Please note: This is the IELTS cancellation and IELTS refund policy for IELTS (Academic and General Training), you can find the UKVI cancellation and refund policy here.
Please visit our Take IELTS site for the IELTS Online cancellation policy.
To cancel your non-UKVI IELTS (Academic and General Training) test, please log in to the Test Taker Portal and submit a cancellation request, along with an upload of supporting documentation/evidence.
Transferring your IELTS test date
You may transfer your test date:
- five weeks before the scheduled test date (first component) – free of charge
- less than five weeks before the scheduled test date (first component) – a 25% administration fee will be charged*
- less than three days before the scheduled test date (first component) – no transfers can be arranged, except in the exceptional circumstances stated below.
Your chosen new test date must be at least fifteen days after the submission of your completed application and within 3 months of the original test date. This is to ensure we have enough seats for the test.
(E.g. If you submit your application on 1 JUL 2024, you should select a new test date from 16 JUL 2024 onwards.)
If you are unable to attend your IELTS test on the transfer test date, IELTS cancellation policy is that neither a further transfer nor a refund can be given.
You can submit your test date transfer request through this link https://www.eventsforce.net/britishcouncil/5525/home and pay the transfer fee. We will review your request and process it by following the Transfer Policies of the exams of which you registered. Please note that the transfer fee is non-refundable in any circumstances.
IELTS cancellation policy
You may cancel your test:
- five weeks before the scheduled test date (first component) – you will be eligible for a refund of 75% of the cost of the IELTS exam*
- 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 IELTS refunds can take up to four to six weeks to process. To transfer or cancel your test date, please contact: examinations@britishcouncil.org.hk*.
Exceptional circumstances
You may be able to request for an exception to be made to the standard transfer or cancellation policies, 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 mild cold)
- recent family bereavement
- hardship/trauma – victim of crime, victim of a traffic accident
- other forms of significant hardship
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.
If your test centre approves your exception request, you will be able to transfer to a new test date with 25% admin fee charged for deferral or be eligible for a refund of 75% of the IELTS test charges*
If your test centre does not approve your exception request, then the standard transfer and refund policies, detailed above, will apply.
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 of the price for the IELTS exam*, or;
- A transfer 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.