IELTS test scores were altered: Candidates were confused from passing to... failing

(Dan Tri) - Many candidates whose IELTS test scores were re-graded or changed fell into a difficult situation when their test scores changed from passing to failing.

On the evening of November 12, many students were surprised to receive emails from the British Council (BC), informing them that their IELTS test scores were incorrect. The incorrect results mainly focused on the reading and listening sections.

According to the re-scoring results, many candidates had their scores increased or decreased compared to their previous results. The sudden change in IELTS scores has disrupted the plans of many candidates. Many people even fell into a "half-crying, half-laughing" situation and did not know how to handle it.

Ms. Nguyen Thi H. (26 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City) said that she used the IELTS test results obtained at the end of 2024 to apply for a job and scholarship at a multinational corporation. She was accepted and is currently in the internship period there.

Notice from the British Council to a candidate about incorrect IELTS test scores (Photo: TS).

According to plan, Ms. H. will go to Germany to study in the near future. All financial, work and visa procedures have been completed.

However, recently, she unexpectedly received a notice from the British Council stating that her IELTS test result was incorrectly marked. After re-marking, her score was reduced by 1.0 band (point), making her ineligible to apply for a job or scholarship at this corporation.

Ms. H. shared that if she had known the exact results sooner, she would have retaken the exam to supplement her application.

“Now my old results have been canceled, my new results do not have enough points, and the scholarship application deadline has long expired. Not to mention, I am under psychological pressure because I used “fake results” to apply, even though I did not intend to,” said Ms. H.

NMTr., a second-year student at a university in Ho Chi Minh City, also said that on November 12, he received an email from the British Council informing him that his IELTS score had been corrected due to a technical error. While Tr. took the test in 2024, his certificate will expire in just a few months.

Tr. used this result to apply for studying abroad and was accepted to some schools but is still waiting for some schools to respond. However, now the old IELTS result is announced to be invalid, the new result is recorded on November 12, 2025.

Tr. said that he might have to supplement the results or redo the application. But Tr. does not understand when the certificate will be valid after being corrected, from the date of correction or from the first batch? If it is counted from the first batch, the certificate is about to expire, so it will be difficult for Tr. to adjust and change the procedures and documents.

Le Van D., a candidate in Hanoi, shared that D. took the exam at the end of 2024 but the results did not meet the requirements to complete the study profile, so he immediately practiced and registered to retake the exam. The cost of retaking the exam was more than 5 million VND, not including the cost of studying and taking a lot of time and effort.

“However, I just received a notice of score correction, the result increased exactly as I had set out to achieve. Now I have two certificates with the same result,” the candidate confided.

According to D., this incorrect grading result not only cost him money and time but also deprived him of the opportunity to study when he was not qualified to apply to the place he wanted at that time.

A former student of the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City worriedly shared that at the time of registering for the exam, he registered using his school email. But now that he has graduated, he cannot log in or use this email anymore, so he is worried that he will not receive a response email, and does not know if he is in the category of "grade correction" or not.

According to records, many candidates taking the IELTS test at IDP and BC Organizations between mid-2023 and September 2025 received emails reporting the incident. The change in results has led to a series of impacts on candidates such as their application being rejected due to reduced scores, not having enough time to supplement, and having to retake the test at a high cost...

Responding to students on the official information page, IELTS Organization said that it had discovered an internal technical problem that caused about 1% of candidates to receive incorrect results. All affected candidates have been contacted by email, and students have not received a response letter, meaning that results are not affected.

The organization said the reason the announcement of the adjusted results was announced late was because the exam organizers discovered an internal technical problem and immediately made adjustments to prevent the problem from recurring.

According to IELTS, if test takers have used their IELTS scores to apply to schools or companies for jobs or visas, the organization will assist in sending an explanation letter (if needed).

In Vietnam, affected candidates can choose to have their exam fees refunded or retake the exam for free. The deadline for confirmation is May 2026. Old scores will no longer be valid.

BC and IDP, the two IELTS test organizers in Vietnam, also instructed candidates who encountered problems to check their new test results, noting that previous test result reports will no longer be valid for use. For candidates who register to retake a skill, the scores may take up to 24 hours to appear.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/vu-loat-bai-thi-ielts-bi-sua-diem-thi-sinh-hoang-mang-tu-dau-thanh-rot-20251113151942571.htm