If your plans change or you face an unexpected situation, you may need to cancel or transfer your IELTS test date. Outlined below is our Cancellation, Refund and Transfer policy.

The information on this page is relevant to standard IELTS tests. If you're taking an IELTS for UKVI test, including IELTS for UKVI Life Skills, please visit our IELTS for UKVI cancellations and transfers policy page

 
 

You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test via the Test Taker portal . Refund terms depend on when you cancel and whether exceptional circumstances apply:

Cancellation date

Refund policy

15 or more days before the test date

75% refund of the total test fee (25% admin fee)

Within 14 days of the test date

No refund will be provided

Your local laws may give you better rights. If consumer protection law where you have registered to take your IELTS test offers you more favourable cancellation and transfer rights, then local laws will apply.

No refunds will be allowed for cancellations made within 14 days of the test date, regardless of the following:

  • The booking was just made and paid for within 14 days of the test date.
  • You selected the wrong test date.
  • You booked the incorrect IELTS test type.
  • You registered using an incorrect ID type.
  • You made multiple bookings.
 *Please note that refunds can take four to six weeks to process.
 
 
 

If you are ill or have a personal emergency on your test date, you may need to cancel your test. If this is the case, you can submit a case for special consideration due to exceptional circumstances to your test centre. This will allow you to carry over your test fee to a later test date or, in some cases, apply for a refund.

We define exceptional circumstances as:

  • a traumatic experience
  • domestic crisis
  • unavoidable legal or military obligation
  • serious medical conditions which prevent you from attending or performing normally on test day.
  • bereavement or other forms of significant hardship
  • civil unrest or extreme weather.

You can make a case for exceptional circumstances before the test and up to two calendar days after the test date if you did not attend the test. Applications for special consideration will not be accepted after your results have been released.

You need to contact your test centre directly and provide full information as to why you qualify for special consideration with supporting evidence. Your test centre will assess your application and will respond to you within seven working days of receiving your full application in writing.

If your test centre approves your application, you will receive a refund or transfer. In some cases, this will be subject to an administrative fee. Please be aware that refunds can take 4–6 weeks to process.

To apply for special consideration, please contact your Test Centre and submit a cancellation request, along with your supporting evidence.

 
 

Under certain circumstances outside of your test centre’s control, we may have to cancel your test and transfer it to a future date. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, civil unrest, industrial action, or force majeure.

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. 

If your test is cancelled or postponed due to other circumstances such as technical failure, venue or environmental factors, your test centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of a refund or a transfer to a future test. The British Council is not liable for any losses you incur as a result of test cancellation.

 
 

For regular IELTS
(IELTS on Computer / IELTS on Computer with Writing on Paper)

If you have booked an IELTS test and you need to change your test date, you can transfer your booking to a new date. Transfer terms depend on when you apply for you transfer: 

Request date

Transfer policy

15 or more days before the test date

Free transfer

Within 5-14 days of the test date

Transfer allowed. An administrative fee of 25% will be charged.

Under 5 days

No transfers allowed. Any transfer requests will be treated as a cancellation, and normal refund rules will apply

Please log in to the Test Taker Portal  , select “View this booking”, click the page tab "Date & location" and then click the “Transfer Test Date” icon. You will be guided to complete the payment (if applicable) online. We accept credit card, WeChat Pay China, or Alipay China. Please note that the transfer fee is non-refundable in any circumstances. 

You may submit your test date transfer request via this link  and settle the applicable transfer fee. Your request will be reviewed and processed in accordance with the Transfer Policies of the examination for which you have registered. Payments can be made by credit card, WeChat Pay (China), or Alipay (China).
 
 
Please note that the transfer fee is strictly non-refundable under all circumstances.
 

For IELTS on Paper or IELTS for UKVI

 
You may submit your test date transfer request via this link and settle the applicable transfer fee. Your request will be reviewed and processed in accordance with the Transfer Policies of the examination for which you have registered. Payments can be made by credit card, WeChat Pay (China), or Alipay (China).

 
Please note that the transfer fee is strictly non-refundable under all circumstances. Before submitting your request, kindly ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria for a test date transfer. If you are not eligible but proceed to submit a request and make payment, the transfer fee will remain non-refundable.

 

 
 
 
 
Share this