A series of candidates unexpectedly had their IELTS scores adjusted even though they took the test a long time ago.

On the evening of November 12, many candidates in Vietnam who took the IELTS test between mid-2023 and September 2025 reported receiving letters from the British Council and IDP regarding the update of IELTS test results. The organizing units said that due to technical issues, the scores of one or both Listening/Reading skills of some IELTS candidates increased or decreased compared to the previous results.

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We have fixed the technical issue and enhanced our systems and processes to ensure this does not happen again,” the statement said.

At the same time, IELTS test partners have proposed two solutions for affected candidates, including refunds of test fees or free retests. Candidates must confirm by May 1, 2026. In either case, cases will be processed within 60 working days of receiving the information.

Email Hoang Anh received about changing IELTS test results. *Photo: NVCC*

Sharing with VietNamNet reporter , Nguyen Hoang Anh ( Hanoi ) said that on November 12, she unexpectedly received an email from IDP, announcing a change in her IELTS test results, even though she had taken the test in June 2024.

“IDP said my Reading score has increased from 7.0 to 8.0 compared to the previous announcement,” said Hoang Anh. However, the female student said that the score increase is now meaningless because she used her old score to apply for university.

“However, that test made me lose confidence in my Reading ability and always think that my Reading skills are still weak,” the female student said.

Mr. Hieu Minh, an IELTS teacher in Hanoi, said that yesterday (November 12), many of his students who took the IELTS test at the British Council and IDP also shared that they encountered similar situations.

For example, a candidate taking the test on May 19, 2024, the Reading skill increases from 7.0 to 8.0, increasing the total score to 7.5. Or another candidate taking the test on July 19, 2025, the Reading skill score also increases from 7.0 to 7.5.

“These candidates all use IELTS scores as a condition for graduation or to apply for jobs or study abroad. Therefore, the change has negatively affected many groups of people,” said the teacher.

Specifically, there are people who took the exam but did not get the score they expected to submit to the schools, thus incurring additional costs to review and retake the exam.

"Some students have taken the exam and achieved enough scores to be admitted to domestic or international universities, so they do not have to retake the exam. However, being assessed as having lower abilities than their actual abilities has caused them to lose the opportunity to apply for high scholarships," said Mr. Minh.

However, Mr. Hieu Minh acknowledged the British Council and IDP's transparency in admitting their mistakes and making changes. The male teacher believes that the handling policies of these units, including refunding tuition fees or free re-testing, are also the best possible solutions.

The incident accounted for less than 1% of the total global exam turnout.

In a letter sent to affected candidates, the IELTS test co-organizers included a link to answer questions about the “technical problem” that caused candidates to receive inaccurate results.

The information stated that this “internal technical problem” was not related to any cyber-attack, affecting less than 1% of the total number of exams globally. The problem has now been completely resolved and additional protection measures have been put in place to prevent a recurrence.

The co-organizers of the IELTS test said that as soon as the error was discovered, they conducted a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause and extent of the impact in order to remedy the consequences, ensuring that no candidates were affected.

“The adjusted score is final. The candidate’s old score report will no longer be valid. If the candidate needs supporting documents or a letter of explanation for educational institutions, employers, or immigration authorities, we are ready to assist,” the unit said.

About 70% of Vietnamese candidates achieved IELTS scores from 5.5 to 7.0. In 2024-2025, the average IELTS score of Vietnamese candidates was 6.2, ranking 29/40 countries and territories. About 70% of candidates achieved scores from 5.5 to 7.0.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/loat-thi-sinh-bat-ngo-bi-dieu-chinh-lai-diem-ielts-du-da-thi-tu-lau-2462354.html