Knowledge Bases

Prefer handwriting your IELTS essay? Discover MTS’s IELTS on Computer with Writing on Paper, available in London with fast results and flexible test dates.

You may have heard that the traditional (100% paper-based) IELTS test has officially been phased out globally. However, the reality is one of ‘evolution not revolution’ because the IELTS partners have now introduced a new choice for candidates in certain territories, including the UK, and we are pleased to announce that MTS is the very first IELTS test centre in Britain to offer the new, hybrid ‘IELTS on Computer with Writing on Paper’ delivery mode. This mode of IELTS delivery is designed for those who prefer not to type out their IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2 essays on a keyboard. It therefore combines the efficiency and speed of a computer-based test with the familiar comfort of handwriting your answers.

For many people, the hardest part of IELTS isn't the test itself – it's finding a date that fits around everything else. A visa deadline that won't move. A university offer with a closing date creeping closer. A single week of annual leave you've finally managed to book. When test dates are scarce, your whole timeline can end up hanging on one particular Saturday – and if that Saturday doesn't suit, you wait. So we're pleased to be able to say it plainly: in London, you can sit your IELTS test every single day with MTS.

With a heatwave forecast to arrive this weekend, we know that comfort is on the minds of many test takers preparing to sit their IELTS or other exam. Warm weather is welcome on a day off, but a stuffy room is the last thing you want when you are working through a reading passage or composing an essay under timed conditions. The good news is that a number of MTS test centres are fully air conditioned, so you can keep your focus on doing your best rather than on the temperature.

We know that life doesn’t always go to plan. Whether it’s an unexpected change in your schedule, a family commitment, or simply realising you need a little more time to prepare, having to move your IELTS test date shouldn’t be something that adds to your stress – or costs you money. That’s why we’re introducing our IELTS Test Transfer Promise. If you’ve booked an IELTS test with MTS and need to move it to a different date, you can now do so completely free of charge. No fees, no fuss.

MTS wishes all our Ireland-based IELTS test takers a very happy St. Patrick’s Day. If you find yourself in Ireland on 17 March, you’ll notice a lot of people wearing green (Ireland’s ‘people’s colour’), and the ‘craic’ (fun) is easily found.

Matthew Steele

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We’ve lowered our IELTS test price again, making MTS the most affordable IELTS test centre in Edinburgh, and quite possibly across Scotland.

If you’re working towards a university intake, student visa approval, or professional registration deadline, this is an important update; availability is shrinking day by day.

What’s the difference between taking IELTS on paper and IELTS on computer? Read on and discover the answer...

Since 2023, MTS has been proud to support ACCA students in London with flexible ACCA On-Demand exam delivery. Now, we’re taking that flexibility nationwide.

Ever since MTS first started offering the IELTS One Skill Retake option for all of our IELTS on Computer test takers back in March 2024, we knew that this key innovation in the English language testing market would only increase in popularity and recognition.

From January 2026, IELTS test fees across the UK and Ireland are increasing. Book your December 2025 test date now with MTS to secure the current rate.

MTS now offers year-round IELTS testing in Brighton, with a special £210 test fee for all Brighton tests booked and paid for by 31 December 2025 as part of our LOVE BRIGHTON, LOVE IELTS campaign.

August and September 2025 IELTS test dates are almost full across MTS test centres in the UK and Ireland. Book now to secure your preferred date and location.

MTS has resumed IELTS testing in Bradford, partnering with Surpass to deliver IELTS on Computer at a new venue: Salts Mill, Saltaire, launching Thursday 7 August 2025.

Shenica shares how the AAT qualification pathway and booking her exams with MTS helped her build a stable career as a qualified bookkeeper, without going to university.

IELTS One Skill Retake lets test takers retake a single skill instead of the full IELTS test. Find out how it works, who is eligible, and how to book one.

Planning is one of the most overlooked steps in IELTS Writing Task 2. Discover a simple five-step approach to plan your essay and boost your score.

Have you ever encountered a word in English that seems to have two completely opposite meanings? If so, you've stumbled upon a contranym (also known as an auto-antonym or antagonym). These fascinating words can be both confusing and intriguing for English language learners. Let's dive into the world of contranyms and explore some common examples!

MTS delivers high quality, secure IELTS testing year-round in Edinburgh, working with the British Council, and offers the best price and quality in Scotland's capital.

