Key Facts
| IELTS for UKVI Academic fee, computer (British Council London Central) | GBP 270.00 |
|---|---|
| IELTS for UKVI General Training fee, computer (British Council London Central) | GBP 270.00 |
| IELTS for UKVI Life Skills A1, A2 and B1 fee (British Council London Central) | GBP 185.00 each |
| Fee variation and tax note on centre listing | Prices may vary from time to time and may be subject to country or local tax |
| Enquiry on Results refund rule | Fully refunded if your band score changes |
| Transfer rule | Test date can be changed at any time before the test; close to the test day a transfer may be treated as a cancellation |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
IELTS fees in the UK are set for each version of the test, each delivery mode and each centre, so the figure on a booking page depends on whether the booking is for Academic, General Training, IELTS for UKVI or Life Skills. Official centre listings state prices in pounds and note that they may vary and may be subject to country or local tax; the amounts found on the pages read are recorded in the key facts. An Enquiry on Results carries its own fee, which is refunded in full when the band score changes.
Because the British Council and IDP each run centres across the UK, the same version can be priced differently from one centre to the next. Choosing the version that the university, employer, professional body or Home Office route asks for before paying avoids a second booking, and the sections below set out how each version differs, what to check on a booking page and which later changes can add cost.
Which IELTS versions can you book in the UK?
The versions on offer are IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, IELTS for UKVI and IELTS for UKVI Life Skills, with an online booking route also linked from the test owner's pages. Academic suits people planning to study in a country where English is spoken and is also taken for professional registration purposes. General Training suits those wishing to migrate to a country where English is spoken, the UK among them, and those wishing to train or study below degree level. IELTS Online is not described as a separate version on the pages read, so its availability and fee are best confirmed on the booking page for your centre.
IELTS for UKVI is accepted by UK Visas and Immigration as proof of English proficiency for people who want to live, work or study in the UK, with routes listed including British citizenship, Family visa extension, Health and Care Worker, Skilled Worker and Student. Life Skills is a UK government-approved Secure English Language Test that assesses only speaking and listening, and it is listed as its own version with its own levels.
How do fees differ between versions and delivery modes?
Fees differ by version because each version has its own line on a centre's listing, and the key facts show the figures recorded at one British Council centre in London. At that centre the UKVI Academic and UKVI General Training tests are listed on computer at the same price as each other, while the three Life Skills levels, A1, A2 and B1, share a lower price. A listing names a delivery mode only where it states one, so the mode shown on the booking page is part of what the fee buys. Comparing two quotes therefore means comparing the same version in the same mode.
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The official centre listing used here gives one price per version and does not itemise what it covers, so confirmation of what is included comes from the booking page and terms of the centre you choose. The listing adds that prices may vary from time to time and may be subject to country or local tax, which means the total at checkout can differ from a headline figure. Before paying, check that the version, delivery mode, date and centre on the summary match what the receiving organisation asks for, and keep the confirmation in case a transfer or cancellation is needed later.
What extra costs can arise after booking?
An Enquiry on Results carries its own fee, and the rule is that the fee is fully refunded if your band score changes. It is therefore a cost to weigh against how close a result sits to the requirement, since the refund applies only when the band score changes.
Moving a test date is possible at any time before the test, although a transfer request made close to the test day may be treated as a cancellation. Cancelling is done by notifying the test centre before the test, and the refund depends on when the request is made and whether special circumstances apply. Extra Test Report Forms are not itemised on the pages read. One Skill Retake, which lets you retake one section instead of the full test, is described without a fee, so the availability and cost of both are worth checking on the centre's booking page before relying on them.
How do British Council and IDP fees compare?
Fees are set per centre, so the British Council and IDP can each list a different price for the same version, and neither organisation's price applies at every UK location. The official listing for a British Council centre in London states prices in pounds and tells candidates to check with their local test centre for more information. An IDP UK fee page was not among the official pages that could be read for this reference, so a fair comparison needs both organisations' booking pages open together, set to the same version, delivery mode and city.
How do you avoid paying twice for IELTS?
Paying twice is avoided by confirming the exact version with the organisation that will receive the result before booking. A university, employer or professional body names the version it accepts, and the Home Office route fixes whether IELTS for UKVI is needed, so a result from the wrong version may mean booking again.
Practise in the delivery mode listed on the booking, since the UKVI versions at the centre read are listed on computer. Check the band or level the receiving body asks for, compare your practice results against that requirement, and book the date once those results sit consistently at it. Sequencing the steps in that order means the fee is paid for the right version at a date when the result is most likely to be used.
Related guides
- What is IELTS? Format, versions and scoring
- Official IELTS practice tests
- IELTS for UKVI
- IELTS Life Skills A1, A2 and B1
- IELTS results, validity and remarks
- IELTS score to CEFR level
- IELTS Academic or General Training?
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Frequently asked questions
- Is it possible to move an IELTS test to a later date without losing the fee?
- Test dates can be changed at any time before the test, and the official policy warns that a transfer request made close to the test day may be treated as a cancellation. The policy does not say how near to the date counts as close, so ask the centre before the date approaches. Keeping the booking confirmation gives a clear record of what was agreed.
- Do Academic and General Training cost the same in the UK?
- At the British Council London centre listing read for this page, the UKVI Academic and UKVI General Training tests carry the same price on computer. Other centres, and the standard non-UKVI versions, set their own prices, so the comparison is worth repeating on the booking page of the centre you plan to use, for the dates you want.
- Is tax added on top of the listed IELTS fee?
- The centre listing states that prices may be subject to country or local tax and may vary from time to time. The amount shown early in the booking process may therefore differ from the final total. Reviewing the payment summary before confirming shows exactly what is being charged, and the local test centre can answer any question about tax.
- Who decides which IELTS version needs to be booked?
- The organisation receiving the result decides. A university, employer or professional body states which version it accepts, and the Home Office route sets whether IELTS for UKVI is needed. Asking them in writing before paying, and keeping the reply, settles the choice between Academic, General Training, IELTS for UKVI and Life Skills.
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