Frequently asked questions
Is this the real IELTS test?
No. WriteMyEnglish is an independent practice platform and is not connected to the organisations that run the real test. We copy how the computer-delivered test looks and behaves, never its content. Every passage, recording, task and Speaking question is our own.
Is the first practice test really free?
Yes. Every account gets one full practice test in Academic or General Training, with Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. No card is needed. After that, a one-time plan unlocks all 31 sets of your test type.
Does it include the Speaking test?
Yes. Speaking is a separate recorded test of about 11 to 14 minutes in three parts, with an AI examiner voice asking the questions and your answers recorded through your microphone. You take it straight after the written test, or within 7 days.
How does AI marking work?
Writing and Speaking are marked by AI against the four public criteria for each skill. For each criterion you get a band, the evidence behind it and how to improve. The final band is calculated from those four, not guessed. Listening and Reading are marked automatically against answer keys.
How accurate is the band score?
Listening and Reading use a raw-score table. Writing and Speaking are AI estimates and can differ from a human examiner by half a band or more. Treat every band as a practice estimate, not an official result, and look at the trend over several tests.
Do I need to install anything?
No. The test runs full screen in your own browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari on a computer). If you want an even stricter lock, you can choose to take it in Safe Exam Browser, a free download, but it is optional.
Can I use a phone or tablet?
No. Practice tests need a computer with a keyboard, because a phone cannot be locked to the test and the real computer-delivered test is taken on a computer. For Speaking you also need a microphone.
Are there Academic and General Training tests?
Yes. There are 31 practice sets for Academic and 31 for General Training. You choose your type when you sign up, and Listening and Speaking are the same for both.
Can I retake a practice test?
No. Each practice set can be taken once, so a result always reflects a fresh test. If you open a set you have finished, you go straight to its results. A paid plan gives you 31 different sets for your test type.
Can I pause the Listening audio?
No. The recording plays once, as it does on the real day. If you reload the page, the audio carries on from the point it would have reached.
What happens if I leave the test window?
The questions are hidden until you return to full screen, and each exit is recorded and shown in your result report. This is what makes the practice realistic.
How many tests can I take?
Basic gives one attempt of each section per day and Premium gives three. A full test uses one attempt of each section. Because each set can only be taken once, the most you can take is 31 sets for your test type.
What currency do I pay in?
Your own, where we support it. The price you see is the price you pay, in a whole number, with no conversion at checkout. You can change the country on the pricing page.
What if my connection drops?
Answers save every few seconds and as you move between questions. The timer is kept on our server, so it keeps running. In Speaking, each answer is saved as you finish it, and a dropped test resumes at the next question.
What happens to my Speaking recordings?
They are sent to an AI service to be marked, stored with your results so you can listen back, and deleted automatically after 12 months. Your scores, transcript and feedback stay. You can withdraw your consent at any time by writing to us.
Can I delete my account?
Not from the website. Write to us and we will delete your account and data, apart from payment records we must keep by law.