IELTS FAQ Discover frequently asked questions about IELTS
Identification Document
To apply for an IELTS Test, you need a valid ID document:
- Original Passport*
- EU national ID card
- UK Residence Card/Permit (BRP card)
- Refugee Identity Card
- Asylum Seeker Certificate
- Application Registration Card (ARC)
*For IELTS test in Israel only Passport is accepted.
If you don’t have your ID document on the day of your test, you won’t be allowed to sit the test and you will lose your test fee. If you need to change your ID before your test, please contact the test centre before your test day.
General Training or Academic?
You should speak to the institution that has requested an IELTS test from you and ask which one they require, but as a guideline:
- The Academic module is for people who want to study an undergraduate or postgraduate degree course, or who wish to register with a professional body.
- The General Training module focuses on basic survival skills in a broader social and educational setting. General Training is suitable if you are joining a training programme or doing work experience in English speaking countries but is not designed for degree level. This module is also suitable for those wishing to emigrate to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.
IELTS or IELTS for UKVI?
If you wish to use an IELTS test result as a part of your application to UKVI – apart from some types of student visa – you may need to take an IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills test.
To find out whether you need to take an approved SELT test, what level you need to achieve, and which test you can use, you should visit https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/which-ielts-test/ukvi. There is also a wealth of information on UKVI’s website www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-applying-for-uk-visa-approved-english-language-tests.
Both the UKVI and Life Skills tests must be taken at an IELTS test location specifically authorised by UKVI and must be taken under specified conditions. You will receive an IELTS or IELTS Life Skills Test Report Form to show that your test met these requirements.
Differences between IELTS on Paper and IELTS on Computer:
They are the same IELTS test, with the same test content and structure. The only difference is that you can choose to type your answers or write them on paper – whichever suits you best. you will also use headphones for the listening test for all computer-based exams. For IELTS on Paper, the listening test is conducted via a speaker under test conditions.
To apply for an IELTS Test, you need a valid ID document:
- Original Passport*
- EU national ID card
- UK Residence Card/Permit (BRP card)
- Refugee Identity Card
- Asylum Seeker Certificate
- Application Registration Card (ARC)
- *For IELTS test in Israel only Passport is accepted.
*If you have sent your passport to the Home Office, you should contact the Home Office and request to have it returned to you for the exam day. IH London cannot accept certified copies of passports.
If you think that you will not have your ID on the test day, please contact us as soon as possible up to 1 working day before your test at ielts@ihlondon.com for UK customers, shalom@ihtrust.org fo Israel customers.
IMPORTANT: If you do not have your original passport/ID document on the day of the exam, you will not be allowed to sit the exam, losing your test fee.
The IELTS test fee for the UK ranges from £215 to £220 (depending on the venue).
For Israel, the prices are as follows:
IELTS – ILS 1320 / £300
IELTS for UKVI – 1290ILS
Life Skills – 690ILS
You can apply and pay for an IELTS test online or by post.
- To apply and pay online, visit the IELTS registration page and follow the instructions.
You’ll need to upload a copy of your passport or Identity Card (both sides in this case). More information is available on our IELTS registration page.
- To apply by post, download an IELTS Application Form and post it to the address below along with a copy of the ID you will use on your test.
IELTS – Exams Department
International House London
16 Stukeley Street
London
WC2B 5LQ
You can pay for an IELTS test online.
To pay online please visit Book your test – International House London (ihlondon.com)
If you have any issues with the payment process please contact
- ielts@ihlondon.com for UK
- israel@ihtrust.org for Israel
Please note that occasionally we may need to receive payments before the 24 hours deadline from application. In this case we will contact you.
The IELTS test is not recommended for candidates under the age of 16. International House London IELTS Centre can not accept applicants under the age of 16.
The test day photo is an integral part of the identity verification process, and every candidate, including minors, must have the test day photo taken without exception.
If you are under 18, we require permission from your parent or a legal guardian to allow us to capture your photo and finger scan during the registration process on the exam day. For this reason, your parent/guardian will be required to complete your booking on your behalf.
Please be aware that you are required to provide medical evidence to support your claim. The doctor’s report should contain clear recommendations regarding the requested special arrangements, with these requirements:
- It should be accessible to the administrator in terms of language and legibility.
- It should be an original document on headed paper, bearing the name, relevant qualification/s and signature of a recognised, qualified professional.
- It should give a clear statement of the test taker’s disability.
- It should be clear on how the disability justifies special arrangements.
- It must include details of the degree of disability.
- For learning difficulties, it must include assurance that the evidence of specific difficulties was obtained through the results of appropriate and recognised tests and the tests used must be stated.
