Before you prepare for IELTS, you need to know that the test itself is changing. From mid-2026 IELTS is moving to computer-delivered testing only, and paper-based IELTS is being discontinued, with timelines varying by market. In Canada and Taiwan it has already gone. If you have been practising on paper past papers and planning to write by hand, that assumption needs checking before you book anything.
Last verified: 22 September 2026 against ielts.org and IDP’s official test-fee pages.
IELTS Preparation: The Quick Answer
Most candidates need six to ten weeks of structured preparation, not months of unfocused practice. Take one full timed test first to find your weakest section, spend most of your time there, and do at least three complete timed papers before test day. The skills tested and the scoring have not changed — only how the test is delivered.
What Changed in 2026, and What Did Not
What changed: IELTS is moving to computer-delivered testing only from mid-2026. A “Writing on Paper” option is being introduced in selected markets, where you sit the test at a centre but handwrite the Writing section. For UK visa purposes, the SELT is becoming fully digital.
What did not change: the skills assessed, the structure of the four sections, the band scale and how scores are interpreted. Results you already hold remain valid for the usual two years. So the substance of your preparation is unaffected — your practice conditions are what need to change.
Practically, that means one thing: practise typing, under time, on a keyboard. Candidates who have spent years handwriting essays routinely lose marks on the computer test not because their English is weaker but because their typing is slow and they cannot see the whole essay at once. Start typing your practice essays now.
Which Version You Need
- IELTS Academic — university study. This is what you need for almost every degree application.
- IELTS General Training — migration and some work or training routes.
- IELTS for UKVI — required for UK visa purposes, Academic or General Training. It must be taken at an official test centre.
- IELTS for UKVI Life Skills — speaking and listening only, for specific visa categories.
- IELTS Online — Academic only, taken at home with Speaking by video call. It is not accepted for UKVI, and individual institutions decide separately whether they accept it. Confirm with your university in writing before booking this version.
Booking the wrong version is the most expensive error in this process, because the fee is not refundable and the wait for a new date can push you past an application deadline.
What It Costs
In Nigeria, IDP publishes IELTS on Computer (Academic and General Training) at NGN 266,000 and IELTS for UKVI at NGN 285,500.
For India and Kenya, no numeric fee is published on the official pages — both route you to the booking portal, where the current price shows at checkout. We will not quote a figure we cannot verify. One structural point for Indian candidates: the British Council no longer delivers IELTS in India; all IELTS testing there is managed by IDP. If you are booking through a British Council page out of habit, that is why it will not work.
Budget the fee as a real cost. In Nigeria it is a significant sum, and a retake doubles it — which is the strongest argument for preparing properly the first time rather than sitting the test to “see how it goes”.
One Skill Retake: Worth Knowing About
If you score well in three sections and miss your target in one, One Skill Retake lets you resit that single section rather than the whole test. The conditions are strict:
- Your original test must have been IELTS on computer at a participating centre
- You must book and sit the retake within 60 days of the original test
- One retake per original test
Availability is decided per test centre and there is no published country list, so check with your centre before relying on it. The British Council states that Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK accept One Skill Retake for certain visas, with different rules per authority, and universities and professional bodies vary. Do not assume your specific university or visa route accepts it — confirm in writing first. This is the single most common misunderstanding about the option.
An Eight-Week Plan That Works
- Week 1 — diagnose. Sit one complete test under real time conditions, typed. Score it honestly. The section you avoid is almost always the one that needs the work.
- Weeks 2–3 — fix the weakest section. Spend 60% of your study time here. For most candidates from West Africa and South Asia this is Writing Task 2, and the problem is usually structure rather than vocabulary.
- Week 4 — Reading speed. Practise skimming for the answer rather than reading the passage fully. Running out of time in Reading costs more marks than not knowing words.
- Week 5 — Speaking out loud, recorded. Record yourself answering Part 2 cue cards for two minutes. Listening back is uncomfortable and it is the fastest improvement available to you.
- Week 6 — Listening with different accents. The test uses British, Australian, North American and other accents. Podcasts and news radio in each are free practice.
- Week 7 — two full timed tests, typed, on separate days, with no pauses.
