UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)

Looking to work or study in the UK?

What is IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)?

If you are looking to work or study in UK, you may need to apply for a UK Visa and demonstrate that you have met the required level of English by taking a Home Office approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), such as IELTS for UKVI (Academic and General Training) or IELTS Life Skills.

Is there a difference in test format between IELTS and IELTS for UKVI?

IELTS and IELTS for UKVI are the same in terms of format, content, scoring and level of difficulty. However, the Test Report Form which contains your results is slightly different to show that you have taken the test at an official IELTS for UKVI location, which is approved by the UK Home Office.

Which test format should i take?

If you are a student, please check with your university / college / school which test you need before booking.

If you are applying for a Student Visa (Tier 4) at a higher education institution to enter directly onto a bachelor or postgraduate degree at a university that is a Tier 4 Sponsor, you must meet the English language level set by the institution. All British universities and colleges accept IELTS Academic results This means you may not need to take an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test but can submit an IELTS Academic result.

If you are NOT a student, please check which test format you need with the organisations you are applying to before booking the test.

Test	Description	Fee
IELTS for UKVI (Academic)	Take this test if the university or organisation you are applying to has requested that you take the IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test.	BND385
IELTS for UKVI (General Training)	Take this test if you want to migrate to the UK or want to train or study below degree level.	BND385
IELTS Life Skills A1	Take this test if you need to prove your English Speaking and Listening skills as part of your application to UK Visas and Immigration for ‘family of a settled person’ visas.	BND245
IELTS Life Skills B1	Take this test if you need to prove your English Speaking and Listening skills as part of your application to UK Visas and Immigration for indefinite leave to remain or citizenship.	BND245

Taking IELTS for UKVI with CfBT Examinations Centre

IELTS for UKVI (Academic and General Training) tests and IELTS Life Skills are taken at a UKVI approved test centre. British Council has UKVI approved venues across the world which includes CfBT Examinations Centre in Brunei Darussalam. You can choose between paper-based or computer-delivered IELTS for UKVI when you book your test.

Please note: You can either book IELTS for UKVI online

(by clicking on the “Book now” button below), or you can also download the booking form here and register for the test at the test centre.

If you are submitting it offline, please ensure you submit your form and payment 10 days before your test date or 4 days before your test date if it is via walk-in and making payment at our test centre.

By clicking, more information it will provide you the test dates availability, child protection form and information about the payment options.

Book your IELTS UKVI test here:

Book now

IELTS for UKVI: cancellations and transfers policy for test takers

You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test by notifying your test centre.

A. Cancellations

You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test (first component) by notifying your test centre. Refund terms depend upon when you cancel and whether exceptional circumstances apply.

1. Time to test date

1.1. More than 14 days before the test:

If you cancel your IELTS test registration more than 14 days before the test you will receive a 75% refund of the total test fee.*

1.2. Within 14 days but more than two days before the test:

If you cancel your IELTS test registration within 14 days but more than two days before the test you will receive a 50% refund of the total test fee.*

1.3. Within two days of the test:

If you cancel your IELTS test registration within two days of the test you will receive a 25% refund of the total test fee.*

1.4. On the test day or after the test:

If you cancel your IELTS test registration on the test day or after the test, no refund will be provided.

* an additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank

2. Test taker exceptions

You may make a case for exceptional circumstances to your test centre before the test and up to five working days after the test date if you did not attend the test. Your test centre will respond to you within seven 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 five working days after the scheduled test date.

If your test centre approves your case, you will receive a full refund less an administration 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
Military service

* an additional bank transfer fee may be deducted by your bank

If you cancel your IELTS test registration on the test day or after the test, no refund will be given.

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

4.1. More than 14 days before the test:

You may change your test date at any time more than 14 days before the test.

You must select a test date, where available, within the next three months from your original test date. If your preferred test date is more than three months after your original test date then your transfer will be treated as a cancellation.

You can only transfer the same booking once.

Your test centre may charge an administration fee of up to 25% of total test fee.

4.2. Within 14 days of the test:

Any transfer requests within 14 days of the test will be treated as a cancellation. Please refer to section A. Cancellations of this policy document.