IELTS Policies

By admin, 30 July, 2023
Exam Type
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IELTS Whistle Blower Policy
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IELTS whistle-blowing policy
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The IELTS whistle-blowing policy is intended to encourage and promote honest and ethical behaviour by providing a framework for test takers and other stakeholders to escalate concerns about actual, suspected or anticipated wrongdoing (malpractice) within the IELTS Test Partners (British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, Cambridge English) and within IELTS USA.


Under the policy, test takers and other stakeholders are able to report instances, or suspected instances, of unethical, improper, unlawful or undesirable conduct without fear of intimidation or reprisal.


This policy applies to all IELTS test takers and to other stakeholders. We act in the best interest of anyone who reports suspected wrongdoing under this policy to protect them from adverse reaction and the public disclosure of their identity. 


If you have reasonable grounds for believing that wrongdoing has occurred, or is likely to occur, within the IELTS Test Partners (British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, Cambridge English) or within IELTS USA, please report it by using the online report form.

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IELTS Privacy Policy
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Privacy policy
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Who we are - IELTS Owners

The IELTS Owners are the British Council, IELTS Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 84 008 664 766), (wholly owned by IDP Education Ltd) and Cambridge English (Part of the University of Cambridge).

This Privacy Statement describes how the IELTS Owners collect and use your personal information that we obtain when you register to sit an IELTS test. It is intended to provide further information on how your personal data is used and supplements any information the IELTS Owners provided to you at the point when your personal data was collected.

 

Data shared amongst the IELTS Owners:             

IELTS test centres exist in more than 140 countries, across Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, North America and the Middle East.  IELTS Australia operates and manages some of these IELTS test centres and the British Council operates and manages others, to which you may be referred. IELTS USA manages the delivery of the IELTS test centre network throughout the United States. 

The IELTS Owners may share any relevant information from your IELTS registration or the IELTS test with the other joint owners of the IELTS test (the British Council, IDP Education and Cambridge English) and with IELTS USA for purposes such as administering the IELTS test, reviewing IELTS test results for statistical and fraud detection purposes, or accommodating changes in your preference to test centre locations.

The IELTS Owners may forward any enquiries you have to the other joint owners of the IELTS test (the British Council, IDP Education and Cambridge English) and IELTS USA in accordance with your expressed preference (e.g. when you make a general enquiry about IELTS or about sitting an IELTS test);              

 

Types of Information collected: 

 

IELTS Testing  

If you apply to undertake, or have undertaken, an assessment service provided by, or through, the IELTS Owners we will collect personal details such as name, postal and email addresses, date of birth, gender, contact details, languages, country of nationality, residency status, education qualifications, national identity card number, passport details, employment history occupation, information required for visa application and professional memberships.

This will include copies of documents you provide to us as proof of identity – e.g. copies of your passport or national identity card, proof of citizenship or photographs of you when you apply to sit the IELTS test.

 

We may also hold Sensitive Information about individuals including:

  • medical information (which you may provide to obtain special consideration in relation to your testing);

  • biometric information for IELTS test takers who provide a finger scan as part of the Identity Authentication Management (IAM) for the IELTS test (a copy of - your finger scan is held in the form of a Binary Large Object (BLOB); and 

  • racial or ethnic origin (from information on your country of origin).  

In the case of individuals who have completed an assessment service provided by, or through, the IELTS Owners, results achieved by the individual will also be held.

 

In other Dealings with the Owners

We may also collect personal details such as name, postal and email addresses, contact details, languages, country of nationality, education qualifications, occupation, and professional memberships if you:

  • register your interest in being engaged as consultants, or individuals who have been, or are currently, engaged as consultants on projects/programs managed by the IELTS Owners (or the IELTS Owners together with other organisations); and

  • register to participate in an event organised, managed or presented by the IELTS Owners, whether in its own right, or under contract for another organisation.

  • provide your contact information to receive information on the services we provide on IELTS and IELTS related product and services. 

 

Purposes

We collect your Personal information to allow us to: 

  • administer your IELTS test.

  • inform you of and provide you with information on the services we provide (including events and opportunities to participate in projects/programs).

  • use your information in an anonymous form, for informational, research, statistical and training purposes for the development of Cambridge English examinations.

