places in a US town.

For each question, click on the correct space in the table.

• Listening Sample task Plan/Map/Diagram Labelling
• Listening Sample task Plan/Map/Diagram Labelling Answer Key (PDF 21 KB)
• Listening Sample task Plan/Map/Diagram Recording Transcript (PDF 75 KB)

Listening Sample task Note Completion

You will hear an extract from a Part 1 recording in which two people are discussing second-hand furniture.

For each question, write your answer in the gap.

• Listening Sample task Note Completion
• Listening Sample task Note Completion Answer Key (PDF 22 KB)
• Listening Sample task Note Completion Recording Transcript (PDF 92 KB)

Listening Sample task Table Completion

You will hear an extract from a Part 4 recording in which a university lecturer is giving a talk about research into ‘learner persistence’.

• Listening Sample task Table Completion
• Listening Sample task Table Completion Answer Key (PDF 26 KB)
• Listening Sample task Table Completion Recording Transcript (PDF 31 KB)

Listening Sample task Flow-chart Completion (selecting from a list of words or phrases)

You will read an extract from a Part 3 recording in which two biology students are comparing their research on evidence of life on Earth and other planets.

For each question, click on the correct answer and move it into the gap.

• Listening Sample task Flow-chart Completion
• Listening Sample task Flow-chart Completion Answer Key (PDF 92 KB)
• Listening Sample task Flow-chart Completion Recording Transcript (PDF 40 KB)

Listening Sample task Sentence Completion

You will hear an extract from a Part 3 recording in which two friends are discussing studying with the Open University.

• Listening Sample task Sentence Completion
• Listening Sample task Sentence Completion Answer Key (PDF 30 KB)
• Listening Sample task Sentence Completion Recording Transcript (PDF 37 KB)
• Listening Sample task Short Answer Questions

You will hear an extract from Part 2 of the test in which a representative from a clothing company is giving a talk to high school students.

• Listening Sample task Short Answer Questions Answer Key (PDF 22 KB)
• Listening Sample task Short Answer Questions Recording Transcript (PDF 78 KB)

The Academic Reading question types in IELTS on computer are the same as in the IELTS on paper test. A variety of tasks is used including: multiple choice, identifying information (True/False/Not Given), identifying a writer’s views/claims (Yes/No/Not Given), matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flow-chart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.

• Academic Reading Sample task Multiple Choice (one answer)

You will read an extract from a Part 1 text about older people in the workforce.

Click on the correct answer.

• Academic Reading Sample task Multiple Choice (one answer) Answer Key (PDF 21 KB)
• Academic Reading Sample task Multiple Choice (more than one answer)

Click on the correct answers.

• Academic Reading Sample task Multiple Choice (more than one answer) Answer Key (PDF 21 KB)
• Academic Reading Sample task Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given)

You will read an extract from a Part 1 text about the scientist Marie Curie.

• Academic Reading Sample task Identifying Information (True/False/Not Given) Answer Key (PDF 17 KB)
• Academic Reading Sample task Note Completion
• Academic Reading Sample task Note Completion Answer Key (PDF 21 KB)
• Academic Reading Sample task Table Completion

You will read an extract from a Part 1 text about dung beetles.

• Academic Reading Sample task Table Completion Answer Key (PDF 17 KB)
• Academic Reading Sample task Matching Features

You will read an extract from a Part 1 text about the development of rockets.

• Academic Reading Sample task Matching Features Answer Key (PDF 107 KB)

Academic Reading Sample task Summary Completion (selecting words from the text)

You will read an extract from a Part 3 text about the ‘Plain English’ movement, which promotes the use of clear English.

• Academic Reading Sample task Summary Completion (selecting words from the text)
• Academic Reading Sample task Summary Completion (selecting words from the text) Answer Key (PDF 17 KB)

Academic Reading Sample task Summary Completion (selecting from a list of words or phrases)

You will read an extract from a Part 3 text about language.

• Academic Reading Sample task Summary Completion (selecting from a list of words or phrases)
• Academic Reading Sample task Summary Completion (selecting from a list of words or phrases) Answer Key (PDF 18 KB)
• Academic Reading Sample task Sentence Completion

You will read a Part 2 text which discusses whether birds evolved from dinosaurs.

• Academic Reading Sample task Sentence Completion Answer Key (PDF 17 KB)
• Academic Reading Sample task Matching Sentence Endings

You will read an extract from a Part 3 text about the scientific community in London in the 1700s.

• Academic Reading Sample task Matching Sentence Endings Answer Key (PDF 17 KB)

Academic Writing (60 minutes)

The Academic Writing question types in IELTS on computer are the same as in the IELTS on paper test.

In Part 1, you are presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and are asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event. In Part 2, you are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem.

Academic Writing Sample tasks

• Academic Writing Sample task Part 1
• Academic Writing Sample task Part 2
• Responses to Sample Part 2 with band scores and examiner comments (PDF 492 KB)

IELTS on computer practice experience

The practice experience will show you how everything will look on your computer ahead of the test day. As these are practice tests, they are not timed. There are some variations from the live tests, including the timer, highlighting, and notes functions performing differently.

In this Listening test sample , you will hear four different recordings.

You will hear each recording ONCE only.

The test is in four parts, with 40 questions in total.

This Academic Reading sample will show you three texts to read.

The test is in three parts, with 40 questions in total.

This Academic Writing sample consists of two writing tasks.

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IELTS on Computer: The Ultimate Guide to computer-based IELTS

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a cornerstone in assessing English language proficiency for education, immigration, and professional accreditation. In recent years, the computer-based IELTS has introduced a dynamic alternative to the traditional paper-based test.

This comprehensive guide is tailored to answer your questions and concerns, providing detailed insight into the nuances of the computer-based format, and helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your needs and preferences.

What is IELTS on computer?

IELTS on computer or computer-based IELTS or computer-delivered IELTS is an innovative adaptation of the conventional IELTS, where you engage with the Listening, Reading, and Writing sections through a digital platform. The Speaking section continues to be an in-person interaction. This format is designed for your convenience, aligning with the digital advancements of our time. It’s especially suited if you are accustomed to digital environments, offering a streamlined and efficient testing process.

What are the differences between computer-based and paper-based IELTS tests?

• Timing: While the overall test duration remains the same, the computer-based IELTS offers a distinct experience in the Listening section. Unlike the paper-based test, there’s no extra time for transferring answers, which means you need to be adept at managing your time efficiently.
• Availability : Usually, more slots are available for computer-based IELTS. the flexibility in scheduling with more frequent test dates and a variety of time slots can be a significant advantage for your planning.
• Pricing: Generally, the fees for both formats are aligned. However, operational costs related to technology infrastructure might cause slight variations in different regions.
• Experience: If you are comfortable with typing and navigating digital interfaces, the computer-based test could be more advantageous. It allows for quicker editing in the Writing section and might facilitate a smoother experience overall. On the other hand, if you prefer the tactile sensation of writing and the traditional approach, the paper-based version might be more to your liking.

Is computer-based IELTS easier than paper-based IELTS?

No. The level of difficulty is consistent across both formats. However, your proficiency in typing and comfort with digital interfaces can influence your experience. For instance, if you are adept at typing, the Writing section on a computer could be more straightforward. The absence of extra time for answer transfers in the Listening section requires a different approach to time management. Ultimately, the choice should be based on your strengths and which format aligns better with your abilities.

Which IELTS type is better for me? Computer-based or paper-based

Deciding between the computer-based and paper-based formats depends on your comfort with technology and specific requirements. If you are proficient at typing and prefer reading from a screen, the computer-based version may be more suitable for you. Conversely, if you find more affinity with the traditional method of writing by hand, the paper-based format could be the better option for you.

It’s also a pragmatic choice if you need your results quickly for applications or deadlines. Therefore, another important aspect to consider is the quicker result turnaround with the computer-based format, typically available within 3-5 days. So if you are on a tight schedule to get your IELTS score, computer-based IELTS can be a better alternative.

Is computer-based IELTS accepted everywhere?

Yes, you can be assured that the computer-based IELTS is globally recognized and accepted in all places where the paper-based version is, including universities, employers, and immigration authorities. It maintains the same level of credibility and standardization as the paper-based test, ensuring that your efforts are equally valued and recognized.

How is computer-based IELTS conducted?

When you take the computer-based IELTS, it’s in a controlled and secure setting at an authorized test center. The Listening, Reading, and Writing sections are completed on a computer. The interface you’ll use is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, with clear instructions provided before the test begins. This ensures that even if you are not highly tech-savvy, you can navigate through the test without difficulty. The Speaking section remains a face-to-face engagement, ensuring that your language skills are assessed in a personal and interactive manner.

How does computer-based IELTS look like?

In the computer-based IELTS, you will interact with a clean and straightforward interface. Questions are displayed on the screen, and responses are entered using the keyboard for the Writing section and the mouse for the Listening and Reading sections. The design focuses on ease of use, with features like a countdown timer and easy navigation between questions. This setup is intended to minimize stress and make your digital test experience as comfortable as possible.

Can I review and change my answers in the computer-based IELTS?

Yes, one of the advantages of the computer-based IELTS is the ability to review and change your answers easily. During the test, you can navigate back and forth between questions, allowing you to revisit and revise your answers as needed within the allotted time for each section. This flexibility can be particularly beneficial in the Reading and Writing sections, where you might want to refine your responses upon reviewing them.

What is the environment like in the computer-based IELTS test center?

The environment in a computer-based IELTS test center is designed to be conducive to focused testing. You will be assigned to individual workstations, each equipped with a computer and necessary peripherals. The centers are typically quiet, with minimal distractions, and are monitored to maintain a calm and controlled testing atmosphere. Test centers are also equipped with comfortable seating and adequate lighting to reduce eye strain, making your test experience as comfortable as possible.

Can I use my own computer for the computer-based IELTS?

No, you are not allowed to use your own computer for the computer-based IELTS. The test is conducted on standardized computers provided by the test centers. This ensures a uniform testing environment and maintains the integrity and security of the exam. These computers are pre-configured with the necessary software and settings required for the IELTS test, ensuring that all candidates have a consistent experience and that the test results are fair and reliable.

Can I take the computer-based IELTS from home?

Currently, the official computer-based IELTS must be taken at an authorized test center. This policy is in place to maintain the standardized conditions of the test and to ensure fair assessment for all candidates. The test centers are equipped with the necessary technology and are under constant supervision to provide a secure and controlled environment that upholds the high standards of the IELTS.

What should I bring to a computer-based IELTS test?

When you attend a computer-based IELTS test, it’s essential to carry your valid identification, usually a passport. The test center will provide all the necessary equipment for the test, so there’s no need to bring personal stationery. It’s important to remember that personal items like mobile phones and watches are not permitted in the test room to ensure the integrity of the test environment.

How long does it take to get computer-based IELTS test results?

A significant advantage of the computer-based IELTS is the quick turnaround time for results. Typically, you will receive your results within 3-5 days after taking the test, a much shorter period compared to the 13 days for the paper-based version. This expedited process is particularly beneficial if you are working within tight deadlines for university admissions or visa applications.

Who evaluates computer-based IELTS test?

The evaluation of the computer-based IELTS adheres to the same high standards as the paper-based version. Trained and certified examiners assess the Speaking and Writing sections. The Listening and Reading sections are marked automatically by the computer, based on the pre-set IELTS scoring criteria. This blend of human expertise and automated accuracy ensures a fair and consistent assessment of your language abilities.

How to prepare for computer-based IELTS

To prepare effectively for the computer-based IELTS, you should combine traditional language preparation with familiarization with the digital test format. Engage in online mock tests that simulate the computer-based environment, and focus on improving your typing skills, especially for the Writing section. Practicing under timed conditions is crucial for developing efficient time management skills. Preptical is the world’s leader in standard online IELTS mock tests.

What is a computer-based IELTS mock test?

A computer-based IELTS mock test is a practice exam that replicates the actual computer-based test environment. These mock tests are crucial in helping you get accustomed to the format, interface, and types of questions you’ll encounter on the actual test day. They offer a realistic experience, allowing you to practice time management, navigate through the test interface, and handle the pressures of a timed exam.

Where to take computer-based IELTS practice tests

You can access computer-based IELTS practice tests online through various educational platforms, including Preptical and the official IELTS website . Many educational institutions and language centers also offer courses and practice sessions tailored for the computer-based IELTS. These resources are invaluable for getting comfortable with the digital test format and for practicing in conditions that closely resemble the actual test environment.

What technical skills should I have to take the computer-based IELTS?

For the computer-based IELTS, you should have basic computer skills. This includes familiarity with using a keyboard and mouse, navigating through software interfaces, and typing. While you don’t need to be a computer expert, comfort with typing is essential, especially for the Writing section. It’s also helpful to have basic skills in managing digital documents, such as scrolling, selecting from drop-down menus, and clicking radio buttons, as these are common actions during the test. You can practice and master these skills by taking online IELTS mock tests .

Can anyone cheat in the computer-based IELTS?

No. Stringent security measures are implemented to uphold the integrity of the computer-based IELTS. This includes identity verification through valid ID checks and possibly biometric scanning. Surveillance cameras monitor the test environment, and test administrators are present to oversee the process. The computers used for the test are secured and monitored to prevent unauthorized access or use of prohibited materials. These measures ensure that the test is conducted fairly for all candidates.

Does the computer-based IELTS offer both IELTS academic and general training?

Yes, the computer-based IELTS is available in both Academic and General Training variations, just like the paper-based version. This means you can choose the format that best suits your specific goals, whether for academic purposes, professional development, or immigration.

What happens if there’s a technical glitch during the test?

In the event of a technical glitch or power outage, test centers have protocols in place to ensure minimal disruption to your test. The test software is designed to automatically save your progress, so you can resume where you left off once the issue is resolved. If the problem cannot be immediately fixed, test center staff will assist you in rescheduling your test or continuing in a different manner, ensuring that you are not disadvantaged due to technical issues.

Is the computer-based IELTS available in all countries where the paper-based test is offered?

The availability of the computer-based IELTS is widespread but not universal. It depends on the presence of equipped test centers in a given country. While the IELTS organization strives to make the computer-based format as accessible as the paper-based test, there might be some regions where only the paper-based version is available. It’s recommended to check with local test centers or the official IELTS website for availability in your area.

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How does IELTS on computer work?

IELTS or International English Language Testing System recognised as the world's most popular English proficiency test and is recognised by over 10,000 educational and professional institutions across the world.

Available in two formats – IELTS on paper and IELTS on computer, it is a choice you have to make as per your convenience. Don’t worry, whichever format you choose, you can be confident that you are taking the same test with no difference in: content, test timings, structure, marking, question types, security, speaking test and test report form.

To make a well-informed choice as a test taker you should understand the difference between the two types and get familiarised with the test format.

Difference between IELTS on computer and IELTS on paper

IELTS on computer is the same as IELTS on paper. The only difference is that instead of writing your answers on a sheet of paper, you submit them on a desktop computer. It comes with more test dates (up to seven days a week) and you can choose the time slot of your choice (up to three times a day). In fact, IELTS on computer gives you faster results, i.e. within 3-5 days from your test date.

Just like the paper-based test, IELTS on computer also has the Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking sections where you need to attempt the three sections on a computer (as opposed to a paper) and the Speaking test face-to-face with a certified IELTS examiner in person.And mentioned before, the difficulty level, structure and scoring remain the same for both IELTS on computer and IELTS on paper.