- For learning difficulties, the evidence should be from when the test taker was aged 13 years or older.
Once we receive and assess your evidence, we will be able to confirm the test date and ask you for additional documents if necessary.
Please note that at this stage we cannot guarantee your preferred test date/venue, although we always try to accommodate our test takers’ preferences.
If you require a modified version of the IELTS exam materials (i.e. braille papers, enlarged font, special CD for Listening, etc.), you must give us a six weeks’ notice. If your circumstances require special arrangements to be made, (i.e. extra time, headphones for Listening, separate invigilation etc.), it will be at the centre’s discretion to determine the time frame.
Please contact us on ielts@ihlondon.com
You will find your arrival times in your confirmation letter. Unfortunately, candidates who arrive late for registration will not be allowed to take the test and will lose their test fee.
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.
Special consideration includes instances such as:
- a traumatic experience
- domestic crisis
- unavoidable legal or military obligation
- serious medical conditions which prevent you from attending or performing normally on the test day
- bereavement or other forms of significant hardship
- civil unrest or extreme weather.
You can apply for special consideration before the test, and up to two calendar days after the test date. However, applications for special consideration will not be accepted after your results have been released.
Please provide full information as to why you qualify for special consideration with supporting evidence. Please also complete and return the emergency cancellation/transfer form below. We will assess your application and will respond to you within seven working days of receiving your full application in writing, during which time your results will be put on hold until a decision is finalised.
If your test centre approves your application, 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 four to six weeks to process. Note that there will be no adjustment to band scores.
ielts@ihlondon.com for UK
israel@ihtrust.org for Israel
Download Emergency Cancellation or transfer form
If you want to re-book your exam, please find an alternative date to IELTS Bookings
Do not try to re-book by yourself. When you decide on the new day please send us an email with your enquiry and the new day at
ielts@ihlondon.com for UK
israel@ihtrust.org for Israel
The International House Trust Assessment cancellation policy for IELTS exams is as follows:
- 15 days or more before your booked exam date – no charge (this means you can choose between a full refund OR transfer to a date within the next 3 months. Please note you can only transfer the same booking once.)
- 14 days and up to 24 hours before the exam:
- cancellation – refund minus £55 (UK)/£78 (Israel) administrative fee
- transfer to another date – £55 (UK)/£78 (Israel) administrative fee
- 24 hours or less – no refund possible
Please note that if you book your test 14 days or fewer before the exam date, you agree that our service to you has already begun and that there is no cooling-off period, therefore a full refund or no charge transfer is not applicable (Point 1 above). This is because some of our administrative processes begin 14 days prior to the test, such as:
- registration of your documents
- planning of test day staff and examiners
- generation of test day material
- booking of venues and test rooms
Points 2 and 3 above are, however, still applicable
To arrange a transfer, please contact us at:
ielts@ihlondon.com
israel@ihtrust.org
What you need to bring:
- Your original passport/ID card – This must be the same ID that you registered with
(Please note: only ID cards from EU countries are allowed). - Your confirmation email (printed, or in your telephone).
- Pens, pencils, erasers and a drink in a transparent bottle into the test room.
IMPORTANT
- You must bring the same, valid, passport/ID Card that you registered with.
- If you bring the wrong, expired or invalid ID you will not be allowed to sit the test.
- Photocopies/Home Office letters are not accepted.
Confirmation emails are usually sent 4-5 days before your test. If you made your booking during the week of your test, you will receive your confirmation email between 24-48h after your application has been completed.
The confirmation email contains an attachment with your test date, important information about the exam, a map to the venue and a timetable of events. Please make sure you check your email inbox, and junk inbox, for your test date confirmation email.
If you haven’t received the confirmation e-mail 2 days before your test, please contact us at ielts@ihlondon.com or israel@ihtrust.org for Israel.
Once your booking is confirmed, you will have access to online practice materials through your test-taker portal.
REACH IELTS Online Course
An online course focused on language skills, test techniques, and strategies to achieve grade 6 and above in the Academic IELTS exam. More Information here
IELTS preparation courses – International House offers a wide range of IELTS preparation courses. Find more information here
You can also find more preparation materials and familiarisation tests visiting: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare
For IELTS on Paper, your results will be released online on the 13th day after you take the test.
For IELTS on Computer, results are released 3-5 days after your test.
A notification email will be sent to you once they are ready.
For those who sit IELTS on Paper, hard copies of the TRF’s will be posted from our offices by first-class post (no tracking service). Please allow a few days for UK post or a week for international post for the results to reach your address.
We must wait 2 weeks for UK post or 3 weeks for international post before we can consider your certificate lost.