  • manage our internal business operations; and

  • respond to your questions.

 

Legal Basis for Processing your personal data 

We will only process personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so. The basis for processing your personal data varies depending on the activity we collected it for. In some occurrences, we may have more than one lawful basis for processing.

The information below summarises the basis on which the IELTS Owners process personal information:

 

Contract
IELTS Owners process personal data which is necessary for the performance of a contract for your IELTS test. This includes, but not limited to, IELTS registration, identity checks, test administration.

 

Legal Obligation    
IELTS Owners process personal data which is necessary to comply with legal obligations. This includes, but is not limited to, providing personal information to regulators, law enforcement agencies and statutory bodies.

 

Legitimate Interest
IELTS Owners process personal data in order to meet our legitimate interests as a global provider of the IELTS tests. This includes, but is not limited to responding to general enquiries, supporting test takers, preventing fraudulent activity, and improving our services.

 

Consent
IELTS Owners process personal data where you have provided your consent to do so. For example, where your personal data is used for Marketing purposes.  You may withdraw consent at any time. 

 

Special Category personal data (also known as sensitive personal data) processing
 IELTS Owners will process Special Category personal data under the following legal bases:

 

Explicit Consent       
The IELTS Owners process personal data with your explicit consent when you provide a biometric finger scan and where medical information is provided to support requests for special arrangements to be made in relation to your IELTS test.

 

Equality of opportunity monitoring
The IELTS Owners process special category personal data to monitoring equality of opportunity provision.  Any such outputs from this processing would be aggregated and not identify specific individuals.

Special category data will only be shared on a strictly need to know basis in line with the individual IELTS partner security policy.

 

Recipients of personal data 

We also use other organisations to process your personal information to carry out services on our behalf. We use them to:

  • Provide customer service, surveys, and marketing.

  • Personalise our services.

  • Process payments

  • Carry out fraud and other legal investigations.

Where we use another organisation, we make sure that your personal information is protected and remains in our control. 

 

Disclosure

The IELTS Owners may disclose the relevant information from your IELTS registration or IELTS test with: 

  • educational institutions, IELTS test centres, governments (including visa processing authorities), or professional bodies and commercial organisations that recognise IELTS scores.

  • with regulatory authorities for verification purposes, to protect the IELTS test and its stakeholders or where legally required.

  • third parties identified by you which act on your behalf to facilitate your applications to educational institutions, governments (including visa processing authorities), or professional bodies and commercial organisations that recognise IELTS scores.

  • in certain situations, share personal information to government bodies and law enforcement bodies.

 

Malpractice

The IELTS Owners will retain work produced by candidates in the IELTS test and may use it for quality control purposes and for investigations into suspected malpractice. Test score data and test responses, in an anonymous form, may also be used for informational, research, statistical or training purposes.

Where we do share personal information with these types of organisations, we make sure it is protected, so far as it is reasonably possible.

 

Retention of personal data

We retain your details for as long as they are needed for the relevant purposes listed in the Purposes section. When retaining information for the purpose of administering the IELTS test

  • all test results and records relating to your registration and sitting of the test are held for 3 years after your most recent test result.

  • Finger scan data is retained as a Binary Large Object file (BLOB) for 60 days after your test date.

We may also retain certain records for other legitimate reasons (including after your relationship with the IELTS Owner(s) has ended), for example to resolve any potential disputes, to comply with other reporting and retention obligations, or for the prevention of fraud. 

 

Your rights in relation to your personal data

If you want a copy of the personal data contained in your IELTS registration form please contact data.protection@cambridgeassessment.org.uk

If you want a copy of your finger scan, it can only be provided as a Binary Large Object (BLOB) and the request must be made to either ielts@idp.com or ielts@britishcouncil.org or ielts@ieltsusa.org

For further details on exercising your rights in relation to personal data processed by the IELTS owners please see the links to their individual privacy policies below.

 

Detailed privacy policies

Each IELTS Owner has a detailed privacy policy which give further information on how you can exercise your rights in respect of your personal data under the law.

The privacy and data protection policies of the IELTS Owners are detailed as follows:

 

Website usage and other information collected on this website.

By accessing and using this site you consent to the IELTS Owners’ Privacy Policy without limitation or qualification. 