Test duration

The total test duration for IELTS on computer is 2 hours and 45 minutes. However, in the computer-delivered Listening test, the timings are slightly different from the paper-based test:

You’ll get some time to read your questions before you start any part of the Listening test

You’ll have two minutes to review your answers once you finish the Listening test

The duration of the Listening test is approx. 30 – 36 minutes

Note: Please remember that the test will automatically close once the time is up.

Listening section

The type of questions remains the same as a paper-based test. You’ll attempt multiple-choice, matching, plan/map/diagram labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary/sentence completion and short answer questions. IELTS on computer has many tools to help you attempt your Listening section. Here are the most used ones:

Help button: Available at the top of the screen, it helps you find instructions related to your IELTS test.

Navigation bar: It is located at the bottom of your screen and will allow you to see all 40 questions of the section.

Arrow buttons: As the name suggests, you can move across the questions back n forth with these.

Volume buttons: You can also increase/decrease the volume as per your requirement. Once you have submitted your answers, a line will appear under the question number. If in case you decide to edit it, click ‘Review’.

Take up free listening practice test with IDP IELTS India

Reading section

Since the pattern of the computer-delivered IELTS test remains the same as paper-based IELTS test, so the category of the questions will also be uniform across both the platforms comprising of multiple-choice, identifying credentials of the information if it’s true or false, recognise a writer’s views and claims, matching information/ headings/features/sentence endings, sentence/ summary/table/note/flow-chart/diagram completion and short answer questions.

For your Reading test, the screen will be divided into two halves. The left side will have the reading text whereas all the questions will appear on the right side. You can also highlight text and make notes in your passage wherever you want. Do check the screen properly as the questions as well as the passage section may have a scroll bar.

Writing section

Just like other sections, the pattern of both the tests remains uniform. The test is primarily divided into two parts:

Part 1: The questions will be in the form of graph, table, chart or diagram in which you have to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words

Part 2: You will be asked to write an essay giving your point of view, argument or problem to a certain situation

For any of the sections, you can choose to answer the questions in any order. Your answers will automatically keep saving as you proceed with the test and at the bottom, you’d also see an automatic word counter that will do the job of counting words for you, so you don’t have to.Take up free practice academic test to test your reading and writing skills

Benefits of IELTS on computer

Faster results: With IELTS on computer, the results are declared in just 3-5 days

Flexibility: With test slots that are available 7 days a week and up to 3 times a day*, you can choose the time and day convenient to you

Automatic word count: Automatic word counter in the Writing task can help you save time

Highlight text and make notes: You can highlight text as well as make notes while taking your IELTS on computer

Easily edit your answers: The test format allows you to re-write and edit your answers as many times

No handwriting woes: Since you have to type, there is no hassle of handwriting at all

Computer-delivered IELTS is specifically designed to cater to the needs of candidates who are more comfortable taking test on a computer and are looking for quicker results with more flexibility in choosing test slots. This method of taking IELTS is convenient but is the same in terms of its format, question types or difficulty level.

So go ahead and register with your IELTS. Use our free sample tests, preparations and other resources to get you ready for your test.

The Test Report Form (TRF)

You will receive a Test Report Form which reports a score in each of the four modules i.e., listening, reading, writing and speaking, as well as an overall band score. Also, half-band scores may be awarded indicating strong performance within a specific band.

If you aren’t satisfied with the results, then you can apply for a re-mark at the same centre where you took the test. But do make your application no later than six weeks after the test date. Also, you can choose which test components are re-marked and there is a fee for this service which will be refunded in case your score in any of the components is increased.

Note: To plan ahead, keep in mind that Enquiries on Results take six to eight weeks to complete.

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Computer Delivered IELTS: Pros & Cons

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Computer Based IELTS test (CBT). Comments below come from various IELTS candidates. This known as CD IELTS (computer delivered IELTS) or CBT (computer-based test).

Is the computer based IELTS test different?

No. It is the same test but you put your answers on the computer rather than on to paper.

Is the marking the same?

Yes, it is 100% the same. It is the same test with the same marking. All that i different is that you type your answers on a screen.

Are there any differences between Computer and Paper IELTS?

Just one difference . In the listening of the paper-based recording, you have 10 mins to transfer your answers from the question paper to the answer sheet. In the computer-based test, this is not the case. You will type your answers directly into the computer and at the end of the recording you will be given only 2 mins to check your answers.

For reading, writing, and speaking, the timing is the same. Every other aspect of the test is the same regardless of whether it is on computer or paper.

Why take Computer Delivered IELTS?

The aim of offering CD IELTS is for people who are more accustomed to typing than to writing. If you prefer to type and can type at speed, this is the best way to take IELTS. If you are poor or very slow at typing, you should stick with the paper-based test. It also allows for people to take the test online at home.

Pros & Cons of Computer IELTS

• Easy to write/type your answers if you are good at typing
• Screens provided are a good size which is useful for reading
• A timer is given on the screen
• Less crowded – fewer people take it at one time (at the moment)
• Quick results (3-5 days)
• More slot availability
• You can take the test at home
• You can still make notes and highlight on the screen.
• You need to be very good at typing. If you are not a good typist, you should consider the paper based test instead.
• Screens will get locked exactly at the mentioned time (at the precise second) so you will not be able to make any last minute changes.
•  However, the timer will not display seconds in the last one minute. so you don’t know when the screen will get locked precisely.
• The computer will not check your spelling or grammar. This is understandable because spelling and grammar are part of the marking.

IELTS Computer Test – General Advice (Must Read)

• Make sure you practise a CBT sample test before you try the real one so that you know how answers are put into the computer and the type of keyboard/mouse movements you need to be familiar with (drop, drag, click etc). You can find free practice questions for the computer test on the BC website and IELTS Official website and IDP. Use all of them.
• DO NOT practice for the computer test using tests from other websites, particularly for listening and reading. You’ll find the answers don’t match the answer key properly and that other aspects are also not accurate.  This is why so many people say – the computer marked my answer wrong and I don’t understand – this is because you are using materials provided by another website who are not careful with putting all possible answers into their system. ALWAYS use authentic materials given directly from IELTS or practice materials created by an IELTS specialist/ teacher who you know. 
• The answer keys are the same for the paper test and computer test. Don’t think that the computer test is a different test. It isn’t. It’s the same test done on a computer with only very, very, very, slight variations, such as a checking time instead of transfer time for answer. Everything else is 100% the same.
• So, use the paper tests for practice from the IELTS Cambridge test books and pay attention to the answer keys to learn about the variety of answers possible.
• If your typing isn’t good, take the PBT (paper based test). But remember, your handwriting does need to be readable so that the examiner doesn’t struggle.

IELTS Computer Listening Pros and Cons:

• Pro: You can highlight text.
• Con: Even though you are given a pen and paper, you need to type your answer directly into the computer. This means you need to be able to listen and type at the same time.
• Con: Some questions require you to type an answer others require you to drag words from one place to another and others require you to select boxes. You really need to get used to the different ways questions can be answered on the computer for IELTS listening.
• Con: Transfer time – you have only 2 mins to check answers, not 10 mins to transfer answers.
• Con: If you don’t know how to move from one section to the next, you might waste valuable time figuring it out.
• Pro: The tab key works to move from one part to another.
• Note: One candidate had an example conversation played at the start of the listening test, another did not. So be aware of this.
• Advice: Please get familiar with the Page look and feel on CBT exam for each question type. You can get a sample for each question type in IDP, BC or IELTS.org website.

IELTS Computer Reading Pros and Cons:

•  Pro: The best thing with CBT is that you can have passage on left-hand side and questions on the right-hand side. It is really easy and convenient to read and answers the questions.
• Pro: You can increase the font size.
• Pro: You can highlight the text as needed. Right click and select highlight. In the PBT, you can’t use a highlighter pen and can only underline or circle using your pencil.
• You can also make notes, for example you might want to note down some synonyms relating to a word. To do this, right click and select “make notes”. 
• Pro: Another advantage for the reading exam: you can copy/paste from the text using CTRL+C and CTRL+V which reduces the chances of typos.
• Con: You cannot use a search function to look for words. This is understandable to make the test fair and equal to the paper test. You are also being tested on your ability to scan for words and information.
• Advice: Get used to scrolling up and down long articles to get used to reading passages and navigating passages on a screen.

IELTS Computer Writing Pros and Cons:

• Pro: You do not need to count your words. The computer will show the word count.
• Pro: It is easier to edit your writing. You can cut, copy and paste.
• Pro: You can move paragraphs and sentences around to reposition them.
• Con: The major disadvantage with CBT is we unintentionally make typo errors. Though we know how to spell a word we make mistakes when we type. Practise your proofreading on a word doc.
• Con: There will be a lot of people typing for one hour all at the same time. This means it can be very noisy which some people find distracting.
• Con: Your typing speed needs to be adequate.
• Note: You will be given a pen and paper. You can use it to plan your essay.

IELTS Speaking Test

The speaking test is still face to face with an examiner. If you take IELTS online using your laptop, you will get a video call with an examiner on the screen. Always make sure your audios are working well and your volume is at the right level. Also make sure you have a good mic.

Comments above come from various IELTS candidates, particularly from Kumar = “Thanks, Kumar!”

If you took the CBT, can you post more pros and cons so I can add them to the list above? I would like to make this page as useful as possible. Can you think of more advantages to the CBT writing?

…………

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Hi Mam Lizz, will pray for your health. I was worried and thinking why you are not uploading videos however your old videos were too good. Now realised how difficult it was for you. Get well soon and more power to you.

My typing seeps is 40 Words Per Minute, should I go for computer based test ? I am just starting to prepare and will attempt in 1.5 months

It isn’t just a question of typing speed. You need to think about how accurate your typing is. If you make a lot of mistakes whilst typing, it will make all answers more difficult to check. There will be no spell checker. Also you need to think about how good you are with a mouse. For the listening and reading tests, you might have to click options or drag words across the screen as well as type other answers. First, practice typing your essays into a word document and see how well you do. Then go the Official IELTS website where you can try answering listening and reading answers for the computer test. After you’ve done both, see how confident you feel and how much development you need to do before booking your test.

Thanks a lot for the valuable advice. I Will look into it.

is computer delivered ielts done on a browser ie chrome or has a separate application?

It will be done through a secure link. You should contact your test centre for specific details.

can we combine scores from paper based test with computer based?

You will get a certificate after each test you take. You can choose one certificate to use to prove your level of English.

Respected Mam, you are really great, polite, devoted and supportive women. I do appreciate your hard work. My only question is that why you have stopped videos lectures on YouTube? About 9 years ago your last video uploaded.

Thanks for your message and concern. This is because I’ve been fighting a serious long-term illness for many years. It has been a hard battle and I’m still fighting. When my health is more stable, I’ll make new videos. If I’m lucky, it might be this year. I appreciate your support

My sincere prayers are with you ma’am. I wish you speedy recovery.

Ma, you will bounce back with renewed energy and vigour. Thanks for all you are doing for us all.

Oh! Sorry for that, I pray for your speedy recovery. You are an intelligent and beautiful woman live long.

speedy recovery Ma

You will bounce back. Thank you 🙂

I wish you got full recovery. You are one of the most inspiring teachers in my life. I always do appreciate your great effort for IELTS learners.

Thanks. I appreciate your support

get well soon 🙏

Thank you very much, Liz, for all your invaluable teachings. I sincerely hope and pray for the continued improvement and stability of your health

Thanks. I really appreciate that.

Wishing you a speedy recovery Liz. You got this!

Thanks. Much appreciated

I wish you speedy recovery and get rid of all illness towards fulfill your dreams.

Thanks. That’s really kind of you

Hi Liz, I hope you feel better soon. Best wishes.

Hi Liz, I wish you speedy recovery. Get well soon. Thilini Sri Lanka

Hi Liz, I tried practicing listening with Ielts .org as you recommended but i discovered that there wasn’t a provision for answers to the questions ,how then can I access my score??

If you are taking the computer based test, you will still use the IELTS Cambridge test books for your preparation. Each book contains four tests with answers. The test is not a different test for the computer – it’s the same test. The only difference in you type your answers instead of writing them by hand. So, use the test books as your practice. But just to get used to putting your answers into a screen, they have provided practice. This practice is not about answers, it’s about getting used to the methods of clicking, dragging and typing answers.

Can we copy a whole paragraph using Ctrl+C option in Reading online test? Can we use other website during online test?

Just the same as the paper test, you can’t use dictionaries or any online sources during the test. It isn’t a different test. It’s the same test whether you put your answers on paper or into a screen. Just the same as the paper test, you can highlight and make notes during the reading test – that’s all.

Is text drag option available for quick answer?

For the listening and reading test, you will use the mouse and keyboard in different ways depending on the answer. You might need to click an option, type a word or drag a word. You can find examples of this on the official IELS website so that you can practice.

I had a question, I received some material to practice from GEL – IELTS when i booked my exam, do you think this is a better preparation material or is the Cambridge books the better one?

The IELTS Cambridge books contain real tests published by IELTS for you to practice with at home. They are real IELTS tests and they are the only real IELTS test you can use. Any other book or website which contains tests or lessons have been written by other people, not by the company IELTS. So, it is essential that you use real tests before your exam. However, the IELTS Cambridge test books don’t contain tips, guidance, explanations etc – they only contain tests. For this reason, I created this website with over 300 pages of tips, advice, information, model answers, topics etc for you to use. But my website is not to use instead of the IELTS Cambridge test books, my website is to use along side the test books. People use my website materials because they know who I am, my qualifications and they trust me. If you use other websites or other teachers it is your choice, but make sure you know precisely how well they teach. The wrong advice can negatively impact your score.

Liz don’t you think so that in CBT marking is more tough, as if even comma or “S” missed at end of word CBT will not accept answer, on other hand manual checking staff might understand this.?

I think you have confused what the paper based test is and what the computer based test is. They are NOT different tests. They are the same tests with the same marking. IELTS tests your ability to hear plurals in the listening test. It is something very common in English language testing systems. It makes no difference if your answer is on paper or on a screen, if you miss the “s”, your answer is wrong. The marking is 100% the same regardless of whether you write your answer on paper or on a screen.

Thank you Liz for such a informative tips. However, I find difficulty in listening, I can only score 6.5 because of the time limit, Otherwise everything is good about CBT IELTS.

Dear Liz I am concerned with the way I should enter numbers and letters in secrion 1 of the listening. For example, in cambridge 14 test 2 question 1, the answer is written as 219 442 9785 and I do not know if these spaces matter or not? I did not find any answer and since my exam is 5 days frm now your response is so valuable.

Thanks in advance

If a space was required, the speaker would say that.

Thank Liz for such valuable information.It really puts me in the picture

Hello Liz, I wanted to verify the point you mentioned about the cons of writing. You mentioned that there will be a lot of typing, which might cause distractions. Since the test is taken at home, how will we be able to hear all the other typing? Or, do we have to take the Computer Based Test (CBT) in the location where the test is conducted?

And do we have the privilege to take listening on paper-based and Reading, Writing on the computer?

Best wishes.

Not all computer tests are taken in your own home. It depends on what you choose and what your test centre offers. If you choose the computer based test, all the sections will be on the computer (speaking will be either face to face or via video).

Hi Liz, just wanted to confirm but is paraphrasing accepted in the IELTS computer-based listening test?

Regardless of whether you write your answers on paper or into a computer, you can’t paraphrase the words. Your answer must be the word or words that you hear in the recording.

Hi Liz, in the CBT is there any time between the recordings to review the answers ? or it’s just one long recording and you need to keep focusing on the questions ?

