AI in English tests and language learning took several steps in the middle of 2026, and they point in different directions. IELTS stopped offering paper tests in Australia after 28 June while keeping its Speaking test as a conversation with a human examiner. Pearson published an introduction to its official AI practice platform for PTE tests on 31 July. OpenAI began rolling out a new ChatGPT Voice experience on 8 July and added interactive quizzes on 14 August. And on 30 July Australia's vocational training regulator, ASQA, published five principles for how training providers should use AI.
For learners, there are more ways to practise, many with instant feedback. For colleges, tutors and training businesses, the question has shifted from whether to use AI to how to use it without losing the trust that a certificate or a test score depends on.
What happened
IELTS moved to computer delivery in Australia, with an examiner still conducting Speaking. The IELTS partners announced on 5 March 2026, in Updates to IELTS test delivery, that paper-based tests would end from mid-2026, with timing varying by market. IDP, one of the IELTS partners, says on its Australian IELTS site that paper test dates were available only until 28 June 2026. It also says the content, difficulty and 0 to 9 band scale are unchanged, that the Speaking test remains a face-to-face interview with an examiner, and that computer results typically arrive in one to two days. Its FAQ adds that in certain situations the Speaking test can be held by secure video call at a test centre. The IELTS announcement gives convenience and faster results as its reasons and does not mention AI.
Pearson put AI scoring into official practice. On 31 July 2026 Pearson published an introduction to Official PTE AI Practice, a preparation platform for PTE Academic and PTE Core. Pearson says it combines official practice questions with AI-powered scoring and feedback on speaking and writing, a free diagnostic assessment across the four skills, full practice tests that follow the exam's format and timing, and progress tracking, and that it is made by the team that develops the test.
A general-purpose AI tool changed how it handles spoken conversation. OpenAI's ChatGPT release notes record that on 8 July 2026 ChatGPT Voice moved to new models that can listen and speak at the same time, which OpenAI says makes turn-taking and interruptions feel more natural, and that this is rolling out on consumer plans including the free one. On 14 August the notes add interactive quizzes: ask to be quizzed on a topic and answer inside the conversation, on all consumer and education plans.
The Australian training regulator set expectations. On 30 July 2026 the Australian Skills Quality Authority announced its Principles for the Responsible Use of AI in VET. ASQA says they do not introduce new regulatory requirements. They give registered training organisations a structured way to manage AI within existing obligations, including the 2025 Standards for RTOs, and each principle comes with self-assurance questions.
Key details
| Who | Date | What changed | Where a person stays involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS | Paper tests in Australia until 28 June 2026 | All tests delivered on computer; faster results | Speaking test is still an interview with an examiner |
| Pearson PTE | Introduced in a post of 31 July 2026 | Official practice platform with AI scoring and feedback | It is practice; the result that counts comes from the test itself |
| OpenAI ChatGPT | 8 July and 14 August 2026 | New voice models; quizzes in chat | The learner chooses what to practise and judges the feedback |
| ASQA | 30 July 2026 | Five principles for AI use by training providers | Decisions affecting students stay with qualified trainers and assessors |
ASQA's five principles cover strong governance, human oversight and accountability, secure handling of information, student equity and wellbeing, and alignment with the requirements of the training product. The regulator also draws a line between automation and AI. Marking multiple-choice questions by fixed rules is automation. Giving feedback on a piece of student writing is AI, because the tool interprets the input.
Why it matters
Practice and assessment are separating. AI is moving quickly into practice, where a wrong estimate costs little and instant feedback is worth a great deal. In the test itself, IDP states publicly that an examiner still conducts the IELTS Speaking interview.
A test maker offers AI practice. A platform from the organisation that writes the test may raise what learners expect from every practice tool: scoring that follows the published criteria, and honesty about what an estimate is.
A free tool can hold a spoken conversation. OpenAI says the new voice models, including the one for free users, can listen and speak at the same time. That helps with speaking practice, which is hard to rehearse alone. It is a general tool, not a test, and OpenAI's note does not say it follows any test's marking criteria.
Providers are being asked to show their working. ASQA's questions are practical. How will students be made aware of the AI tools a provider uses? Do staff know what information must not be put into those tools? Does the student management system have AI features built in, and is the data stored onshore or offshore? How will the provider know if staff rely on AI alone for assessment judgements?
Practice platforms such as PractiseNow, which offers English test practice for IELTS, PTE and OET with AI-estimated scores for speaking and writing, sit in the same position as every tool in this category: useful rehearsal, and not a prediction of the official result.
What this means for businesses
This section is for language schools, colleges, registered training organisations, tutoring businesses and employers that pay for staff to sit English tests.
- Write down where AI is used. Marketing, enquiries, lesson materials, feedback, marking support and student records.
- Keep people accountable for results. AI can draft feedback. A qualified trainer or assessor reviews it and owns the judgement, which is ASQA's second principle.
- Tell students. Say which tools you use and what for, and ask before their personal information goes into an AI system. ASQA's questions refer to gaining prior written consent.
- Ask your software vendors. Find out which AI features are switched on in your student management and learning systems, and where the data is stored.
- Teach students to use practice tools well. Treat AI scores as estimates, use official materials for format, and sit timed practice under test conditions.
- Check test details at the source. Delivery formats are changing, so confirm dates and formats on the test provider's own site before advising a student.
For an individual learner the advice is shorter: practise speaking aloud every day with whatever tool you have, use the test maker's own materials to learn the format, and do not treat any practice score as a promise.
Student records are personal information, and connecting them to new tools needs care. We work with education and training providers on business systems and integrations, including student management and enrolment systems, and on cyber security such as access control and backups. If you want help mapping where student data goes, get in touch for a first consultation.
Key takeaways
- IELTS paper tests ended in Australia after 28 June 2026; the Speaking test is still conducted by an examiner.
- Pearson published an introduction to Official PTE AI Practice on 31 July 2026, with AI scoring and feedback for speaking and writing practice.
- ChatGPT's new voice experience began rolling out on 8 July, including to free users, and quizzes arrived on 14 August for all consumer plans.
- ASQA says its five principles of 30 July 2026 introduce no new regulatory requirements; they guide how training providers manage AI under existing obligations.
- AI is strongest as a practice partner; accountable people still decide results.
Frequently asked questions
Is the IELTS Speaking test now marked by AI?
Nothing on IDP's Australian IELTS page says so. It says the Speaking test remains a face-to-face interview with an examiner and that there are no changes to how each test section is assessed. The 2026 change is that the Listening, Reading and Writing sections are taken on computer instead of paper.
Are AI practice scores the same as real test scores?
No. Pearson says its practice materials follow the official PTE format and scoring criteria, and its progress page refers to estimated performance. A practice result is not a test result.
Can a training provider use AI to mark student work?
ASQA's principles do not prohibit AI-supported assessment, but they say AI must not replace human decision-making, evaluation or accountability. Decisions affecting students remain the responsibility of qualified trainers, assessors and staff, and AI outputs are to be reviewed before they are used.
Do ASQA's AI principles create new compliance requirements?
ASQA says they do not. They are a structured way to interpret and oversee AI use within obligations providers already have, including the 2025 Standards for RTOs.
Is ChatGPT good enough for English speaking practice?
It can be useful for conversation practice, and OpenAI says the July 2026 voice update makes turn-taking and interruptions feel more natural. It is a general tool, so it does not replace test-specific materials or feedback from a qualified teacher.