Short answer: practising for the computer test means two things — getting comfortable with the on-screen format (where the tools are, how each section works) and building the typing speed the Writing section demands. The content is identical to paper; the medium is what you rehearse.
⌨️ Open Typehush and practise the on-screen Writing test →The computer-delivered IELTS uses the same questions and marking as paper — so you don't need different content practice, you need format practice. That means knowing where the tools are (word counter, timer, highlighter, notes), how you answer each section on screen, and — for Writing — being able to type fast and accurately enough to finish. Treat format familiarity and typing speed as the two things unique to the computer version, and target them directly.
The test provider offers a free on-screen familiarisation test that shows the real interface for Listening, Reading and Writing. Do it early so the layout holds no surprises — where to click, how to navigate between questions, how the highlight and notes tools work. It takes under an hour and removes an entire category of test-day anxiety. This isn't about the questions (which mirror paper); it's about never seeing the interface for the first time under exam pressure.
A few things change. In Listening, you type or click answers as the audio plays, and there's no separate 10-minute transfer window at the end — you get about two minutes to review instead. In Reading, the passage sits beside the questions and you answer by typing, clicking or dragging, with a highlight tool to mark key text. None of it is difficult, but practising a few on-screen sets makes the mechanics automatic so your attention stays on the content, not the clicking.
Writing is the section the computer format changes most, because it adds typing. This is where preparation earns the most marks: if you can't type fast enough, you won't finish Task 2, and an unfinished essay caps your band regardless of your English. So weight your computer-test practice toward Writing — full timed answers, typed, with a visible word counter — more than toward Listening and Reading, which mostly just need format familiarity.
General typing games help a little, but the most efficient practice is typing the kind of text you'll actually produce: IELTS essays. Typing high-band model essays builds speed and accuracy on real academic language while you absorb structure and phrasing — two goals on one schedule. Aim for at least 28–30 words per minute so the 60-minute Writing block is comfortable; below about 20 wpm, finishing Task 2 is the risk to eliminate first.
Measure where you stand before you build a study plan. If a timed test shows you at 40 wpm, typing speed isn't your bottleneck and you can focus your energy on the writing itself. If it shows 18 wpm, speed is the first thing to fix, because no amount of essay-writing skill helps if you can't get the words down in time. Knowing your number turns a vague worry ("am I fast enough?") into a concrete target with a clear gap to close — and watching that gap shrink week by week is one of the more motivating parts of computer-test prep.
Bring it together with full, timed, on-screen practice: 60 minutes for both Writing tasks, plain text box, no spell-check, visible counter and countdown. Rehearsing the real conditions turns test day into execution rather than first exposure. Do this repeatedly and the format becomes invisible — you spend your attention on writing a strong answer, which is exactly where it should go, and the computer interface stops being something you have to think about at all.
⏱ Test your typing speed — can you finish Task 2 in 40 minutes? →The content and marking are identical to paper, so you practise the format: where the on-screen tools are, how each section works, and — for Writing — building enough typing speed to finish.
Yes. The test provider offers a free on-screen familiarisation test showing the real interface for Listening, Reading and Writing. Do it early to remove surprises.
Writing, because it adds typing. If you cannot type fast enough you will not finish Task 2, so weight your practice toward full timed typed essays.
At least 28–30 words per minute so the 60-minute Writing block is comfortable. Below about 20 wpm, finishing Task 2 becomes the main risk.
Typehush — practise typing high-band IELTS model essays for the computer-based Writing test. Start practising · Model-essay library · What to expect · Computer writing practice