Where this page gets its details, and why they do not always agree
This page goes through the IELTS venues that IDP and ielts.org list in Kota Kinabalu and Tawau, one venue at a time. It draws on four kinds of page, each read in October 2026: IDP Malaysia's own centre and test-dates pages, the venue records on ielts.org, British Council Malaysia's dates, fees and locations page, and the UK Home Office's list of approved test centres outside the UK (the file dated 9 October 2026). They are maintained separately, so where they differ on a detail we show both versions and do not choose between them.
Band Booster IELTS is a private tutoring service, not a test centre. It does not register candidates, hold places or set fees, and this page quotes no exam fee or test date, because the providers set and change them. For the whole country, see the guide to IELTS test venues in Malaysia; for a city in Sarawak, see IELTS test venues in Kuching; for the shorter provider-by-provider list and the booking routes, see online IELTS tutor for Malaysia.
The venues at a glance
Four venues come up in the pages read: two IDP venues in Kota Kinabalu, one venue that ielts.org files under the British Council's name, and one IDP venue in Tawau. Addresses are given as each source prints them; where one is cut short, the rest is on the source page.
| Venue, as named | Town | Where it is listed | Address text, as printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global English Centre (IDP Kota Kinabalu) | Kota Kinabalu | IDP Malaysia's centre page | No.24-0, Lot 115, Ground Floor, Block D, and the page names Plaza Kingfisher |
| Anchorage Learning Centre | Kota Kinabalu | IDP Malaysia's list; ielts.org | City Mall, Jalan Lintas; the sources differ on unit, floor and block (see below) |
| Inter Education Consult | Kota Kinabalu | ielts.org, under the British Council's name (British Council Malaysia's own page does not name it); the Home Office list | 987, Lrg Jering 2, Sunny Garden, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (Home Office wording) |
| Anchorage Learning Centre (IDP-IELTS CD Test) | Tawau | IDP Malaysia's centre page; ielts.org | TB 16010, Lot 2B, Block C, Lorong Pusat Komersial Unijaya, Tawau Sabah 91000 |
IDP Kota Kinabalu: Global English Centre, Plaza Kingfisher
IDP's centre page for Kota Kinabalu names the venue Global English Centre and begins the address "No.24-0, Lot 115, Ground Floor, Block D," going on to name Plaza Kingfisher. The page also lists the centre's opening hours, which we do not copy because they can change, and a contact email, ieltssupport.kk@idp.com. We cannot tell whether that mailbox is still monitored, so if you get no answer, use the contact details in your booking confirmation.
What the dates page showed on 24 October 2026
IDP's Kota Kinabalu dates page, read on 24 October 2026, said it was showing 40 test sessions in Kota Kinabalu. The session cards were named IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training and carried the labels "IELTS on computer" and "Writing on computer". The page's filter lists UKVI test types, but none of the sessions shown carried a UKVI card. Sessions come and go, so treat this as a snapshot from one day, not a statement about what is on sale now; this page prints no session dates.
One Skill Retake labels
IDP's centre page for Kota Kinabalu, read in October 2026, showed sessions marked "One Skill Retake available". Labels can change from one day to the next, so confirm the exact session with IDP. Who may use a retake, and when it makes sense, is covered in One Skill Retake or full retake.
Anchorage Learning Centre, City Mall: IDP's second venue in Kota Kinabalu
IDP Malaysia's list includes a second Kota Kinabalu venue, Anchorage Learning Centre, in City Mall on Jalan Lintas. IDP's list and ielts.org give it different unit, floor and block details:
| Source (read in October 2026) | Text as printed (shortened) |
|---|---|
| IDP Malaysia's list | Anchorage Learning Centre, S-1-4, 1st Floor, Lot 4, Block A, City Mall |
| ielts.org venue page | S-2-9 2nd Floor Block C City Mall Jalan Lintas |
Both texts place the venue in City Mall on Jalan Lintas, and they differ on three details: the unit (S-1-4 or S-2-9), the floor (1st or 2nd) and the block (A or C). We cannot tell from outside which is current, so this page does not choose. Rely on the venue details in your booking confirmation, and ask IDP before you travel if they differ from what you find online.
There is a second reason to match addresses and not names. IDP also uses the same name, Anchorage Learning Centre, for its venue in Tawau, which has a quite different address (see below). The town and street tell the two apart; the name does not.
Inter Education Consult, Sunny Garden: the venue ielts.org files under the British Council's name
ielts.org lists a venue named Inter Education Consult in Sunny Garden, Kota Kinabalu, under the British Council's name. Its page begins the address "987, Lrg Jering 2," and lists two tests, UKVI Academic and UKVI General Training, both on computer.
