Our official IELTS test centres can help if you have visual, hearing, speaking or learning difficulties. If you need a modified version of IELTS, please give the test centre three months’ notice, complete with medical evidence.
If special arrangements (for example, extra time) need to be made then please give the test centre six weeks' notice, complete with medical evidence.
We cannot accept requests for special arrangements submitted after the above deadlines. Please also note that special arrangements requested (even if fully supported by documentation) may not always be provided, as decisions about the requests are made by Cambridge Assessment English and not the British Council.
Your English language ability will be assessed objectively, regardless of any disability or special needs that you may have.
Please note that we can only provide modified test materials and special arrangements for the paper based tests.
What do special arrangements include?
- braille papers
- special Listening CD with necessary stops and pauses
- lip-reading version of the Listening test
- enlarged print or Speaking task cards in Braille.
What sort of help can I get?
If you have a visual impairment, we can provide:
- enlarged print
- Braille test papers
- an amanuensis to write the answers for you.
If you have hearing difficulties, we can offer:
- special amplification equipment
- a lip-reading version of the Listening module.
If you have dyslexia, we can arrange:
- extra time for the Reading and Writing tests.
Please contact your local test centre as soon as possible if you have special needs that may require a modified IELTS test version.
Medical evidence must:
- Be accessible to the Administrator in terms of language and legibility
- Be an original document, on headed paper, by qualified professional
- Make it clear how the disability justifies the special arrangements
Additionally, for candidate with specific learning difficulties, the following criteria also apply:
- written when the candidate was aged 13 or older
- with full details of the learning difficulty and tests which have been carried out
- written by a fully qualified psychologist (educational, clinical or chartered)