Band Booster IELTS does not register students for the test, set exam fees, choose test dates or decide who receives a special arrangement. This guide sets out what IDP Hong Kong and British Council Hong Kong say, on their own pages, about asking for extra time, a modified paper such as large print or Braille, and other support: how much notice each asks for, what each names, and whom to contact. The pages were read on 24 October 2026. Providers change their rules and contact details, so read the current page of the provider you book with before you rely on anything here. This page quotes no exam fee or test date, and it is not medical or legal advice.
Notice periods at both providers, and one IDP difference
IDP Hong Kong and British Council Hong Kong draw the same line. If you need a modified version of the paper (IDP's examples are large print and Braille), each asks for three months' notice to the test centre. If you need an administrative arrangement, such as extra time, each asks for six weeks' notice.
| Provider | Modified paper | Extra time and similar arrangements |
|---|---|---|
| IDP Hong Kong | Three months' notice to the test centre. IDP's examples: large print, Braille. | Six weeks' notice to the test centre. IDP's examples: extra time, a device such as a screen reader. |
| British Council Hong Kong | Three months' notice to the test centre, for a modified version of an IELTS test. | Six weeks' notice to the test centre. Its example: extra time. |
One difference is worth noticing. IDP's registration page asks for the application at least three months before the test, which is longer than the six weeks on its special-requirements page. The sentence on the registration page does not separate modified papers from other requests, so this page cannot say which period covers yours. If you are unsure, ask IDP, and as general advice (not an IDP rule) plan on the longer period. The British Council also asks you to get in touch as soon as possible if you may need a modified version, so, as general advice, treat each period as the latest date to make contact, not as the target.
Who can ask for special arrangements
IDP Hong Kong's special-requirements page (in Chinese) says IELTS provides services for candidates with special needs, including learning difficulties, hearing impairment, visual impairment, medical conditions, or a need to feed a baby. British Council Hong Kong's special-arrangements page gives examples by need instead: visual impairment, hearing difficulties and dyslexia (see below).
These are the situations the pages name. This page does not say who qualifies for which arrangement, because the provider decides that. If your situation is not on the list, or you are not sure it counts, ask the test centre whether it is covered and what it needs from you.
IDP Hong Kong: notice, application and what it lists
Notice periods
On its special-requirements page, IDP Hong Kong repeats the two periods: three months for a change to the format of the paper, such as large print or Braille, and six weeks for an administrative arrangement, such as extra time or a device such as a screen reader. It explains that the centre needs the three months to modify the paper for you. IDP also says all special arrangements follow the regulations of the UK Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).
Applying, documents and the phone numbers
The registration page (in Chinese) says the application must be made at least three months before the test, and that you must tell the test centre before you pay for the test. It also says you must supply supporting documents when you apply, such as a letter from your doctor. The page prints two telephone numbers, +852 2688 2633 and +852 2688 2400. Those are as printed on the page on 24 October 2026; numbers change, so take the current ones from the page itself.
What IDP says it can offer
IDP's English-language booking checklist lists the support it can offer:
- Braille paper
- a modified, larger paper
- enlarged written prompts on the Speaking task card
- a special Listening test
- a lip-reading version of the Listening test
- special amplification equipment
- word-processing software
- voice-activated software
That is IDP's own list, from an older article (it shows a 2020 date). IDP's Chinese special-requirements page names further items, including extended test time or a computer for the Reading and Writing tests (for candidates with dyslexia) and a scribe to write the answers. This page cannot say that every item is available at a given centre or on a given date, so ask the test centre what it can arrange for you.
British Council Hong Kong: notice, examples and contacts
Notice periods and who to contact
British Council Hong Kong's special-arrangements page asks you to give the test centre three months' notice if you need a modified version of an IELTS test, and six weeks' notice if special arrangements need to be made, with extra time as its example. It also asks you to contact your local test centre, or to email examinations@britishcouncil.org.hk (as printed on the page), as soon as possible if you have special needs that may require a modified test version.
The examples the page gives
| Need | What the page says British Council Hong Kong can provide or arrange |
|---|---|
| Visual impairment | Enlarged print, Braille test papers, and an assistant to write the answers for you. |
| Hearing difficulties | Special amplification equipment, and a lip-reading version of the Listening module. |
| Dyslexia | Extra time for the Reading and Writing tests. |
These are the page's examples, not a full menu, and they do not tell you what you will be given. Keep IDP's list and this one separate: each provider names its own.
Where the British Council repeats the notice
Its test-day page repeats the three-month advance contact, asking you to contact the staff at the test centre three months ahead if you have asked for special arrangements because of a disability or other condition. Its dates, fees and locations page asks you to contact it in advance, before you go on with your registration, if you need access arrangements.
How the result is assessed
The same special-arrangements page says your English language ability and your IELTS scores and bands are assessed objectively, regardless of any disability or special needs you may have. That is the British Council's statement. This page adds nothing to it, and for questions about your own result you need the provider.
A sensible order of steps
This is general advice built from the points above, not a provider rule. Where a provider's page says something different, follow the provider.
- Choose your provider first. Read that provider's pages, because the lists, contacts and details above are not the same for both.
- Get in touch before you register or pay. IDP's registration page says to tell the test centre before paying, and the British Council's dates page asks you to contact it before you go on with registration.
- Work back from the test date by the notice each provider asks for, and make contact earlier if you can.
- Ask what the centre needs from you. IDP's registration page mentions supporting documents such as a doctor's letter, so ask which documents the centre wants and how to send them.
- Keep the reply with your booking details, and read the provider's page again near test day, because pages and numbers change.
Related pages on this site
- Booking IELTS in Hong Kong: the ID you book with, consent for under-18s and test-day rules.
- Changing, transferring or cancelling IELTS in Hong Kong.
- IELTS test centres in Hong Kong: addresses, and which centres each provider lists.
- Computer-delivered IELTS in Hong Kong: the format, and how the providers describe it.
Where lessons with Mike fit
Band Booster IELTS is a private online tutor, not a test centre. It is independent of IDP and the British Council. It does not register you for the test, set exam fees or dates, issue results, or request, approve or confirm any special arrangement. Only the provider and your test centre can do that.
What Band Booster offers is preparation. Mike, a Cambridge CELTA-certified teacher based in Hanoi who scored 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS, teaches every lesson himself, one-to-one and live on Google Meet, in English only. Speaking is practised in the real three-part format with feedback in the moment, and Writing Task 1 and Task 2 are marked against the public band descriptors. Sessions can be recorded on request, and written progress notes go into your account after each session. A lesson is practice with a teacher; it does not replace an arrangement from the test provider. See about Mike, IELTS Speaking coaching and IELTS Writing feedback. If you are weighing up whether a private tutor is worth it at all, read is a private IELTS tutor worth it, or can you study alone?
General advice from this site, not from the providers: ask your test centre early what the test will look like with the arrangement you need. Bring a written answer to a lesson to be marked, and use the live session for Speaking.
The booking page shows each time in your own time zone and your price in your own currency, with the payment options, before you pay. Hong Kong is one hour ahead of Hanoi all year (the sources are on the online IELTS tutor for Hong Kong page). You can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before a slot; a cancellation inside 12 hours is not refunded. A paid 30-minute trial can be taken once, on your first booking. Those lesson rules are Band Booster's own and are separate from the provider rules above. No band is guaranteed: progress depends on your starting point and the work you do between sessions.