Test Fee Refunds and Transfers

The guidance below is a summary of what all IELTS test-takers can expect when registering for an IELTS paper-based or computer-delivered test anywhere in the world. Detailed policy terms vary according to test centre location.

If you are taking IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills, different policy terms apply. The IELTS for UKVI policy is a standard and globally applicable set of terms and conditions.

Standard IELTS (PB/CD)

Transfers

• You may request a transfer of your IELTS test booking at any time before taking the test by notifying the test centre.

• Transfers are subject to availability.

• You may not transfer your test booking to another format, module, person, or test centre.

• Additional transfer rules are as follows:

  • Fifteen or more days before your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • Transfer is allowed for free.

  • Within 5 to 14 days of your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • Transfer is allowed, but an administrative fee of up to 25% of the test fee paid will be charged.

  • Within 4 days of your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • No transfer is allowed. Any transfer during this period will be treated as a cancellation.

Cancellations

• You may cancel your IELTS test booking at any time before taking the test by notifying the test center.

• Refund policy and other applicable charges depend upon the date of your cancellation:

  • Fifteen or more days before your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • Cancellation is allowed, and 75% of the test fee paid will be refunded.

  • Within 14 days of your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • Cancellation is allowed, but the test fee is no longer refundable.

Test Taker Exceptions

You may submit a case for exceptional circumstances to your Test Centre before the test or up to 5 calendar days after the test date, if you did not attend the test. Your Test Centre will respond to you within 7 working days of receiving your case in writing and will assess your case for exceptional circumstances.

All cases for exceptional circumstances and supporting evidence must be received by your Test Centre before or no later than 5 calendar days after the scheduled test date.

If your Test Centre approves your case, you will receive a refund (minus a 25% admin fee). We define exceptional circumstances as:

• Serious medical conditions which prevent you from attending or performing normally on test day; such conditions require supporting evidence of a medical certificate from a qualified medical practitioner

• Evidence of bereavement, trauma, accident or other forms of significant hardship

• Military service

Test Centre Exceptions

Under certain circumstances outside the Test Centre’s 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, global pandemic, or circumstances out of your control.

In such circumstances, your Test Centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and provide you with the choice of either a full refund or a transfer to a future test date convenient to you.

UKVI (PB/CD) / Life Skills

Transfers

• You may request a transfer of your IELTS test booking at any time before taking the test by notifying the test centre.

• Transfers are subject to availability.

• You may not transfer your test booking to another format, module, person, or test centre.

• Additional transfer rules are as follows:

  • Fifteen or more days before your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • Transfer is allowed for free.

  • Within 5 to 14 days of your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • Transfer is allowed, but an administrative fee of up to 25% of the test fee paid will be charged.

  • Within 4 days of your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • No transfer is allowed. Any transfer during this period will be treated as a cancellation.

Cancellations

• You may cancel your IELTS test booking at any time before taking the test by notifying the test center.

• Refund policy and other applicable charges depend upon the date of your cancellation:

  • Fifteen or more days before your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • Cancellation is allowed, and 75% of the test fee paid will be refunded.

  • Within 14 days of your Listening, Reading, and Writing Test date:

    • Cancellation is allowed, but the test fee is no longer refundable.

Test taker exceptions

You may make a case for exceptional circumstances to your test centre before the test or up to five calendar days after the test date if you did not attend the test. Your test centre will respond to you within seven working days of receiving your case in writing. Your test centre will assess your case for exceptional circumstances.

All cases for exceptional circumstances and supporting evidence must be received by your test centre before or no later than five calendar days after the scheduled test date.

If your test centre approves your case, you will receive a full refund (minus a 25% admin fee). If your test centre does not approve your case, then the terms given in Section 1 will apply. We define exceptional circumstances as:

Serious medical conditions which prevent you from attending or performing normally on test day; such conditions require supporting evidence of a medical certificate from a qualified medical practitioner

• Evidence of bereavement, trauma, accident or other forms of significant hardship

• Military service

Test centre exceptions

Under certain circumstances outside test centre control, we may have to cancel your test. These circumstances include, and are not limited to, extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, civil unrest and industrial action.

In these circumstances, your test centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of either:

• A full refund, or

• A transfer to a future test date convenient to you

Refund/Transfer form is available in the Downloadable Forms.