IELTS rescheduling, expiry date and your IELTS account in Canada
You can usually change or cancel an IELTS booking, but the rule depends on who you booked with. The British Council in Canada gives a free transfer 15 or more days before the test, while IDP Canada's own pages disagree: one counts 15 days, another five weeks. IELTS.org recommends treating results as valid for two years.
This page covers the account side of IELTS in Canada: changing or cancelling a booking, the expiry date, which login is which, how to register, and what to bring. It uses IDP's, the British Council's and IRCC's own words. It is not immigration advice: the company you booked with and the organisation that asked for IELTS decide what applies to you.
Can I reschedule my IELTS exam?
Usually yes, but the rules depend on who you booked with.
IELTS in Canada is run by IDP and by the British Council. Each has its own cancellation rules, and you must follow the rules of the company you booked with. The page you want is on that company's site. Check your booking confirmation email to see which one it is.
IDP Canada: two pages that disagree
IDP's Canada site has two pages on this, and they do not match. We read both pages on the same day. The first, "Reschedule or cancel your IELTS test", gives a rule counted in days. The second, an FAQ answer titled "Can I reschedule or cancel the test?", gives a rule counted in weeks. We show both, and we do not choose between them.
| IDP Canada page | What it says |
|---|---|
| Reschedule or cancel your IELTS test: 15 days or more | 15 or more days before the Listening, Reading and Writing Test Date, cancellation is allowed – a refund, less an admin charge, of the test fee paid can be claimed |
| Reschedule or cancel your IELTS test: inside 14 days | Within 14 days of the Listening, Reading and Writing Test Date, cancellation is allowed – the test fee is non-refundable |
| FAQ, Can I reschedule or cancel the test?: more than five weeks | If you reschedule or cancel your application more than five (5) weeks before the test date, you will receive a refund minus an administration charge. |
| FAQ, Can I reschedule or cancel the test?: within five weeks | If you reschedule or cancel within five (5) weeks of the test date, you will be charged the full fee unless you have a serious medical reason. |
IDP's Burnaby venue page, a third IDP Canada page on this, also gives transfer rules: one free transfer 15 or more days before the test, a transfer with a $75 administrative fee 5 to 14 days before, and no transfer within 4 days, when a request is treated as a cancellation. It says a cancellation 15 or more days before the test gets a refund of the test fee less a $75 administrative charge, and a cancellation within 14 days is non-refundable.
IDP's pages also point you to your test centre, which is the place to get a firm answer.
- Contact your test centre for the latest information on this process, as different centres handle cancellations and rescheduling slightly differently.
- Contact the test centre where you booked your test if you need to postpone or cancel.
- You can cancel your IELTS test booking at any time before taking the test by notifying the test centre. Refund policy and any other applicable charges depend upon when you cancel and whether exceptional circumstances apply.
Our reading: treat the stricter rule as your deadline. If you might need to change your date, ask your test centre in writing and keep the reply. IDP's Burnaby venue page puts the administrative charge at $75; its other pages say only 'admin charge'.
British Council in Canada: refunds and free transfers
The British Council's Canada page is one page with two tables, one for cancellations and one for moving your date. It calls moving your date a transfer. It says you manage this in its portal.
| If you want to | When | What the British Council says |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel | 15 or more days before | 15 or more days before the test date 75% refund of the total test fee (25% admin fee) |
| Cancel | Within 14 days | Within 14 days of the test date No refund will be provided |
| Move to a new date | 15 or more days before | 15 or more days before the test date free transfer |
| Move to a new date | Within 5-14 days | Within 5-14 days of the test date Transfer allowed. An administrative fee of 25% will be charged. |
| Move to a new date | Under 5 days | Under 5 days No transfers allowed. Any transfer requests will be treated as a cancellation, and normal refund rules will apply. |
- You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test via the Test Taker portal.
- To request a transfer, visit the Test Taker portal and follow the instructions under "Manage my booking".
- Your local laws may give you better rights. If consumer protection law where you have registered to take your IELTS test offers you more favourable cancellation and transfer rights, then local laws will apply.
IDP also tells you not to dispute the payment with your bank. It says: "This means you agree that you will not dispute or otherwise seek a "chargeback" from the company whose credit card or other method of payment you use to book and pay for the IELTS test or otherwise attempt to reverse payment." Use the refund route instead.
If you are ill or something goes wrong
Special consideration, and what to do on the day.
Both companies give a route for exceptional cases. They use almost the same words. IDP lists what counts:
- 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.
