Short answer: the content, timing and band descriptors are identical — 40 minutes for Task 2 either way. What changes is how you produce your answer: typing on a keyboard with a live word counter and instant editing, versus handwriting with no automatic count and no easy way to restructure a paragraph once it's on the page.
⏱ If you're taking the computer test, check your typing speed first →Whichever format you sit, the tasks are the same, the 40-minute Task 2 and 20-minute Task 1 time limits are the same, and the examiner marks your answer against the same band descriptors — Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Neither format gives you an easier test on paper; it only changes the physical process of getting your answer out of your head.
| Aspect | Computer-delivered | Paper-based |
|---|---|---|
| Word count | Live, automatic counter | Manual — you count yourself |
| Editing | Copy, paste, delete instantly | Crossing out or rewriting |
| Legibility risk | None — typed text is always clear | Messy handwriting can cost marks indirectly |
| Physical fatigue | Minimal | Hand cramping over a long session |
| Familiarity | Depends on typing comfort | Universal — everyone can write by hand |
On the computer-delivered test you get cut, copy, paste, delete and undo. Restructuring a paragraph — moving your strongest example earlier, for instance — costs seconds instead of a full rewrite. What you don't get is any spellcheck, autocorrect or grammar check: the word counter is the only tool on your side, and spelling and grammar accuracy are entirely down to you, exactly as they are on paper.
Handwriting is a motion almost everyone is already fluent in, so there's no typing-skill floor to clear. If you genuinely don't type much in daily life, paper removes one source of unfamiliarity on exam day. The tradeoff is that any restructuring mid-essay is slow and messy — crossing out a sentence and rewriting it in the margin costs real time that a computer-based candidate simply doesn't spend.
No. Examiners marking computer-delivered scripts see clean, typed text; examiners marking paper scripts see your handwriting. Neither format is scored more generously — the band descriptors are applied identically either way. The only way format indirectly touches your score is through legibility on paper (an examiner genuinely struggling to read a word can't credit it) and through pacing on computer, where the live counter and instant editing change how you manage the 40 minutes, not what you're marked against.
Most test centres now default to computer-delivered, but this varies by location and date. Check your booking confirmation or test centre notice — it will state the format explicitly. If a centre offers both and you have a strong preference, you can usually request paper-based when you book, subject to availability. Either way, confirm it well before exam day rather than assuming, so you can prepare for the right one.
For most test-takers today, typing wins once your speed clears a fairly low bar — roughly 20–30 words per minute. Above that threshold, the ability to edit instantly outweighs any speed advantage handwriting might have. Below it, typing can become the slower option, because hunting for keys eats more time than the editing convenience saves you.
Ask yourself one honest question: can you type English at a reasonable, steady pace on a standard keyboard without constantly looking down? If yes, the computer-delivered test is very likely the faster, lower-stress option because of the live counter and instant editing. If typing genuinely makes you anxious or you rarely use a keyboard, paper may reduce exam-day nerves — but be aware you're trading that comfort for slower, messier editing if you need to restructure.
Practise typing full Task 2 essays before exam day →No — tasks, timing and band descriptors are identical. Only the input method and tools available change.
Yes — cut, copy, paste, delete and undo are all available.
No — there's no autocorrect or grammar check, only the live word counter.
Typing, for most people, once your speed is above roughly 20–30 WPM.
Typehush — practise typing high-band IELTS model essays for the computer-based Writing test. Take the speed test · Browse the model-essay library · How fast should you type?