Whose rules these are
The rules on this page are IDP Thailand's. They come from its special arrangements page and its test dates page, plus one venue page named in the accessible-centres section below. They were read in October 2026. What IDP tells you directly about your own request is what applies to you.
The British Council also runs IELTS in Thailand, and its rules may differ from IDP's. This page states none of them. If you are booked with the British Council, start from its IELTS page for Thailand instead.
Band Booster IELTS cannot arrange, request or approve test adjustments. It is a private tutor, not the test provider or a test centre. It does not register candidates or set exam fees either. This page is not medical advice, and it promises no outcome for any request.
Who can ask for special arrangements
IDP Thailand's page says special arrangements are available for candidates who have disabilities, long-term medical conditions or temporary injuries that may affect their test performance. The page also says candidates experiencing mental health conditions that require a calm or separate environment are encouraged to contact IDP in advance.
IDP's page goes on to give its own examples of conditions, which this page does not repeat. This page cannot tell you whether your situation counts, and it gives no medical advice. The person to ask is IDP, and the sooner the better, because of the notice period below.
Examples that IDP's page gives
IDP's page gives examples of what IDP says it may provide, depending on your needs and supporting documents. They are examples, not a menu to choose from.
| Example on IDP's page | What to remember |
|---|---|
| Extra test time or rest breaks | Listed as an example. Ask IDP what would apply to your situation. |
| Large print or Braille | Listed as an example. IDP and the British Council in Thailand both state that from 22 March 2026 all IELTS tests are delivered on computer (see computer-delivered IELTS in Thailand), so ask IDP how an arrangement of this kind works on the day. |
| A modified Speaking Test format, for example additional pause time | IDP says Speaking can be modified and gives extra pause time as its example. Ask what a modified format would involve for you. |
Whether any of these is offered to you is a separate question. IDP's page says test centres deal with all applications for special arrangements individually, so an example on this list is not a promise that it will be granted to you.
The 14-day notice, and what a shorter notice means
IDP's page asks you to contact it at least fourteen (14) days before your test date. Elsewhere on the same page it is firmer: candidates must notify IDP Thailand no later than fourteen (14) days before the test date. So treat 14 days as the deadline rather than a suggestion. The count runs back from the test date, not from the day you book, so check it against the date on your booking.
The page also says that if the test centre receives your request fewer than seven days before the test date, standard test conditions may apply. In plain terms, a late request may mean you sit the test under the normal rules.
| When the request reaches the test centre | What IDP's page says |
|---|---|
| At least 14 days before the test date | This is the notice IDP asks for, and its page says candidates must notify IDP no later than this. |
| Between 7 and 14 days before | This page does not say what happens. Ask IDP rather than assume. |
| Fewer than 7 days before | Standard test conditions may apply. |
Gathering evidence can take time, so it makes sense to start before you are close to the deadline. That is this page's own suggestion, not IDP's. If your test is already near, contact IDP now and ask what is still possible instead of waiting.
If you are thinking of moving your test date to leave enough notice, the transfer rules are IDP's and are set out in booking, paying and rescheduling IELTS in Thailand. Check them before you assume a move is possible.
The evidence IDP asks for
IDP's page says to support a request with a medical certificate or an assessment report written in English (IDP's wording is "official assessment report").
Who may issue the certificate is worded two ways on the same page. In one place it says the certificate must be issued by a hospital or a licensed medical practitioner. In another it says the certificate must be written in English and issued by a hospital only. This page cannot tell which wording IDP applies in practice, so ask IDP which it will accept before you collect or pay for a certificate.
Keep two situations apart. IDP's cancellation and transfer page has its own wording about medical certificates. That covers moving or cancelling a booked test and is described in the booking guide. Do not read it across to special arrangements, or the other way round.
Accessible centres: what IDP's label is, and what this page can say about it
Apart from the request process, IDP's test dates page shows a feature label on its venue cards. On the page as read in October 2026, the label "Accessible test centre" appears at some venues only, not on every card. It is IDP's label. This page has no IDP definition of what it covers, so it does not say what a labelled venue can or cannot provide.
| Where | What IDP's page shows |
|---|---|
| Venue cards on the test dates page | The label "Accessible test centre" at some venues only. |
| The Pathum Thani (Rangsit) page | The centre is labelled "Accessible IELTS test centre". |
A few cautions on reading the label:
- A label is not a request. You still need to contact IDP, with evidence, in time.
- A labelled venue is not a promise that the arrangement you need will be granted, because applications are decided individually.
- A card without the label is not a statement that the venue cannot help. This page does not read it that way, so ask IDP.
- Venue pages and labels can change, so look at the live card for the venue you are considering.
For the cities where IDP and the British Council are listed, see IELTS test centres in Thailand by city. For what to bring and how check-in works, see IELTS test day in Thailand.
Questions to put to IDP, and a sensible order
These questions are this page's own, not IDP's. They cover the points the sources above leave open.
- Which arrangements could apply to my situation, and how would they work on a computer-delivered test?
- Which documents do you accept, and who must issue a medical certificate: a hospital only, or a licensed medical practitioner as well?
- For my test date, by what day must you have my request?
- If my request reaches you late, or between 7 and 14 days before the test, what happens?
- Does the venue I have chosen suit what I need, whether or not its card carries the "Accessible" label?
- How and when will you tell me what has been agreed?
A practical order, also this page's own and built from IDP's wording above: read IDP's special arrangements page in full; ask which documents it accepts and who may issue them; collect the medical certificate or assessment report, written in English; contact IDP no later than 14 days before your test date and keep a record of what you send and when; look at the venue card for the "Accessible" label; and read your confirmation for anything IDP has agreed. IDP's replies to you come first.
Where lessons with Mike fit
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service, not a test centre or the exam board. It cannot request, arrange or approve an adjustment, it cannot tell you whether IDP will grant one, and a lesson is practice rather than an IELTS test.
Mike holds the Cambridge CELTA and is based in Hanoi. He teaches every lesson himself, one-to-one over Google Meet and in English, not Thai, and his own IELTS result in Speaking is 8.5 (more about Mike).
What a one-to-one lesson can add is practice around you. You can work on Speaking in the three-part format of the real test, or on Writing Task 1 and Task 2 marked against the public band descriptors, with feedback during the lesson and at a pace that suits you. A lesson can be recorded on request, and a written progress note follows each lesson in your account. If you have been told what to expect on test day, tell Mike at the start of the lesson, or message him beforehand by email, Zalo, WhatsApp or Telegram, and the practice can follow it where that is practical. Those two skill pages use Vietnam as their example, so any price on them is Vietnam's; your own price is on the booking page.
No adjustment is promised by any of this, and no band is promised either. Progress depends on your starting point and the work between lessons.
For how the service works in Thailand, see online IELTS tutoring for Thailand. The booking page shows times in your own timezone, which in Thailand is the same as Hanoi, and your price in your own currency before you pay. A paid 30-minute trial can be taken once, on a first booking, and a lesson can be rescheduled at no charge up to 12 hours before the slot. A Thai version of this page is also available.