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. Refund terms depend on when you cancel and whether exceptional circumstances apply:
| Cancellation date | Refund policy |
| 15 or more days before the test date | You will receive a refund minus an administration fee of 33,000 KZT |
| Within 14 days of the test date | No refund will be provided |
Please be aware that refunds can take 4–6 weeks to process.
Test centre exceptions
Under certain circumstances outside of your test centre’s control, we may have to cancel your test and 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.
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 33,000 KZT will be charged. |
| Under 5 days | No transfers allowed. Any transfer requests will be treated as a cancellation, and normal refund policy rules will apply. |
To request a transfer, visit the Test Taker portal and follow the instructions under 'Manage my booking'. It is allowed to transfer your registration up to 5 times in total.
Test taker exceptions
On rare occasions, there may be instances where you are unable to attend your test or are disadvantaged on the test day owing to illness, injury, or another exceptional event outside your control. In these cases, you may make an application to your test centre for special consideration due to exceptional circumstances. This will allow you to carry over your test fee to a later assessment opportunity 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 your test centre directly and provide full information as to why you qualify for special consideration with supporting evidence. Your test centre will assess your application and will respond to you within seven working days of receiving your full application in writing.
If your test centre approves your application, you will receive a transfer or refund. This will be subject to an administrative fee of 33,000 KZT.
To apply for special consideration, please contact your Test Centre and submit a request, along with your supporting evidence.