What the retake is
The rules below come from the ielts.org One Skill Retake page. You may retake any one of Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking, for Academic or General Training. You get one retake per original test, and it must be completed within 60 days of your original test day. The original test must have been IELTS on computer.
Results arrive within 3 to 5 days. You receive a new Test Report Form showing the retake score together with the other three results from the original test, and you choose which form to send. For the generic rules, read IELTS One Skill Retake: fee, how to register, limits; this page covers the UK only.
If you took Writing on Paper, ielts.org states that the retake must be taken in the same delivery mode as the original test.
Finding UK centres that offer it
The ielts.org UK test centre list showed 111 results when we read it. Each listing carries tags such as Computer, Computer (Writing on Paper), One Skill Retake and UKVI Approved. The tags show what each centre offers. Narrow the list to your own area before you compare centres.
- Check that the centre you want carries the One Skill Retake tag before you book the full test, because ielts.org asks you to make sure your test centre offers IELTS One Skill Retake before booking.
- Confirm the booking details on the provider page for that centre.
Who accepts it: what each body says
| Body | What its page says |
|---|---|
| NMC | Does not accept it, because you must be tested in all four domains at the same time. It also does not accept IELTS Online. |
| HCPC | Accepts one-skill retakes if done within 6 months of the original test and shown in the test report with the original results. Valid for the same two-year period. |
| GDC | Accepts One Skill Retake and IELTS Online, with the same minimum scores. It says it is reviewing its English language guidance. |
| Imperial | Single score retakes are not accepted; requirements must be met on a single test sitting. |
| LSE | Expects the level at a single sitting, but may accept One Skill Retake at the selectors' discretion. Send your results so they can consider them. |
| Edinburgh (postgraduate) | English requirements must be met in a single test. A one-attempt improvement of a single component is mentioned for online programmes only, where the score is short by no more than 0.5. |
Two official windows appear above: 60 days on ielts.org and 6 months in the HCPC wording. Each is stated by its owner, so follow both the test rule and the rule of the body you are applying to.
UKVI and visa routes
ielts.org says UKVI accepts One Skill Retake for Academic and General Training on computer, but only in selected locations, and advises checking with the organisation receiving your result. For visa use, check the current rule with the official UK government and UKVI pages before you pay for a retake; we have not linked a specific visa page here. This is general information, not personal advice. See also IELTS for UKVI or standard IELTS.
A sensible order of checks
- Read the receiving body's page and note its exact wording on retakes.
- If it is silent, ask it in writing before booking.
- Check the centre's One Skill Retake tag on ielts.org.
- Keep the 60-day limit in view when you choose a date.
How lessons with Mike can help with this
If you are retaking one skill, you can book one-to-one lessons focused on that skill. Mike teaches every session himself, live on Google Meet, in English. He marks Writing Task 1 and Task 2 against the public band descriptors, or runs Speaking Parts 1 to 3 in the real format with feedback in the moment, and leaves written progress notes in your account. He is a CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi, with 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS result. He does not register candidates or set exam fees, and he cannot tell you whether a body will accept your result. You can book a lesson; see about Mike.