The rules on timing, illness and refunds are in the table.
| Situation | What the owners say |
|---|---|
| How long you have (IDP) | 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. |
| How long you have (British Council) | You can make a case for exceptional circumstances before the test and up to two calendar days after the test date if you did not attend the test. Applications for special consideration will not be accepted after your results have been released. |
| Illness or absence (IDP) | If you can't attend your IELTS test due to a serious medical condition, you can provide a medical certificate within 5 days of your test date to receive a refund minus the local administrative cost. If you are absent on the test day with no prior notice, you will lose your full test fee. |
| A medical certificate (IDP FAQ) | If you provide a medical certificate within five (5) days of the test date, you will receive a refund minus the local administrative cost. |
| If you are late (IDP) | If you experience difficulty on a test day, please inform the test centre immediately. |
| How fast the answer comes (British Council) | Your test centre will assess your application and will respond to you within seven working days of receiving your full application in writing. |
| How slow the refund is (British Council) | Please be aware that refunds can take 4–6 weeks to process. |
IDP's pages give two different time limits: special consideration within two calendar days after the test date, and a medical certificate within 5 days. Our reading: treat two days as your deadline, contact the centre in writing at once, and keep proof.
Our reading: apply the same day, attach evidence, and do not wait for your result. With IDP, contact your test centre. The British Council's britishcouncil.ca cancellation page says to contact your test centre directly and also to submit special-consideration requests through the Test Taker Portal, with your cancellation request and evidence. Its ielts.ca page says to contact your test centre and submit a cancellation request with your supporting evidence. Both companies stop accepting special consideration once results are out.
IELTS expiry date
Two years is the standard, and it is counted from the test date.
The IELTS owners recommend two years, and the organisation that asks for your result decides what it accepts. This is what each source says.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| IELTS.org | We recommend that IELTS test results are considered valid for two years after a test has been taken. This is based on research into second-language loss. Organisations that accept IELTS can choose to accept results for a longer period, so you should check with them directly. |
| British Council, global results page | Your IELTS result is valid for two years. |
| IDP, on its global IELTS for Canada page | Regardless of which test you take, you results must be from within the last two years (24 months) to be valid. |
| IRCC, for Express Entry | Your test results must be less than 2 years old when you: complete your Express Entry profile, and submit your application for permanent residence |
IRCC adds advice on timing:
- Check that your language test results will still be valid when you plan to apply.
- If your results will expire before you can apply, you should: be tested again, or apply before your test results expire, or decline the invitation and go back into the pool to be considered in the future.
If you are thinking of a One Skill Retake to refresh a score, check this first. IRCC says: "We don't accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry." The British Council's Canada booking page adds: "Note: The IRCC has not endorsed the new IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR). Please check with your respective recognizing organization to acceptance."
Our reading: the word that matters in IRCC's rule is that results must be less than 2 years old at two moments, when you complete your profile and when you apply. IRCC's page says results must be less than 2 years old but does not say which date it counts from. Counting from your test date is the cautious choice, so leave a margin of weeks, not days. Other organisations set their own limits, so ask them.
Your IELTS account, portal and hub
Three names that get mixed up.
People call the places where you manage IELTS by different names. Here is what each company's pages say.
| What you might call it | What it is | What the owners say |
|---|---|---|
| IDP account | Where you registered with IDP, and where IDP shows your results | If you registered through IDP, you can access your IELTS results on your IDP account. |
| British Council Test Taker portal | Where you manage a British Council booking: cancel, transfer and read results | You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test via the Test Taker portal. |
| British Council results email | How you reach your British Council results | If you registered through the British Council, you will receive an email with a link to view your IELTS scores. |
| IELTS hub, IDP | IDP's Prepare hub, for study material | Access the IELTS Prepare hub to view articles, videos and register for a practice event near you or online. |
| IELTS by IDP app | IDP's app, as described on IDP Australia's page | A free and easy way to book your IELTS test, access practice material, register for events, and check your test results on the go. |
- To access your results online you will need your passport or ID number (the same ID you used when you registered for the test) and your candidate number.
- You'll get an email with a link to the Test Taker Portal when they're ready.
- If you are having issues logging into the Test Taker portal, contact your IELTS Test Centre directly for support.
Our reading: if you searched for an IELTS hub, you probably want one of two things. If you want to book, move or cancel, you want the account of the company you booked with. If you want to study, IDP's Prepare hub has free practice, and our IELTS practice test page lists what is in it.
How to register
Steps from IDP Canada's guide, and notes from the British Council.
IDP Canada has a five-step booking guide. It is an older guide, so check the live booking page for current options. These are its steps in its own words.
- Registering is easy. Simply visit the official IELTS website and select: "Register for test". You'll need to choose between an IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training. Then, based on your convenience and preference, you can choose between taking a IELTS Online (OR) IELTS on computer test.
- Choose where you would like to take the IELTS test.
- Choose when you would like to take your IELTS test at a date and time that suit you best.
- Sign up/log in to your IELTS profile. Fill out the details required in the application form and click submit. Also, do not forget to upload a clear copy of your passport.
- You can choose to pay using a Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card. Make sure your card is valid and activated for online transactions.
"Once you have completed all 5 steps, you will get an email or phone message confirming your IELTS test booking."
IDP's current cost page lists more ways to pay than that guide: debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express) or Interac online.
