Note: This policy applies only to IELTS for UKVI testing, including IELTS for UKVI Life Skills. Please consult the relevant policy for non-IELTS for UKVI tests.
A. British Council IELTS Cancellations
You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test (first component) by notifying your test centre. Refund terms depend upon when you cancel and whether exceptional circumstances apply.
1. Time to test date
1.1. More than 14 days before the test:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration more than 14 days before the test you will receive a 75% refund of the total test fee.*
1.2. Within 14 days but more than two days before the test:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration within 14 days but more than two days before the test you will receive a 50% refund of the total test fee.*
1.3. Within two days of the test:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration within two days of the test you will receive a 25% refund of the total test fee.*
1.4. On the test day or after the test:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration on the test day or after the test, no refund will be provided.
* an additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank
2. Test taker exceptions
You may make a case for exceptional circumstances to your test centre before the test and up to five working 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 no later than five working days after the scheduled test date.
If your test centre approves your case, you will receive a full refund less an administration fee of no more than 25%.*
If your test centre does not approve your case, then the terms given in section 1. will apply.
We define exceptional circumstances as
- Distress on test day
- Domestic or family
- Government mandated obligation
- Medical or bereavement (such as hospital admission or a major injury, or loss of a close family member)
- Wider civil disruption
* an additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank
3. 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.
- A full refund*, or,
- A transfer to a future test date convenient to you.
The British Council is not liable for any losses you incur as a result of test cancellation.
In cases where your test centre cancels a test under circumstances within its control then in addition to a full refund or transfer to another test date, you may be eligible to apply for compensation for expenses incurred. Your eligibility will be assessed as a reasonable claim or not by the test centre and any compensation will be awarded depending on the following conditions:
- The test centre will assess whether the decision to cancel is within or outside its control.
- Any compensation awarded will be limited to travel and accommodation expenses only and which are:
- directly incurred as a result of planning your attendance on test day,
- evidenced by payment receipt(s),
- evidenced that cancelled travel and/or accommodation charges are non-recoverable from vendor,
- benchmarked against lowest reasonable market rates for the expenses in question (this will be carried out by the test centre).
- If you travel further than the closest test venue to your normal place of residence then the test centre will not find your claim reasonable.
* an additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank
B. British Council IELTS Transfers
4.1. More than 14 days before the test:
You may change your test date at any time more than 14 days before the test.
You must select a test date, where available, within the next three months from your original test date. If your preferred test date is more than three months after your original test date then your transfer will be treated as a cancellation.
You can only transfer the same booking once.
Your test centre may charge an administration fee of up to 25% of total test fee.
4.2. Within 14 days of the test:
Any transfer requests within 14 days of the test will be treated as a cancellation. Please refer to section A. Cancellations of this policy document.
Notes
i. Your test centre is responsible for issuing refunds and organising transfers.
ii. Under section A. 2., the test centre is responsible for decisions related to test taker claims for exceptional circumstances.
iii. Under section A. 3., the test centre is responsible for decisions related to compensation, including eligibility and any amounts awarded.
iv. If local consumer protection law in the country you have registered to take the IELTS test provides for cancellation and transfer rights which are more favourable to the test taker than the rights set out above, then local consumer protection law will apply.