It is 100% the same as the paper based test, except for the 2 minute checking time for answers at the end of the test which is 10 mins on the paper test. This means you should be using the authentic paper tests to prepare for the test. They are published by IELTS in the IELTS Cambridge test books. By using them, you will get to know how much time you have to read and prepare questions before hearing the recording. IELTS is a fair test. Yes, you will have time to read a number of questions and then listen to the recording for that number of questions.

Thank you very much.

Hi Liz Got my CD IELTS Academic score today; L-8.5, R-9, W-7, S-6.5, overall-8. I must express my gratitude for all the resources you’ve put together which have been very useful for my preparation. The experience of the computer-delivered test was very good. For anyone with good typing speed, this is absolutely the best approach. Thanks again and wishing you a speedy recovery.

Great to see your results. Very well done 🙂

Dear Liz, I booked IELTS Computer based exam recently. I am intermediate on typing. the speed of my typing depends on the type keyboard flexibility. I usually type on personal computer laptop.

However, I don’t have information on the type of keyboard being used during exam. I have Strong fear that old type of keyboard will result poor writing band score result. in this regard, I want to know the type of computer being used during exam and the type of keyboard.

sincerely yours Solomon

Each test center will be different. Contact your local test center and ask them directly. Good luck in your test 🙂

You said you’ll post about the use of line as paragraphs in the CBT, but I didn’t see it on the page and it’s not among the questions asked. Please, could you clarify the use of paragraphs in CBT?

In this regard, it is the same advice as the paper based test. Leave one empty line between paragraphs so that your paragraphs are clear. You can see I do this with my model essays on this website.

Hello, Liz.

How are you? Thank you very much for all your courses. I have been wondering if in the CPT you have an answer sheet for the readings like in the traditional one. I already understood that in Listening we only write the answers on the computer and that’s it. But does the same thing happen with the reading part?

Thank you!!!! Magalí

For the computer based test, all answers are written directly on the computer.

Greetings Liz, During my Listening test, can I type in my answers while I’m listening to the conversation? And do I get some time to read the questions before the conversation, as we are allowed to in PBT?

Both tests are the same, except for the transferring answers at the end of the recording. In both tests, you’ll have time to read the questions before listening to that part of the audio. You will write the answers on the question paper or type them straight into the computer. You’ll have 10 mins to transfer your answers from the question paper to the answer sheet but for the computer test, you’ll only have 2 mins to check your answers as no transferring is needed. You ought to be doing real authentic IELTS tests at home using the IELTS Cambridge test books.

Well, for me Computer Delivered Test has a major advantage in the writing tests: Your handwriting does not affect your band score.

Hi Liz, In CBT, do we have specific time limit for each Reading Sections ? Like going back and forth between Sections 1, 2 and 3.

In other words, can we do Section 3 first, since it is the toughest and then go to Section 1 and 2 ?

The test is the same for the paper test and the computer test. As with both, you have one hour to use as you wish on the reading paper. You can start with any question and any passage. You can go between passages as you wish. The time is yours to manage during that one hour for reading.

Dear Liz, Thank you for all the tips. I will take the CBT and was wondering if I should type my answers in capitals just to be safe. Would that still work in CBT?

It is completely your choice. If you want to use capital letters for answers in the CBT, it’s fine for listening and reading.

Hi Liz I’d like to know if alternative spellings are considered in the Computer delivered IELTS Listening. For instance center vs centre. I mainly write American English. I hope both spellings shall be mounted on the system so that one will not be penalized for using an alternative spelling.

IELTS is an international English Language test, not a British English Language test. All types of spelling are accepted. However, particularly for the writing test, choose one kind of spelling – don’t mix them.

So this means the CBT is not case-sensitive?

For the listening test, neither the paper or computer test is case sensitive. The recommendations to use all capital letters is so that the examiner can more easily read your writing – that’s all.

Just to clear my doubt, if we type with caps lock (use all capital letters) in the writing test, will it be acceptable in CBT?

You should not write or type using all capital letters in the writing test. It is not recommended at all. Part of the marking criterion of Grammar includes correct use of capital letters.

Hi Lizz Kind Greeting! I just want to know that is speaking module held on the same day of other modules (Reading, Listening, Writing) in Computer based IELTS.

You will be given a date for the speaking test. It might be in the same day or it might not.

Hi Liz, I had one concern for reading and listening tests whether they are marked by a strict answer key. Do they deduct marks if your answer varies even slightly like i gave online mock exams and there was a question about mode of payment to which i wrote cash but in answer it was by cash and in another test it was vice versa so would i lose marks in both of the cases? Or are they lenient in this. And also does this vary for pbt and cbt as a human would be checking in pbt (leading to leniency) and computer in other(strict program so direct loss).

Just like with the paper based test, each question has either one specific answer or an option of a couple of answers. You can see this in the IELTS Cambridge Test books. Go to them and read the answer keys. This will give you more insight into the possible answers accepted by IELTS. As with both paper based tests and computer tests, the listening and reading have set answers which are either right or wrong. The speaking and writing tests are marked by examiners.

I was thinking in computer based exams if answers are validated against some answer key with some AI algorithm. Wouldn’t that be a great bother if we do small mistake (Ex:- “thrice” vs “3 times” or “weak” vs “weaker” or “painting” vs “paintings” – not sure what happens here – I am assuming in computer based, answer will be incorrect but correction by human will be correct). can someone answer please ?

The Reading and Listening answers are either correct or incorrect based on the possible answers for each question. This is the same for the paper based and computer based test. In the listening test, you write the words you hear. In the reading test, you write the words you see on the page. It is essentially black and white. For the writing test, it is marked by an examiner whether it is paper based or computer based.

Hi Liz. Do we also get a scrap paper to write down notes during the reading exam? Or is there a feature to highlight keywords and place some notes on the software used for the exam? I would want that during the matching type questions or some questions with long paragraphs.

I am an IT and believe I would answer faster with the computer version of the ielts test.

They do provide a rough paper, other than that there is an option on the screen to highlight and take notes, Liz has explained it clearly on the top most portion of this page.

Hi Liz, I would just like to ask regarding the highlight feature specially for the reading part if there are any changes or if it was removed. My colleagues took the CD test last December and told me that they couldn’t highlight the texts in the passage. I am concered because I usually practice online test wherein I could highlight words. Thank you!

This function should be working for all IELTS reading tests on the computer. This is explained on the BC IELTS website which will be the same in IDP as well: https://www.britishcouncil.org.bd/en/exam/ielts/prepare/how-cdilets-works/highlight-text

hey Liz, I just wanted to ask about CBT writing as I am confused regarding timing for both tasks.Do we have strict 20 minutes and 40 minutes for task 1 and 2 or its on us that how we manage time in writing like 25 minutes for task 1 and rest for task 2?Is there anything that task 1 can’t be edited after 20 minutes?

You have one hour for both tasks. The recommendation is 20mins for task 1 and 40mins for task 2. This is a recommendation only. You use that one hour as you want for the writing test. But I do highly recommend you stick to those timings to enable you to complete both tasks competently.

For CBT test, I wonder if we can put cotton in ears to block the keyboard typing noise. As I am very sensitive to sounds around and get easily distracted.

This is something you ought to ask your test center. Get them to give you permission to do this. I fully understand what you mean because I have the same issues myself with noise. Hopefully they will allow this as long as you explain fully.

I have one question about CDT writing test ,

our answers reviewed by computer or human ?

All writing tests, both computer and paper based, are marked by trained examiners, not computer.

And does they use auto spell check while checking? I am taking about computer based ielts ( writing module) please let me know hoping for your reply! 🙂

The computer based test is marked by a human examiner not a computer. The concept of the computer based test is that you use a computer to answer questions instead of paper. that is the only difference.

Can computer helped to make auto correction of spell ? Or shall we need to focus on this ? Because normally in several computer based programs can auto correct spell but I am not sure if IELTS CD can do the same or not. Would be highly appreciate your kind feedback on this.

Spelling is part of the marking criterion of Vocabulary. The computer won’t help you with this.

I have one doubt regarding IELTS Pen and Paper based. How is Listening test conducted for PP based, either they will provide computer or audio will be played in a room via speakers.

Thanks, Raj

For the paper based test, either the centre uses headphones or a loud speaker. You need to check what the centre uses before you book your test. Many people prefer headphones and will choose a centre for that reason.

hey Liz! i prepared for IELTS from your material only and i got overall 8 bands. L: 8.5, R: 8.5, W: 7, S: 7.5 i cannot thankyou enough. you are literally the best.

Great news! Well done 🙂

Thanks a lot! I have a question about the computer based test. If I misspell some words, will it consider a mistake or not if it’s not a big mistake? Because I heard that on the paper based they cosider it right in some cases.

Both the computer based test and paper test are marked exactly the same way. The test is the same test and the marking is the same marking. Spelling is part of the marking criterion of Vocabulary which counts for 25% of your marks for writing task 1 and 2.

Hi Liz, After reading your section of Q and A, I am little tensed because while practicing I have been using highlighter in my reading sections and now that you have mentioned it is not allowed I am panicking! What can be done? It is really difficult for me to find suitable answers within the given time span without using highlighter. I have exams in two days. PBT exam.

You can’t use a highlighter pen, but you can use pencil. So, start practising using pencil to highlight words and phrases in the reading passage using underlining or circling.

Hi Liz I took the CBT test last Saturday. The writing task taken on the computer did not allow me to copy and paste, only delete and retype. I was a bit frustrated as the exam didnt begin at the time I booked. There was a computer problem and we could not start until 3 hours later, which means that we sat down looking at the computer for 3 hours, without being able to leave the room. When finally they got the system going, I was tired, hungry and psychologically affected . The invigilator was really supportive and nice but I think we should have been allowed to decide if we wanted to go back home and rebook. I didnt make any complaint as i didnt want to cause trouble to the lovely person who happened to be in charge of the venue and exams. Thanks for giving us the possibility to succeed. Your lessons are extremely valuable!

I’m sorry to hear about your experience. I agree with you – you should have been offered a choice of continuing or doing the writing test later. Such a shame. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for good results for you!!

Liz could you plz tell me the meaning of pros and cons? I can’t understand

It is an informal way to saying: advantages and disadvantages.

Thanks a lot.

Hi liz, Since my hand writing is not good , I thought of giving computer based exam but listening seems a big issue as I am not able to focus and type simultaneously .I usually score above 35/40 in listening practice in paper .whereas In CBT I could only get 25-30 max .what should I do ? I am okay with reading and writing in computer .

Or should I stick with paper based exam ?

If anyone else had this problem, please share your experience

Thanks in advance 😊

This is an issue that many people face and only you know the answer. Which will affect your final score the most? Writing on paper or listening using the computer?

Hi Liz, When you say 10 minutes to transfer answers for listening test does it mean that before this we will not be able to write our answers on the sheet before this?

For the paper based test, you write your answers on the question paper and then at the end of the recording, you will have another 10mins to transfer your answers from the question paper to the answer sheet. For the computer based test, answers are already on the computer so you only have an extra 2mins for checking.

Ideas for IELTS Essay topic for General is this book include Writing tasks 1 and 2 or only 2 . I need to buy this but I noticed it is writing task only 2

Regards Dr Ashraf

This is for essays only and you only get essays in writing task 2. Writing task 1 GT is a letter and for Academic it is a report.

Hi Liz, I’ve been giving a lot of free online reading tests and I find my answers to be marked wrong for silly reasons such as:

Q) What is the latest start time for the 20 km walk? 10:30 am (wrong) 10.30/10.30am (right)

Q) What is the frequency of the Fenton to Weldown bus? every half-hour (wrong, even though this is exactly how it’s written in the passage) every half hour (right)

Q) Which walk does not pass through Lower Brene? 10 km walk (wrong, even though this is exactly how it’s written in the passage) 10 kilometre/10 kilometre walk/10 kilometer/10 kilometer walk (right)

Since I plan to give the computer-based test, are there any rules around these kind of ‘errors’ where it seems more like I have to use a different format rather than a correct answer? Or is this just the downside of using free online tests?

That is probably the downside of using free tests online that are on a website that is not managed by IELTS. Use only authentic tests published by IELTS.

Thanks for your quick reply! This sure helps 🙂

Hi Mrs Liz, I’ve finished a computer-delivered IELTS exam just 3 hours ago. I’ve benefited quite a lot from your website as I’d taken an exam 5 years ago and got 6, whereas I think I will get at least 7 in this one. I’ve performed very well, and your website helped me a lot in that. Thank you very much.

I’ve not actually gone through all the comments and don’t know if my idea is mentioned already somewhere, but not harm in trial 🙂 . I haven’t encountered the cursor problem as Lu had. And regarding the last minute, you can actually view the remaining seconds by passing the mouse over the time, and while revising and noticing that there was a mistake, I checked, 17 seconds left, and risked and succeeded to switch the two titles before the end.

One of the problems of the reading and listening tests is that in matching or selecting an option from a list, in case you weren’t sure about two questions and decided to give both of them the same option to guarantee 1 grade at least, that’s not applicable in this type of tests.

One of the main advantages, in writing, I could start typing right away without 5 minutes preparation as I could and actually did switch between sentences, cut and copy, and erase very easily, and that saved me some time.

Overall, it was a good experience, I’d suggest anyone who’s faster in typing to take it as it really matters in writing and is almost the same in other sections. Thanks again 🙂

Thanks for sharing 🙂 Good luck with your results 🙂

Liz Thanks for sharing such informative info I just started to read your page from last few days and fugue out it’s really awesome and great support from your side first of all thanks for this such a kind supportive manner. Can you pls help to share is there any negative marking in IELTS test in case if some question we don’t feel confident it’s better to skip rather than selecting wrong answer. So would it be fine if we just skip or there is no any negative marking whatever correct question we will attempt we will get score based on that. Wrong question won’t count to cut our score ???

Regard Khan Bangkok

I think what you mean is “Will you get a marked taken off if the answer is incorrect”. If this is your question, then the answer is: You get one point for every correct answer but if the answer is wrong it just means you get 0 for that question. There are no negative marks. This means you can try to guess the answer without risking negative marks. For this reason, it is always best to fill in every answer because you might get lucky and guess correctly.

Hi Liz. I attended my general training speaking test on 21st August. I am a little claustrophobic in general and on the test date I was finding it hard to speak with the mask on. I was not quite satisfied with the way I performed due to anxiety and it took me lot of attention to understand the examiner’s question since he was wearing a mask and a face shield. Despite asking for clarifications regarding questions, I had to imagine the possible words of his questions and answered them finally. In part I, I was asked about the place where I live, part 2 was about an interesting animal and I was trying to describe an elephant without a trunk that I saw once in a zoo. How in spite of an injury it was able to perform the daily routine like drinking water and bathing independently. When I was telling about this the examiner gave me weird stares, which I ignored and continued. Because I was sure that my grammar and pronunciation were correct and I was talking about relevant things. What do you think about it? and I don’t think I spoke for a full 2 minutes about it. I answered quite well in part 3 overall. He marked some scores in front of me with four columns and wrote 4.5-5.5, 5.6-6.5, 6.5-7.5, and 7.5-8.5 in an order. Any idea as to what this corresponds to and what might be my band score?

Is it possible to attend only the speaking part again?

I had only 1 week to prepare for IELTS as a whole, out of which I spent 1 or 2 days for speaking. I am quite satisfied with the way I am prepped for the reading, writing, and listening test. Any tips to balance the overall score? Which sections are relatively easier to score? I am getting 37+ on reading and listening during practice tests. Have gone through some sample essays and letters for writing and practiced thrice to type within the time frame.

