Candidates must fill in and forward an application for refund or test day transfer no later than four weeks prior to the test date. IELTS request refund or test date transfer form.
- Cancellations
You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test 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 three days before the test:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration within 14 days but more than three days before the test you will receive a 50% refund of the total test fee.
1.3 Within three days of the test:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration within three days of the test you will not receive any refund.
2. Test taker exceptions
You may make a case for exceptional circumstances to your test centre before the test and up to five 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 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% of the test 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. Please read "Illness on test day" on page Book your test
- evidence of bereavement, trauma or other forms of significant hardship
- military service.
Select a New IELTS Test Date
Candidates who have been approved for transfer must select a test date within the next three-month period and this will be approved by the Administrator depending on availability for the selected test date. There may be limited availability for test dates in the first five-week period. Candidates who wish to transfer to a test date more than three months away should apply for a refund and then re-apply for the test.