How to book the IELTS exam
How to book IELTS step by step: choose Academic or General Training, computer or paper, pick a date and centre, register with your ID, pay and confirm.
To book IELTS, choose your variant (Academic or General Training) and format (computer-delivered or paper), then register through an official test partner such as the British Council or IDP. Pick a date and test centre, enter the identity document you will bring on the day, pay the fee, and keep the confirmation email.
Booking IELTS is a short online process, but four decisions inside it — which variant, which format, which date and centre, and which ID — decide whether test day goes smoothly. This guide walks through the steps in order, so you book the right test once rather than paying to correct a mistake later. Everything here is booked through an official test partner; the fee and the exact options vary by country, so confirm the live detail on the official site.
Booking IELTS, step by step
The same six steps apply whichever test partner you book with. Work through them in order — each one narrows what the next step offers.
Choose your variant
Decide between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training based on what your university, employer or immigration route requires. If a UK visa needs a Secure English Language Test, choose IELTS for UKVI instead.
Choose your format
Pick computer-delivered or paper-based, subject to what your local centres offer. Computer-delivered usually has more available dates and faster results; the Speaking test is with a real examiner either way.
Pick a date and centre
Use the test partner's location finder to see centres and available dates near you. Popular dates fill up, so book with enough lead time before any application deadline.
Register with the ID you will bring
Create your booking and enter your identity document — usually a valid passport — exactly as it appears on the document. This is the ID you must present on test day, so it has to match and be in date.
Pay to confirm
Pay the test fee to secure your place. The amount is set by the test partner and varies by country, so check the current figure on the official booking page.
Check your confirmation
Read the confirmation email and note your reporting time, centre and — especially — when your Speaking test is scheduled, as it can fall on a separate day or slot.
Before you book: what you're actually choosing
Two choices come before any date. The first is the variant: IELTS Academic for university admission and most professional registration, IELTS General Training for many work and migration routes. Listening and Speaking are identical across both; only Reading and Writing Task 1 differ. If you are unsure which your route needs, settle that before you pay, because the two results are not interchangeable.
The second is the format: computer-delivered or paper-based. The content and band scale are the same, but computer-delivered sittings are usually offered on more dates and return results faster, while the Speaking test is a face-to-face conversation with an examiner in both. Not every centre offers both formats, so availability is part of the decision, not separate from it.
One important exception: if you are booking for a UK visa or immigration route that requires a Secure English Language Test, you may need IELTS for UKVI, which is booked slightly differently at approved centres. Check that before you start, since a standard IELTS result cannot be swapped for a UKVI one afterwards.
Registering with the ID you will bring
This is the step most worth getting exactly right. You register with an identity document — usually a valid passport, though some centres accept a national identity card — and the document you enter at booking must be the same one you bring on test day. Your name and ID number are printed on your result, so a mismatch, or an ID that has expired by the test date, can stop you from sitting the test or leave you with a result a university or authority will not accept.
Accepted documents differ by country and centre, so confirm which ID your centre requires before you register, and enter the details exactly as they appear on the document. If your passport is close to expiring or being renewed, sort that out first rather than booking around it.
What happens after you pay
Once payment goes through, you receive a confirmation — normally by email — with your test date, centre, reporting time and the arrangements for each section. Check it carefully. In particular, the Speaking test is sometimes scheduled on a different day or time from the written sections, and some centres let you choose a Speaking slot during booking, so make sure you know when and where every part happens.
Plans change, and IELTS bookings can usually be rescheduled or cancelled, but only up to a deadline before the test and typically with an administration fee retained. The exact rules are set by the test partner and vary by country. Keep your confirmation and booking reference safe, and read the partner's transfer and refund policy on the official site if there is any chance you will need to move the date.
What you decide at each step
A quick map of the choices inside the booking process and how to make each one. Availability, accepted ID and fees vary by country and centre — verify the live detail on the official booking site.
| Step | What you choose | How to decide |
|---|---|---|
| Variant | Academic or General Training | Your purpose: study and most professional registration read Academic; many work and migration routes read General Training. A UK visa needing a SELT means IELTS for UKVI. |
| Format | Computer-delivered or paper-based | What your centre offers. Computer-delivered usually means more dates and faster results; content and scoring are identical, and Speaking is face-to-face in both. |
| Date and centre | A sitting and location that suit you | Use the official location finder and allow lead time before any deadline, as popular dates fill early. |
| Identity document | The ID you register and sit with | Usually a valid passport; some centres accept a national ID. It must match your booking and still be in date on test day. |
| Payment | Pay the test fee to confirm | The fee is set by the test partner and varies by country — check the official booking page for the current amount. |
| Confirmation | Your booking details and Speaking slot | Confirm by email; check the date, centre, reporting time and whether Speaking is a separate session. |
Formats offered, accepted identity documents, fees and reschedule rules all vary by country, centre and test partner. This table is the stable structure; always confirm your specific detail on the official booking site.
Common questions
Where do I book the IELTS test?
IELTS is booked through official test partners — most commonly the British Council or IDP, or another authorised centre depending on your country. The IELTS.org location finder lists the centres and available dates near you and links straight to the partner's booking page. Book only through these official routes.
Can I choose between computer and paper IELTS?
Where a centre offers both, yes. The content, question types and band scale are identical; computer-delivered sittings are usually available on more dates and return results faster. Not every centre runs both formats, so what you can choose depends on your location — the booking site shows what is available.
What ID do I need to book IELTS?
You register with an identity document — usually a valid passport, though some centres accept a national ID card. The document you enter at booking must be the same one you bring on test day, with matching details and still in date. Confirm which documents your centre accepts before you register.
How much does it cost to book IELTS?
There is a test fee payable when you book. The amount is set by the test partner and varies by country and sometimes by format, so we do not quote a figure that would go out of date — check the current fee on the official booking page for your centre before you pay.
Is the Speaking test booked separately?
The Speaking test is part of the same booking, but it is not always at the same time as the written sections. Depending on the centre it may fall on a different day or time slot, and some centres let you choose a Speaking slot during booking. Your confirmation email states when and where it is.
Can I change or cancel my booking after paying?
Usually yes. IELTS bookings can generally be transferred to another date or cancelled, but only up to a deadline before the test and typically with an administration fee retained. The exact rules and deadlines are set by the test partner and vary by country, so read their transfer and refund policy on the official site.
Official sources
Confirm the current figures — fees, dates and exact policies — on the official sites, which set them.
Prepare for the test itself — full timed mocks in the real computer-delivered interface.
Start a mock testReviewed 10 September 2026. Procedures follow the official IELTS partners; always confirm current fees and dates on the sources above.