The numbers jotted down by the examiner are not scores. Just forget them. They relate to timing, not scoring. Your score is not be decided until the end of the test and is based on your whole performance and your evident level of English. You need to relax and wait to see your results. You can’t take the speaking test again, you can only take the whole test again. But wait for your results. Good luck!

I really need your assistance with the time format we should use. Should we use 9:30 pm or 9.30 pm. Please help as it is very confusing

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/

Thank you so much for you support. You are really very helpful for all students

The CD IELTS Speaking test MAY NOT necessarily be face-to-face with an examiner. When I registered for my IELTS, there was a message of the bottom of the screen, “This test centre supports Speaking test via an HD video call.” Now, I have my Speaking test via video-conferencing tomorrow at the test centre.

This is correct. This will depend on the country and the test centre location. It will also depend on Coronavirus social distancing rules and guidance in each country and city. If you do get a face to face interview, the examiner might be wearing a mask.

Thank you for the useful information! i just have this question and i didn’t really find the answer anywhere, i’ve been practising on the CBT and i’ve noticed that the results on my reading part are not accurate; i use similar synonyms to make the answer shorter but i still lose a mark, same thing for forgetting an S in a word (noise/noises). so i’m wondering if the real CBT marks will be automatically reviewed and corrected only by the computer or will real people review it?

You are being tested on your ability to listen for plurals. If the answer is plural and you miss the “s”, the answer is wrong. You alos cannot use synonyms as answers. You must write the exact word you hear. So, this isn’t a case of whether it is human or person who marks it, it is about understanding IELTS and how to write your answers.

Hello Liz, thank you for all that you do. Your website was my main source of study materials for the exam preparation. I wanted to send you an email, however, I could not find it so I am going to share my experience with computer version of the exam here. I hope it helps others who are considering this format.

TL;DR: – Using all-capitals for your reading/listening answers is definitely fine.

– There is no text cursor in the writing! (the blinking vertical line showing where you are)

– The keyboard provided will likely be the local layout, not a UK or US keyboard. Make sure you’re comfortable with this.

– TAB function and TAB+SHIFT function – are both very useful to move between questions (listening and reading)

LISTENING I think listening was great. For listening I was given a headset (everyone received one) so I did not need to worry about echo or similar problems (I had these issues when taking FCE years ago when the exam took place in a P.E. hall). The highlighting and marking questions for review is quick and easy. I used only capital letters (got band 9 for listening so capital letters are definitely fine) and I found the TAB function to move between questions very useful. Side note- you can also use SHIFT+TAB to move to the previous question- very useful, as well. I was surprised that I had enough time to read the questions. I had practiced with shorter time. When I opened the first set of questions, there was a voice explaining how IELTS listening works and only after that it proceeded to tell us that we now had 30 seconds to read the first set of questions. So, I had time to read through all first 10 questions and highlight important features, as well. When the first recording finished, the voice told us that we had 30 seconds to make corrections for the first part and then gave us another 30 seconds to read the second part. I only spent a few seconds revising the first part as I was quite confident about it and started reading the second part almost straight away. That gave me almost a full minute to read the second set of questions. I did a similar thing after the end of section 2 and 3. Moving between questions was very quick and easy. I had a couple of questions that I had marked for review mostly because of spelling and quickly checking them in the final 2 minutes was very easy.

READING Reading was very good, as well. The screens are wide, the questions are right next to the text- so always in your sight. You can highlight, delete the highlight you have done, copy and paste or also drag your cursor over the text you are reading to help you focus, especially when you are looking for something specific. Once again, I found the marking for review function very useful. I still recommend practicing the published computer delivered test to familiarize yourself with the platform.

WRITING Writing was the primary reason why I wanted to take computer version of the test. I could not imagine writing full prepared sentences and only rewrite occasionally using an eraser. I am so used to delete and backspace, write the sentence and then reposition words, merge sentences or rewrite the whole sentences when I find I have repeated a certain word a lot and I need to change it for something else and thus possibly restructure the whole sentence. This is in my opinion very convenient and it saves so much time. It’s not just about the speed of your typing. Plus, my handwriting is terrible, so that’s one less thing I needed to worry about. However, I experienced some technical problems that had to do with to do with the invisible text cursor and keyboard that had a German layout. Having an invisible text cursor (i.e. no blinking vertical line or other indicator of where you are in the text) makes editing more difficult as you cannot easily track where you are in the document. I had to develop on-the-fly workarounds such as writing garbage characters to make it clear where I was in the text, or highlighting text with the mouse to be deleted which can be tricky under stress. When you practice writing using the platform at home, you open it in your browser and the browser automatically adds the text cursor so you have no reason to suspect that there will be no text cursor in the exam. That was a huge surprise for me, it took time to work with it. I contacted British Council and gave them a feedback regarding this issue as I just can’t understand the programming choice to omit something that is present everywhere else, something we are so used to when typing anything on our computers or mobile phones and something that is in fact so basic. The other problem I had was a bit different in nature but equally unexpected. I travelled to a neighbouring German- speaking country to take the exam. I practiced my writing using English (United Kingdom) keyboard layout. I had not expected that the layout I would write my English exam organised by British Council would be German. When you have to change to an unfamiliar layout it’s difficult to find specific characters and go against your habits when typing especially when it comes to characters necessary for the exam’s writing component (apostrophes, hyphens, etc. or even experience the inversion of ‘z’ and ‘y’ on a number of layouts). During my exam, my hunt for an apostrophe resulted in accidentally using backticks instead. Fortunately, this was spotted in the final minutes of my time, resulting in a frantic replacement operation. So instead of using my final minutes to check my text, spelling etc. I had to almost completely forgo this as I was just quickly checking every single apostrophe. The whole physical keyboard was also in German so I also was not sure where the DELETE button was and I did not want to blindly press random keys to find out as I was scared it would do something, I did not want it to do. Writing and editing two essays in these conditions made me almost cry in the middle of it. I managed to finish and luckily receive 7.5 but it was a dreadful experience. I wrote all this as a feedback to British Council but I don’t think anything is going to get fixed anytime soon unless the lack of text cursor was just the program’s bug. Therefore, I would at least recommend checking beforehand with the centre you take the exam with, what keyboard layouts they use so the you can practice at home.

OVERALL- I liked the computer version of the exam and even though I don’t have the experience of the paper format, I would recommend it if you are used to working on a computer.

Lu, thanks for sharing your experience of the computer based test. I am shocked to hear about the lack of a cursor. I don’t think I could handle that easily – sounds like you are very good at thinking on the spot to find workarounds. I know everyone will be deeply appreciative of the time you have taken to share so much. Great job getting band 7.5 🙂

Thank you Liz 🙂 I was very nervous before I got my results and I was mentally preparing myself for the fact that I might need to take the exam again. I needed 7 and I could not believe my eyes when I saw my score. The topic for task 2 was a bit complex and I was not sure whether I made my ideas clear enough and I also did not have time to go through the text and make corrections as I was used to when practicing. Plus in writing part 1 – by the time I finished writing it I realized that I had almost completely missed a part of the table and only referred to it in the overview and possibly 1 sentence. The reason why I am writing this is that I had valid reasons for doubting myself as I did not do my best but I think it was the structures (I learnt mostly here) that saved me. When I got the question ‘ to what extend do you agree or disagree’ I knew exactly what my options were and how to plan the essay. The same goes for writing part 1.

Sharing the experience is just a small way of how to give something back to teachers like yourself and the community of fellow students who shared their tips and tricks. That’ s why I am more than happy to do it 🙂 .

British Council hasn’t got back to me yet but if they do and the missing text cursor turns out to be a bug in the program that would get fixed, I will share what I find out here.

Confidence and understanding techniques certainly plays a big part. It’ll be interesting to see if the lack of cursor was a bug in the system.

I am sitting for the IELTS CBT in a few days and that’s why I’m here in this page to look for last minute tips. Thank you for providing us with free resources to prepare for this exam.

While taking the free practice tests for the reading and listening sections, I was surprised that I was marked wrong for answering “a few kilometers” instead of “A few kilometers, “1 topic” instead of “one topic”, “16% instead of 16 %.” It is a bit frustrating that the CBT tends to be too technical with what you type. In reading the posts here, it seems that ALL CAPS is recommended too for the CBT? I worry that the computer will automatically mark the answers wrongs for simple details such as that.

You said “I was marked wrong”. Who marked you wrong? It sounds like you did not use an Official IELTS test on an Official IELTS website. Is that correct? Never use tests that are not from Official Sources or from highly experienced IELTS teachers. Do not use websites that claim to have tests for you to use.

Hi Liz, thanks for your reply. Its actually the practice tests in the IELTS preparation materials that British Council sent me after I registered to take the exam. They provided me with a free access to the web page.

That is surprising. Sounds like they haven’t put all variations of answers into their computer system. It would be difficult to do that with all the possible capital letter variations. The capital letters don’t actually matter. You don’t have to use them and you can mix them. However, I always tell people to use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS for listening and reading – for both the computer test and the paper based test.

Thank you for the detailed information Lu, it is so helpful. I am also taking the computer based test in a few days, can’t wait to have it over and done with.

Thanks for leaving your feedback for others.

Greetings, Hope you are safe and well. I really appreciate sharing your detailed and useful experience of taking the CD-IELTS test. To be honest, I found your experience very motivative and precious. Many kudos for you and teacher Liz.

Good luck with your test!!

I would just like to know about the listening part of IELTS CBT, are we only allowed to hear the audio once or we can go back to check our answers and hear the audio again?

There are no benefits or differences to the rules of IELTS whether you take it on paper or on computer. You listen only once. You can’t control the audio yourself. The test is 100% the same except you put your answers into a computer with the exception of the transfer time as mentioned on this page above for the listening test.

I was solving a reading exercise and it hadn’t mentioned that we can write numbers on the answer sheet, and normally i wrote down the number in letters, and to my surprise the answer was marked as a mistake and the number was written in the number format please advise if it’s possible to write numbers in number format even though we are not advised to do so

Are you using authentic IELTS tests published by IELTS on an Official IELTS website? Only use authentic tests for full practice or to learn about marking and answer keys – that does not include websites that claim their test are authentic – it means going to Official IELTS websites.

Hello Liz, I have a small doubt on IELTS Listening CBT. I was reading your amazing pros and cons list on the same and didn’t get the 6th point in particular. “The tab key works to move from one part to another”. Is it that we can move from one answer box to another in the same section or it works to move between sections?

I have my IELTS exam next week and this tab key thing would be a big bonus.

Thank you in advance, Ashwin (One of your subscribers on YouTube)

Go the BC website and complete the computer based IELTS questions for listening and reading. They are given on that site so that you can become familiar with the computer. The tab is used to move from one answer box to another. Try the practice questions on the BC website.

Sure! Thank you so much

Hello Liz, I registered for Paper-based IELTS and I am wondering if it possible for me to request for the writing to be Computer-Delivered. I prefer the CD for the writing part. I took my first IELTS last November and I got my required band in Writing (7.5) and Speaking (8) but the other two were poor. What do you think? Is it something I can discuss with the test centre?

As far as I know, you must take the Listening, Reading and Writing as one test – either paper based or computer. However, you really need to contact your test centre, they might be able to facilitate the change. Each test centre is different in terms of what they offer, how often etc.

You can change to computer-based if you already paid for paper-based. Just call them and ask them to change it for you, no extra costs.

Liz, i am planning to give computer based test I was practising on IELTS. com for listening test, noticed that some answers were marked incorrect based on the singular/ plural form. Need to understand – is this the format and is this diferent in the paper based format

The marking is 100% the same for the paper based and computer based tests. There is no difference in the content of the test or the marking of the test. You are being marked on your ability to listen for plurals.

Hi Liz ! I am planning for IELTS CBT test but I have a confusion, generally during my Listening test I use time given before part 1 to read questions in part 3 and I read part 1 questions along with the audio. Will that work in CBT Listening test too ? When I checked this with full length listening test available on IELTS website (link mentioned below) it did not work when I change the part the current part audio cuts in between and next part audio starts. https://computer.ieltsessentials.com/listening/?_ga=2.54110056.1381764496.1591014131-2110142188.1590650682

Please clarify this

The timing is 100% the same in both tests, except for the 2 mins checking time in the computer based test instead of 10 mins transfer time in the paper based test after the recording has ended.

Thanks for your support always. Regarding the timing I got it. But my question is when part-1 audio is being played at that time can I read next part (like part-3 questions) or not ?? As in the practice test available on IELTS website (link mentioned above) it is not possible, whenever I try to read 5-10 question ahead particular part audio stops there only and next part audio starts automatically

It is unlikely you can jump to other sections. It is also not advisable to do that in the paper based test either.

Hi! I would like to ask if I will be given time to read the questions first before the listening audio begins? Thanks Liz!

You are always given time. You should do full practice tests from the IELTS Cambridge test books. They are real tests. They are paper tests, but 100% the same as the computer tests. As you can see above, the test itself is exactly the same whether done on computer or paper with only minor differences in things such as transfer time after the listening recording has finished. So, do the real test practice and get used to how much time you have to read the questions.

I gave the test personally and have experienced the real test. I also tried many times asking about the same question to many people but all in vain. But, now once I have taken the test I can tell you for sure that, yes we can jump to see questions of other sections when audio of any other section is playing, same as we do in the paper-based test. So if the audio for section 1 is playing and we have already checked the questions or answered all of them we can safely switch to other sections to see the questions and highlight as we do in paper-based test and again come back if required.

Hi Liz, I have never taken this exam and I just want a good site, video, texts, or any platform where I can get myself prepared for the exam. Please reply. Thanks

My site has hundreds of pages of FREE tips, lessons, advice, model answers, topics etc. Go to the HOME page and read how to use this site 🙂

first of all thanks a lot for what you do. Your lessons are clear, professional and very useful. I have been browsing your website for a while now but haven’t seen the answer for this question, hopefully you haven’t already spent time on it. I am unsure about taking the test CB or PB. I do prefere paper for reading and listening, but I have doubts about the writing.. I struggle a lot organising my sentences, so I end up doing a bit a mess erasing words and paragraphs and rewriting.. while this looks horrible on paper, it would not be a problem on the computer. How much do you think this would influence my score if I decided to go for the PB? How tidy/clean does the essay need to be?

Hope I was clear enough Thanks Susanna

Sounds like the problem is not paper or computer, the problem is planning. Each sentence should be planned before you start writing. Most IELTS essays for task 2 have only about 13 or 14 sentences in them. Each one is thought about and planned before you start writing the introduction. This means main points and supporting points (each sentence of a body paragraph) are planned. Once you start writing, there are no new ideas in your mind and you can focus only on the language you use. As for deleting errors, if the examiner gets confused with too many deleted word and can’t make things out, you’ll get a lower score. If you have lots of deleted errors but it is very clear and easy to read, it won’t affect your score at all.

Hi Liz, when I wrote the comment I didn’t realise that a pencil could be used, which makes a huge difference in terms of erasing mistakes. Even in my home language, if I had to write an essay with a pen in such a short time, I’d probably make up a mess. I ended up getting a 7.5 in the writing academic, and an 8.5 overall so not too bad.. I booked the paper based one but because of Covid ended up taking the computer based. I have to say that I didn’t mind it too much, although I still prefere to read on paper.. being able to change words and move them around is for sure a plus tho! And I wanted to thank you for your website, got a lot of tips and information from here.. Grazie mille!

