The IELTS answer rules people lose sleep over
Capitalisation, spelling variants, word limits, rounding — the questions asked in thousands of forum threads, answered from official IELTS guidance in one place. Verified July 5, 2026.
Can I write answers in ALL CAPITALS?
Yes — officially. IDP (an IELTS co-owner) states you can write Listening and Reading answers entirely in capital letters, and even recommends it so handwriting is unambiguous: "We recommend you write all your Reading and Listening answers in capitals." On the computer-delivered test the same applies to typed answers. If capitalisation of proper nouns worries you, all-caps removes the risk entirely.
US or UK spelling?
Both are accepted — color and colour are equally correct. What is never accepted is a misspelling of either. In Listening, if the recording spells a name or address out letter-by-letter, you must reproduce exactly that spelling.
"No more than two words and/or a number" — what counts?
Hyphenated words count as one word (check-in). A number written in digits counts as a number, not a word (official instructions also note contracted forms are not tested). Going over the limit scores zero for that item even if the content is right — so never pad an answer: if the answer is library, writing the main library can kill it.
How the overall band is rounded
The overall band is the average of the four sections, rounded in your favour: an average ending in .25 rounds up to the next half band (6.25 → 6.5), and .75 roundsup to the next whole band (6.75 → 7.0). That's IDP's official wording. But for Canadian immigration the overall band doesn't matter at all — IRCC reads your four section scores, and your lowest one sets your CLB. See 8777 explained.
Word counts in Writing
Task 1 asks for at least 150 words, Task 2 for at least 250. Under-length responses lose marks under Task Achievement/Response (on the computer test the word counter is on screen — use it). There is no penalty for going moderately over, but very long answers usually mean less time for checking and more errors. 260–320 words is the practical Task 2 sweet spot.
One more thing: paper IELTS is ending
IELTS is moving to computer delivery — the last paper-based sittings ran in mid-2026. If your last attempt was on paper, practise on a screen before you rebook: typing stamina, on-screen highlighting and the word counter change how the test feels.Our practice runs in a replica of the computer-delivered screens, including full timed mocks.