British Council apologizes for IELTS test cancellations in China

The British Council apologized to IELTS candidates and the public on Tuesday for the inconvenience caused by the temporary cancellation of computer-delivered IELTS tests and IELTS One Skill Retake sessions in the Chinese mainland due to technical reasons.

The canceled computer-delivered tests were scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, while the canceled One Skill Retake sessions were scheduled for Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday.

IELTS tests were canceled for a fourth consecutive day on Tuesday. The sudden cancellations have caused considerable confusion and disruption for candidates, many of whom are under pressure to meet overseas application deadlines.

In two separate statements issued by the organization on Tuesday, it said the technical failure may have affected test security. To safeguard the fairness, impartiality, and credibility of the test, it decided to cancel the affected sessions and has fully refunded test fees to affected candidates.

For the computer-delivered IELTS tests, the British Council will fully resume tests from Wednesday and will add two days of free special sessions for affected candidates on Oct 19 and 20.

Candidates who have registered for other test dates may keep their test eligibility while receiving a refund for one test fee, or transfer to the special sessions free of charge. Those unable to attend the Oct 19 or 20 sessions, and who have not registered for another test date, will be offered a free voucher for the same type of test valid until the end of December.

For the canceled One Skill Retake sessions, the council will also fully resume tests from Wednesday. Candidates who have registered for other test dates may keep their test eligibility while receiving a refund for one test fee. Candidates who have not registered for another test date will later be offered a free voucher for the same type of test valid until the end of December.

Non-local candidates affected by the cancellations may apply for reimbursement of reasonable transportation and accommodation expenses incurred for the test with valid documents, including train tickets, air tickets, and hotel invoices.

The British Council said it fully understands the impact of the cancellations on candidates' original arrangements and preparation plans, and again offered its sincere apologies to all affected candidates, their families, and related parties.

If needed, it can issue explanatory documents for candidates to submit to overseas institutions and will make every effort to provide support. It added that further measures are being taken to improve relevant systems and safeguard mechanisms and to try its utmost to prevent similar situations from happening again.

The British Council has opened a customer service hotline along with a service email to handle the issue.