Brilliant result !! Very well done! I agree about the ease of making changes to writing using a computer – it is a distinct advantage. Glad you found my site. Prego 🙂

Feedback from Greece I took the first three parts of the test in the morning and gonna take the speaking part this afternoon (cross your fingers please. “gonna” was practice for the interview) Logging in is required prior to each part of the test and the password + some candidate data were given on a printed page, which remained on desk and could be used for writing down notes. This was especially useful in Writing and Listening.

Hope I’ve passed. In this case, thanks for your aid. Thank you anyway, whatever the case is 🙂

Fingers crossed for you 🙂

Is it allowed to use a piece of paper and a pen during the writing part of the ONLINE INDICATOR IELTS EXAM, which you have to write from home?

Tank for your answer!

Does anybody know a website where we can practice CB Listening aside from IDP and BC sites?

I can type well and fast but I do really need to highlight keywords during the listening, as it’s suggested for paper based. However, the lack of CB tests to practice makes things a bit complicated. It’s all about getting used to reading, listening and typing at the same time. And foremost, avoid typos because looking for errors in only two minutes is not doable.

Liz, could you please make special series focused on CB listening?

Thank you for any help you can offer regarding this topic.

I understand the problem. AT present, there are no full practice tests being sold by IELTS for the computer based test. For me personally, I don’t have the technology to produce them. However, it is something I might need to tackle in the near future.

Thanks for your reply. Yeah, paid listening trainings would be a greaaaaat idea for us to become familiar with the format 🙂

Usually I do it well with paper based practice tests, but I was “seduced” by computer based because of the benefits in writing and reading section >.<

Wish me luck, please!

I wish you lots of luck!! 🙂

Thanks a lot, Liz. i have a bit of confusion about reading CBT. Is it allow to ZOOM reading passages? Please share.

Hi Liz, I hope you are doing well & thanks for creating a wonderful platform. I wanted to ask you that as we get some time in a paper-based Listening IELTS test to view questions before starting recording, are we getting the same time in Listening Computer Based IELTS?

There is only one single difference between the computer based listening test and the paper based one, and that is the 2 mins checking of answers instead of the 10 mins transfer time at the end of the test. Nothing else is different. It is the same test in every other way.

Liz, tell me please if we have some extra time after each section to check our answers or not (approximately 30 seconds after each portion) or just 2 minutes in the end? I’ve done several trial listening tests and it gives you 30 seconds after and before each part. Because when u need to type 2 or 3 words it’s better to write down on your paper and then transform it into your screen. Please answer ASAP.

The amount of time for reading questions before the new audio section starts is the same for both tests (paper and computer). There is only one difference between these tests – the transfer time of answers at the end of the test. This is explained on the page above. 10mins for paper based and 2 mins for computer.

Hi Liz, Is this exam available here in Canada? Most of the testing center are temporary closed because of COVID19 pandemic. I need to get my English Language Proficiency done and hoping to get accepted for summer semester. Please let me know. Thanks!

I also do not see an option for Canada or the US. Hopefully this test might soon be extended to other countries. Or alternatively, we can hope that normal testing will continue soon.

Yeah, University of Concordia located in Montreal, QC, Canada is offering computer based general test. I just booked my slot on 20th June.

I wanted to know, will the all the Questions will be displayed for listening section before audio starts in CD-IELTS? Or do we have to go simultaneously.

You are given time to read the question before the recording starts. You will be told how many questions will come in the next part of the recording. Go to the Official IELTS website or the BC IELTS website and do a free practice test. There are paper tests which are full tests that everyone can use. To get used to using the computer to put in answers, there are practice questions.

Thanks a lot for your reply..Your site/pages are really helpful. I believe my English is good and even I am working in UK Based company and deals with UK clients, but I am still scared as the dates are coming near by. I am afraid of reading section because sometimes I get confused in two answer and then choose the answer which is not correct & instead the option which I though but didn’t choose that is correct answer. I am afraid that I don’t do the same mistake in exam.

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-reading-lessons-information-and-tips/ . Good luck!

Thank you fo the answer, Liz! I too have this question as I’m losing some marks in Section 3 (where most of the questions have 3 options to choose from) and there is a lot of text to read there. 30 seconds are not enough to read those questions before the recording starts. I would rather spend the 1st minute of the recording (where an example is explained) to read questions in section 3. Will that be possible? Also, do you have any opinion on this problem?

There is no example given at the start of the listening test. This was removed this year.

Hi mam, In computer based ielts reading, shall we allowed to highlight the text in question sentence like for particular keywords

This has already been answered on the page above. Highlighting is possible.

Is it possible to go beyond the word limit in CBT writing?

As with the paper based test, there is no upper word limit. Please go to the main writing task 2 page on this site to learn more about essay length.

Hi Liz! Are we provided with pen and paper during CDIELTS? It is because am used to making a rough draft before writing my tasks.

Hi All, my CDT is due in a couple of weeks. Browsing through this page, I suddenly got anxious regarding something – I do all my work on a laptop, not a computer with a mouse. will i face problems, I wonder? Please do share your experience someone, shall be grateful for quick revert. You see i am no more habitual of working with a mouse though initially i did use it ie, before laptops got popular. thanks in advance!

Hello everyone, I love the page, really helpful, I have one question though. When taking the listening test, are we allowed to have a paper and pen as in the writting test??

Hey, Yes. You are allowed the pen and you could write/make notes on your question paper while you attempt the listening test if the test is paper based. The same is not the case in a computer delivered test though. Everything is done on the computer. You dont need a pen and paper.

Well I don’t think u can write anything like notes or answers especially for the listening section, as for the reading section, u would hardly find any time to do, or where can the notes or answers be written during the listening section?? can u please clear this doubt? I also saw a demonstration video on the British Council website, but my doubts are not cleared…

Hi Liz, like in paper based, can we write all answers of reading and listening section in capital letters in Computer based exam?

Hi Liz. In the list of cons for cbt, #4 says if you don’t know how to move from one section to the next, you might waste a valuable amount of time. Could you explain this, please? Is the cbt not that easy to navigate? Thank you in advance.

To be honest, the Listening task is a cakewalk when it comes to CD based. Many believe that extra 10 minutes would make a difference but, I think it is not required.

One can immediately write the answers into the blanks.

Secondly, drag and drop is quite easy and not that sophisticated. You can try a mock in BC or IDP website.

Personally, I feel CD is better than Paper based as the waiting time to take the exam is quite more and exhausting for Paper based.

Note: Typing skills should be of intermediate level

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have a question: For the listening, at the end of each section, we will have 30 seconds to review the current section, can we go to the next section and star reading the questions during this 30 sections? Thanks.

Yes you can you are free to do whatever. You can even continue reading the previous section while the audio for the next section plays if that’s something you want to do.

Yes, you can.

Can I use all capitals in listening and reading section in CBT ?

Great info on your site, Really helping the starters to figure out the info… I have a clarification, I have heard that in Computer-based exam, you can’t back space? Is this true?

No. Its not true. You can use back space

Are we allowed to use CAPS for the reading/listening section in CBT?

I have doubts regarding the CD listening test. Do they give a break after each section to check the answers and also before each section to read the questions? Can we first note down the answers on the paper and then transfer them onto the screen? Do we have sufficient time to do this transfer? Because listening while typing can be difficult. Does the listening part play exactly 38 minutes in the test, considering the final 2 minutes will be for review?

You can do a full listening test on the IELTS BC website for free. You will soon learn the timings etc. The only difference with timing in the CD IELTS is the 2 mins to check answers rather than 10 mins to transferring them. As explained on the page above, you type the answers directly into the computer. Make sure you practice a number of tests at home under exam conditions.

Hi, Liz. I’ve found that the timer will show the exact seconds you have left if you move your mouse onto it. So there is one less cons of the CBT!

Great spot Natalie! Didn’t know this 🙂

Great spot Natalie! Didn’t know this 😠

This is one great tip, thanks for sharing 🙂

I came across your site a tad too late but I’m glad I finally did. You’re doing some great work there. Thank you.

I have my CBT in 2 days and I have question in the listening section. Unfortunately, the official ielts website doesn’t have a complete listening practice test for CBT practice. Instead, I had to open individual sections on different tabs. I need to know if it’s possible that if a section has 10 questions in total, they all might not be on the same page? Would I need to manually go the next page whilst listening to the audio. I’m afraid I’ll miss out onto it since it happened to me while practicing on an unofficial site. Also, I never got the prompts like I get in PBT – for instance, read questions 1-6, now answer questions 7-10 etc. The audio simply started.

I’ll really appreciate your help on this.

All good questions – hopefully someone who has done the test can answer this? Good luck with your test !! 🙂

Thank you! 🙂

Just wanted to share my CD Ielts results with you. I got 9 in listening (thank you for your quick assistance there) and an overall band 8. Thank you once again for being a great teacher and for explaining everything so well.

Wishing you loads of success!

That’s a fantastic result – very well done to you 🙂

Congrats! I got exactly the same score! 9 in Reading and Listening and 7 in Speaking and Writing. I was so happy with CD. I can’t even imagine giving the test with a pen and paper. It’s so much easier, right?

Also I would like to add, for anyone interested, I gave the test via IDP, I was able to see my score online 5 days after the exam and the physical result was delivered to me on the next day (6th day). It’s great!

Seriously, thank you, Liz! I will try to reply here as much as I can to help contribute to what you’re doing.

Well done with your results – it’s a great achievement 🙂 I’m so glad my site helped 🙂

Dear Kanika, hi! Could you please share your tips&tricks for CBT listening specifically? Since I got 8.5L in Paper based format, but, unfortunately, I am strugling with CBT Listening section, 7 only.. Since it requires simultaneous reading, listening, and typing… and I just lost during all this multitasking… On the contrtary, in Paper I can easily make some marks with pensil while listening… Do you have any advice how did you manage all this? Thank you in advance!

Sorry to hear about that. I personally felt there was enough time for me to read the text before the audio started. It’s always best to guess what kind of information is required. For instance, in some cases you get to know if they’re about to tell a street’s name or some number or perhaps the time. So that helps. Also, you can correct the spelling mistakes in the end. Not enough time to rewrite all words but plenty to recheck. That’s really vital. Unfortunately, you can’t make notes in the listening section as there’s no free space; rather only the answer blanks. I think it’ll be good to do some more practice for CBT listening in order to do all the things simultaneously. Wish you good luck! (Y)

All the questions for one section will be on the same page. You will only have to change pages for going to the next section. It’s just like how you’re practising now with changing tabs, in that it just takes one click (Example: once you’re done with section 1, click on question 11 to go to the next section). Good luck!

Thanks for the help! Appreciate it 🙂 Quite relieved!

Hi everyone. Just passed the CBT on July 20 for the first time. Before that, I tried PBT. Last time I had to improve my writing score from 6 to 7. I realized that time management is one of the problems, so I tested my typing speed to compare it with my hand writing. Because my typing in fact was much faster, I decided to take CBT. I think that typing gave me extra 10 min for better essay composition and proofreading in the end, which I could not do in PBT. Also, despite me had being worry about the noise in the exam class due to typing, it wasn’t a problem at all because we were allowed to put on the headphones during writing (and reading) and PC were equipped with noiseless keyboard (similar to Mac keyboard), so I was able to concentrate well on the test. For the other parts of the test I didn’t feel any difference which would matter. In listening and reading we were still allowed to use conventional pencil and paper (back side of the paper with the password for the test); although, I’m not sure if it is an option everywhere. It was helpful in listening for question with spelling, so I first wrote the word in paper and then printed the answer. Timing in listening between sections to check the answers and read the task ahead is same sufficient as in PBT, so the last 2 min for the final answer check also suffice. My advice, if you are good in typing and want to enhance your writing score – CBT is for you.

Thank you for the feedback Mila. I wanted to know if you were able to highlight the questions for reading? I find that reading the questions prior to the passage helps.

Thank you for such an informative comment. I have only one question, how long did it take for your result to arrive?

I had taken the CD IELTS on July 25 and would like to confirm that there was no practice question ( answered question ) in the listening section. Not really a con though, you are able to do listening test easily if you are aware of it.

I had taken a PB IELTS exam a few years back for my higher studies and found the CD version of it far more smoother and enjoyable to do so. I highly recommend this format of the test to those who are technologically capable and not even consider the PB tests as it feels so out of date !

Your website is simply awesome. I have a question is that if we do get 30 seconds in CDT before listening exam starts to read questions as we get in PBT? Thanks in advance.

Yes, there is no difference in how the test is done, except that you write your answers directly onto the computer and have only 2 mins at the end to check your answers (not 10 mins). That is the only difference – everything else is the same.

Hi liz, I have a very dirty handwriting, I am expert in computer systems and prefer typing over writing. Should I consider CBT over PBT ?

Sure it is something you can consider. The computer-based test is for people who prefer typing – there is no other advantage to it.

I was concerned about the quality of answering. To clarify, in the paper-based exam the model answer gives a variety of chances where if the answer requires two words you can write either Tree or The tree, and if it is one word you can -for example- write ant or ants. Are the same criteria applied to the CBT? Do they have a flexible answer module? or is it a restrict answer where you can only write ant and not ants or the tree and not tree? Please reply as soon as possible because I am totally confused about this matter.

It is not a model answer you are looked at. It is an answer key which is completely different. The paper-based test and the computer-based test are 100% the same with regards to how you write the answers – you choose one answer only. you can’t put two options and hope one is correct. You must decide if you use the article “the” for the answer or not – if you are wrong, the answer will be marked wrong. Same with plural / singular nouns.

Hi Liz, your website is really helpful! I last time attended the CDT in Auckland NZ in April. It was the first time I experienced the CDT, I found that the advantages of CDT were in the writing, it was quite easy for me to edit the sentences, I finished the essay over 10 minutes before the end of the test; Therefore, I had much more time to check the spelling and other mistakes. In the listening test I could use earphone which was really helpful for hearing. Another was the result can be received in 5 days. The drawbacks are also obvious, especially in reading and listening, I couldn’t do any note on the paper, Just can do highlighting on the screen. Thus, I needed to read questions twice or more. Not to mention the result need to wait for at least 3 weeks. That confused me to decide whether I need to prepare the next exam. That’s my feeling about CDT.

Thanks for sharing your experience and views. It will help other people thinking about CD IELTS.

Just appeared in CDT BC IELTS. I must say Listening is challenging in CDT, you need to Listen carefully and be watchful of synonyms or similar phrases that the speaker may use, and at the same time, make sure to have your cursor ready for the questions in front. It certainly helps in Writing.

Hi, I would like to know in CB listening test whether audio plays immediately? I am sure questions are displayed first. But want to know approx. after how much time audio will play after questions are displayed?

Regards Nav

The listening test is no different from the paper based test – the only difference is that you listen through the computer and write the answers on the computer. As with all listening tests, you will hear an example first which gives you time to adjust volume on headphones and also get used to accents. If you get the IELTS Cambridge test books, which are real test published by IELTS, you will become familiar to this.

Hello! Does anyone have any feedback about the note taking or highlighting functions on the computer version of the test? I was thinking this might limit the options in a few cases, like following the route in the map questions (Listening), doing calculations for the graphs/Task 1 (Writing) or noting connnections between paragraphs (Reading). Did you miss being able to take notes on the page? Did putting the notes in the boxes that get minimalized work for you? Not too passive? Thanks so much!

I have just taken BC IELTS sample CBT test. While taking the writing module i found that if i write any incorrect spelling red line appears under the word. Similar happens in the CBT test? Please confirm

There is no language advantage to doing the IELTS test on a computer. You do not get help with spelling or grammar.

