Please note: This is the policy for IELTS (Academic and General Training), you can find the IELTS for UKVI cancellation and refund policy here.

I need to reschedule my IELTS exam

You may transfer your test date:

  • Three days before the scheduled test date (first component) – a 25% administration fee will be charged*
  • The transfer test date must be within three months of the original test date. 
  • If you are unable to attend on the transfer test date, neither a further transfer nor a refund can be given.
  • Less than three days before the scheduled test date (first component) – no transfers can be arranged, except in the exceptional circumstances stated below.

What is the IELTS cancellation and refund policy?

You may cancel your test:

  1. Five weeks before the scheduled test date (first component) – you will be eligible for a refund of 75% of the test fee*
  2. Less than five weeks before the scheduled test date (first component) – you will not be eligible for a refund, except in the exceptional circumstances stated below.

Note that refunds can take up to one month to process. 

To transfer or cancel your test date, please change your test record in member centre.

Exceptional circumstances

You may be able to request for an exception to be made to the standard IELTS exam rescheduling or cancellation policy, with supporting evidence, in cases of:

  • serious medical conditions which prevent you from attending or performing normally on test day; as verified by a medical certificate from a qualified medical practitioner** (does not include minor illness such as a cold, flu etc.,)
  • recent family bereavement
  • hardship/trauma – victim of crime, victim of a traffic accident
  • other forms of significant hardship
  • compulsory military service.

You must submit your exception request in writing to the test centre no later than on the first working day after your scheduled test date. Supporting evidence must be submitted within a maximum of five working days after your scheduled test date. Requests without supporting evidence cannot be considered. Your test centre will respond to you within seven working days.

Test centre exceptions

Under certain circumstances outside test centre control, we may have to cancel your test. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, civil unrest, industrial action technical problems, issues at the venue or other types of disruption or disturbance in the local environment. In these circumstances, your test centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of either below.  

The British Council is not liable for any losses you incur as a result of test cancellation.

  • A full refund*, or;
  • Rescheduling you to a future test date.

* An additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank.

** Only copies of medical certificates from a certified medical professional can be accepted. Please keep the original document with you as we may require it for further verification.

*** British Council does not take any responsibility for your cancellation lost. 

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