FAQs - IELTS on Paper - Use of Pens

What changes are being implemented and when will they take effect?

• All IELTS paper-based test takers must use black ink pens instead of pencils, starting 1 May 2025.

Who will provide the pens and what kind of pen is acceptable?

• The test centre will provide black ink pens. The specific type of pen may vary between locations, but the same type of pen should be used within a given venue.

• The pens should have minimal letterings, but brand in-printed pens are ok to be used.

What materials can test takers bring into the test room/hall?

• Test takers can only bring their original Passport or National Identity Document and a clear bottle of water. No other documents or stationery are allowed inside the test room.

Can the test taker use their own pen?

• No. Test takers are not allowed to bring any stationery to the test room/hall. The test centre will provide all necessary pens.

Can test takers remove the pen provided by the test centres?

• No, test takers are not allowed to remove the pens from the test room, including during toilet breaks. At the end of the test, venue staff will collect the pens and return them to the back office. A log must be maintained to record this process. If the pen is important in your market as a ‘souvenir’, you can arrange for branded merchandise to be given to students after they have finished the exam and exited the testing room/hall.

What if a test taker refuses to use the pen on test day?

• If a test taker is unwilling to use the supplied pen, they can request a refund or transfer their test to IELTS on Computer. This must be done before entering the test room/hall and an incident should be recorded using the online portal. In such cases, please ask the test taker to contact the relevant Customer Services team.

What should be available on a test taker’s table on a test day?

• One black pen provided by the test centre and the desk label should be placed on the desk prior to the test taker’s arrival in the test room/hall. Once the test takers are seated, the Passport or National Identity Documents should also be kept on the table and the water bottle should be placed on the floor next to the test taker’s desk.

What happens if a test taker needs an extra pen during the Listening, Reading, and Writing test?

• During the Listening, Reading, and Writing tests, invigilators should carry spare pens for quick replacement in case of faulty pens or ink running out. All pens used within a test centre must be of the same type.

What happens if a test taker is found with their own stationery inside the test room/hall?

• If a test taker is found with any personal stationery in the test room, these items must be collected by the venue staff and only be returned after the completion of the last component of the test. Papers will not be marked, the test taker will be disqualified from the test and will be banned from taking IELTS for 5 years.

What happens if a test taker has written incorrect candidate details on the answer sheet? How should this be handled?

• If a test taker writes their name or number (in pen) incorrectly, it needs to be crossed out by the test taker and re-written inside the designated box or underneath the box and signed by two venue staff at the venue. This should also be reported on the Test Day Supervisor Report. The script should be scanned as a problem batch with the reason "incorrect candidate number.

What if a test taker misspells a word in the Listening and Reading answers?

• Test takers can cross out incorrect answers and re-write it inside the designated answer box.

Will test takers get any extra answer sheets If they make a mistake?

• No extra answer sheets will be provided for the Listening or Reading tests. Extra answer sheets will be available for the Writing test.

Do we need to replace scripts?

• No, scripts should not be replaced. All used and unused scripts must be accounted for.

Will corrections, overwriting, or crossing out answers affect scores?

• No, marks are not deducted for making corrections. The test content and assessment criteria remain the same. A response which has overrun the box, will be marked, as long as there is no ambiguity about which question the response was answering.

  E.g:

In this scenario, versions 1 and 2 would be marked. Version 3 would not be marked as it is ambiguous