- Week 8 — light review and rest. Do not cram in the final three days; sleep affects Listening more than revision helps it.
The Writing Task 2 Structure Most Candidates Are Missing
Examiners are marking four things, one of which is Coherence and Cohesion — essentially, whether your essay is organised. A large share of lost marks come from essays where every paragraph contains three ideas and none is developed.
Weak body paragraph: “Firstly, technology has many advantages. It helps students learn faster and also communication is easier nowadays. Moreover, the economy benefits and many jobs are created. Also, some people are addicted which is a disadvantage.”
Strong body paragraph: “The clearest benefit is access. A student in a rural area can now take a university-level course that would previously have required moving to a city, which removes the cost of relocation from the decision to study. My own secondary school had no physics teacher for two years; the students who continued to study physics did so through recorded lessons on a shared phone.”
One idea, stated, explained, and supported with a specific example. That is the whole technique, and it is worth more than memorised “advanced” vocabulary, which examiners penalise when it is used inaccurately.
Free Resources First
- The official IELTS website’s free practice materials — start here, because they are the only materials guaranteed to match the current format
- The official computer-delivered test familiarisation tool — essential now that the test is going computer-only
- British Council and IDP free preparation pages — sample answers with examiner commentary
- News radio and podcasts for Listening practice across accents, at no cost
- A study partner for Speaking practice — more useful than any paid app, and free
Paid courses can help if your weak section is Writing and you need marked feedback, which free resources cannot give you. Before paying, check the tutor will actually mark your essays against the band descriptors rather than sell you video lessons you could watch free. And be sceptical of anything offering “guaranteed Band 8” — nobody can guarantee a band score, and the claim marks the seller as untrustworthy.
A warning worth stating plainly: services selling “leaked questions”, answer keys, or someone to sit the test in your place are fraud. They will get your result cancelled and can carry immigration consequences that follow you for years.
Common Mistakes, and What to Do Instead
- Practising on paper for a computer test. Do this instead: type every practice essay, timed.
- Studying only your strongest section. Do this instead: give the weakest section most of your hours. Overall band is an average.
- Memorising templates and long words. Do this instead: write clearly and give specific examples. Inaccurate “advanced” vocabulary loses marks.
- Doing practice questions without timing. Do this instead: time everything. Most candidates lose marks to the clock, not to knowledge.
- Booking before you are ready. Do this instead: sit one full mock first. The fee is too high to use the real test as practice.
- Booking the wrong version. Do this instead: confirm with your university or visa route which version they accept, in writing, before paying.
IELTS FAQ
Is paper-based IELTS being discontinued?
Yes. IELTS is moving to computer-delivered testing only from mid-2026, with timelines varying by market, and it has already ended in Canada and Taiwan. A “Writing on Paper” option exists in selected markets. Existing paper results stay valid for the usual two years.
How long does IELTS preparation take?
Six to ten weeks of structured work suits most candidates who already study or work in English. If you are starting further back, plan three to four months and build reading and listening habits first.
Is IELTS Online accepted for a UK visa?
No. All tests for UKVI purposes must be taken at an official test centre. Universities decide separately whether they accept IELTS Online for admission, so confirm with yours before booking.
Can I retake just one section?
One Skill Retake allows it if your original test was IELTS on computer at a participating centre and you sit the retake within 60 days. Acceptance by your specific university or visa authority is not automatic — confirm first.
How much does IELTS cost in Nigeria?
IDP lists IELTS on Computer at NGN 266,000 and IELTS for UKVI at NGN 285,500. Check the booking page for the current figure before paying, as fees are revised.
How long is an IELTS result valid?
Two years. Time your test so the result is still valid at the point of your visa application, not just your university application — those can be many months apart.
Your Next Step
This week, do two things: confirm with your target universities which IELTS version they accept, and sit one full timed practice test on a computer. Those two hours will tell you more about your real timeline than a month of reading preparation advice.
Then work out where you are going with our country comparison, and start the funding applications: Chevening, DAAD EPOS and Erasmus Mundus all require a language certificate.
KINGNAMY verifies every opportunity against its official source, links you directly to official application pages, and never charges fees.
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts or ask a question about this opportunity.