The IELTS Owners’ Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by us and may differ from the policies of other companies’ or organisations’ websites that you link to from this website. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of any other companies’ or organisations’ website that you link to from our website.
 


Cookies
        
Please be aware that we use cookies on our website. We use cookies to track the interests of our users so that we can subsequently enhance their experience on our website. If your browser rejects a cookie, you may still use our website.

 

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website without storing any personally identifiable information about you. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and allows us to improve our site. A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.

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IELTS Complaint Policy
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IELTS complaint policy
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The IELTS Partners are committed to providing services to our customers to the highest global standard. We want to hear from you if you feel we haven’t met your needs, as complaints help us to improve our products, services, and test takers’ experience. We strive to resolve any area of dissatisfaction or complaints that you have in a fair and timely manner.

 

How can complaints be made?

If your IELTS experience has not gone the way you expected, the first step is to speak with your test centre. In most cases your test centre will be able to resolve your issue directly. If you are unable to contact your test centre for any reason, you can contact us by following this link.

 

You should contact us as soon as possible with your complaint. The sooner we can start investigating your case, the easier it will be to gather all the information needed to provide a full response. Where possible, we encourage you to contact us with your complaint on the day of your test or prior to results release. 

 

How do we deal with complaints?

We are committed to offering you the best service we can and work to resolve matters quickly and fairly. All complaints received are dealt with seriously and impartially. 

Your complaint will be dealt with in the strictest confidence, in line with our Privacy Policy. Information about you will be shared internally, only as necessary to investigate the complaint. We will only disclose your information to third parties with your consent, or if we are legally required to do so.

 

Who can make a complaint?

A complaint may be made by the person who is affected by the action, or it may be made by a person acting on behalf of the person affected where that person is a child under 18.

 

What types of complaints do we deal with?

We welcome your contact about any IELTS service offered. This can include (but is not limited to):

  • an issue or inability to register for a test.

  • an issue with the way the IELTS test was conducted on test day.

  • inappropriate staff and/or examiner conduct 

  • an unexplained delay in the release of results

  • a decision for a withheld result or malpractice outcome.

 

Complaint-handling principles

We are continually improving our services and, where possible, will address your complaint at the first point of contact. We will deal with your complaint as quickly as possible, and you will be always treated with fairness and courtesy.

 

We recognise that some cases will need further investigation and if your complaint is referred to our Complaints Team, we will let you know we’ve received your complaint within five working days and will provide a full reply within 20 working days.

 

Where it is not possible to resolve your complaint within 20 working days, the Complaints Team will let you know and talk to you about a revised timeline for resolving the issue.

 

Making your Complaint

Complaints must always be made at the earliest opportunity. Any delay in reporting the complaint or incident may limit the ability to carry out a full investigation due to data retention, privacy laws and policy restrictions.

  
Complaints must be made using the prescribed form.



All information provided by you in the course of the complaint will be handled in accordance with the IELTS Privacy Policy and will be kept for a period not exceeding seven years.



If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your complaint, an escalation point and next steps will be outlined in our response.


Please note: our Complaints Policy is subject to the requirements of laws in force at the test venue, including Consumer Protection laws and relevant legal proceedings.

Make a complaint Here è https://www.ielts.org/for-test-takers/ielts-complaints-policy/form

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IELTS Cancellation and Refund Policy
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Cancellations, refunds and transfers
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IELTS Cancellations and Transfers Policy for Test Takers 

Note: If you are taking IELTS for UKVI then different policy terms apply. Please consult the relevant policy document for UKVI IELTS tests. 

A. Cancellations

 You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test by notifying your Test Centre. Refund terms depend upon when you cancel and whether exceptional circumstances apply.

 1. TIME TO TEST DATE 

1.1. 35 or more days before the test:

 If you cancel your IELTS test registration 35 or more days before the test date, you will receive a refund of the total test fee less any administrative fee your Test Centre may charge. Any administrative charge will be no more than 25% of test fee.

 

 1.2. Within 34 days of the test: 

If you cancel your IELTS test registration within 34 days of test date then no refund will be given. For exceptions to this policy see sections 2. and 3. below. 

