IELTS exam fee in Canada: price, validity, retakes and refunds
IDP IELTS Canada says the test costs between CAD $335 and $361 before tax, the same for Academic and General Training. Booking pages we read showed CAD 379 at several IDP venues, so check the price on your own payment page. IELTS results are recommended valid for two years, and IRCC does not accept One Skill Retake for Express Entry.
The IELTS fee in Canada is not one number. It depends on the company that runs your centre, the centre itself, the tax, and the test version. This page shows the owners' own figures side by side, says where their pages disagree, and gives you the rules around the fee: retakes, refunds, validity and format. It is not immigration advice. The owners' pages decide.
How much does the IELTS exam cost in Canada?
IDP IELTS Canada's own fee page, read on 2 October 2026.
IDP runs IELTS in Canada alongside the British Council. IDP's cost page gives a range, then a table. These are its figures in Canadian dollars. We have not rounded them.
"The cost of an IELTS test in Canada ranges between CAD $335 and $361 before tax and is the same whether you take IELTS General Training or IELTS Academic."
| Test | Fee in CAD, before tax, as IDP lists it |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | ~$361.00 |
| IELTS General Training | ~$361.00 |
| IELTS One Skill Retake | ~$253.00 |
"There is no separate registration fee or payment processing fee. There is also no late payment fee. In some locations, the test fee may be slightly higher."
Two points matter more than they look. The figures are before tax, and they are marked with a tilde, which means approximately. So the amount you actually pay will be different. The next section shows what real booking pages showed.
"Yes, IELTS fees in Canada can change and are subject to adjustment, often due to increases in operating costs. They can also vary slightly depending on the test centre, city, and province."
What the fee covers
"The IELTS test fee covers the cost of assessing four skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. It also includes test administration, venue fees, examiner marking, one copy of the Test Report Form (TRF), and access to preparatory material."
It does not say what is not covered. IDP's cost page mentions rescheduling and cancellation charges and extra copies of the Test Report Form, and IDP's Burnaby venue page lists courier fees, which we cover below.
What the booking pages actually showed
Several centres, several prices. All from the owners' pages, read on 2 October 2026.
IDP's page says fees can vary by centre, city and province. We checked what the individual booking pages showed. The all-in session prices on IDP's pages were not the same, and the British Council's page showed another figure again.
| Where we read it | What it showed |
|---|---|
| IDP, Markham venue page, headline | PRICE BEFORE TAXES FROM $335 |
| IDP, Markham sessions | CAD 379 |
| IDP, Burnaby venue page, headline | PRICE BEFORE TAXES FROM $361 |
| IDP, Burnaby sessions | CAD 379 |
| IDP, Regina sessions | CAD 379 |
| IDP, Victoria sessions (Global Village Victoria) | CAD 359 |
| British Council Canada, ILTTS London venue page | $360 (+NO ADDITIONAL TAX) |
IDP's Burnaby page explains one reason for the gap between the $361 headline and the $379 sessions:
"Prices above include the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). The price will be visible for you through your final payment process."
Our arithmetic, not the owner's: the Markham page says from 335 and shows sessions at 379, and the Burnaby page says from 361 and also shows 379. Now 335 plus 13 percent tax is about 379, and 361 plus 5 percent tax is also about 379. So the 379 on those pages is probably an after-tax price, with a different base fee in each province. The pages do not show the working, so treat this as a guess about why the figures differ, and trust the number on your own payment page.
The British Council side is a different booking system. IDP says the two do not always charge the same:
"While the test is the same, sometimes the fees aren’t. IDP and British Council have different prices that you should check."
In plain terms: expect a final bill near the figures in the table once tax is in, not the pre-tax headline. Check the price for your own centre, your own date and your own test type before you plan around any single figure on this page.
"IELTS on Computer tests are offered up to three times a day, seven days a week, so there is much more flexibility when it comes to finding a suitable date and time."
For centre lists by city, see IELTS test centres in Canada.
How to pay, and how long you have
Cards, Interac online, and a 24 hour clock.
IDP lists the ways to pay. The booking page adds a time limit that catches some people out.
"You can book your IELTS test at ielts.idp.com/canada/test-dates and pay by debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express) or Interac online."
"Pay by credit card or Interac Online. Once you book a test you have 24 hours to complete the payment. After 24 hours your application will expire."
"You will not normally find direct discounts on pricing on IELTS by IDP tests."
That last line is why we do not list any voucher or code on this page. Book through the owner's own page, and be careful with anyone selling codes.
IELTS One Skill Retake in Canada
Two prices on two IDP pages, and a rule for Express Entry.
One Skill Retake lets you sit one of the four skills again. If you searched for one skill retake in Canada, there are three things to know: the price, the rules, and whether the people who need your score accept it.
The price: IDP's pages disagree
| Where we read it | What it says |
|---|---|
| IDP Canada cost page | IELTS One Skill Retake ~$253.00, before tax |
| IDP Canada One Skill Retake page | IELTS One Skill Retake costs between $199 and $229 without HST, depending on the test centre location. |
We cannot say which is right for your centre. The One Skill Retake page ties its range to the test centre location, so the figure on your booking page is the one to use. That page adds:
"There is no separate registration fee or payment processing fee. There is also no additional fee for last-minute bookings."
The rules, from IELTS.org
| Rule | What IELTS.org says |
|---|---|
| Who can take it | you have completed a full test at a centre that offers IELTS One Skill Retake your full test was an IELTS on computer test you sit your IELTS One Skill Retake within 60 days of your full IELTS test. |
| How many times | No. You can only complete one retake for each full IELTS test. |
| Results time | You will receive your results within 3-5 days. |
| Your report | You will receive a new Test Report Form. This includes your updated IELTS One Skill Retake score as well as the results for the other three skills in the original test. You can choose whether you use your original or your new Test Report Form. |
Does IRCC accept it?
This is the question that matters most for people in Canada. If your plan is Express Entry, the answer is no.
So if the skill you need to improve is for an Express Entry profile, a One Skill Retake will not help. You would need to sit the whole test again. For other purposes such as study or a professional body, ask the organisation. IELTS.org itself says to check:
"We recommend that you check with the organisation directly to see if they accept IELTS One Skill Retake before booking your test."
This is not immigration advice. IRCC's page decides what counts for your program. Our IELTS to CLB page shows how each IELTS score maps to a CLB level.
Cancelling or changing your test: what each page says
IDP's own pages differ from each other, and the British Council has its own policy.
The cancel and refund rules are not stated the same way in every place. We show each page's words and do not pick one. Read the one that matches the company and centre on your booking, and ask the centre if you are unsure.
| Where | What it says |
|---|---|
| IDP Canada, cost page | If you reschedule your application more than five (5) weeks before the test date, you will receive a refund minus an administration charge. |
| IDP Canada, cost page | If you reschedule within five (5) weeks of the test date, you will be charged the full fee unless you have a serious medical reason. |
| IDP Canada, reschedule or cancel page | 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 |
| IDP Canada, reschedule or cancel page | Within 14 days of the Listening, Reading and Writing Test Date, cancellation is allowed – the test fee is non-refundable |
| IDP Canada, Burnaby venue page | If you cancel 15 or more days before your Listening, Reading, and Writing test date, you can receive a refund of your test fee, less a $75 administrative charge. |
| IDP Canada, Burnaby venue page | If you cancel within 14 days of your Listening, Reading, and Writing test date, your test fee is non-refundable. |
| British Council Canada | 15 or more days before the test date 75% refund of the total test fee (25% admin fee) |
| British Council Canada | Within 14 days of the test date No refund will be provided |
The two IDP pages that talk about 5 weeks and about 15 days do not match. Our reading: the 15 days and 14 days wording appears on three of the four IDP and British Council pages, and it is the one repeated on the venue page that shows the $75 charge. But the five-week wording is the stricter of the two, because it asks for more notice than 15 days does. If you booked with IDP and want a refund, cancel at least five weeks before the test unless your centre confirms the 15-day rule in writing. The British Council's page gives the 15-day rule only. Ask your centre before you rely on either.
IDP's transfer rules
IDP's Burnaby venue page also sets out how moving your date works. It gives transfer rules as well as the cancellation rules above.
| Transfer request date | What IDP Canada's Burnaby venue page says |
|---|---|
| 15 or more days before | If you request a transfer 15 or more days before your Listening, Reading, and Writing test date, one free transfer is allowed. |
| 5 to 14 days before | If you request a transfer within 5 to 14 days of your Listening, Reading, and Writing test date, a transfer is allowed subject to a $75 administrative fee. |
| Within 4 days | If you request a transfer within 4 days of your Listening, Reading, and Writing test date, no transfer is allowed. Any transfer request during this period will be treated as a cancellation. |
The British Council's transfer rules
| Transfer request date | What the British Council says |
|---|---|
| 15 or more days before | 15 or more days before the test date Free transfer |
| 5 to 14 days before | Within 5-14 days of the test date Transfer allowed. An administrative fee of 25% will be charged. |
| Under 5 days | Under 5 days No transfers allowed. Any transfer requests will be treated as a cancellation, and normal refund rules will apply. |
Illness, no-shows and serious cause
"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."
"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."
IDP's Burnaby venue page also says you may apply for special consideration before the test date and up to two calendar days after it. Our reading: treat two days as the deadline at either company, even though IDP's medical certificate wording above gives 5 days.
Our test centres page explains how to find the centre's contact details so you can ask in writing.
Other costs: remark, extra reports and courier
The extras that are not in the headline price.
Searching for the IELTS test fee often means the base price only. These are the other amounts IDP Canada's pages state.
| Item | What IDP says |
|---|---|
| Remark (Enquiry on Results) | we will send you an online invoice that you can pay via debit or credit in the amount of $200. |
| Remark deadline | The deadline for initiating an EoR is 6 weeks after the date of your test. |
| Remark refund, if the result goes up | If the result of the re-mark is higher than your original result, you will need to return your current Test Report Form and will receive a new Test Report Form in the mail and a full refund of your $200 administrative fee to the original method of payment. |
| Remark, if the result does not go up | If the result of the remark is not higher than your original results, you will receive an EoR letter stating your final result status. |
| Courier of results | There is a $35 fee to have your test results couriered within Canada or the United States, and an $80 fee to have them couriered internationally. |
| Results sent to an organisation | IDP Canada IELTS Test Centre will also send official results to the recognized organization of your choice at no extra charge. A fee may apply if courier is chosen as a method of delivery for postal recognized organizations. |
| Extra Test Report Forms | Any request for more TRFs may require an additional fee, which will vary depending upon the supporting test centre. |
Other IDP Canada pages quote the remark fee as $176, $165 and $165 to $290 depending on the centre, so confirm the amount before you apply. The refund also depends on the result: on the Burnaby page the $200 comes back only if the re-mark result is higher.
On the remark, two IDP pages differ on timing, so we show both:
| Where | What it says |
|---|---|
| IDP Canada, Burnaby venue page | The deadline for initiating an EoR is 6 weeks after the date of your test. |
| IDP Canada, One Skill Retake page | you must do so within two weeks of the date of the original full IELTS test date for Writing, Reading, and Listening |
Our reading: the two-week figure is given in the context of planning a One Skill Retake, and the six-week figure is the general deadline. If you might do both, act within two weeks, and ask the centre.
"The re-marking process can take between 2 hours to 21 days."
"Requests for modified test materials must be made at least 6 weeks prior to your test date."
"At the time of your registration for the test, you will also be able to request copies of the TRF to be sent to 5 additional institutions or organizations."
How long is IELTS valid in Canada?
Two years, with a few different ways of counting.
The short answer is two years. People search for it in many forms, including IELTS validity for Canada, because the two years can start at different points. Here is what each source says.
| Who says it | What they say |
|---|---|
| IELTS.org | We recommend that IELTS test results are considered valid for two years after a test has been taken. |
| IDP IELTS Canada, extra reports page | Your IELTS results are valid for 2 years from your test date. |
| IDP's Canada guide | Regardless of which test you take, you results must be from within the last two years (24 months) to be valid. |
| IDP IELTS Canada, comparison page | Both CELPIP and IELTS test scores are valid for two years (24 months) from the date your results are issued. |
| British Council Canada | the IELTS partners recommend a 2-year validity period for IELTS test results |
| IRCC, 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 |
Two things stand out. First, one IDP page counts from your test date and another counts from the date your results are issued. Results usually come within days, so the difference is small. Count from the test date to be safe. Second, IRCC's rule for Express Entry is not just about the day you apply. The results must be under two years old at two moments: when you complete your profile and when you submit your application. Plan your test date so that both fall inside the window.
"If you apply for permanent residence with language test results that have expired, we’ll refuse your application."
"Please note that if your IELTS results are more than 2 years old the IELTS Test Centre can no longer access your results as the validity period has expired."
This is not immigration advice. IRCC's page decides your program's rule. For score conversions see IELTS to CLB.
How long is the test, and what is in it?
Test format at a glance.
Two things get searched together: how long the test is, and what the format is. Here is how IDP's Canadian pages put the length, and the one point where they look different.
"IELTS General Training Total test time: 2 hours and 45 minutes Listening (30 minutes); Reading (60 minutes); Writing (60 minutes); Speaking (11–14 minutes)"
"The written components of the test will take approximately three hours. The speaking test will take approximately 20 minutes."
Our reading: the timed sections add up to 2 hours and 45 minutes, and a venue's planning time for a morning is longer, probably because of check-in and instructions. The page does not explain the gap, so plan the whole morning, and arrive early. IDP says to arrive at least 30 minutes before the test:
"You will need to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to each test. Candidates will not be allowed into the test until 10 minutes before the scheduled test time."
Format at a glance, from IELTS.org
| Section | Time allowed |
|---|---|
| Listening | Approximately 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet) |
| Reading | 60 minutes (including transfer time) |
| Writing | 60 minutes |
| Speaking | 11–14 minutes |
The transfer time applies to the paper-based format. IDP says in Canada that its centres offer the test on computer. Check how your session delivers Writing, because you can choose Writing on paper at some centres.
"IDP* no longer offers the IELTS on paper test. You can still take your IELTS, the world's most trusted English language test, on computer."
General Training Writing Task 1: the letter format
Most Canadian candidates sit General Training, so here is the format you are paying to be marked on.
IRCC asks for IELTS General Training for Express Entry, so many people reading about fees are about to write the General Training letter. People search for it as the General Training writing format, the formal letter format, or the Task 1 format. IELTS.org describes the task.
"In General Training Writing Task 1, you are given a situation and you need to write a response of at least 150 words in the form of a letter. Depending on the task, the letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal in style. The task tells you what information to include in the form of three bullet points."
"You do not need to write any addresses at the top of your letter."
IDP's guide to the letter lists the three parts a letter needs, and says the sign-off must match the greeting:
"A letter needs to be written using a proper format, including the following: A greeting (Dear sir/madam, Dear John, Dear Mr. Smith) The main body (consisting of paragraphs for each part of the letter) A closing (Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, Best wishes, Kind regards, Love)"
"And finally, remember that the greeting and the closing salutation of an IELTS General Training, Writing Task 1 letter needs to match the style."
"You must not write your answers as notes or bullet points."
"There are four assessment criteria: • Task achievement/response • Coherence and cohesion • Lexical resource • Grammatical range and accuracy."
Our layout for a formal letter
This is our own skeleton. It follows the three parts above. Fill each line with your own content for the situation you are given.
| Part | What goes in it | Example of the shape (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Match the style. A formal letter to a stranger uses a title; a letter to a friend uses a first name. | Dear Sir or Madam, / Dear Ms Lee, / Dear Sam, |
| Opening | One or two sentences that state the reason you are writing. | I am writing to ask about... / I am writing to complain about... |
| Body, point one | The first bullet point from the task, with a detail. | First, I would like to explain... because... |
| Body, point two | The second bullet point, with a detail. | Second, could you tell me... as I need to... |
| Body, point three | The third bullet point, and what you want to happen next. | Finally, I would be grateful if you could... |
| Closing line | A short polite line that looks ahead. | I look forward to hearing from you. |
| Sign-off | Must match the greeting. Then your name. | Yours faithfully / Yours sincerely / Best wishes |
Do not write the letter as notes or bullet points. If you keep the three points in the order the task gives them, you cannot miss one. Before you stop, check that every bullet point is covered, the tone suits the reader, and the letter has a greeting, a body and a matching closing.
Budgeting: our sums from IDP's fee page
Before tax, using the three figures at the top.
These sums use only the three fee-page figures at the top of this page, before tax. Your booking page's price will differ, so use these as a rough guide to the shape of the costs.
| What happens | Our sum | Total before tax |
|---|---|---|
| Pass on the first sitting | 361 | 361 |
| One skill falls short and you do a One Skill Retake | 361 + 253 | 614 |
| One skill falls short and you sit the whole test again | 361 + 361 | 722 |
| Difference between the last two | 722 − 614 | 108 |
Add the tax that shows on your payment page, and any courier or extra report fees. Remember that a One Skill Retake does not count for Express Entry, so that line only saves money if your purpose accepts it.
Checklist before you pay
- Which company runs your centre: IDP or the British Council?
- What does the payment page show, with tax?
- How many days are left before the date you chose?
- When does your result expire, and when will you apply?
- Do you need General Training, Academic, or UKVI?
- If you may retake one skill, does your purpose accept it?
Common questions
IDP IELTS Canada says the test costs between CAD $335 and $361 before tax, and its table lists about $361 for Academic and General Training. Booking pages we read showed CAD 379 at several IDP venues and CAD 359 at Victoria, and the British Council's ILTTS London page showed $360 with no additional tax.
The IELTS partners recommend two years. For Express Entry, IRCC says results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you submit your application.
Yes, with IELTS One Skill Retake, if you took IELTS on computer at a centre that offers it and you sit the retake within 60 days of your full test. You can only use it once per full test. IRCC says it does not accept it for Express Entry.
It depends which IDP page you read. IDP's cost page lists about $253.00 before tax, and its One Skill Retake page says it costs between $199 and $229 without HST depending on the centre. Use the price on your booking page.
It depends on the company and when you cancel. IDP's venue page says 15 or more days before gets a refund less a $75 charge, and within 14 days gets none. The British Council says 15 or more days before gets 75% back. IDP's cost page uses a five-week rule, so ask your centre.
IDP says you can pay by debit or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express) or Interac online. Once you book, you have 24 hours to complete the payment.
There are four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. IDP gives the total test time as 2 hours and 45 minutes, with Listening 30 minutes, Reading 60, Writing 60 and Speaking 11–14.
It is a letter of at least 150 words. IELTS.org says the letter may be personal, semi-formal or formal, and the task gives three bullet points. IDP says a letter needs a greeting, a main body and a closing, and the sign-off must match the greeting.