IELTS Exam Fee- Is it too pricey?

Charlotte Miller

Updated on:

IELTS or the International English Language Testing System is a test to assess an individual’s understanding of the English language. Different sections test an individual’s reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities. The cost of the IELTS Exam can appear to be pricey at the first instance, but this isn’t the case. The exam fee one has to pay is INR 14,700. If we compare exam fees from conventional fees we all have paid for various competitive examinations, then it will appear pricey for sure. But if we see it from a global perspective, the exam fee is not exorbitantly high.

There is a large pool of resources mobilized by the exam conducting body, i.e., the IDP. The exam centers have to be managed, the top universities of the world assess the scores, leading experts must make the question paper of the world. So there is an inherent cost embedded in the structure of the exam itself. So if we see it from a broader perspective and the value it brings if a student gets a good score, then the price will not appear overly high.

click here – Top 7 dressing styles that make you look impressive

What’s the IELTS Exam fee to be paid at the time of registration?

The registration cost of the IELTS Exam is INR 14,700. The amount includes the exam cost if there are no further amends to the exam form or dates. If there are any other changes to be made, then that will come at a price which we will discuss in the latter part of the article. If there is no additional request from a test taker, then the exam fee is the only cost that an individual has to bear. 

Another noteworthy aspect of the exam fee is that the cost of exams for both paper-based and computer-based tests is kept the same. So there is no distinction in fee on the mode of the exam. The IELTS fee may witness a slight change subject to the currency exchange rates, but that fluctuation in rates is minor and doesn’t significantly differ from the exam fee amount. 

What are the other charges that a test taker has to pay?

Certain charges have to be paid by the test takers if they choose to make amends to the application. For instance, a test taker might not be in the position to take the test and wishes to reschedule the test. There is a provision to reschedule the test, but it comes with a price. There can be other cases, too, wherein a student might not take the test and wishes to cancel the test. In that case, there is a cancellation fee too. So the overall cost of the exam is always subject to change when additional requests are made.

click here – Explaining The Features And Purpose Of Home Improvement Loan

What’s the cancellation charge for the IELTS Exam?

There can be a number of reasons due to which a candidate may want to cancel the IELTS Exam. In case of cancellation, there is a provision for getting a refund. However, the refund is contingent on certain conditions. If an applicant wants to cancel the test and seek a refund, then it has to be done at least five weeks prior to the test. Post that period, and there is no provision for any refund. 

These are the scenarios related to IELTS Cancellation:

  • If a candidate wishes to cancel the exam five weeks prior to the examination date, then a 25% amount is deducted as administrative charges, and the rest is refunded.
  • If a candidate wants to cancel the test after five weeks, there is no provision for any refund whatsoever.
  • If a candidate chooses not to take the test and remains absent on the test day, in that case, there is no provision of any refund. However, there is an exception to it, and those who can provide a medical certificate within five days of the test date will get a refund after deducting the local administrative charges. 

What’s the cost to reschedule the IELTS Exam?

There can be a situation wherein a test taker might not be in a position to take the test but can take the test at a later date. So, the IELTS exam has a provision to reschedule the exam by paying a certain amount as rescheduling charges. The cost of rescheduling the exam is INR 3300, inclusive of all the taxes. To reschedule the exam date, one must ensure that the rescheduling request is made five weeks prior to the original test date. And another caveat is to choose the exam date within three months of the original test date. The provision of rescheduling only happens once, and there is no provision for rescheduling the date more than once.

If a student fails to take the test on the second date also, there is no provision for rescheduling or refund option.

What’re the charges for IELTS rechecking fees?

IELTS has a very robust mechanism to evaluate the test papers. It uses both human and artificial intelligence to evaluate the test papers, but there is always a possibility of human error. To give the test-takers a sense of satisfaction, the IELTS Exam provides the option for rechecking by paying INR 8400. To ensure that the test taker is convinced, IDP provides an EOR or Enquiry On Result Form to the students who want to get their answer sheets rechecked. 

Test takers have the liberty to get either one section, or all the sections rechecked. To ensure complete transparency, IELTS does the remarking of the requested sections.

What’s the cost of getting additional Test Report Forms?

Applicants have to send the Test Report Form(TRF) to the universities for getting admissions. Students are given five e-TRFs for free, but if the applicant chooses to apply to more than five universities, then they have to pay for the additional TRFs. There is also a cap on the number of e-TRFs a student can ask in a day. In a single day, an applicant can’t ask for more than five e-TRFs. 

There are three options for sending the TRFs-

Courier: Students who are sending the TRFs through courier need to pay INR1500 for every address. It reaches its destination in four to five days. 

Airmail: It is a relatively cheaper option, and it can be exercised if there is no time constraint. The cost of sending one TRF is INR 250. However, for delivery it will take around two weeks. 

Electronics: This is the best way to send the TRFs and also the cheapest. The candidates have to pay INR 250, and the TRF reaches instantly. However, there is a caveat with this method, and it is only restricted to those universities that have accepted the electronic method of sending the TRFs.

Those who want to send the TRFs beyond one month’s time have to first send the ‘Application for the Issue of Additional TRFs.’ In this case, one has to pay more than the regular courier charges. 

So many expenses can be curtailed if a student doesn’t make much amends, while some charges may come on the student anyway, and it should be considered as the cost of the exam.