 

2. TEST TAKER EXCEPTIONS 

You may make a case for exceptional circumstances to your Test Centre before the test and up to 2 days after the test date if you did not attend the test. Your Test Centre will respond to you within 7 working days of receiving your case in writing. Your Test Centre will assess your case for exceptional circumstances.

 All cases for exceptional circumstances and supporting evidence must be received by your Test Centre before or no later than two days after the scheduled test date. 

If your Test Centre approves your case, you will receive a refund of the total test fee less any administrative fee your Test Centre may charge. Any administrative charge will be no more than 25% of test fee.

 If your Test Centre does not approve your case, then the terms given in section 1. will apply. 

We define exceptional circumstances as:

 • 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.

 

 3. TEST CENTRE EXCEPTIONS

 Under certain circumstances outside Test Centre control, we may have to cancel your test. These circumstances include and are not limited to extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, civil unrest and industrial action. 

In these circumstances, your Test Centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of either:

 • A full refund, or,

 • A transfer to a future test date convenient to you. 

 

B. Transfers 

4.1. More than 35 days before the test:

 You may change your test date at any time more than 35 days before the test. You must select a test date, where available, within the next three months from your original test date. If your preferred test date is more than three months after your original test date then your transfer will be treated as a cancellation. You can only transfer the same booking once. Your Test Centre may charge an administration fee of up to 25% of total test fee. 

 

4.2. Within 35 days of the test: 

Any transfer requests within 35 days of the test will be treated as a cancellation. Please refer to section A. Cancellations of this policy document. 

 

Notes

 i. Your Test Centre is responsible for issuing refunds and organizing transfers. 

ii. Under section A. 2., the Test Centre is responsible for decisions related to test taker claims for exceptional circumstances. 

iii. If local consumer protection law in the country you have registered to take the IELTS test provides for cancellation and transfer rights which are more favorable to the test taker than the rights set out above, then local consumer protection law will apply.

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IDP IELTS Child Protection Policy
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IELTS Child protection Policy
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We recognise that the care, protection and welfare of children are paramount and that all children have the right to be protected from all types of harm or abuse. This includes a responsibility to protect children from any harm or risk.

 

We aim to achieve this through compliance with all applicable laws and by adhering to Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1989.

 

A child is defined as anyone who has not reached their 18th birthday (UNCRC 1989) irrespective of the age of majority in the country where the child is, or in their home country.

 

In relation to the management, recognition and administration of the IELTS test, IELTS is committed to:

  • valuing, respecting and listening to children

     

  • ensuring all necessary checks are made when recruiting staff

     

  • maintaining strong child protection systems and procedures for staff

     

  • training its staff and providing a common understanding of child protection issues to inform planning and practice

     

  • protecting the data protection rights of children

     

  • sharing information about any concerns with the relevant agencies and involving parents and children appropriately

     

  • providing effective management for staff through clear processes, supervision and support.

     

We will provide adequate and appropriate resources to implement this policy and will ensure it is communicated and understood. IELTS will review this global policy statement annually to reflect new legal and regulatory developments and ensure good practice.

To read more, click on https://ielts.idp.com/legal-notices#ielts-child-protection-policy 

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IELTS Legal Notices
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IELTS Legal Notices
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Legal notices


Cookie policy:
Cookies are small data files sent from a website and stored in a user’s web browser. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising, and analytics partners.
If you wish to disable the cookies on this website, you will need to refer to the privacy and security settings of your preferred browser.
Below is a summary of the types of cookies used on our sites and how they are used.


Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.


Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to monitor its performance.


Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then some or all these services may not function properly.


Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set on our site by our advertising partners, Google and Addthis. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store personal information directly but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
If you prefer that we not share your non-personal information with partners, including third parties that use tracking technologies to deliver targeted display advertising based on that information, please visit http://optout.networkadvertising.org/?c=1#!/to access the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out.


Social Media Cookies
These cookies are for a range of social media services including LinkedIn and Facebook that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies, you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.


IELTS test and payment terms and conditions
See following documents for test and payments terms and conditions:
IELTS
IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills


Website terms of use
By using the Website, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use which form a legally binding agreement between you and IDP. If you do not want to be bound by these Terms of Use, do not continue to use this Website.
Further, we may amend these Terms of Use at any time. Your continued use of the Website is considered acceptance of the amended Terms of Use.


