Note: This policy applies only to IELTS for UKVI tests, including IELTS for UKVI Life Skills. Please consult the relevant policy for non-IELTS for UKVI tests.
A. Cancellations of IELTS exam
You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test(first component) by notifying your test centre. IELTS cancellation fees depend upon when you cancel and whether exceptional circumstances apply.
- How to request: Go to [Test Taker Portal] on the IELTS Online Registration System → click [Tests & results] → choose the test you want to transfer or cancel
1. Time to test date
Table 1. Refund request time and refund amount
| The time your cancellation requests made | Refunded amount |
| A. within 7 days from the initial payment date | full test fee |
| B. after 8 days from the initial payment date | see below |
| B-1. More than 14 days before the test | 75% refund |
| B-2. Within 14 days bur more than 2 days before the test | 50% refund |
| B-3. Within 2 days of the test | 25% refund |
| C. within 7 days from your test date | not refundable |
Table 2. Refund amount and administration fee charge rate
| Test | Test fee | Admin fee charge rate | Refunded amount |
| IELTS for UKVI | KRW 333,000 | 25% | KRW 249,750 |
| 50% | KRW 166,500 | ||
| 75% | KRW 83,250 | ||
| IELTS for UKVI Life Skills | KRW 236,000 | 25% | KRW 177,000 |
| 50% | KRW 118,000 | ||
| 75% | KRW 59,000 |
Please note:
- an additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank.
- If your make your payment and request cancellation on the same day, you can get a full refund. In case your request made out-of-office hours fails or encountre systematic errors, send us your request in e-mail to exams@britishcouncil.or.kr before midnight on the day.
2. Test taker exceptions
You may make a case for exceptional circumstances to your test centre before the test and up to 5 working days after the test date if you did not attend the test. Your test centre will respond to you within 7 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 5 working days after the scheduled test date.
If your test centre approves your case, you will receive a full refund less an IELTS cancellation fee of no more than 25%.*
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
- Evidence of bereavement, trauma or other forms of significant hardship
- Natual disaster, civil unrest, industrial action, etc.
- Military service
- Find more information visiting HERE.
* an additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank.
3. Test centre exceptions
Under certain circumstances outside test centre control, we may have to cancel your test. These circumstances include and are not limited to extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, civil unrest and industrial action.
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.
In cases where your test centre cancels a test 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 centre and any compensation will be awarded depending on the following conditions:
- The test centre 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 and 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 centre).
- If you travel further than the closest test venue to your normal place of residence then the test centre will not find your claim reasonable.
* an additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank.
B. Transfers
You can submit your test date transfer request by clicking HERE. We will review your request and process it by following the Transfer Policies of the exams of which you registered.
Table 3. Transfer request time and the administration charge
| The time your transfer requests made | Test | Administration charge |
| More than 7 days before the test | IELTS for UKVI | KRW 83,250 |
| IELTS for UKVI Life Skills | KRW 59,000 | |
| On the test day or after the test | Non-transferable |
Please note:
- You must select a test date, where available, within the open dates available on the online registration system.
- Only postmonements(moving to the later dates) are available. In case you want to bring your test date forward, you will need to cancel your test then make a new test registration.
- You can only transfer the same booking once.
- Your test centre may charge an administration fee of up to 25% of total test fee.*
* an additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank.