IELTS exam FAQs | International House Bristol

Below are some frequently asked questions from past IELTS candidates which may help answer your query.

IELTS exams must be booked via the British Council website(Opens in a new tab/window). Once you have made your booking, you will be given a link so that you can pay for your exam. We can take card payments online or over the phone.
The IELTS test is not recommended for candidates under the age of 16. If you are under 18, we require permission from your parent or a legal guardian to allow us to capture your photo and finger scan during the registration process on the exam day. By registering you for the test and agreeing to the terms and conditions, your parent/guardian is thereby giving permission to allow us to do this.
On the test day you MUST present the same identification document you used when you completed your application. You will not be able to sit your test without this ID. We cannot accept photocopies (even if they are certified copies from a solicitor) or letters from the Home Office.
You can apply with a valid:
- Passport (or authorised travel document)
- EU ID Card
- UK Residence Permit
- ARC card (You must contact us in advance to ask for permission if using this type of ID)
Confirmation letters are sent by email. Please ensure you have checked your email inbox and your junk inbox for your letter. IH Bristol processes a very high volume of applications so it can take up to one week for us to process your application and send you your confirmation letter. If you still haven't heard from us after one week, please email us at ielts@ihbristol.com.
Here is our IELTS cancellation policy:
14 days or fewer after the original booking date – you are entitled to a full refund, or a free transfer to a later session within the next three months.
More than 14 days after the original booking date and 5 days or more before the exam – you are entitled to a 75% refund or you can pay 25% of the test taker to defer your entry to a test within the next three months.
If you unable to attend your exam due to illness, and a medical certificate confirming illness on the date of the test is provided via email to ielts@ihbristol.com within five calendar days of the test date, together with the submitted cancellation request on the Test Taker Portal, the fee is refundable, minus a 25% administration fee.
To cancel or transfer your IELTS (Academic and General Training) test, please log in to the Test Taker Portal and submit a cancellation/transfer request, along with an upload of supporting documentation/evidence.
Test results are posted from IH Bristol on the 13th day after the test (unless candidates have requested to collect them). Please allow up to two weeks for them to reach UK addresses and three weeks for international addresses before contacting us. All undelivered results should be reported within three months of the test date. After three months, we will not be able to issue replacements.
You can check your results online on the 13th day after your test (this is usually a Friday) from around 10am onwards. You will need to provide the following information to access your results:
- Test date
- Date of birth
- ID document number
- Candidate number (given to you during registration on Saturday morning)
Click here (Opens in a new tab/window)to check your results online now.
Results are available to view online for up to 35 days after your test. If you experience any problems accessing your results then please email us at ielts@ihbristol.com.
If you would prefer to collect your results from the Bristol IELTS office, you can do so during our visiting hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays 2pm - 4pm. All collection requests MUST be emailed to ielts@ihbristol.com before the results are released.
Yes you can. In order for us to release your results to a friend/relative you will need to:
- Download, complete and sign an authorised collection form
- Ask the person collecting to also sign the form and then scan and email it to ielts@ihbristol.com before collection
- The person collecting should then bring with them a copy of this form along with their passport / EU ID card
Download an authorised collection form here.
We can only issue one test report form to each candidate and an additional four to educational institutions, government agents, professional bodies or an employer free of charge (postage not included). Any additional certificates after the first five will cost £20.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the IELTS service you have received from the IELTS Test Centre at International House and wish to make a complaint, you can do so by sending a letter to our office detailing the problem. If you are unhappy with any aspect of the test day itself, please ask an invigilator for a candidate complaint form and fill it in before you leave the test centre.