IELTS for Australia
Paper IELTS is gone in Australia: what computer-delivered testing means
Paper-based IELTS was discontinued in Australia after 28 June 2026. Every test is now computer-delivered — results in about a day, and One Skill Retake for everyone.
CD IELTS Prep Editorial Team · Published 31 August 2026 · Updated 31 August 2026 · 7 min read
Original, independent practice guidance. CD IELTS Prep is not an official IELTS provider; confirm current booking and test-day requirements with your test centre.
Paper-based IELTS was discontinued in Australia after 28 June 2026. Every IELTS test taken in Australia is now computer-delivered, with results typically available within about a day. There is no longer a choice to make between formats — the only question is how well prepared you are for the screen.
What the change actually gives you
Two things improve materially. Results arrive in roughly a day rather than nearly two weeks, which matters when a visa lodgement or university offer has a deadline. And because One Skill Retake is only available on computer-delivered tests, every Australian candidate now has access to it: one module, resat within 60 days, for AUD $310 instead of the full AUD $490.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Format available | Computer-delivered only (since 28 June 2026) |
| Results | Typically about 1 day |
| Full test fee | AUD $490 (Academic or General Training) |
| One Skill Retake | AUD $310, one module, within 60 days |
| Speaking | Still face-to-face with a human examiner |
| Accepted by | Department of Home Affairs; Australian and NZ universities |
Why the interface now decides marks for more people
When paper was an option, candidates who disliked screens could avoid the format entirely. That escape hatch is closed, so a group who never trained on screen is now sitting on screen. The costs are predictable and avoidable: Listening answers typed with spelling errors that would have been caught during the paper transfer window, Reading time lost to scrolling, and Writing tasks mis-timed because the word count was previously counted by hand.
None of that is an English problem, which is exactly why it is worth eliminating before test day. Two or three full timed mocks in a faithful interface reproduction remove almost all of it.
How this interacts with your visa points
Your English level for the points test is set by your LOWEST component score, not your overall band: Competent English is 6.0 in every component (0 points), Proficient is 7.0 in every component (10 points), and Superior is 8.0 in every component (20 points). A profile of 8.5 / 8.5 / 8.5 / 7.5 is only Proficient.
Because every test is now computer-delivered, that single weak component is exactly what One Skill Retake exists to fix — and lifting one 7.5 to 8.0 is worth ten points, frequently the difference between an invitation and another year of waiting.
Train the one module that is holding your points back — timed, on screen.
Practise a single moduleCommon questions
Can I still take paper-based IELTS in Australia?
No. Paper-based IELTS was discontinued in Australia after 28 June 2026; all testing there is computer-delivered.
How quickly do computer-delivered results arrive in Australia?
Typically about one day, compared with roughly 13 days for the paper test that is no longer offered.
Is the Speaking test also on a computer?
No. Speaking remains a face-to-face interview with a human examiner. Only Listening, Reading and Writing are delivered on screen.
Does computer delivery change how the test is marked?
No. Content, difficulty and band scoring are identical. Listening and Reading are marked from the same 40-question raw scores, and Writing is still assessed by examiners against the four criteria.