The British Council's Canada booking page says:
- With more than 150 test venues across the country, flexible test dates, and exclusive preparation resources.
- Prefer writing by hand? Choose IELTS on Computer with Writing on Paper and complete the Writing section in the way that feels most comfortable for you.
Which version to choose is a decision for the organisation asking for your result. IRCC says for Express Entry: "You must take the IELTS General Training option." Check your own programme's page before you book, and do not rely on ours.
ID, arrival and results
What to bring, when to arrive, when scores appear.
On ID, the two companies' pages do not quite match, and IDP Canada's page does not match itself. We show the lines.
| Source | What it says about ID |
|---|---|
| IDP Canada, what to bring | The most important thing to bring on the IELTS test day is your identification, either your passport or Permanent Resident Card, depending on which one you used for your IELTS test registration. |
| IDP Canada, same page, later | On the day of the test, you must bring your current passport (only original and current passports are accepted). |
| British Council | You must bring the passport or national identity card that you used during the registration. |
| British Council, expired ID | Invalid or expired ID / identification documents will not be accepted. If you cannot provide valid ID, you will not be able to sit the test. |
Our reading: bring the exact document you used to book. If you booked with a Permanent Resident Card, check with your test centre before you go, because IDP's page lists the passport rule too. If your details change after you book, IDP says: "If your address changes or you're issued with a new passport after you've applied to take IELTS, please contact IELTS Customer Support Team or the test centre to update your details."
IDP Canada also says your passport must have an expiry date of at least 7 days after the test date to be considered valid. If you are issued a new passport after you apply, you must contact IELTS Customer Support or the test centre to update your details and bring both your old and new passport on the day, because photocopies or certified copies will not be accepted.
- IDP Canada says: Please give yourself at least an hour's time to complete the registration process and relax before sitting the test.
- The British Council says: If you arrive late, you may not be allowed to take the test.
- The British Council says: You will receive an email at least three days before the test so you will know at what time your test starts.
- IDP Canada says: You don't have to bring any passport photos on the test day, as the IELTS test centre will take your photo when you register.
Results arrive in the account where you booked. IELTS.org gives the timing by test type. The British Council's global results page says IELTS on Computer with Writing on Paper results are available 13 days after your test date, while IELTS.org says within five days and IDP Canada says results can arrive in as little as 48 hours. We could not find the figure on the British Council's Canadian site, so confirm with your test centre before you plan around a deadline.
| Test | When results come |
|---|---|
| IELTS Online | 6–8 days |
| IELTS on computer | 1–5 days |
| IELTS on Computer (writing on paper), British Council global results page | 13 days after your test date |
| IELTS on a computer, British Council global results page | 1-2 days |
| IELTS on Computer (writing on paper), IELTS.org | You will receive your results within five days of your test date. |
| Writing on Paper, IDP Canada home page | Choose Writing on Paper or Writing on Computer when booking, with flexible test dates, convenient locations, and results in as little as 48 hours. |
Test centres can differ, so confirm timing with yours. Fees are a separate question: our IELTS test fees in Canada page has the price lists.
Common questions
Usually yes, but the rules depend on who you booked with. The British Council in Canada allows a free transfer 15 or more days before the test date, and a transfer with a fee of 25% within 5-14 days. IDP Canada says to notify your test centre. Its Burnaby venue page allows one free transfer 15 or more days before the test and charges $75 for a transfer 5 to 14 days before, while its other pages give different cut-offs for refunds.
With the British Council, you request a transfer in the Test Taker portal under "Manage my booking". With IDP, you contact the test centre where you booked your test.
With the British Council, under 5 days means no transfers: any transfer requests will be treated as a cancellation. With IDP, within 14 days the test fee is non-refundable on one page, and within five weeks you will be charged the full fee on another page. IDP's Burnaby venue page allows a transfer 5 to 14 days before the test with a $75 administrative fee, and none within 4 days. Ask your centre about special consideration if your case is serious.
IELTS.org recommends that results are considered valid for two years after a test has been taken, and that organisations can choose to accept results for a longer period. For Express Entry, IRCC says results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you apply.
IDP says on its global IELTS for Canada page: Regardless of which test you take, you results must be from within the last two years (24 months) to be valid. The British Council's global results page says: Your IELTS result is valid for two years.
No. IDP calls its preparation area the IELTS Prepare hub: Access the IELTS Prepare hub to view articles, videos and register for a practice event near you or online. Your results are in your IDP account if you registered through IDP.
If you are absent on the test day with no prior notice, IDP says you will lose your full test fee. With a serious medical condition, you can provide a medical certificate within 5 days of your test date to receive a refund minus the local administrative cost.
It depends on timing and company. The British Council says 15 or more days before the test date there is a 75% refund of the total test fee (25% admin fee), and within 14 days no refund will be provided. IDP's Burnaby venue page says a cancellation 15 or more days before the test gets a refund of the test fee less a $75 administrative charge, and a cancellation within 14 days is non-refundable.