A spokesperson for IELTS said:
"We apologise to those affected, and we take responsibility for the error that resulted in some people receiving incorrect results.
"Once this issue was identified, we acted to rectify it, correcting results and supporting people. We offered refunds or resits to everyone affected. We addressed additional support requests, including for 19 individuals who contacted us regarding potentially missed opportunities. We worked directly with recognising organisations and relevant authorities to help mitigate any harm.
"We have conducted a thorough review of what happened and have implemented additional operational controls and safeguards to prevent a recurrence.
"IELTS is regulated by Ofqual globally and that holds us to the highest standards. This regulation provides independent oversight and accountability, and we welcome the scrutiny that comes with it.
"Our focus remains on delivering accurate, trusted and fair assessments for every test taker."
Facts and figures
During the affected period (24 August 2023 and 4 September 2025), 7,786,614 IELTS test instances were processed, of which:
- 63,216 test instances involved a change of result at component or qualification level, affecting 62,794 individual learners;
- 21,717 test instances saw a change at qualification level:
- 20,602 upward changes (20,600 consisting of a 0.5 overall band adjustment and 2 consisting of a 1.0 band adjustment)
- 1,115 downward changes (all consisting of a 0.5 overall band adjustment)
Visa-related
- UK visa related tests accounted for 1,108 of affected tests. 279 of these saw a CEFR change.
- Of these, there were four cases where incorrect results impacted visa eligibility. In each of these four cases, the affected test taker subsequently resat and met entrance requirements.
Redress
- 26,246 test takers requested and received a refund.
- 1,145 test takers requested and received a resit.
- 270 complaints were received and 24 were upheld. Of these, 19 complaints related to a missed opportunity.