Requests to transfer or cancel your IELTS must be submitted in writing by email to the test center in the USA where you have registered.
Transfer or cancellation requests made via telephone will NOT be accepted.
Terms and conditions for IELTS on computer in the USA
Transfers
15 or more days before Listening, Reading Writing test date
Free Transfer is allowed
Within 5 - 14 days of Listening, Reading, Writing test date
Transfer allowed – an administrative fee up to 25% of test fee paid is charged
Within 4 days of a Listening, Reading, Writing test date
No Transfer allowed – any transfer during this period is treated as a cancellation.
Cancellations
15 or more days before a Listening, Reading, Writing test date
Cancellation is allowed – a refund of 75% of test fee paid can be claimed
Within 14 days of a Listening, Reading, Writing test date
Cancellation is allowed – Test fee is non-refundable
Exceptional circumstances and special consideration
If you are unable to attend your test or you are disadvantaged on the test day owing to illness, injury, or another exceptional circumstance outside your control, then you may apply to the test center for special consideration citing the exceptional circumstances and provide verifiable evidence. Exceptional circumstances include bereavement, civil unrest, or a domestic crisis. Find out more about special consideration owing to exceptional circumstances.
Exceptional circumstances and special considerations will not result in an adjustment to band scores.
To apply, you will need to write to your test center directly to consider the request. You will need to provide the basis for your request and verifiable evidence when you apply for special consideration to support your request. Your request will be automatically disqualified in the absence of substantiating evidence.
The test center has full discretion to accept or reject a request. If your application is approved, you should receive a refund or transfer which may be subject to an administrative fee.
If your application is denied, you have the right to appeal that decision through our complaints procedure.
Terms and conditions for IELTS on paper in the USA - Access arrangements
Transfers
Transfer requests received more than 5 weeks prior to the test date will be charged a transfer fee of up to 25% of the cost of the test.
Transfer requests received less than 5 weeks prior to the test date due to a medical condition will be rescheduled and will be charged a transfer fee of up to 25% of the cost of the test (Proof of circumstance must be provided, such as a letter from the local health authority or a physician).
Transfer requests from an IELTS on paper to an IELTS on computer test received more than 5 weeks prior to the original test date will be charged a transfer fee of up to 10% of the cost of the test.
A second transfer request will result in cancellation of your registration with no refund.
Where available, the new test date must be within three months of the original test date and at the same test center. If the new preferred test date is more than three months after the original test date, the transfer will be treated as a cancellation.
Cancellations
Cancellation requests received more than 5 weeks prior to the test date will receive a refund less an administrative fee of up to 25%.
Cancellation requests received less than 5 weeks ahead of the test date will NOT receive a refund.
Exceptional circumstances and special consideration
If you are unable to attend your test or you are disadvantaged on the test day owing to illness, injury, or another exceptional circumstance outside your control, then you may apply to the test center for special consideration citing the exceptional circumstances and provide verifiable evidence. Exceptional circumstances include bereavement, civil unrest, or a domestic crisis. Find out more about special consideration owing to exceptional circumstances.
Exceptional circumstances and special considerations will not result in an adjustment to band scores.
To apply, you will need to write to your test center directly to consider the request. You will need to provide the basis for your request and verifiable evidence when you apply for special consideration to support your request. Your request will be automatically disqualified in the absence of substantiating evidence.
The test center has full discretion to accept or reject a request. If your application is approved, you should receive a refund or transfer which may be subject to an administrative fee. If your application is denied, you have the right to appeal that decision through our complaints procedure.
Terms and conditions for IELTS for UKVI on paper and computer and IELTS for Life Skills in the USA
Cancellations
You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test by notifying your test center. Refund terms depend upon when you cancel and whether exceptional circumstances apply.
Time to test date:
- More than 14 days before the test date:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration more than 14 days before the test date you will receive 75% refund of the total test fee. - Within 14 days but more than two days before the test date:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration within 14 days but more than two days before the test date you will receive a 50% refund of the total test fee. - Within two days of the test date:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration within two days of the test date you will receive a 25% refund of the total test fee. - On the test day or after the test date:
If you cancel your IELTS test registration on the test day or after the test date no refund will be provided.
Transfers
1. More than 14 days before the test date:
- you may change your test date at any time more than 14 days before the test date
- 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 center may charge an administration fee of up to 25% of the total test fee.
2. Within 14 days before the test date:
- any transfer requests within 14 days of the test date will be treated as a cancellation. Please refer to the “Cancellations” section of this policy document.
Test taker exceptions
You may make a case for exceptional circumstances to your test center before the test date and up to five working days after the test date if you did not attend the test. Your test center will respond to you within seven working days of receiving your case in writing. Your test center will assess your case for exceptional circumstances.
All cases for exceptional circumstances and supporting evidence must be received by your test center no later than five working days after the scheduled test date.
If your test center 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 center does not approve your case, then the terms given in the “Cancellation” section 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
- evidence of bereavement, trauma or other forms of significant hardship
- military service.
Test center exceptions
Under certain circumstances outside the test center's control, we may have to cancel your test date. These circumstances include, and are not limited to, extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, civil unrest, and industrial action.
In these circumstances, your test center 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.
In cases where your test center cancels a test date 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 center and any compensation will be awarded depending on the following conditions:
- the test center 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, 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 center)
- if you travel further than the closest test venue to your normal place of residence, then the test center will not find your claim reasonable.
Notes
- Your test center is responsible for issuing refunds and organizing transfers.
- Under Section “Test Taker Exceptions”, the test center is responsible for decisions related to test taker claims for exceptional circumstances.
- Under Section “Test Center Exceptions”, the test center is responsible for decisions related to compensation, including eligibility and any amounts awarded.
- If local consumer protection law in the country where you have registered to take the IELTS test provides for cancellation and transfer rights which are more favorable to the test taker than the rights set out above, then local consumer protection law will apply.
See full Terms and Conditions for IELTS in the USA: