How to reschedule or transfer your IELTS test
How to reschedule or transfer your IELTS test date: the steps to request a transfer, the notice windows that decide the fee, and how medical transfers work.
To reschedule IELTS, contact the test partner or centre you booked with — British Council or IDP — and request a transfer to a later date before their notice deadline. An administration fee is usually retained. Illness or emergencies follow a separate route that needs evidence. Exact fees and windows are set by the partner, so check your booking confirmation.
Plans change, and IELTS lets you move your test date rather than lose your booking entirely — but the deadlines, fees and rules are set by the test partner you booked with, not by IELTS centrally. This guide walks through how to request a transfer, the notice window that decides whether a fee applies, and the separate route for medical or exceptional circumstances. For the live figures, always check your booking confirmation and the official partner pages.
How to request an IELTS transfer
The request always goes to whoever you booked with — the test partner or local centre — never to IELTS centrally. The screens differ by partner, but the sequence is the same.
Find who you booked with
Your test was arranged through British Council, IDP or a local IELTS centre, and that organisation handles the change. Start from your booking confirmation email rather than a generic IELTS site.
Sign in to your booking
Log in to the candidate account or booking portal you used, where a transfer or reschedule option is usually available. If you booked at a centre in person, contact that centre directly.
Choose transfer, not cancellation
Decide whether you want to move to a later date (a transfer) or withdraw entirely (a cancellation and refund). Selecting the wrong one can forfeit more of your fee than you intended.
Submit before the notice deadline
Make the request before the partner's cut-off — commonly a few weeks before the test date. Before the deadline an administration fee is typically retained; after it, a transfer may be refused.
Attach evidence for medical or exceptional cases
If you are transferring because of illness or a serious emergency, upload the supporting evidence the partner asks for, within the window they set after the original test date.
Confirm and keep the new booking
Once the new date is issued, check the confirmation for the date, time and test type, and keep it. Your Speaking test may be scheduled separately from the written papers.
Reschedule, transfer or cancel — which one you need
"Reschedule" and "transfer" describe the same thing: keeping your booking but moving it to a later test date. That is different from a cancellation, which withdraws you from the test in exchange for a refund. Most partners let you do either, and the deadline that governs one usually governs the other.
Choosing the right one matters because the money works differently. A transfer carries your fee to the new date minus an administration charge; a cancellation returns your fee minus a charge and closes the booking. If you are unsure whether you can sit any date at all, a transfer keeps your options open. The exact terms are set by the test partner, so read them on your confirmation before you commit.
Notice windows: why the date you ask matters
Every partner sets a notice window — a cut-off a certain period before your test date. Request a transfer inside that window and the change is usually straightforward, with only an administration fee retained. Ask after it, and a transfer may be refused outright or treated as a late change with a larger share of the fee kept.
The length of that window, and the fee attached to it, vary by country, by centre and by whether you sat the paper or computer-delivered test — so no single figure applies everywhere. Computer-delivered IELTS runs far more frequently than the paper test, which usually makes finding a suitable new date easier once a transfer is approved. Check the current window and fee on the official partner page rather than assuming.
Medical and exceptional circumstances
If you cannot attend because of illness, bereavement or another serious emergency, most partners handle it separately from an ordinary transfer — often more generously — but only with evidence. You will typically need a certificate from a qualified medical professional, or comparable documentation, submitted within a short window after your original test date.
The centre, not the candidate, decides whether the circumstances qualify and what proof is acceptable. Because these rules and the evidence window are set locally and reviewed periodically, treat the exact requirements as something to confirm with your test partner as soon as you know you cannot attend, rather than waiting.
Transfer, cancel or no-show — which applies to you
The right request depends on your situation and how much notice you can give. The structure below is stable; the deadlines and fees behind it are not.
| Your situation | What to request | What it usually involves |
|---|---|---|
| You want a later date, well before the test | Transfer (reschedule) | Handled by your test partner or centre; an administration fee is typically retained |
| You want a later date close to the test | Transfer, if still allowed | After the notice deadline a transfer may be refused, or a larger share of the fee kept |
| You can no longer take the test at all | Cancellation (refund) | A refund minus an administration charge, subject to the same notice deadline |
| Illness or a serious personal emergency | Medical / exceptional-circumstance transfer | Supporting evidence submitted within a set window after the test date; the centre decides |
| You simply did not attend, with no notice | No-show | Usually no refund or transfer — the fee is forfeited |
The deadlines, the administration fee and the refund share are all set by your test partner (British Council or IDP) and can differ by country and test type. Confirm the current terms on your booking confirmation or the official partner page before acting.
Common questions
Can I change my IELTS test date after booking?
Yes, in most cases you can transfer your booking to a later date rather than lose it. The request goes to the test partner or centre you booked with and must reach them before their notice deadline. An administration fee is usually retained, and the exact terms vary by country and partner.
How much does it cost to reschedule IELTS?
There is no single fee — a transfer administration charge is set by the test partner and differs by country and test type. It is normally a portion of your test fee rather than the full amount. Check the current figure on your booking confirmation or the official partner page before requesting the change.
Can I transfer my IELTS to a different test centre or city?
Sometimes, but a change of centre is handled separately from a change of date and depends on availability and the partners involved. If both centres are run by the same test partner it is more likely to be possible. Contact the centre you booked with to ask what it allows.
What happens if I miss my IELTS test without notice?
A no-show — not attending without cancelling or transferring in time — usually means the fee is forfeited, with no refund or free transfer. The exception is a genuine medical or exceptional circumstance, where you may still request a transfer or refund by submitting evidence within the window your partner sets after the test date.
How late can I reschedule my IELTS test?
Up to the partner's notice deadline, which is commonly a few weeks before the test date. After that cut-off a transfer may be refused or treated as a late change with a larger fee. Very close to the test, the only route left is usually the medical or exceptional-circumstance process, which needs evidence.
Can I reschedule my IELTS more than once?
This depends entirely on the test partner — some allow a further transfer, others limit you to one move, and each may charge again. There is no universal rule, so check the terms attached to your booking before assuming a second reschedule is possible.
Official sources
Confirm the current figures — fees, dates and exact policies — on the official sites, which set them.
Prepare for the test itself — full timed mocks in the real computer-delivered interface.
Start a mock testReviewed 10 September 2026. Procedures follow the official IELTS partners; always confirm current fees and dates on the sources above.