Reviewed by the finduni team · Last verified 15 September 2026 · Sources: IDP Nepal: IELTS on paper, IDP Nepal: IELTS Writing on Paper
What changed in this update: Rewritten: paper-based IELTS is no longer offered in Nepal, so the guide now compares IELTS on Computer with the Writing on Paper option. Claims about result speed and test dates were removed.
IDP stopped offering paper-based IELTS in Nepal after 27 June 2026. How IELTS on Computer and the Writing on Paper option work, what stays the same, and how to choose between typing and handwriting.
- IDP has announced that paper-based IELTS is no longer offered in Nepal after 27 June 2026.
- The current format is IELTS on Computer. Listening, Reading and Writing are on computer, and Speaking is face to face with an examiner.
- Writing on Paper is the option for students who want to handwrite. Listening and Reading are on computer, Writing is handwritten on paper, and Speaking is face to face with an examiner.
- It is the same IELTS either way: same content, same 9-band scoring, and the same acceptance by universities and visa offices.
- IDP gives the expected result date for your format when you book, so check it against your deadline before you pay.
- Through finduni.ai, IELTS Academic on Computer costs NPR 35,000, NPR 1,000 below the official fee.
What changed for IELTS in Nepal in 2026?
The old choice between a computer test and a fully paper-based test is gone. IDP has announced that paper-based IELTS is no longer offered in Nepal after 27 June 2026. You can read the announcement on IDP Nepal's paper-based IELTS page. If you prepared expecting a question booklet and an answer sheet for every section, adjust your practice now.
What remains is IELTS on Computer, and for students who write better by hand, the Writing on Paper option.
How IELTS on Computer works
Listening, Reading and Writing are on computer, and Speaking is face to face with an examiner. You read the Listening and Reading questions on screen, enter your answers with a keyboard and mouse, and type both Writing tasks.
How the Writing on Paper option works
Listening and Reading are on computer, Writing is handwritten on paper, and Speaking is face to face with an examiner. In other words, only the Writing section changes: you handwrite both tasks instead of typing them. IDP explains the option in its article on IELTS Writing on Paper. Before you book, confirm with IDP that Writing on Paper is available for the date and centre you want.
What stays the same
The test content, the 9-band scoring and acceptance are the same IELTS whichever way you answer Writing. The same four sections, the same question types, and the same result are recognised by universities and immigration authorities in Australia, the UK and elsewhere. There is no easier version, and no version universities prefer.
The Speaking test does not change either: it is a live, face-to-face interview with a trained examiner, never a recording on a computer.
Typing or Writing on Paper: how to choose
Because Listening, Reading and Speaking are the same in both, the decision is only about how you produce your Writing answers.
- Handwriting comfort: if you plan, draft and think better with a pen, and your handwriting stays readable when you are under time pressure, Writing on Paper may suit you.
- Typing speed: if you type quickly and accurately, typing lets you write, delete and move sentences around without crossing out. If you type slowly or make many keyboard errors under pressure, that costs you time in Writing, and handwriting may serve you better.
Whichever you pick, practise Writing the same way you will sit it: timed essays on a keyboard for IELTS on Computer, timed essays on paper for Writing on Paper.
When will you get your results?
IDP gives the expected result date for your format when you book. Check that date against your university offer deadline or visa timeline before you pay, rather than relying on a figure from another website.
How much does IELTS cost in Nepal in 2026?
finduni.ai currently books IELTS Academic on Computer. If you want the Writing on Paper option, confirm its availability and fee with IDP before you book. The test itself is the same Academic test whichever provider you book through, so choose on test centre location, available dates and price.
- IELTS Academic (Computer Based) (IDP): NPR 35,000
- IELTS Academic (Computer Based) (BC): NPR 35,000
IDP and British Council cost the same through finduni.ai, so choose on centre location and dates. The official fee for IELTS Academic on Computer is NPR 36,000, so booking through finduni.ai saves you NPR 1,000.