We are grateful to you, our valued customers for registering with British Council for your examination(s). We understand that for various reasons candidates may wish to receive a refund of exams fees. In order to be aware of your rights as a candidate please take a few moments to familiarise yourself with our refund policy

1.Refund Policy for GCE Exam Fees

There are various instances where candidates may request a refund on their GCE exam fees:

Cambridge International Examinations

• The British Council will deduct Rs.1000 as administrative charges and refund the remaining amount if the candidate cancels all subject entries simultaneously and an application is received before the regular entry closing date.
• The British Council will refund the local fee at the rate of Rs.500 per subject if the application is received between the regular and the late entry closing date.
• No refund application of local fee will be entertained after the late entry closing date.
• There will be no refunds for partial subject entry withdrawals. The British Council local fee cannot be transferred from one exam session to another. The full fees is payable by a candidate for any subsequent entry.

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Edexcel

• The British Council will deduct Rs.1000 as administrative charges and refund the remaining amount if the candidate cancels all subject entries simultaneously and an application is received before the regular entry closing date.
• The British Council will refund the local fee at the rate of Rs.500 per subject if -: The candidate is unable to sit the exam for medical reasons and the application form is received between the regular and the higher late entry closing date.
• This partial refund of the local fee will not be issued until after the end of the examination session.
• No refund application of local fee will be entertained after the higher late entry closing date.
• There will be no refunds for partial subject entry withdrawals. The British Council local fee cannot be transferred from one exam session to another. The full fees is payable by a candidate for any subsequent entry

2. Refund Policy for Educational and Professional Exam Fees

As a general rule no refunds will be made to candidates or Examination Boards in respect of the local fee charged by The British Council for professional examinations.

However in some extenuating circumstances British Council will issue a full refund for a professional exam where the candidate has paid the local fee direct to British Council.

Such circumstances would normally include instances of death in the family, a serious accident or unexpected or severe circumstances.

This decision to refund and the percentage refund is at the discretion of The British Council. Usually a small administration fee will be deducted from the refund.

Candidates are requested to submit a completed refund form along with appropriate supporting evidence i.e. medical certificate, local chairman/commissioner certificate, death certificate, police report within five working days of the test date to their local British Council Office

NB. Candidates requiring a refund of board fees should contact the institution directly

3. Refund for IELTS Exam Fees

The refund policy for IELTS is not set locally by the British Council in Pakistan but rather by the partner organisations that run IELTS globally.

• Refunds to candidates who lodge an incorrect fee at the time of deposit will only be considered if the fee they have deposited is Rs1000 or more than the actual test fee. Where the amount deposited is less than Rs1000 no refund will be possible due to the administrative costs involved.
• Candidates who elect to cancel their registration more than five weeks prior to the test date will receive a refund. However a 25% administrative fee may be deducted at our discretion.
• Candidates who elect to cancel their registration within the five week period will not receive a refund.

The exemption to this is if they can satisfy the IELTS Administrator at British Council that their ability to sit for the test was affected by

• Serious illness- e.g. hospital admission or serious injury
• Loss or bereavement- death of a close family member
• Hardship/trauma – victim of crime, victim of a traffic accident
• Military Service

Candidates are kindly requested to consult the refund policy in the IELTS application form for further details and complete the Refund Form available on the British Council website. Candidates must lodge an application for refund no later than 5 days after the test day.

4. Note

i) British Council make every attempt to be fair in all aspects of refunding money. However, should a  candidate be dissatisfied in any way with the refund policy or service received he/she is advised to write at the first instance to Business Development Manager, Examinations.

ii) Should the candidate remain dissatisfied with this response, he/she should take the matter up with Richard Sunderland, Country Examinations Manager British Council Pakistan. This decision will be final and no further submissions will be received.