IDP Copyright
The material on this Website, including all information such as text, graphics, images, photographs and sound, is protected by copyright pursuant to the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), as amended from time to time and the laws of other countries. You must not alter, reproduce, store in the retrieval system, or transmit the material on this Website or any part thereof, unless authorized by IDP in writing or permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).


Trademarks
All trademarks that are included on this Website are the property of their respective owners and are protected by relevant laws in Australia and other countries. You must not use any of these trademarks (including the reproduction, modification, distribution, repudiation, display, or communication of these trademarks) except by saving or printing out a copy of this Website for personal non-commercial use, unless expressly authorized by IDP or the owner of the relevant trademark in writing.


Links from this Website
The external linked websites within the Website are not within the control of IDP. IDP does not take responsibility for the content in, or currency of, any externally linked sites. The inclusion of any link within the Website does not imply endorsement by IDP of the linked website, nor does it suggest any relationship with the organization linked.


Spam
IDP publishes electronic addresses on this Website to facilitate communication relating to our business functions. This is not to be inferred as consent by IDP or the relevant addresses to receiving unsolicited commercial messages or SPAM as referred to in the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).


Liability
IDP makes no warranties or representations about this Website or any of its content. IDP is not responsible to you or anyone else for any damages of any kind, including (but not limited to) any direct
or consequential loss and losses resulting from security failure, disclosure of confidential information by other parties or the transmission of a computer virus, suffered in connection with the use of this Website whether based on breach of contract or warranty, tort (including negligence), product liability or otherwise ,even if IDP is informed in advance of the possibility of such damages. IDP excludes, to the extent permitted by law, any liability which may arise from this Website. By using the Website, you agree to indemnify IDP for any loss or liability arising out of your use. Use of the Website is at your own risk, and you assume full responsibility and risk of loss resulting from your downloading, use of, or access to data, files, information, or other material on or through the Website. IDP’s aggregate liability to you for any other losses resulting from the use of the Website is limited to the nominal amount of $1.


Governing Law
The Terms of Use will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of New South Wales, Australia and you submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales, Australia.


IELTS Australia Privacy Policy


Privacy statement
We are committed to meeting your expectations and will comply with all applicable privacy and data protection legislation in relation to your Personal Information and Sensitive Information.


We know you love the small print, but here is a summary of how we protect your privacy:
1. We only collect what we need to help you with your request or provide you with information that you ask for, personalizing it to your interests.
2. We will not hang on to your information. If we do not need it, and you do not want us to keep it we will delete it.
3. We want you to understand everything we do with your information, so we will try our best to explain with no nonsense.
4. No surprises - you decide what and how you hear from us.
5. That goes for everyone. We do not pass your information to third parties for marketing purposes without your knowledge.
If you choose to take up any third party offers from within the app, it is your responsibility to review the terms and conditions of that product/service to understand how your data will be managed.
The rest of this policy provides you with more details of our Privacy and Personal Information handling practices.
Definitions of terms referred to in this Policy can be found in the ‘Glossary’ at the end of this document.


Who we are
IELTS Australia Pty Ltd is a subsidiary of IDP Education Limited. You can find the IDP Group privacy policy here:
www.idp.com/global/privacy-policy/


Data controller contact details
IELTS Australia Level 10 697 Collins Street Docklands 3008 Victoria Australia
Contact our DPO or Privacy Officer via email to: privacyofficer@idp.com
We will endeavor to respond to you within a reasonable time.
Collection of Personal Information by IELTS Australia allows us to:
• conduct the IELTS test and offer IELTS test Practice and Preparation.
• forward any enquiries you must another of the IELTS Owners (British Council and Cambridge Assessment English) in accordance with your expressed preference (e.g. when you make a general enquiry about sitting an IELTS test);
• inform you of and provide you with information on the services we provide (including events and opportunities to participate in projects/programs);
• manage our internal business operations; and
• respond to your questions.