Hi Liz (and everyone else),

Please note the following (CBT IELTS at IDP Kuwait): 1. Even in the last minute, hovering over the ‘*** minutes left’ text will display the time as **:**. 2. The design for CBT is intuitive, including arrows to move from question to question, or between parts. 3. A prompt is always played at the beginning of the test, allowing test takers to set up their volume (headphones) or get used to the volume. 4. I can confirm that CTRL+C and CTRL+V work for Reading and Writing, as well as Listening.

Andrei (Test taken 21/6/19)

Thanks for sharing 🙂

Hi, Liz. Thanks for the update. I want to know if the ‘backspace’ function is enabled in the CBT? Thanks in advance.

I took the CBT test in May and scored an overall 8. Speaking: 8 Listening: 8.5 Reading: 8.5 Writing: 6.5

I have taken both the tests, and found this simpler for Reading & Writing. It was pretty convenient to read online and answer. My writing looked neat and I was able to go back and edit/add to come to word count.

In Listening, it did get a little challenging to type and listen at the same time. Specially in maps, where you have to follow instructions very closely. Although, there is also drag and drop option in some sections, making it easier to avoid spell errors.

Appeared on Sunday and had my results by following Friday.

Just hope I can bring my writing scores up to 8 somehow. Will have to reappear now, unfortunately.

Very well done with your results and thanks for sharing your experience. I know what you mean about the listening test. It is a shame that they don’t offer the option of paper-based listening with CD IELTS reading and writing.

Hi! Does anyone know how many time you have on the Listening part in the CDT? I heard that less than in the PBT. Also, is it possible to write answers on a pice of papper and in the end transfer this in the computer? I have a problem with typing phone number and family name fast (you know, then they spell it…). Thanks!

The recording will last for 30 mins – that is fixed – it makes no difference which test you take. The format of the test never changes. What does change is that you get only 2 mins (not 10 mins) to check your answers. You do NOT transfer your answers from paper to computer. You type directly to the computer and you have 2 mins at the end to check and alter your answers.

Hi Liz, Yes, I can confirm that we can copy/paste from the text using CTRL+C and CTRL+V. I also tried CTRL+F for finding some word, but it didn’t work (as expected).

Hi, I just want to ask if for CBT for writing the checking mechanism is same as manual or they are using some computer based software to check the writing test?

I want to attend computer based, at about 3 week later. I am searching for proper test samples, but I couldnt find anyone. If anybody knows any website or something, please let me know.

You can find them on the BC IELTS website.

Hi all!! Below are some observations from my computer delivered IELTS exam. Date: 03-June-2019 Location: Ghana

At the test center, we had to await a software update from Cambridge. By the way, why would Cambridge want to deploy an update at a scheduled test time? Start time got delayed by an hour.

You will receive different login credentials for each module of the test, and these are delivered just before the start of a particular module.

The test center has the ability to pause a candidate’s test in the event of a technical error. During the READING module, my computer decided to take an unsanctioned nap. Upon complaint, the administrator paused my session on his work station and prepared another computer for me. My test continued from where the previous computer shut down. Fortunately for me, I was on the last question and still had about a quarter of an hour to spare. It took about seven minutes to resolve the issue and this meant other test takers had to wait some extra minutes – after they had completed their individual tests – for me to wrap mine up. I am uncertain if this privilege could be extended to the LISTENING module; maybe, maybe not. This brings me to the next observation.

LISTENING test was not the same for all candidates. The user of the computer next to mine had the volume all the way up, and the audio bled into my headset (Sadly, my test center couldn’t afford noise cancelling headsets. Be grateful if your test center offers one of those). During the pauses in my audio, I could here his and it was completely different from mine. I confirmed this at the end of the test. I can’t confirm nor deny if that was the case for the subsequent modules (Reading and Writing). My fellow test takers were rather reticent, a corollary of their anxieties. Most found the test quite challenging.

On the whole, my sentiments towards the CBT/CBI/CDT were rather pleasant. I am unable to provide a comparison with the PBT since this was my first ever IELTS test. However, drawing from my partner’s experience of the PBT, I would recommend the CBT if one is comfortable on the computer.

I hope someone finds this helpful.

P.S.: Don’t forget to warm up those fingers before the test 🙂

I’m sure many people will find your account informative and very useful. Thanks for sharing 🙂

Thank you YaaAsant, this helps a lot. Looking forward to my CBT, I’m pretty confident because I use computer for typing all the time at work. Thanks againn

Can we use all capital letters in listening and reading in CBT as well?

Sure you can.

I got 8.5 for listening 8.5 for reading and only 6.0 for writing in the computer-based test. my typing speed was adequate but not that fast as on paper. the most problematic thing is that it is not easy to spot spelling mistakes once you have typed.

Same with me. I have sich good scores in all bands except writing. I took my test on 31st May. I am so disheartened.

Hello Liz, First of all, thank you for providing such useful information. Could you please let me know, in reading section, will it allow me to use (CTRL + F) feature to find a particular word which I want to check.

Thank you, Arpit Christian

Nope. Find function is blocked. Only Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V can be used to copy and paste.

Thank you so much for the feedback.

You can not use CTRL+F, CTRL+C, CTRL+V and any other short keys.

Great write up about the IELTS, thank you! About the timing in computer based – if I finish the listening and reading in lesser time (and save some minutes there) can I carry forward that time to writing section? Was hoping to get little bit more time there as I usually complete the first 2 sections before time in practice

Each section of the test has a time limit that you cannot change. You get one hour for reading, not more and not less.

Thank you Liz for your help, appreciate it!

In PBT, are examinees provided with individual headphones during the listening round?

Each test center is different. You need to check with your test center if they use headphones.

Hey ! Can I go back to the first passage in Reading if I have time after completing all 3 passages or is the passage immediately locked after completing it?

You have one hour to complete the reading test. You can do the questions and passages in any order. You can edit them at any time during that 1 hour. The IELTS test does not change because it is on a computer – except for the transfer time in listening as explained above.

Hello does the computer correct your spelling in the writing test for computer based ?

No, the computer doesn’t spell check. It would have been unfair if it did. 🙂

Hi Liz, First thank you for this great website. I have a question about writing on computer-based IELTS.Do all IELTS Centers use the same standard keyboard layout? I mean I live in Azerbaijan we have a different keyboard layout that’s why it may be a problem for me while writing section. Thanks a lot!!

PROS: Listening: Navigation is easy Un attempted answers will be marked in different colour so that we can verify at the end (listening & reading), it helps when you missed anything while listening. In each section, there is 30 seconds – 60 seconds time to check your answers. At the end we can verify all the content easily just by selecting the respective answer number. CONS: There is extra time of only 2 minutes at the end of 4th section but in PBT it is 10 minutes.

Reading: PROS: we have passage and related questions in same page side-by-side, easy to answer by verifying the passage. You can highlight the key words and topic sentences. You can take notes on the passage and small icon will appear at the passage where the notes have been taken. Easy to navigate between the sections. You can use copy(Ctrl+c) and paste (Ctrl+V) where ever you have answer available in passgage to avoid spelling mistake. CONS: I don’t have any

Writing: PROS: Same as reading the question and text editor is side by side in the screen so that you can check question easily whenever required. Count of words for the passage. If we realise that we have written something wrong you can just select and delete the particular part but it ill be tough in PBT. CONS: I don’t have any.

Overall: The waiting tie before exam is less than compare to PBT The results will be given in max of 7 days (heard few got even in 2 days) Less crowd

Those who are familiar using computer in day to day life for them CBT is the best option and also your typing speed should be at moderate rate.

Thanks for sharing your tips – great 🙂

Thanks for the detailed information. That really helps.

Please share the source you have practiced for CBT. I don’t find anything other than the samples given in IDP/BC website. We definitely need more tutorials to practice before appearing for real test.

I have a question on keyboard and mouse size. Do they have the standard size equipment? If they are smaller or in any other non-standard size, it is going to be difficult for the one who practiced with standard size equipment.

Hi, The mouse, keyboard was all standard size in the exam that I appeared for. The only issue that you might face is, some of the letters on the keyboard have become harder to print. I think this is because of the constant usage. You need to cross-check what is actually getting typed.

Hi Liz, By refer to your confirmation request regard the CTRL+C and CTRL+V, I would like to confirm that the option is valid during the CBT. Yesterday only I did my CBT and I used this feature to save time and to avoid any miss-spelling. Sincerely,

Hi Liz, Thanks for such a informative description of the CBT. I appeared on CBT on first day first show in my city. Listening: After completion of particular section, they give us some seconds to put the answers in the computer screen. I will suggest that if you get habituate of putting answers while you listen, this 30 seconds you can jump on to next section and read those question. It gives us time to revise questions coming up in the next section so we become mentally be prepared for answer. Reading: I think CTRL+C and CTRL+V is not enabled. You need to type it only.

Hi, Yesterday only I did my CB IELTS exam. The option of CTRL+C and CTRL+V is valid. Even I used this advantage to avoid any miss-spell.

I did my CBT today and I was much more comfortable with the CBT than the PBT. Being able to see the number of words as I write was a big plus for me.

With the timer, I realised that you can actually change it to a fuller format in minutes & seconds when you hover your mouse cursor over the timer.

Hope this helps! 🙂

Thanks for sharing 🙂 I agree the word count makes a huge difference.

Hello everyone, I am Raj Panchal, I appeared for the computer-delivered IELTS from BC Mumbai on 21st April at 9 am. Speaking was on the same day 6pm I found it less stressful and painstaking from the paper and pen-based exam as the time involved in waiting for question and answer sheets is eliminated, no delays, the audio quality of the listening module is excellent and fewer students which only takes 3 minutes of registration. You just need to come 15-20 minutes early even though they suggest to appear 1 hour early for all the modules. Listening module: Typing is not an issue, as you are asked to write only 1 word answer Rest of the questions are MCQs or drag and drop which is similar to pen-paper based Pros – You don’t need to write all the answers again on the separate sheet which is very beneficial as less energy is consumed. Cons – Only 2 minutes of time is given which you should utilise just verifying your already written answers. The first-time written answers while listening should be correct Reading module: Similar to the pen and paper based exam Pros- Again you don’t need to transfer the answer to a separate paper as sometimes people make mistakes while transferring answers. All this helps in the writing module. You can use all your conserved concentration in the final module. Writing module: This is the best of all parts. Pros- you can the see the word count and time which greatly helps in making sure when to stop a particular part(letter) and how much words to include for each paragraph(essay) NOTE: Always check for spacing and spellings of even the simplest words, whether they are accurate or no At the end of the test, you won’t be completely drained out which used to happen with me while appearing for the paper-based examination.

It would have been better if the examinees can customize between PBT and CBT. If one wishes for a CBT in writing and a PBT for reading and listening or the other way around, then everything would just be a piece of cake.

I agree 100%

Thank you Raj for sharing your experience. As a resident of Mumbai like you, I find your review assuring as the exam’s standard can change with respect to the centre.

Hi, I’m wondering if paper and pen will be provided during CBT test for Listening and Writing sections?

We were given pencils and paper during CBT.

Your website is really amazing. I took the CBT month in Perth. I am pretty sure that for writing, the cut and or copy paste option is disabled. If so, I think it is unfair that this is not the case in other countries !

Thanks for letting us know. Glad you like my site 🙂

Hi Liz, I appeared for CBT on 14th…. For speaking, it is not only test of English but also testing computer skills 😊 For some questions we have to type…then for some to drag answers into a box and in case of diagram selecting boxes for options A B C D…… So multiple ways are used to provide answers while listening and concentrating on the actual conversation…

For speaking I received a different cue card….

Describe a job that one of your grandparents did. Was this their only job… Would you like to do or opt for same type of job…

topic was the same for all the CBT test takers.

Mine speaking topic was also the same, Describe a job that one of your grandparents did. Was this their only job… Would you like to do or opt for same type of job…

Hi Liz thank you so much for your support well for CBT the listening tests are different for every candidate or one module has the same paper because when I realized that GT candidate had different questions. In listening, I think if one is not used to typing or dragging while listening cbt is not a good idea, I lost my concentration twice as I had to drag answers. Listening was difficult for me

I also met with another candidate who was reappearing because he scored 9 in listening and reading, 8.5 in speaking and 6.5 in writing. what could be the reason. I am worried as I am waiting for my results

I took Computer based Test for Academic IELTS. I find it much easier to fill up answer sheets . It is only during the writing part that i find it irritating and distracting about the noice from keyboards. It echoes even i put back my headphones to minimize the hearing of keyboard ticks. Overall, it was a good experience.

HI Cris where did you take your test and were you allowed to put headphones back on during writing session?

Yes, the keyboards used are too noisy and the IELTS staff noticed it so they told me to put back my headphones but it doesn’t help so i just continue to do my task. After the test, they asked me some feedback and i suggested to change to keyboards. Btw, we were only two test taker on that day 🙂 I took the test in Saudi Arabia.

oh ksa! i’m giving mine there too. which city was yours in? do the staff answer any questions you might have? like if we are allowed to write in all caps for listening, reading and writing?

i’m wondering if i have to give the listening exam with speakers instead of headphones.

Are we allowed to type in all Caps under CBT?

yes but only for listening and reading

Hi, Does anyone have an idea about the option of highlighting/ marking the text in the listening questions? Is this facility available to highlight keys in the passage or available options in the questions?

We cannot highlight questions in listening section in fact for reading section too. Yes we can highlight the text in the passage for reading section.

This could be one drawback in CBT, As Liz mentioned we need to practice multitasking read the question, listen to the conversation and write the answer.

Yes, we can highlight the text in both reading and listening section.

Is Capital Letters allowed in Reading/Listening for Computer Delivered Test? Could anyone who has taken computer delivered test and wrote in Capital Letters can confirm?

yes you can

J just took the computer-delivered test today, and there was a blackout in the middle of the reading test with just 10 minutes left. When we finally logged back in, some of us lost all answers and have to start over again but some of us just need to continue and ended in 10 minutes. I had to wait another 30 minutes for the reading test to end for everyone as the invigilator allowed those who had to start all over again to end earlier. Overall, I’d say it was a good experience as there was no need to write but the blackout was a minus.

Thanks for sharing your experience. That certainly is one unfortunately aspect of using technology. Hopefully it is a rare occurrence. Good luck with your results 🙂

Hi Liz, Thanks for all your articles and videos. I used them extensively throughout my preparation. I gave my first IELTS in March 2018 (Paper based) and I got L 7.5 W 7 R 7.5 S 7.5. I gave 2nd attempt in April 19 (Computer based) and got my results in 4 days on 10th April 19. This time I scored L 8.5 W 7 R 7.5 S 8.5. I found entire process easier, stress free and less crowded. There were only 3 people in the exam room. Writing part was amazing as I was very comfortable with typing. Also We were allowed to use headphones at all the times (They were damn good quality noise cancellation headphone) I feel computer based IELTS is here to stay and more people should opt for it. It also reduces the exam – results time cycle by at least 10-12 days. Note – My IELTS test center allowed me to take a mock/dummy test a week before and it was good exercise to understand how computer based test work out in different sections and how to navigate between sections/questions. It helped me big time as I was familiar with exam room, quality of headphones, keyboard and mouse at least 6 days before my actual test.

Well done with your results 🙂

Hi Varun, Can you pls let me know from where you took CBT test & which centre provide dummy mock test as I am planning to go for CBT. Thanks.

Hi Varun, Could you kindly tell us where you took the exam. Thanks

Hey Varun! could you pls let me know which body u took this CBT exam from?

Hi Folks, I gave my CBT from IDP Abu Dhabi.

