IELTS Cancellation, Refund and Transfer policy
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.
IELTS test cancellation and refunds
You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test via the Test Taker portal, along with an upload of supporting documentation/evidence. Please note that refunds can take four to six weeks to process.
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 |
If a medical certificate confirming illness on the date of the test is provided within two calendar days of the test date, together with the submitted cancellation request on the Test Taker Portal, the fee is refundable, minus an administration fee of 25% of the test fee.
Only medical certificates in Ukrainian or English are accepted. If we have not received your submitted cancellation request along with an upload of supporting documentation/evidence on the Test Taker Portal by the second calendar day after the test, you will be marked as absent and forfeit all claims.
Please note that we do not accept sick notes issued by family members.
Copies sent by fax are not accepted.
You must send the original of this certificate along with the Refund Request Form and the supporting documents (passport and identification code copies) by registered mail to the following address: Ukraine, Kyiv, 01010, 32/2, Ostrozkykh Kniaziv Str., British Council (Ukraine). Before sending the originals, please contact our customer service via info@britishcouncil.org.ua for checking the accuracy of the documents’ completion.
Refunds can only be processed directly to customer bank accounts in Ukraine. The British Council cannot make payments to banks (or other financial institutions) sanctioned by the UK or any other relevant jurisdiction. If you request a refund to be sent to an account at a sanctioned bank and/or sanctioned financial institution, you will be asked to nominate an alternative method of payment that does not breach sanctions. Failure to provide an alternative method of payment will result in non-payment of the relevant funds.
Test taker exceptions
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 our customer service. You can find some information here: Special Consideration for Exceptional Cases | Take IELTS
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 our customer service directly and provide full information as to why you qualify for special consideration with supporting evidence. Your application will be assessed, and you will receive a response within seven working days of receiving your full application in writing. If your application is approved, 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 our customer services and submit a cancellation request, along with your supporting evidence.
Test Centre exceptions
Under certain circumstances outside of your test centre’s control, we may have to cancel your test or 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 (subject to availability).
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.
IELTS test day transfers
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 your transfer:
| Transfer request date | Transfer policy |
| 15 or more days before the test date | Transfer at no cost. |
| Within 5-14 days of the test date | Transfer allowed. An administrative fee of 25% will be charged. Evidence must be provided. |
| Under 5 days | No transfers allowed. Any transfer requests will be treated as a cancellation, and normal refund rules will apply |
To request a transfer, visit the Test Taker portal and follow the instructions under 'Manage my booking'.