The Home Office list (file dated 9 October 2026) has a matching row: Inter Education Consult (IEC), 987, Lrg Jering 2, Sunny Garden, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, listed under the IELTS SELT Consortium and marked Available. We found no row for either IDP venue in Kota Kinabalu in that file. The list may have been updated since that file, so check the current version on GOV.UK before relying on it.
British Council Malaysia's own dates, fees and locations page, read on 24 October 2026, lists a different location in Kota Kinabalu under Sabah and does not name Inter Education Consult. This page does not choose between the two versions. Before you rely on ielts.org's label, ask the British Council whether it runs tests at Inter Education Consult, and follow the venue in your own booking confirmation.
What this shows, and what it does not. In the Home Office file the only Kota Kinabalu row under the IELTS SELT Consortium is Inter Education Consult, ielts.org lists UKVI tests there, and IDP's Kota Kinabalu dates page showed no UKVI session when read on 24 October 2026. British Council Malaysia's own locations page lists a different Kota Kinabalu location. None of that tells you whether you need IELTS for UKVI: the organisation asking for your result decides that, and this page gives no visa advice. For how the UKVI test is set out, see IELTS for UKVI in Malaysia.
Tawau, on Sabah's east coast
IDP lists a venue in Tawau, on Sabah's east coast. IDP's Tawau centre page prints it as "Anchorage Learning Centre (IDP-IELTS CD Test)" at TB 16010, Lot 2B, Block C, Lorong Pusat Komersial Unijaya, Tawau Sabah 91000. We give the name as IDP prints it and do not interpret the bracket.
ielts.org has a record headed "IDP IELTS Malaysia - Anchorage Learning Centre Tawau" with the same address text (TB 16010 Lot 2B Block C Lorong Pusat Komersial Unijaya Tawau Sabah 91000). It lists IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training on computer, and no UKVI test. IDP's own Tawau centre page lists UKVI test types among its filters, but IDP's Tawau dates page, read on 24 October 2026, showed no sessions: it said it could not find any content with these filters. So this page cannot say whether a UKVI test is held there. Sessions come and go, so that is one day's snapshot. Check IDP's Tawau dates page for what is on offer, and treat this page as a pointer to the venue, not a promise that tests are being held there.
Checking a Sabah venue before you book
This is general advice, not guidance from IDP, the British Council or ielts.org, and it promises no band.
- Start from the provider you are booking with. IDP's pages, ielts.org and the Home Office list are maintained separately. British Council Malaysia's dates, fees and locations page says to choose your preferred location from its dropdown to see upcoming test dates and the fee, so use that dropdown to see what it shows for Kota Kinabalu. Its list may not match ielts.org's label for Inter Education Consult; if so, ask the British Council.
- Follow your confirmation. If a unit, floor or block differs between IDP's list and ielts.org, as at the Anchorage venue in City Mall, follow the confirmation for your own session, and ask the provider if it is still unclear.
- Match addresses, not names. The name Anchorage Learning Centre is used for two venues in two towns.
- Read labels session by session. Test-type labels such as UKVI, One Skill Retake and format labels such as "IELTS on computer" are printed on session cards and can change. If you may need IELTS for UKVI, ask the organisation that wants your result which test it accepts, then confirm the session with the provider.
- Treat contact details with care. The email on IDP's Kota Kinabalu centre page may be out of date.
- Plan your own route. This page makes no claims about distances or journey times.
Format questions, such as computer or paper and how Speaking is held, are set out in computer-delivered IELTS in Malaysia, and what to bring on the day is in IELTS test day in Malaysia. Choosing between Academic and General Training is covered in Academic vs General Training, and score targets in IELTS scores for study abroad.
Lessons with Mike for candidates in Sabah
Lessons are online, so none of these venues is where you study. Every lesson is one-to-one on Google Meet, live and in English, with Mike, who holds the Cambridge CELTA, teaches from Hanoi and scored 8.5 in Speaking in his own IELTS (about Mike). A session can cover Listening, Reading, Writing (Task 1 and Task 2, marked against the public band descriptors) or Speaking (Parts 1, 2 and 3 in the real test format), with feedback during the lesson. See online IELTS tutor for Malaysia for how it works, including how Malaysia's time compares with Hanoi's, and the IELTS Speaking tutor page for Malaysia for Speaking.
The booking page shows each time in your own time zone and your price in your own currency before you pay; Malaysia is in the middle regional price tier, above the Vietnam price and below the highest tier. A paid 30-minute trial can be taken once, on your first booking, you can reschedule at no charge up to 12 hours before a slot, and there is no subscription or package. Online lessons do not suit everyone: if you want fixed class hours or classmates, a class near you may fit better (see how to choose an online IELTS tutor), and no band is promised either way.