Voice of China has recently continued to pay attention to the news that IELTS exams have been canceled across the country. Candidates from many places reported on the 10th that the IELTS test on the day they registered was temporarily canceled, and some candidates were even suddenly informed of the suspension of the test during the listening test. After three consecutive days of suspension, the IELTS single-subject retest that was supposed to be held on the 13th was also temporarily canceled the night before.
Note from the organizer: Relevant events have been canceled due to technical reasons
Registration fee fully refundable
On the afternoon of the 13th, the British Council announced that the follow-up arrangements for the recent IELTS exams have been temporarily cancelled. The British Council stated that the IELTS computer-based exams in mainland China on October 10 and 11 and the IELTS single-subject retests in mainland China on October 10, 12 and 13 were temporarily canceled due to technical reasons. In view of the fact that this technical failure may affect the security of the examination, and in order to effectively maintain the fairness, impartiality and credibility of the examination, the British Council has decided to cancel the relevant sessions and has fully refunded the application fees to the affected candidates.
Arrange re-examination in batches
Add free special sessions and issue exam coupons
The follow-up arrangements for the temporary cancellation of the IELTS test on October 10 and 11 are: the test will be fully resumed from October 14, 2026, and two extra days of free special tests will be added for affected candidates on October 19 and 20. Candidates who have registered for other sessions can receive a refund of the examination fee while retaining their qualifications, or can transfer to the above-mentioned sessions for free. Candidates who are unable to attend the special session on October 19 or 20 and have not registered for other sessions will receive free exam coupons for the same type of exam that can be used before the end of December. The specific usage method will be notified via email. The registration method for the special session is based on the official British Council IELTS email ([email protected]).
The follow-up arrangements for the temporary cancellation of the IELTS single subject retests on October 10, 12 and 13 are: the exam will be fully resumed from October 14, 2026. Candidates who have registered for other sessions can receive a refund of the exam fee while retaining their exam qualifications. Candidates who have not yet registered for other sessions will later receive free exam coupons for the same type of exam that can be used before the end of December. The specific usage method will be notified via email. Please refer to the official IELTS email from the British Council.
Affected out-of-town candidates
Transportation and accommodation expenses can be reimbursed
In addition, candidates from other places affected by this incident can apply for reimbursement of reasonable transportation, accommodation and other expenses incurred during the examination with valid vouchers, including tickets, air tickets, hotel invoices, etc. The British Council will send the application portal and specific instructions to relevant candidates via email.
If candidates need it, the British Council can issue relevant instructions for them to submit to overseas institutions or embassies in China. If you have any other questions, you can contact the British Council through the customer service hotline 010-58103306 (service hours: 09:00-12:00, 13:30-17:00) and the service email [email protected].
