If you took IELTS on computer between 24 August 2023 and 4 September 2025 and IELTS did not email you about it in November or December 2025, your score was not affected by the marking error. IELTS says every affected test taker was contacted directly. If you took IELTS on paper, or only want to know about Writing or Speaking, you were not affected either.
If you were affected, your Listening or Reading score was corrected, usually by half a band, and you were offered a refund or a free resit. The refund window closed on 30 June 2026. This guide explains what went wrong, who was affected, what you can still do, and why your new Test Report Form now shows an Ofqual logo.
What was the IELTS marking error?
In IELTS on computer, your Listening and Reading answers are marked automatically. A computer compares each answer with a list of correct answers (the answer key) written by human experts. Between August 2023 and September 2025, this system made two kinds of mistakes, according to Ofqual's penalty notice:
- Answer keys in the wrong order. In four "gap match" question types, where you pick words from a list to fill blanks in a sentence, a fault between two systems put the answer keys in the wrong order. Some right answers were marked wrong, and some wrong answers were marked right.
- Accents marked as errors. IELTS marking rules say accent marks (like the é in "café") should be ignored in typed answers. In some cases the marker did not ignore them and gave 0 instead of 1.
Nobody noticed for two years. Cambridge English, the IELTS partner that runs the marking system, found the problem in September 2025 after updating its error checks, and reported it to Ofqual on 8 September 2025. An independent audit later traced the causes back to system changes made from 2019 without enough testing.
How many people were affected?
These are Ofqual's figures for tests taken during the affected period:
| What | Number |
|---|---|
| Tests marked in the period | 7,786,614 |
| Tests with a corrected Listening, Reading or overall result | 63,216 |
| People affected (some took more than one test) | 62,794 |
| Overall band went up | 20,602 (all by 0.5, except 2 by 1.0) |
| Overall band went down | 1,115 (all by 0.5) |
| IELTS for UKVI tests affected | 1,108 |
So under 1% of tests were affected, and about two-thirds of the corrected tests kept the same overall band. Only the Listening or Reading score changed. Another 30,649 tests had a wrongly marked answer that made no difference to any score.
Was my IELTS score affected?
Go through these questions in order. As soon as you answer "no", your score was not affected.
- Did you take the test on computer? Paper tests were marked differently and were not affected. IELTS for UKVI on computer was included.
- Was your test date between 24 August 2023 and 4 September 2025? Tests before or after that period were not affected.
- Are you worried about Listening or Reading? Writing and Speaking are marked by examiners and were not part of this error.
- Did IELTS email you in November or December 2025? Ofqual says affected learners were emailed on 12 and 13 November and 5 December 2025.
If you can't find the email, IELTS's official result support FAQ says you can log in to your Test Taker Portal to see your latest scores. If you no longer have access to the email address you booked with, contact your test partner (IDP, British Council or IELTS USA) and they can help you access your scores.
A friend who sat the test on the same day got an email and you didn't? That is possible. IELTS says only the people whose answers were wrongly marked were contacted, so two people in the same room can have different outcomes.
What happened to the scores that changed?
Every affected result was corrected, both up and down. This was not always the plan. Ofqual's notice says that in September 2025 Cambridge English first proposed correcting all the scores that should go up but only some that should go down. After Ofqual raised concerns, it agreed in October 2025 to correct every result.
What this means for you if your score changed:
- The corrected score is final. IELTS's FAQ says you can't keep an original higher score.
- You have a new Test Report Form (TRF) in the Test Taker Portal, and it replaces the old one.
- Your old TRF is no longer valid. Use only the new one from now on.
- The validity period is unchanged. Your corrected result is usually accepted for two years from your original test date, not from the date of the correction.
If you think your corrected score is still wrong, IELTS asks you to contact your test partner.
Can you still get a refund or free resit?
For most people, the refund option has closed. IELTS's support site says affected test takers could request a refund until 30 June 2026. Everyone whose result changed was offered a choice:
- A full refund of the test fee, or
- A free resit of the whole test.
If you paid for a re-mark (an Enquiry on Results) or a One Skill Retake because of a wrong Listening or Reading score, that fee was refunded too. IELTS admits the error also affected re-marks during the period, so a re-mark would not have caught it.