IELTS Child Protection Policy
IELTS believes that child protection requires everyone to take responsibility and that every child matters. We recognize that the care, protection, and welfare of children are paramount and that all children have the right to be protected from all types of harm or abuse. This includes a responsibility to protect children from any harm or risk.
We aim to achieve this through compliance with all applicable child protection laws and by adhering to Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1989.
A child is defined as anyone who has not reached their 18th birthday (UNCRC 1989) irrespective of the age of majority in the country where the child is, or in their home country.
In relation to the management, recognition, and administration of the IELTS test, IELTS is committed to:
• Valuing, respecting, and listening to children.
• Ensuring all necessary checks are made when recruiting staff.
• Maintaining strong child protection systems and procedures for staff.
• Training its staff and providing a common understanding of child protection issues to inform planning and practice.
• Protecting the data protection rights of children.
• Sharing information about any concerns with the relevant agencies and involving parents and children appropriately.
• Providing effective management for staff through clear processes, supervision, and support.
We will provide adequate and appropriate resources to implement this policy and will ensure it is communicated and understood. IELTS will review this global policy statement annually to reflect new legal and regulatory developments and ensure good practice.
For more information, read the IDP IELTS Child Protection Policy document.


Cancellations, refunds, and transfers


General guidance for test takers taking IELTS on paper and on computer
The guidance below is a summary of what all IELTS test takers can expect when registering for an IELTS on paper and on computer test anywhere in the world. Detailed policy terms vary according to test Centre location and so please contact your local test Centre as relevant for further information.
If local consumer protection law in the country you have registered to take the IELTS test provides for cancellation and transfer rights which are more favorable than the terms set out in this document or in more detailed local test Centre guidance, then local consumer protection law will apply. If you are taking IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills, then different policy terms apply. The IELTS for UKVI policy is a standard and globally applicable set of terms and conditions.


A. Cancellations
You can cancel your IELTS test registration at any time before taking your test by notifying your Test Centre. Refund terms depend upon when you cancel and whether exceptional circumstances apply.


B. Transfers
You may change your test date at any time before the test. However, depending on when you make your transfer request – that is, how near to the test day – your request may be treated as a cancellation.
You must select a test date, where available, within three months from your original test date. If your preferred test date is more than three months after your original test date, then your transfer will be treated as a cancellation.
You can only transfer the same booking once.


Exceptional Circumstances and Special Consideration:
On rare occasions, there may be instances where you are unable to attend your test or are disadvantaged on test day owing to illness, injury, or another exceptional event outside your control and no longer qualify for a standard cancellation, refund, or transfer close to the test date. In these cases, including instances such as bereavement, civil unrest, domestic crisis, you may make an application to
your test Centre for special consideration due to exceptional circumstances. You can find more information on this process here.
Under certain circumstances outside the test Centre control, we may have to cancel your test and transfer you to a future date. These circumstances include extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, civil unrest, industrial action, global pandemic or for reasons of force majeure.
In these circumstances, your Test Centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of either a full refund, or a transfer to a future test date – whichever you prefer.
If your test is cancelled or postponed due to other circumstances such as technical failure, venue or environmental factors, your test Centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of a refund or a transfer to a future test.


Special Consideration owing to exceptional circumstances
On rare occasions, there may be instances where you are unable to attend your test or are disadvantaged on test day owing to illness, injury, or another exceptional event outside your control. In these cases, you may make an application to your test centre for special consideration due to exceptional circumstances. This will allow you to carry over your test fee to a later assessment opportunity or, in some cases, apply for a refund. Special consideration includes instances such as:
• A traumatic experience
• Domestic crisis
• Unavoidable legal or military obligation
• Serious medical conditions which prevent you from attending or performing normally on test day.
• Bereavement, or other forms of significant hardship.
• Civil unrest, extreme weather


You can apply for special consideration before the test, and up to two calendar days after the test date, but applications for special consideration will not be accepted after your results have been released.
You need to contact your test centre directly and provide full information as to why you qualify for special consideration, with supporting evidence. Your test centre will assess your application and will
respond to you within seven working days of receiving your full application in writing, during which time your results will be put on hold until a decision is finalized.
If your test centre approves your application, you will receive a refund or transfer, in some cases this may be subject to an administrative fee. Please be aware that refunds can take four to six weeks to process. Note: there will be no adjustment to band scores.


If you would like to appeal against a decision made following an application for special consideration, please follow our complaints procedure.