Hi Varun, how did you book for mock exam? I plan of taking the CBT in Abu Dhabi on July. Thanks for the info.

Is this “highlighting text” option available only in the Reading test ? Is “highlighting text” available in Listening test too ?

Hi, Can anyone tell me, in CBT exam is writing part checked by computer or human personal?

No computer can assess language on all four marking criteria. Of course, it is marked by a person – a trained, experienced IELTS examiner.

Hi Liz Thank you for taking the time to provide such helpful hints. Such souls are rare in today’s world.

I just have a question regarding the listening section, can one type in Caps for the CBT as in the PBT?

How long will it take to get results in eor cbt.will it make diifferenxe

Another advantage for the reading exam: you can copy/paste from the text using CTRL+C and CTRL+V which reduces the chances of typos.

Hi Liz and everyone. Does someone know if there is enough time to transfer the spelling (number/letters) from a paper (rough version) to the computer? How many minutes do you have among sections too? Liz, I have taken the mock test on the website od IDP and you can see the seconds if your mouse is on the time. They change the time format when the mouse is on the time, therefore, you can see also the minutes.

Thanks everyone.

Hi liz, please what how do i write when a line graph is increasing and flunctating at the same time in WT1

” it is fluctuating in an upward trend”

Thank you so much LIz

Hi Liz. This is so helpful. However, on CBT, are we allowed to use TAB in the keyboard to proceed to the next blank and can we as well type in Capslock? Thank you.

Hi. I just gave my test few days back and yes the TAB key works. I used it largely during the Listening test. I wasn’t even using the mouse. Just when I had to go to the next section. So do use the TAB key, helps alot.

I agree with you Geetika, when I did my CBT last Feb 9, 2019, I lost my focus on listening too. by that, it gives me a low score. So this time, I have to retake my CBT next month as I need a desired band for my immigration process.

This video is very helpful, thanks Mis Liz

Thank You so much Mam.

Thanks Liz. I have already taken two CBTs (GT), and going to have the third one soon (stuck at 6.5 on writing). Listening can be tricky in CBT, especially if map labeling is involved (haven’t got it yet, for me). Unlike the paper-based test, you can’t track the map with the pencil (I do that to keep track of the location), on the computer screen. I don’t know if you can highlight locations you want; that may help if available. Writing: It is easy to over-write, especially if your typing is fast. So keep an eye on the words. I forgot to do it, and end up writing 404 for the essay. Got 6.5, though I believe I wrote it well!. Remarking under way. 😀 Good luck to all takers.

First of all, I just wanted to thank Liz for all her useful tips and help. She is really wonderful! And I would like also to express my sincere wishes to all potential test takers here. As for whether to take CBT or PBT, it is totally up to the test taker’s level of willingness and capability as well as being comfortable of typing on PC or otherwise. As a matter of fact, I am not 100% sure whether to go for CBT or not even though I have been using the keyboard comfortably for over 20 years now!

Thanks for you all guys and good luck!

Hi Liz, Thank you for sharing this information with us, I want to know if one can write the PBT alone in the essay instead of CBT.

Thanks Taiwo jamani.

I is great to fallow you. Very helpful tips. Thankyou. I am planning to give my test next month. Hopefully will do best.

Thanks again, Arati

I FOUND THIS REALLY HELPFULL, THANKYOU LIZ 🙂

Hello all Thank you very much Liz for the post, it is exactly what I was looking for. I have a question about writing CBT, and I would appreciate if somebody could share the information. The question is – Can you move between writing task 1 and task 2 during the exam? I mean I prefer to write task 2 first, for example, and then move back to the task 1. Or I have to finish task 1 in 20 minute, and only after 20 min I would be able to start task 2. And would I be able to double check both tasks at the end if I have time. Thank you in advance!

The rules do not change because it is on a computer. The time is not fixed for writing task 1 and writing task 2. The time is only recommended. You manage your own time for the reading and writing tests. The only significant difference in format is in the listening test when you only have 2 mins to check your answers rather than 10 mins to transfer your answers.

I took the CBT in Nov 2018 with IDP in Thailand and I have some comments as follows:

1. For UKVI, we need to wait about 13 days as we wait for the result from paper-based test;

2. For listening, it is quite difficult to drag and drop the answers. No 10-min extra time is a huge disadvantage, as we have to type the answer while we must pay attention to the next passages;

3. For reading, I really like this part. As the passage always appear on the left hand side of the screen, I don’t need to flip the paper again and again;

4. For writing, the automatic word count is advatageous, and it is very easy to edit your work or move paragraph or sentences;

5. Overall, even though test takers are good at typing, unfamilarity with the keyboard layout and space can result in earsily typos, which may waste your time to correct the words frequently. Also, it may be relatively easier to make undetected typos which mean you will lost marks as such.

I hope the above is helpful for all test takers.

Thank you Liz for your extremely useful website. Mazda.

Listening: My typing speed is pretty good so I tried CB test, however couldn’t score as desired in this section. While dragging answers from right to left on big computer screen, I lost my focus as the answers were long enough to interpret. In Paper based I scored 8.5 but 7 in computer based. Undoubtedly, writing and readingexperience was awesome.

What do you mean by “dragging answers from right to left on big computer screen”?

Nice written Liz, thanks for sharing this

Have a question for a long time in my mind, is it ok to type all in capital letters as in paper based for reading and listening ?

The rules will still be the same for both tests.

Hi Liz, Is CtrlF option works in reading? Thanks Neeru

No, if it worked it would be a complete unfair for the PBT.

Reading pros: We can do highlight by selecting the phrase, you would like to highlight and right click and select highlight. There is instructions in IDP page.

Advice for Writing We can use the ear phone to avoid the noise of typing. So you can only hear your own typing and may not get distracted by others typing.

Thanks for sharing 🙂 For your point about using headphones to deaden the noise, people will need to check that their test centre uses headphones for the listening test.

unfortunately, they collect the headphones exactly at the end of the listening section. and you are not allowed to bring your

You can have a look at what the test looks like on the IELTS Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/J-CrmHDU4-8 is the welcome video, but they have a playlist of all the sections. I just can retype the whole link here and Liz locks pasting in comments.

Listening: Though I am good in typing, but computer screen was quite big to drag answers from right to left and in that process I lost my focus. In earlier attempt of Pen-paper, I scored 8.5, but in CB it was 7.

Interesting. Sounds like the listening test doesn’t work as well being computer based.

I tried this before, too, and failed to see the complete diagram in Listening. I had to change my font size to either regular or smaller font. Or as a general rule, look at all the questions first before focusing on the specific questions.

Hi There, 8.5 is a good score. Well done. I did not quite understand what is dragging the answers. It does not show in CB practice tests. Thankyou Arati

It was drag and drop

Can we move segments of sentences or paragraphs in writing CBT? Does cut-copy-paste work? Is it similar to MS Word usage sans spell or grammar checks?

Yes, u can cut, copy and paste

The major disadvantage of CBT exam is that examiner for the writing section knows exactly the number of words you have typed in and will find the writing quite awkward if you wrote more than what is required. This can trigger an alarm for reducing your score with the judgement that the test taker wrote unnecessary and irrelevant contents that are out of context. I am telling you all about this since I had just gone through such result where I was given only 6 in writing even though I had met the important criteria for scoring high in writing. I took the CBT exam in Bangkok and I scored 8.5 in L, 6 in W, 7 in R, and 7.5 in S, which resulted in overall 7.5 for my IELTS. In fact, I am quite dissatisfied with the writing score which I even speculated that the examiner was quite junior in exam checking experience and was not at all a supporter of lengthy complex writing.

The examiner will know the number of words you wrote in the paper based test because the words are counted. So, it makes no difference in this case whether you take CBT or PBT. You should never aim for a lengthy essay. Your essay should be between 270 and 290 words. This comment is not related to the CBT test, this comment is about understanding how the whole IELTS writing test is marked. If you write unnecessary information in your essay, you will get a lower score.

I liked it so much! I work with a computer for 20 years so to write on a laptop is so much easier than paper writing for me. My marks increased and the difference between the first test and the second one was just one month. I do think that is because of the method

I found this really helpful.Thank you Liz.

I’m glad this page is useful 🙂

Hi Liz. I gave my IELTS Academic CBT on 14th of February and got an overall 8.5 band with 9/8.5/7.5/8 – RLWS. I really want to thank you for your amazing tips. Especially regarding the speaking and writing tests. It really helped me to score 8.5 as a non-native speaker.

As for the advantages of giving the Computer based exam, I believe there are many benefits. Especially with the Reading and Writing sections. As for the listening section, a word of caution, please make sure your headphones are working. I had a slight issue at the start, got my headphones changed and it was all good.

Know the format for Writing Task 1 and 2 that really boosts up the band. Also for the listening test, use the Tab key. Helps to move quickly to answer next questions.

Great results – well done 🙂 Thanks for sharing 🙂

Did they return the time lost to getting a new pair of headphones in the listening test?

We are asked to test the headphones if it is working properly and a sample audio plays. Only if you are satisfied with this check stage, you can click on the button to start the exam. So the listening doesn’t begin you agree that that headphones is working good. This is what happened in my case.

My writing was stuck at 7 and I always suspected that it could be my horrible handwriting… So I decided to try out cbt test this time, I needed 8 overall

I got the result in 4 days only for CDT. My experience was very good as I actually enjoyed giving the test on computer. For some people like me, it’s easier and faster to type than write so I felt right at home. There are no cons for CDT compared to PBT in my opinion. In fact, you get to see the number of words on screen while writing, can erase your mistakes while avoiding bad impression on the examiner and give more time developing your ideas as typing can be done way faster than writing for even medium users. I also don’t agree with the notion that a person with bad typing should go for PBT. My wife gave PBT for first three times but due to fewer dates and delayed results, she went for CBT in her fourth attempt and onwards. She didn’t even know where the various letters on the keyboard were as she never typed in her life or used the computer often but she spent around 4-6 weeks on a typing tutor (Mavis Beacon is the one she used). Even though her typing speed is still around 15 WPM, she managed to finish her test (400 words) on all CBTs and get respectable scores. The main motivation behind her decision to learn typing was to be able to give CBT which can be booked just 3 days ahead of test, result always comes on time (5 days average for us) and it’s basically taking place every day for our test center. So, my point is that if you’re motivated enough for your ambitions, you can achieve it even if you have to undertake something that may feel impossible at first. My only CBT attempt yielded (LRSW 9-8.5-8-7.5) and I can say with confidence that there is nothing that should stop you from doing it. One of the invigilators at IDP told me that they don’t have PBT in Australia anymore as IDP believes that CBT is the future and they will be phasing out PBT sooner or later in other countries as well. Furthermore, if anyone feels distracted by the noise in the exam room, they can put on the noise cancelling headphones for the entirety of the test which really helps in focusing better.

Very interesting and very useful. Thanks for sharing. And also very well done with your results 🙂

Thank was really helpful!

Thanks a lot for the headphone tip!

Please let test takers know that the Reading passages are different for candidates in the same exam but I think difficulty level is same.

Another con for writing is that it’s very tempting to write far beyond the word count. I was guilty of this ! I unbelievably wrote about 251 words for Task 1 and I didn’t have time to come back and edit the my work. Anyway the result wasn’t nice, LWRS – 8.5, 6.5, 7, 7.5.

My reading passage, section 3 to be precise was extremely difficult. I spent 38 minutes on just section 3. The passage was on flavoring of foods.

Thanks for sharing 🙂 I think you make a good point. If typing is quick and easy, it will be easy for people to write lengthy essays and reports or letters (task 1). So, it is something to bear in mind. Always make sure you are paying attention to word count. A length essay is not the aim. In task 1, you will be marked down for adding too much insignificant detail in your report for task 1. Good results on the whole 🙂

Hi Liz thanks for the update. I want to know if the CBT has a spell check function enabled.

spell check function is disable for every module.

Thanks a lot, Liz. I will be taking my test March 19 and it is a CBT. I will provide you some feedback from my experience.

Thanks again, David.

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Free IELTS Online Tests 2024 | Practice IELTS Mock Test Online

Updated On Apr 05, 2024

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Practice makes a man perfect. This adage holds true for every exam or work that we might initially find difficult. So, IELTS mock tests help in understanding your current level of preparation.

Once you receive your test scores for the IELTS online test, you can concentrate on the areas that need improvement and work on them. By taking a series of practice tests, you will be much familiar with the different types of questions. 

Why is it necessary to take an IELTS mock test?

Well, preparation is needed for any exam. While long hours of study might help you grasp the intricacies of the IELTS exam , you will be missing out if you do not take the practice test. The IELTS online test lets you analyse your level of preparedness and helps discover your strong and weak areas. Taking an IELTS mock test also increases your confidence level, and you might as well get some of these questions in the actual test. 

What are the benefits of taking an IELTS practice test online? 

Taking an IELTS practice test online has several advantages.

• An online IELTS mock test simulates the actual test environment and replicates the difficulty level of the actual IELTS test. 
• Practice tests assist you in identifying your level of preparation.
• A practice test can aid you in identifying which topics you have a hold on, thereby helping you focus on other sections of the IELTS test.

Are these practice tests useful for paper-based or computer-based tests?

Candidates who are going to write a paper-based or a computer-based test will benefit by solving these tests.

In an IELTS Listening test , you would listen to a few audio recordings played by the examiner and answer the questions given below. The listening section consists of four sections:

Online mock tests for IELTS Listening:

Our IELTS materials and resources for Listening Practice consist of four sections comprising of 40 questions and audios for each section . Listening to audios for 30 minutes might be tedious and you may lose focus. Practicing IELTS listening tests helps you to concentrate on the audios and pay attention to the questions and answer correctly.

IELTS Listening Practice Test

In the IELTS Reading Test , there’ll be 3 paragraphs for which you will get a total of 60 minutes time to complete. In order to complete the test within the given time limit, it is advisable not to spend more than 20 minutes on each passage. This section has 40 questions. Each question carries 1 point and there will be no negative marks for wrong answers.

Online mock tests for IELTS Reading:

Our IELTS sample tests for Reading consists of 3 Reading Passages for Academic Test Takers along with 40 questions . The answer key for each test is provided at the end of each test.

IELTS Reading Practice Test

You’ll be given an hour to complete the whole writing test including task 1 and task 2. It is advisable not to spend more than 20 minutes for task 1 and invest the remaining time in completing task 2, as task 2 will fetch you more band as compared to task 1. 

The IELTS Writing Task 1 is different for Academic and General Tests. The Academic Test has a graph , chart , diagram , or map that has to be analyzed and explained while the General Test has a letter that has to be written according to the question given.

The IELTS Writing Task 2 for both Academic and General consists of essay questions for which the essays have to be written at least for 250 words.

Online mock tests for IELTS Writing: 

Our IELTS test papers for Writing Practice comprises of sample graph, diagram, map, and chart questions for IELTS Writing Task 1 and essays for IELTS Writing Task 2. The tests also provide sample Band 9.0 answers to help you understand how to write an essay.

IELTS Writing Practice Test

IELTS Speaking is the last part of the IELTS examination. The test involves having a conversation of around 15 minutes with the examiner. 

Part 1 is a conversation that will be based on a common theme like your childhood, school, family, friends, and so on. You must talk confidently and frame your sentences the right way while speaking. 

In Part 2, the examiner will give you a cue card or a task card based on which you’ll be asked to talk about. You will be given 1 minute to prepare for the answer. 

In Part 3 the examiner will ask you in-depth questions related to the topic given in part 2 of the IELTS examination. The speaking test will be the same for the Academic and General training section .

