Can I retake IELTS Writing only?
Quick answer
Yes, through IELTS One Skill Retake, where your centre offers it. IELTS.org lists the conditions: your full test was IELTS on computer at a centre that offers the service, you sit the retake within 60 days of that test, and you use it once per original test. Writing is one of the four skills you can choose.
Part of The IELTS Speaking test, answered
Practise the thing this page describes out loud in the app and get it scored on all four criteria.
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The short answer is yes, and the conditions are the same whichever skill you choose. IELTS One Skill Retake lets you sit one of Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking again without repeating the whole test.
The conditions
IELTS.org lists four. You completed a full test at a centre that offers IELTS One Skill Retake. Your full test was an IELTS on computer test. You sit the retake within 60 days of your full IELTS test. And you can only use One Skill Retake once per original test. IDP adds that the service is available worldwide in selected test locations and that specific availability should be checked with your test centre.
If you took IELTS on computer with the Writing on Paper option, IELTS.org states that One Skill Retake is available to you as well, but it must be taken in the same delivery mode as the original test: a handwritten Writing retake, not a typed one.
Availability at your centre is the point people miss. Whether your centre offers the retake is a question to ask before you book the full test, not after the result arrives.
What you get
You receive a new Test Report Form showing the new Writing score together with the results from your original other three skills. IELTS.org also states that you can choose whether to use your original or your new Test Report Form. Results arrive within three to five days. The retake changes only the Writing band, but the overall band is the average of the four sections, so a higher Writing score can change the overall result too. Our answer on how the overall score is calculated shows the arithmetic.
What this page does not repeat
The general rules of the service, including how it is booked, are covered in our answers on what IELTS One Skill Retake is and on retaking Speaking only. Writing follows the same rules as Speaking, so those pages apply here too.
Using the 60 days
Sixty days is short. Spend the first part working out which Writing criterion held your band back, then practise that one. Our answer on how to improve your IELTS Writing score explains the four criteria and the step from band 6 to band 7, and it is the best use of the first week.
What this means for your score
A candidate scores Listening 8.0, Reading 7.5, Speaking 7.0 and Writing 6.0, and needs 7.0 in every skill. Retaking Writing alone puts only the Writing band back in play, and she can then choose whether to send her original or her new Test Report Form.
Frequently asked questions
Do I keep my other scores if I retake Writing?
Yes. IELTS.org states that you receive a new Test Report Form with the new score for the skill you retook, alongside the results of the original three skills. It also states that you can choose whether to use your original or your new Test Report Form, so the retake cannot leave you worse off on paper.
How long do I wait for the Writing retake result?
IELTS.org gives results for One Skill Retake within three to five days. The 60-day limit applies to when you sit the retake, counted from your full test, so plan the retake early enough that a full 60 days does not run out while you are still preparing.
What if I took IELTS on paper?
Then One Skill Retake is not open to you, because IELTS.org names an IELTS on computer test as a condition. Your options are to sit the full test again or, if you believe the result is wrong, to ask about an enquiry on results. If you took IELTS on computer with Writing on Paper, IELTS.org states that One Skill Retake is available, but the retake must be taken in the same delivery mode.
Sources
- IELTS One Skill Retake: retake one section — IELTS.org
- IELTS One Skill Retake — IDP IELTS
- Updates to IELTS test delivery — IELTS.org
Last verified 30 Sep 2026
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