Thousands of doctors, nurses, dentists and allied health professionals choose to take their IELTS test with MTS every year. Find out why, and how MTS can help you get the score you need.

MTS partners with Minerva Testing Ltd to deliver the International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT) in London for applicants to Italian medicine, surgery and dentistry courses.

MTS is delighted to announce a new IELTS test venue at the Millside Community Centre in Bradford, with IELTS on Paper exams starting autumn 2024.

In an era where the need for qualified healthcare professionals in the UK is ever-increasing, supporting pathways to employment within the NHS and private healthcare sectors is an important topic. We are delighted to announce that MTS now runs OET (Occupational English Test) exams in Manchester.

IELTS One Skill Retake has launched in the UK and Ireland, letting test takers retake a single IELTS skill instead of sitting the full test again.

MTS partnered with Minerva Testing Ltd to deliver the IMAT exam for 138 students at London Met University in October 2023, supporting applicants to Italian medical degree courses.

MTS promoted its IELTS tests and preparation courses at the 'Canada Live' and 'Down Under Live' event in Birmingham, helping people migrating to Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

From 25 November 2023, MTS is running British Council IELTS exams from a new venue in Exeter, Devon, supporting the South West of England's growing demand for the test.

MTS has opened a new IELTS on Paper test centre in Hayes & Harlington, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, with the first test date on 2 September 2023.

MTS has launched an exclusive 5-star luxury VIP IELTS testing service in London at the Hilton on Park Lane, priced at £450 per test taker.

MTS announces the grand opening of a brand-new IELTS test venue in London's Kings Cross, offering excellent transport links and an enhanced testing experience.

To mark the coronation of King Charles III, MTS shares a fun guide to some of the more obscure English nouns associated with the coronation ceremony.

MTS is thrilled to announce it has started delivering IELTS exams in Manchester, a vibrant and diverse city with a thriving education sector and culture.

Western Australia is welcoming skilled migrants from the UK and Ireland under a new scheme, and anyone migrating will need to pass an IELTS English language test with MTS.

MTS's IELTS (General Training) test is accepted as proof of English language ability for the Canadian government's Express Entry immigration route.

MTS has helped 592 nurses sit IELTS tests in 2022, and outlines the NMC's upcoming changes to the IELTS score requirements for nurses in the UK from 2023.

MTS promoted its IELTS tests and preparation courses at 'Down Under Live', an event for people in the UK interested in migrating to Australia or New Zealand.

MTS is now offering the full range of AAT accounting, bookkeeping and business skills assessments in Belfast, alongside its London venue.

MTS now offers ACCA on-demand exams at its London test venue, giving students the flexibility to choose when to take their exam and get instant results.

MTS is now an official AAT Assessment Venue in London, offering the full range of AAT accounting, bookkeeping and business skills assessments.

A look at some popular apps that can help you learn or improve your English skills, including Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Busuu, Drops, Memrise and Hello Talk.

MTS has won contracts from the British Council to deliver IELTS tests in Portsmouth, Eastbourne, Brighton and Norwich from early 2022.

MTS is pleased to announce a Christmas 2021 special promotional price for IELTS tests in its attractive test venue in Zone 2 London.

MTS is offering Covid-secure BMAT tests at 8 venues across the UK, working with Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing to deliver this year's collection of Admissions Tests.

MTS is working with Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing and the Italian Ministry of Education to deliver the IMAT exam at Covid-secure test centres in London, UK and Tel Aviv, Israel, on 9 September 2021.

Discover the advantages of taking IELTS on computer over IELTS on paper, from faster results and better concentration to accessibility features and environmental benefits.

MTS announces new covid-secure IELTS test venues in Belfast, Brighton, Glasgow, Swindon, Torquay, Watford and Wolverhampton, adding to its existing UK and Ireland test centre network.

How regular, short study sessions can transform your English learning progress, illustrated through the story of Katie and her Japanese lessons.

Having fun with portmanteau words You’ve probably seen lots of portmanteau words in English. But what are portmanteau words? Are they all slang words? And how can analysing them help ESL learners? Read on to find out more about this particularly joyful aspect of English word play, the source of many contemporary new words.

One of the things about language learning is that there’s always things you can do to get better: to move up from beginner, to intermediate, to advanced, to proficient. Even native speakers are alw