🇨🇳IELTS fee in China: CNY 1,990

Both, but as two separate systems. British Council has run IELTS jointly with NEEA (China's National Education Examinations Authority) since 2004, booked through ielts.neea.cn. IDP opened its own, independent IELTS operation in China in late 2024, ending British Council/NEEA's exclusivity — it has its own test centres, booking platform, and fee.

No, based on available data. British Council/NEEA charges CNY 1,990 for the standard test, per the official chinaielts.org fee page. IDP is reported to charge CNY 2,170, though we could not independently confirm this directly on IDP's own China site — verify before booking.

Reports indicate IDP currently offers Academic only in China, not General Training — confirm your test type is available before booking through IDP.

CNY 1,990 via British Council/NEEA — the same price as the standard test, per the official fee page. IDP is reported to charge CNY 2,220 for UKVI, though this figure could not be independently confirmed.

Yes, through British Council/NEEA — the Single Skill Retake costs CNY 1,400 and lets you re-sit one section instead of the full four-skill test.

CNY 380 for British Council/NEEA bookings, a flat fee standardized nationwide from 1 January 2026 that applies to both transfers and cancellations when requested online via ielts.neea.cn before the deadline. Missing the deadline or not showing up forfeits the fee entirely.

For British Council/NEEA bookings: Alipay, WeChat Pay, or a bank card via Bank of China Smart Payment or China Merchants Bank e-payment, all through the official ielts.neea.cn site. Avoid paying through third-party platforms. IDP handles payment separately through its own China booking platform.

The fee covers all four skills — Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking — plus one Test Report Form (TRF) sent to you and, if requested at registration, to a limited number of institutions or visa bodies free of charge. Extra copies of your TRF beyond the included number usually cost extra.

Two years from the test date, for both Academic and General Training. Most universities and immigration authorities won't accept a TRF older than that, so time your test around your application or visa deadline.

Yes, for a full retake — IELTS doesn't have a discounted retake fee. Some countries offer a cheaper IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR), letting you re-sit just one section instead of all four, where available.

A valid passport (the same one you'll bring on test day) is required at registration — your name and passport number must match exactly, since a mismatch can block you from sitting the test or collecting results.

No — a no-show without prior cancellation forfeits the full fee under both British Council and IDP's global policy. Always cancel or transfer in advance if you can't make it, rather than skipping the test.