By June 2026, Ofqual reported that 26,246 people had taken a refund and 1,145 a free resit. The support site gives no separate deadline for resits, and some news reports from Vietnam said candidates had to confirm their choice before May 2026. If you were affected and never used either option, contact your test partner and ask. Don't assume the answer is yes.
What if you already used the wrong score?
IELTS says every university, employer or immigration authority that received your result through IELTS was formally told about the error. That doesn't change your application by itself, so contact the organisation directly if the correction matters to you.
Your test partner can give you a formal letter that explains the error and what it meant for your result. This is useful if a university rejected you because of a lower score, or if you need to show an immigration authority why your score changed.
For UK visas, Ofqual found that 279 of the 1,108 affected IELTS for UKVI tests changed CEFR level, and 4 people's visa eligibility was affected. All four resat the test and met the requirement. Ofqual found no evidence that anyone else was badly harmed, but it said the data it had was limited. Of 270 complaints, 24 were upheld, and 2 people received compensation for a missed opportunity.
Why was IELTS fined £875,000?
Ofqual is the exams regulator in England, and IELTS says it is "regulated by Ofqual globally". That means Ofqual's rules apply to every IELTS test, wherever you take it.
On 11 June 2026, Ofqual fined Cambridge English £875,000. It found that the results did not reflect what candidates had actually achieved, that marking did not consider all their answers correctly, and that Cambridge English did not have enough checks to find the problem. Cambridge English accepted the breaches and agreed the fine in a voluntary settlement. It says it spent more than £6 million on corrections, refunds, a 24/7 support line and new safeguards.
Why does my Test Report Form now have an Ofqual logo?
This is a separate issue, and it doesn't affect your score. In a formal promise to Ofqual published in June 2026, Cambridge English admitted that IELTS Test Report Forms did not show the Ofqual logo and in some cases used the wrong official qualification title.
IELTS changed the design in mid-July 2026. According to IELTS's announcement:
- Old forms stay valid for university and visa applications. You don't need to send your TRF again.
- You can ask for an updated form for free if your TRF was issued between June 2024 and 14 July 2026. This is optional.
- An updated form doesn't reset the two-year validity period, and it doesn't change your score.
Remember the difference: a form without the Ofqual logo is still valid, but a form showing a score that the marking error later changed is not.
Is IELTS on computer reliable now?
Yes, as far as anyone can check. IELTS says the issue has been fully resolved and new safeguards are in place, and Cambridge English has made formal promises to Ofqual to prevent it happening again. Even during the error, more than 99% of tests were unaffected. And because IELTS is now computer-only in almost every country, there is no paper option to switch to.
What you can control is how well you know the marking rules for Listening and Reading:
- Spelling must be correct. A misspelled answer is marked wrong.
- Punctuation isn't tested in Listening and Reading answers, and accent marks should be ignored.
- Follow the word limit. If a question says "NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS", a three-word answer is wrong, even if it contains the right words.
What to do if your result looks wrong
If a new result seems too low, you can ask for a re-mark, called an Enquiry on Results. You must apply within six weeks of your test date. You can choose which modules to re-mark, and your score can't go down. The fee varies by country (for example, AUD 240 in Australia) and is refunded in full if your band goes up.
It helps to know your real level before you pay for a re-mark. If you have taken several timed practice tests in the computer format, you know roughly what Listening and Reading score to expect. A single result a full band below all of them is worth questioning. Half a band below can just be an off day.
How PrepAsk helps you check your level
PrepAsk's Reading practice and Listening practice are completely free, in the same on-screen format as the real test. Each test gives you a band score, and the review shows where each answer was in the passage or transcript. Over several tests you build a reliable picture of your level, so you go into the exam with a realistic target and can tell whether a result is worth questioning.
For Writing and Speaking, our IELTS mock tests give a band score for each criterion, so you know which skill to work on next.
The bottom line
The IELTS marking error only affected Listening and Reading on computer tests taken between 24 August 2023 and 4 September 2025. If IELTS didn't email you, your score is correct. If it did, your corrected score is final, your old Test Report Form is no longer valid, and the refund window closed on 30 June 2026, so contact your test partner about anything still open.
If you're preparing for your next test, the best protection is knowing your level well. Start with a free IELTS practice test on computer and see where your Listening and Reading scores stand today.