Online mock tests for IELTS Speaking:

Our online practice tests for IELTS Speaking contains sample questions that are asked in each section of the IELTS Speaking Test. The answers also provide you with ideas on how each question should be answered. This online exam practice can help you face the IELTS Speaking Test without any fear and help answer the questions asked by the examiner without any hesitation.

IELTS Speaking Practice Test

Practice is to be perfect!

The only way you can avoid getting a low score in your IELTS Tests is to be aware of the questions that come up in the tests. The best way to practice is to take mock IELTS tests online.

We have plenty of IELTS materials on our website. Our online IELTS Practice tests contain hundreds of questions from previous IELTS Test papers along with answers to keys to help you practice, prepare and analyze your weaknesses and strengths. Once you know your mistakes, you might be able to focus more on your weaker areas before you appear for the IELTS Test. Thus, practicing is the only way to score a high band on your IELTS Test.

Use our online IELTS materials and ace your exams. And if you are planning to take the IELTS for your study abroad journey, get a kickstart on this journey and find the right amber student accommodation  in your city of choice! 

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Take IELTS on a computer! The Reading, Writing and Listening tests are on a computer, but the Speaking test is face-to-face discussion.

You can choose to take IELTS on a computer for both the General Training and Academic tests. The test format, question types, time allocated to each test part and content is the same for both IELTS on computer test and the IELTS on paper test. The only difference is in your test day experience. If you choose to complete your IELTS test on a computer, you will do the Reading, Listening, and Writing parts of the test using a computer. All answers will be typed on the screen. You will also be able to write notes on a notes sheet during the Listening test.

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Taking IELTS on a computer has many benefits. For example, your results arrive a lot faster. With IELTS on computer your results will be available within 3 to 5 days.

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IELTS Computer Based Test

Hi everyone, where can I find material to practice for the IELTS computer test? Thanks

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Tip for IELTS computer based listening test

by Taghrid (Kuwait)

Note for candidates taking computer driven listening test. Pay attention to the order of questions on each page. First I was reading top to bottom then I noticed that the question order was left to right then top to bottom. This definitely matters because as you are listening you will be reading the wrong question.

Timing for IELTS Computer Based Test

by Smita (Mumbai)

I understand the writing section overall is for 60 minutes and the recommendation is to spend 20 minutes for task 1 & 40 for task 2. My question is for the computer based test, does the system time box the 2 tasks for the test taker? For example: does the task 1 have a timer for 20 minutes?

Best Way to Practice for IELTS CBT

by OLORUNFEMI B.S (NIGERIA)

Hi everyone, I will be writing the IELTS this year 2020. But it's the CBT option, what is the best way to practice for this???

Making Notes IELTS Computer-Based Listening Test

In the computer based listening test, can I make notes? How much time do we have to fill in answers after every conversation?

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IELTS One Skill Retake in Canada (OSR) vs. EoR (Enquiry on Results)

Home >> Information >> IELTS One Skill Retake in Canada (OSR) vs. EoR (Enquiry on Results)

8th May 2024 | Information

By British Council Canada

Embarking on the path to refine a specific skill to improve your performance when taking an exam is a strategic move towards achieving the overall desired results. IELTS One Skill Retake in Canada is the opportunity that you have been waiting for. Learn its differences with EoR (Enquiry on Results) , so that you can choose what suits you best.   

Register for IELTS and find your nearest location to take OSR  

IELTS One Skill Retake in Canada: general overview   

IELTS One Skill Retake in Canada offers you a second chance to achieve the desired score in this exam for academic purposes. You can retake just one section (listening, writing, speaking, or reading) instead of the whole test , within 60 days of sitting the original one.  

Some of its advantages are:   

• You will be familiar with the test format and timing since these don’t change.  
• Save time and money because you won’t be taking the whole exam .   
• Focus your preparation on one skill instead of all four of them.   
• Receive a new test report form , which includes the previous score.   
• You get to know your weaknesses so that you can tackle them specifically.   

If you want to explore more and how it works, click here .      

IELTS One Skill Retake in Canada (OSR) vs. Enquiry on Results (EoR)  

If you think that your test results should have been higher and you want a second review , you have the option to request an Enquiry on Results (EoR). Alternatively, if you feel that you did not perform well in a particular section of the exam or identified an area where you need to improve, you can take advantage of the IELTS One Skill Retake in Canada (OSR).  

Now you know that both alternatives (EoR and OSR) give you the possibility to change your results, but what are the specific differences?    

As you can see, they wer e designed for different purposes, and each one holds advantages. W ith this information, you get to decide what works best for you.   

Quick tips when taking IELTS One Skill Retake in Canada (OSR)  

You have been given a second chance to improve your results, so it’s important to focus on your weaknesses to achieve a better overall score. Here are some quick tips to help you succeed:  

• Begin by reviewing your performance in the previous IELTS test . Look at your score breakdown for the chosen skill (listening, reading, writing, or speaking). Identify the specific questions or types of tasks where you faced challenges.  
• Conduct a self-assessment of your proficiency in the section that you want to retake . Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses within that skill. Are you struggling with time management, understanding complex vocabulary, organizing written responses, or maintaining fluency in speaking? Pinpoint areas that need attention.  
• Take practice tests and mock exams . This will not only give you a feel for the test format but also help you identify recurring patterns of mistakes. Document your findings in a detailed weakness profile . This could include a breakdown of specific question types, common errors, and any recurring themes in your performance.   
• Based on your analysis, set realistic and measurable goals for improvement. For example, if you struggled with listening comprehension, your goal could be to enhance your ability to understand spoken English, identify key details, and follow complex instructions more effectively.  
• Prioritize the areas that will have the most significant impact on your overall performance . This focused approach allows you to allocate your time and resources efficiently during your preparation.  

With this information, you can choose the best option according to your needs. Good luck!  

Visit the IELTS OSR page to find out more  

Related articles:  

Writing IELTS examples to be prepared for the big day   Learn about the advantages of taking the IELTS

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• IELTS tests IELTS Academic IELTS General Training IELTS UKVI IELTS One Skill Retake LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS Academic? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find a test centre WAYS TO TAKE IELTS ACADEMIC IELTS on paper IELTS on computer IELTS Online IELTS One Skill Retake LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS General Training? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find a test centre WAYS TO TAKE IELTS GENERAL TRAINING IELTS on paper IELTS on computer IELTS One Skill Retake LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS UKVI? How to book an IELTS UKVI test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find a test centre WAYS TO TAKE IELTS UKVI IELTS on paper IELTS on computer LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS One Skill Retake? How to book IELTS One Skill Retake? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Where is IELTS One Skill Retake available? READ MORE ABOUT IELTS ONE SKILL RETAKE Who accepts IELTS One Skill Retake? How do you get your IELTS One Skill Retake results? FIND THE RIGHT TEST IELTS for study IELTS for work IELTS for migration

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Federal Budget 2024-25: What it means for skilled migrants and international students

Discover how the 2024-25 Federal Budget affects international students, skilled workers, and their families. Get essential insights for your plans to work, live, or study in Australia

On May 14th, 2024, the Australian Government released the Federal Budget for 2024-25. This budget includes some announcements that impact international students, skilled workers, and migration.

If you’re planning to work, live or study in Australia, we’ve collected the important highlights from the announcement that may impact you.

In this article, we will focus on announcements that affect the following visa subclasses:

Student visa (subclass 500)

Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)

Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482)

Employer-Sponsored visa (subclass 186)

Book IELTS for migration

Permanent migration program announcements.

2024–25 Permanent Migration Program planning level is set at a total of 185,000 places , with 132,200 places (around 70 per cent) allocated to the Skill stream:

Employer-sponsored visa (subclass 186) places will increase to 44,000

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) will be reduced to 16,900

State-nominated visa (subclass 190) will increase to 33,000

Read more about the Migration Program Planning levels on the Department of Home Affairs website

Changes affecting international students

The Government had several recent announcements that affect international students applying to and graduating from Australian universities and educational providers. We have compiled the key highlights below.

Student visa (subclass 500) announcements:

1. changes to the minimum english requirement:.

Student visa increased from IELTS (or equivalent) 5.5 to 6.0.

IELTS One Skill Retake is eligible for this visa subclass and is accepted by most Australian universities. Check with your university or get in touch with our student counsellors for more details.

Book IELTS for study

2. Genuine Student requirement

The Government has replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement for student visas with a Genuine Student (GS) requirement. This is effective for student visa applications lodged on and after 23 March 2024.

All applicants for a student visa must be a genuine applicant for entry. They must stay as a student and be able to show an understanding that studying in Australia is the primary reason of their student visa. The GS requirement is intended to include students who, after studying in Australia, develop skills Australia needs and who then go on to apply for permanent residence.

3. Financial capacity

From 10 May 2024, the amount of money that Student and Student Guardian visa applicants need to have to be eligible for the visa is increasing.

Read the announcement on the Department of Home Affairs website and see the table which outlines the funds you need to show to meet the minimum financial capacity requirement.

4. The Government to introduce international student caps

The number of places for international students is being capped, the details to be determined in negotiations with universities, as part of the Draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework.

The Framework will support the sustainability, quality, and integrity of Australia’s education sector, and the limit on international students will be determined on a provider-by-provider basis.

Each institution will have their own maximum allocation for international student enrolments, which will be determined based on several factors, including the provision of student accommodation.

This proposed legislation sets to ensure that Australia continues to provide high-quality education and training to the world.

Read the Minister of Education’s joint media release .

Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) announcements:

1. changes to the minimum english requirement.

increased from IELTS (or equivalent) 6.0 to 6.5

scores must be from a single sitting/attempt

Book IELTS for your Temporary Graduate visa

2. re-alignment of the temporary graduate visa streams to levels of study.

The Government is looking to restructure graduate visas in to help align post-study work rights with actual career prospects.

There will be changes that will take effect from 1 July 2024, subject to the passage of legislative documents, to re-align the Temporary Graduate visa streams to levels of study.

The maximum eligible age for Post-Vocational Education Work stream (formerly called the Graduate Work stream) and Post-Higher Education Work stream (formerly called the Post-Study Work stream) applicants will reduce to 35 years of age or under.

The ‘select degree’ 2 year extension will cease.

Stay periods will change to the following:

Bachelor degree (including honours) – up to 2 years

Masters (coursework and extended) – up to 2 years

Masters (research) and doctoral degree (PhD) – up to 3 years.

Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may be able to stay for up to 5 years.

Stay periods for Indian nationals, as agreed in the Australia India – Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), remain as:

Bachelor degree (with first class honours in STEM, including ICT) – up to 3 years

Masters (coursework, extended and research) – up to 3 years

Doctoral degrees (PhD) – up to 4 years.

Read more about these updates on the Temporary Graduate visa page and on the Department of Home Affairs website for the official announcement.

Changes to the minimum English requirement for Student and Temporary Graduate visas:

*changes were announced and have taken effect starting march 23, 2024., changes affecting skilled workers and migrants, temporary skill shortage (subclass 482) announcements:.

The Government will also reduce the work experience requirement for the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa from two years to one year for all applicants from 23 November 2024 onwards.

This will allow a greater proportion of temporary migrants to secure permanent residence in a timely manner through the Temporary Residence Transition Stream.

With the lowered experience requirement, more people, including international students with 485 visas, will be eligible for this visa. Additionally, since the 482 visa is temporary, it is not subject to the federal government's allocated number of permanent residency visas.

Minimum IELTS score needed:

Short term stream: Overall band score of at least 5.0 with a score of at least 4.5 in each of the test components.

Medium term stream: Overall band score of at least 5.0 with a score of at least 5 in each of the test components.

The scores need to be from a single sitting/attempt.

Employer-Sponsored visa (subclass 186) announcements:

The Government has announced an increase in Employer-sponsored visa (subclass 186) places to 44,000 , which is a 20% increase compared to this year.

Direct Entry stream - competent English (IELTS score or at least 6 for each of the 4 components)

Temporary Residence Transition stream - competent English (IELTS score or at least 6 for each of the 4 components)

IELTS One Skill Retake is accepted for this visa subclass, you can check more on the Department of Home Affairs website or your migration agent for more details.

Read about IELTS General Training for migration

Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES)

The Government will implement a new Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) program for Indian nationals from 1 November 2024.

MATES will be open to Indian nationals who meet the eligibility requirements, which includes a minimum English requirement.

MATES will provide a new mobility pathway for 3,000 Indian graduates and early career professionals (aged 18 to 30 years at the time of application), with knowledge and skills in targeted fields of study to live and work in Australia for up to two years. The visa will have a pre-application (ballot) charge of $25 and an application charge of $365, both of which will be indexed to the consumer price index in future years. This measure is part of the Australia-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement (MMPA). As part of the MMPA, the Government also lengthened the validity of the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business Visitor stream for Indian nationals from up to three years to up to five years.

have proficient English language skills (overall IELTS or equivalent score of at least 6, with a minimum score of 5 for each of the four parts)

Read the official MATES fact-sheet

Other visa announcements:

A new National Innovation visa will be introduced, replacing the current Global Talent Visa (Subclass 858) from late 2024.

Currently, the Global Talent visa has a minimum English requirement of providing evidence of functional English (an average IELTS band score of at least 4.5 based on the 4 test components), otherwise applicants must pay a second instalment of their visa application charge.

We will update on whether the National Innovation visa will have the same minimum English requirements once the visa has been formally introduced.

The Business Innovation and Investment Visa Program (BIIP) will cease.

IELTS for migration

With IELTS, you choose how you take your test based on what it is you want to do.

Depending on your goals, you can choose between IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training. The General Training test is used for work or migration purposes . The Academic test is usually for entry into university or professional registration.

You can even choose between taking the IELTS on computer  or  on paper. 

From maximising your chances of success on  your immigration application  to  helping you achieve your career goals,  your IELTS result will bring you one step closer to your migration goals. 

IELTS is accepted as proof of English language proficiency for study, work and migration in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. It's recognised by more than  12,000  organisations, including educational institutions, employers, professional associations and governments, in over 140 countries around the world.

By choosing IELTS, you will establish yourselves with an English language test that sets you up to succeed from day one in your study, work and migration goals.

Read IELTS success stories

Preparation is key.

If you need to take an English test, preparing early is essential. It allows you to get familiar with the test format and understand how you will be marked and scored. The good news is that IELTS has a range of preparation materials to help you achieve your desired score.

Get feedback and coaching from official IELTS experts , take IELTS practice tests , watch videos to help you prepare, and read the latest news and articles. Additionally, don't forget to access your study plan and get IELTS tips from our IELTS Experts during our Masterclasses .

Book your IELTS test

Get expert advice from our registered mara agents.

If you require assistance with Australian immigration or visa applications, seek expert migration guidance from IDP's team of multilingual migration agents.

Whether you're starting your stay in Australia or seeking an extension, IDP's registered agents can provide assistance. Whether your goal is to study and obtain permanent residency or have a temporary stay, they can help you with various visa types.

To receive support, book an appointment with one of their registered MARA agents located across most of Australia.

Migration Services Australia

Immigration and the law.

Legislation about immigration changes frequently. It’s important to check the Australian  Department of Home Affairs  website for changes that may apply to you.

If you are interested in  Australian student visas , work visas, or looking to migrate permanently, you need to lodge an application with the Australian Government. You may want to consider getting support from a lawyer or migration agent .

Ready to book your IELTS test?

Achieve your visa, work, and study goals with IELTS. Find your closest test centre and book your test now.

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Published on May 14, 2024

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