If you think your certificate is lost in the post, please contact us at ielts@ihlondon.com for UK, israel@ihtrust.org for Israel.
If you sit IELTS on Computer, you will receive an eTRF. This is an electronic version of the Test Report Form and will be available to download via your Test Taker Portal once your results have been released. Please note that no paper copies are produced. If your receiving organisation requires a paper copy of your TRF, please contact us on ielts@ihlondon.com and provide written evidence of such a request so that we can arrange that for you.
Please note, if you haven’t received your certificate, you must report it as lost within 3 months of your test. We are unable to issue replacement certificates over 3 months after the date of your test.
You can also check your results online logging in to your British Council test taker portal. Click in “completed”, then click on your test date, and then “results”.
Your results will be available online for 28 days.
Please note that the test centre cannot share your results over the phone or send an electronic copy of your Test Report Form by email.
You can find your TRF number in your Test Report Form (Certificate).
The test centre cannot share your results by email, instead, we can send a copy of your certificate to the relevant organisation.
Additional Institutional TRF Request Form
You can request up to 5 Institution copies free of charge within the first 2 years of your test date. If you require more than 5 copies, a charge of £ 25 per copy will apply.
Please complete the attached form and send it back to us by email so we can process your request. If you are requesting or have already requested more than 5 copies, we will contact you with instructions on how to make a payment.
Delivery time:
If the institution is registered to receive your results electronically, they will receive your results automatically once we have processed your request. We will let you know if this is the case.
If the institution is not registered for online results verification, we will send a hard copy of your results by post to the address provided. Estimated delivery times:
- Royal Mail First Class for UK (1-2 business days).
- International Standard postal service not tracked (Europe delivery aim: 3-5 working days; Worldwide delivery aim: 6-7 working days)
Please note that these are only estimated timelines provided by the Royal Mail and we cannot guarantee the exact delivery time.
Please note that we can only send copies to institutions/organisations. Private addresses are not accepted. There will be a £5 postal fee for hard copy requests. You can make payment here by selecting IELTS Fee Difference/Post Fee.
If you have already requested your 5 free copies during the registration process, and you need additional copies, there is a charge of £25 per additional certificate. You can make payment here by selecting TRF Replacement IELTS (x the amount you want to order).
Please note that we can only send Additional copies to Institutions and Registered Organisations, and not to private addresses.
If you think your test results are wrong and want to appeal, you’ll need to follow the Enquiry on Results (EOR) procedure.
- Log into your portal and click on completed exams tab and then on the date of the exam you want to request an EOR for.
- Choose the Results tab and test results will display.
- Scrolling all the way down, you click on the hyperlink to request the test remarking.
- You can select one or all modules you would like to get remarked and provide a justification for your request.
- At the bottom of the page, you need to agree to Terms and Conditions before you pay
The fee is £150 for UK and £210 for Israel.
EORs must be returned within six weeks of your test date. Requests received after six weeks will not be accepted.
Once we receive your request and payment, we will send the appropriate test materials to the British Council to be remarked.
The outcome of your Enquiry of Result (EOR) can become available on the same day as your application and up to 21 days after your application. The turnaround time of your application will depend on several factors, including the number of sections requested for remark. Please contact us if you have not received a response after 21 days.
If your score changes as a result of the remark, you will be refunded the fee and will be issued with a new Test Report Form. If your score does not change, you will lose your fee.
If you have lost or damaged your original/personal test report form you can apply to have it replaced with a new certificate, please be aware that candidates are only allowed one copy of their TRF at any given time.
There is a £25 fee in order to process your Replacement TRF, please fill out the request form and send it to us via email. Pay the fee here.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the International House Trust Assessment IELTS Test Centre service and wish to make a complaint, you can do so by sending an email with your complaint to our offices detailing the problem. Alternatively, you can complete a Candidate Complaint Form on the day of your test.
Any complaints about the test day itself should be made on the day of the test. Any complaint received after your results have been released, will not be considered.
Click the link to view our English language levels explained in the chart and take our free English language level test.
Over 90% of our IELTS preparation course students achieved their required exam score*.
We provide authentic test materials to help you prepare for your exam. As an IH student you will benefit from:
- IELTS classes at differing levels to make sure you are studying according to your ability. We provide Online and Face to Face preparation in our incredible building in London.
- Learn from IELTS examiners who can share the best and most up-to-date examination techniques
- Mock test experience to best prepare you for the exam
- Priority exam booking service which can be done in school
- Access to the IH London Student Portal: free learning resources for 3 months before you arrive until 3 months after your course ends
- Calendar of social activities and trips exclusively for IH London students
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