Why there are two rule sets
Irish IELTS bookings go through more than one route. IDP publishes Irish pages with its own terms. ielts.org lists most Irish venues, in Dublin, Galway and Cork, under the British Council, and also shows other venues. Each route publishes its own terms, and the ielts.org Irish listing shows no cancellation text, only a link to a separate page on cancellations, refunds, remarks and transfers.
So the first job is to find out who holds your booking: look at the confirmation email. Everything below is general information from the pages named, not advice on your case.
The two published rule sets side by side
The left column is IDP's Irish reschedule page. The right column is the information page of ieltsdublin.com, a venue-run site that also lists a Galway venue at Fairgreen House. It is the venue's own page, not ielts.org or the British Council.
| Situation | IDP Irish reschedule page | Venue-run site (ieltsdublin.com) |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer, long notice | At no charge 15 or more days before | At no charge up to 15 days before |
| Transfer, 5 to 14 days before | Allowed, administrative fee | Allowed, admin charge |
| Transfer, within 4 days | Not allowed; treated as a cancellation | Not allowed |
| Cancellation | 15 or more days before: part refund. Within 14 days: fee not refundable | Only up to two weeks before the written exam, with an administrative fee; later, the full fee is lost |
| Medical reason | Certificate within 5 days of the test date; refund minus the local administrative cost | Authorised certificate, in English, stating the reason, within five days of the missed test |
Read the cancellation row closely. A cancellation 10 days before is allowed but not refunded on IDP's page, while the venue-run site says it is not possible at all. Both pages do state their amounts and percentages; this page does not repeat them, so read them on the pages named.
IDP's own two pages differ
IDP's Irish booking checklist gives a different timeline: cancel or postpone more than 5 weeks before the test date and you receive a refund minus an administration fee; within 5 weeks you are charged the full fee unless there is a serious medical reason. That is not the same as the 15-day and 14-day thresholds on the reschedule page. The reschedule page also says that additional policies might apply to your country.
What to do about the conflict: rely on the terms in your own booking confirmation, and ask the centre in writing before you pay or move anything.
What about Cork, DCU and the other venues?
ielts.org lists Cork (St. Patrick's Bridge), the Dublin City University Glasnevin campus (Dublin 9), Foley Street (Dublin 1) and The Bridge Mills in Galway under the British Council. This page does not state a British Council cancellation policy for these venues. Check the British Council's own pages, the terms sent with your booking, or contact the venue named on it.
Special consideration and centre cancellations
- IDP's page says you can apply for special consideration before the test and up to two calendar days after it. It does not change your band scores.
- If the centre cancels or postpones, IDP says you are offered a full refund or a transfer to a later date; where the cause is within the centre's control, the choice is subject to availability.
- One Skill Retake: IDP says a full refund applies if you cancel 72 hours or more before the session. The policy covers IELTS on computer, not IELTS for UKVI.
A practical order of steps
- Open your confirmation email and note the provider and the venue.
- Count the days to the test date. The 15-day and 4-day lines matter most.
- Use the provider's own form or contact route; the venue-run site above uses an online form.
- If illness is the reason, ask the centre for the exact wording it needs, and get the certificate within 5 days of the test date.
- Keep the confirmation of any change in writing.
Also keep your ID in order: the venue-run site accepts only a valid passport or a valid EU National Identity card, the same document used at registration, and says a candidate without valid ID loses the full fee.
How lessons with Mike can help with this
Mike does not run bookings or set fees, so he cannot move or refund a test. What he can do is use the time that a changed date gives you. Lessons are one-to-one, live on Google Meet, in English. He marks Writing Task 1 and Task 2 against the public band descriptors, runs Speaking Parts 1 to 3 in the real format with feedback in the moment, and leaves written progress notes in your account.
If your test date moves, a lesson can be rescheduled at no charge up to 12 hours before the slot, and the booking calendar shows each time in your own time zone. There is no subscription or package. See the booking page for times and the exact price before you pay, or read about Mike first.