Under certain circumstances outside the test center control, we may have to cancel your test and transfer you to a future date. These circumstances include extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, civil unrest, industrial action, global pandemic or for reasons of force majeure.
In these circumstances, your Test Centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of either a full refund, or a transfer to a future test date – whichever you prefer.
If your test is cancelled or postponed due to other circumstances such as technical failure, venue or environmental factors, your test Centre will provide you with as much notice as possible and give you the choice of a refund or a transfer to a future test.


IELTS Complaints Policy
The IELTS Partners are committed to providing services to our customers of the highest global standard. We want to hear from you if you feel we have not met your needs, as complaints help us to improve our products, services, and test takers’ experience. We strive to resolve any area of dissatisfaction or complaints that you have in a fair and timely manner.
How can complaints be made?
If your IELTS experience has not gone the way you expected, the first step is to speak with your test centre. In most cases your test centre will be able to resolve your issue directly. If you are unable to contact your test centre for any reason, you can contact us by following this link.
You should contact us as soon as possible with your complaint. The sooner we can start investigating your case, the easier it will be to gather all the information needed to provide a full response. Where possible, we encourage you to contact us with your complaint on the day of your test or prior to results release.
How do we deal with complaints?
We are committed to offering you the best service we can and work to resolve matters quickly and fairly. All complaints received are dealt with seriously and impartially.
Your complaint will be dealt with in the strictest confidence, in line with our Privacy Policy. Information about you will be shared internally, only as necessary to investigate the complaint. We will only disclose your information to third parties with your consent, or if we are legally required to do so.


Who can make a complaint?
A complaint may be made by the person affected by the action or by a person acting on behalf of the person affected where that person is a child under 18.


What types of complaints do we deal with?
We welcome your contact about any IELTS service offered. This can include (but is not limited to):
• an issue or inability to register for a test
• an issue with the way the IELTS test was conducted on test day
• inappropriate staff and/or examiner conduct
• an unexplained delay in the release of results
• a decision for a withheld result or malpractice outcome.


Complaint-handling principles
We are continually improving our services and, where possible, will address your complaint at the first point of contact. We will deal with your complaint as quickly as possible, and you will be treated with fairness and courtesy at all times.
We recognise that some cases will need further investigation and if your complaint is referred to our Complaints Team, we will let you know we have received your complaint within five working days and will provide a full reply within 20 working days.
Where it is not possible to resolve your complaint within 20 working days, the Complaints Team will let you know and talk to you about a revised timeline for resolving the issue.
Making your Complaint
Complaints must always be made at the earliest opportunity. Any delay in reporting the complaint or incident may limit the ability to carry out a full investigation due to data retention, privacy laws and policy restrictions.
Complaints must be made using the prescribed form (available via the link above)
All information provided by you during the complaint will be handled in accordance with the IELTS Privacy Policy and will be kept for a period not exceeding seven years.
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your complaint, an escalation points and the next steps will be outlined in our response.
Please note: our Complaints Policy is subject to the requirements of laws in force at the test venue, including Consumer Protection laws and relevant legal proceedings.


IELTS Test Taker Whistleblower Policy
At IDP, we take security seriously. Criminal activity of any kind will not be tolerated. If you witness any suspicious activity at your testing centre, please report it to security.ielts@idp.com.


Disclaimer
While IDP IELTS has attempted to make the information on this server as accurate as possible, the information on this website server is for personal and/or educational use only and is provided in good faith without any express or implied warranty. There is no guarantee given as to the accuracy or currency of any individual item on the website.
Persons accessing the website who require confirmation of any information should refer to IDP’s sourcing the information for this website. IDP does not accept responsibility for any loss or damage occasioned by use of the information contained on the server nor from any access to the server. While IDP will make every effort to ensure the availability and integrity of its resources, it cannot guarantee
that these will always be available, and/or free of any defects, including viruses. Users should take this into account when accessing the resources. All access and use is at the risk of the user.
IDP has provided hypertext links to a number of other web sites as a service to users of this website. This service does not mean that IDP endorses those sites or material on them in any way. IDP is not responsible for the use of a hypertext link for which a commercial charge applies. Individual users are responsible for any charges that their use may incur.

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