Important Information


Proof of Identity

On the day of the IELTS test (both written and speaking) you must bring the ID document which you have registered with on your application form. You will not be allowed to sit an exam without a valid ID. We encourage all candidates to use their passport as proof of ID. Only EU citizens can provide current and original National Identification Cards instead of a passport. Please note that on the test day we do not accept: copies of passports, driving licences, student cards, birth certificates, GNIB cards or Garda letters.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure you will be in possession of your valid passport on the day of the test. Please do not apply for the test if you need to send your passport to an embassy (unless you are absolutely sure you are going to receive it back in time for the test). Please note that if you register for the test and then send your passport to the embassy (and do not have it on the day of the test), you will not be allowed to take the test and no refund will be due.

 

Test Venue

The morning session of the test which includes Listening, Reading and Writing sections takes place at the Metropole Hotel on Maccurtain street, Cork City. The hotel website https://www.themetropolehotel.ie/ will give you information about the hotel and it’s facilities.

The Speaking section takes place in the afternoon at Cork English College. It is very important that you carefully check the address and information you are emailed before the test date for the test location. Test takers who arrive late or miss the test due to arriving at the wrong location will not be entitled to a refund or a test date transfer. The full test details are usually emailed to candidates approximately 1 week before the test. Please check your email inbox and junk mail inbox regularly. You may also wish to list our email address ielts@corkenglishcollege.ie as ‘not junk mail’ or ‘safe’ in your email provider’s settings. If you have not received the confirmation email or there is a problem with your email box, please give us a call on 0214551522. We are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 5.30pm. Please note that the IELTS office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Parking

There is no free parking at the hotel. The best place to park is in one of the car parks below which accept hourly payment.

 

Test Time

Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. at The Metropole Hotel on Maccurtain street, Cork City and closes at 9:15 a.m. The test begins at 10 a.m.

The morning session of the test which includes Listening, Reading and Writing sections finishes at approximately 1 p.m.

 

Speaking tests

The speaking tests can take place in the afternoon on the day before the test (Friday) and on the test day (Saturday). Test takers travelling from outside of Cork can be accommodated to have all sections of their IELTS test on the Saturday. You will be allocated a speaking slot between 2:20 pm and 6.30 p.m. If you have any requests regarding your Speaking test, please notify us at the time of registration or 2 weeks before the test at the latest. We are unable to make any changes to the timetable once you have received your test details and an allocated speaking test time. We strongly advise that you do not to make any other plans for that day and to only buy open return travel tickets. 

 

IELTS test taker identity verification

All IELTS test takers have their photo and finger scan taken by IELTS staff on test day before the test. Photographs of test takers taken on the test day will be printed onto the candidate’s TRF (Test Result Form), and will only be used for test related purposes under Irish and International data protection regulations. Finger scanning is also only used to enhance the security of the exam and information will only be used for test related purposes. Test day photography and finger scanning is mandatory for all IELTS test taker.The photograph will show the head, shoulders and ears of the candidate from the front. Please do not wear glasses for the photograph. Please note that you are still required to bring the passport/EU national ID card you provided with your application form.

 

Getting your Test Results

Test results are posted to you on the 13th day after your test. We are not permitted to give test results by telephone, fax or email. If you wish to collect your results in person from the IELTS Centre, please state this on your application form or let us know by email beforehand. You will need to bring your passport with you to the Test Centre on the collection day. IELTS results can only be given to the test taker who sat the exam.

We are not responsible for the delivery of your results to your address. We strongly recommend that you pick up your results rather than rely on the postal service. The results can be collected on the 13th day after the test from  9 am until 2 pm. If they are not collected before 2 pm, they will be posted to the address specified on the application form. Please note that we do not take responsibility for lost Test Report Forms in standard post. If you would like us to send your results to you by registered post, please contact us for prices as there will be an additional charge.

To check exam results online, see https://ielts.britishcouncil.org/CheckResults.aspx 

 

Sending your Test Results to relevant institutions

You can request to have copies of your test results sent to up to five institutions (universities, government agencies or employers). Please write the full addresses of any relevant institutions when making your application online.

 

Cancellations

It is possible to cancel your IELTS test if you make your cancellation request more than five weeks before your test date. There is an administrative fee of €30 for cancellations.

If you cancel your test less than five weeks before your test date, you will lose the full test fee.

Download the Cancellation Request Form

 

Transfers

You can transfer to a different test date up to five weeks before the test date you are registered for. You will be charged a €30 transfer fee.

Download the Transfer Request Form 

 

Special requirements

IELTS Test Centres make every effort to cater for test takers with special requirements. If you require a modified version of IELTS, you must give the Test Centre three months’ notice. If your circumstances require special arrangements to be made, e.g. extra time, you must give the test centre six weeks’ notice.

 
Special arrangements include the following:

  • 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.

Please contact your local test centre as soon as possible. if you have special needs that may require a modified IELTS test version.

 

Minor Test Takers

If your are under 18 and you wish to take an IELTS Test, please download the consent form from the downloads section  of our website. This form needs to be signed by a guardian and returned to us with your application.

IELTS is not recommended for candidates under the age of 16.

 

Absence and Lateness

Test takers who arrive late for test registration will not be allowed to take their test and will lose the full test fee.

If you cannot attend a test because of a medical emergency, you must complete a Request for Refund/Transfer Form and return it along with an original medical certificate within five days of the missed test. The certificate must clearly state the reason for the absence and must be appropriately dated. Page 3 of the Form must be completed by medical practitioner. Incomplete and late applications will not be considered.

 

Enquiry on Results

If you did not receive the score you expected, you can apply for your test to be remarked. Please send an email to ielts@corkenglishcollege.ie and we will forward the relevant form. 

 

Complaints

If you want to make a complaint relating to the delivery of the test, you must do so before you leave the test venue on the test day. The IELTS Test Partners will not accept complaints relating to the delivery of the test after results have been issued. Your invigilator will have a Complaint Form. Please fill this in if you want to raise an issue or make a complaint. If you require further information with reference to British Council Global complaint procedure, please follow this link: https://www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/how-we-work/policies/complaints

 

Security warning

IELTS test results are used for admission to Universities, colleges and professional bodies, as well as for immigration to English-speaking countries. For this reason it is essential to ensure the security of test results and IELTS has a number of measures in place to safeguard against the falsification of results.

Your photograph will be taken on the day of your IELTS test; this will appear on your IELTS Test Report Form. Fraud prevention measures are in place to enable IELTS to identify counterfeit Test Report Forms (TRFs).

Immigration agencies and institutions that accept IELTS scores will cancel your application and exclude you from applying again if false documentation is submitted. Test-takers engaging in malpractice may also be liable to legal action.

IELTS is the world’s leading high-stakes English language proficiency test, and continues to protect the validity of its scores and the genuine test-taker. If you ignore the above warning, you risk your money and your future.

Please check the Security Poster.

 

IELTS for UK Visas and Immigration

Candidates applying for a UK visa may need to take an IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills exam.  It is the responsibility of the test taker to register for the right type of test. If you are applying for IELTS for UKVI, you must register at one of the authorised British Council’s IELTS test centres for UKVI. The test centre cannot be held responsible for an incorrect selection. For further information, please go to: http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/ielts-ukvi/what-ielts-ukvi