IELTS Exam Fee in India
The IELTS exam fee in India is ₹19,000 for IELTS Academic or General Training, whether you take it on computer or on paper, as of September 2026. IDP raised it from ₹18,000 on 1 April 2026. IELTS for UKVI costs ₹19,250, IELTS Life Skills costs ₹18,000, and the One Skill Retake costs ₹12,650. Every figure includes GST.
The ₹19,000 goes to IDP for the test itself. Coaching is separate. If you want a plan to pass on the first attempt, see the IELTS online course (from £79) or take a free IELTS mock test first.
IELTS fee by test type in India
One provider, IDP, sets the same fee at every centre in the country. Figures are current as of September 2026 and include GST.
| Test type | Fee (INR) |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (computer or paper) | ₹19,000 |
| IELTS General Training (computer or paper) | ₹19,000 |
| IELTS for UKVI (Academic or General, computer or paper) | ₹19,250 |
| IELTS Life Skills (A1 and B1) | ₹18,000 |
| IELTS One Skill Retake | ₹12,650 |
Source: IDP IELTS India fee schedule and the official IELTS fees page. Fees are reviewed each year, usually on 1 April.
Do IDP and the British Council charge different fees in India?
This is the question I hear most, and the answer surprises people.
There is no British Council IELTS fee in India. IDP has been the only IELTS provider in the country since 25 July 2021, when it bought the British Council's India IELTS operation. So there is one fee, one booking site, and one set of centres. Your Test Report Form is still accepted everywhere, because IELTS is the same test worldwide regardless of who administers it.
If a coaching centre or an old blog tells you to "compare IDP and British Council prices in India", it is out of date. Read the British Council's own announcement of the sale.
If your plans change
What it costs to reschedule or cancel
Transfer to a later date
| IELTS Academic or General (computer or paper) | ₹4,750 |
| IELTS for UKVI (computer or paper) | ₹4,850 |
| IELTS Life Skills | ₹4,500 |
| One Skill Retake | ₹3,200 |
You can also move a test earlier, up to 9 days before the original date, if a seat is free.
Cancelling for a refund
Standard test: 9 or more days before the date, full refund minus a 25% charge. Less than 9 days, you lose 25% and the rest comes back in 7 to 10 working days.
UKVI and Life Skills: 14 or more days, 75% back. 2 to 14 days, 50%. Under 2 days or after the test, nothing.
One Skill Retake: 4 or more days before, 75% back. Less than 4 days, no refund.
A doctor's certificate can change these outcomes if you miss the test through illness.
What the IELTS fee does and does not include
Included in ₹19,000
- +All four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
- +Your Test Report Form, available online 3 to 5 days after a computer test, 13 days after a paper test
- +One free copy sent to a receiving organisation you nominate at booking
- +GST and every centre charge (the fee is the same in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and everywhere else in India)
Not included
- –Extra Test Report Forms sent after the test day (around ₹250 each within India)
- –One Skill Retake, which is booked and paid for separately
- –Any coaching or practice material
The mistake I see most often is students paying ₹19,000 twice. They book, sit the test underprepared, land half a band short on Writing, and re-book. One student, Heena, did exactly this before she came to me, then hit her band on the next attempt after four weeks of marked practice. If you are not scoring your target in a full mock test yet, the cheapest thing you can do is fix that before you pay IDP.
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IELTS exam fee in India: frequently asked questions
The IELTS exam fee in India is ₹19,000 for IELTS Academic or General Training, on computer or on paper, as of September 2026. IELTS for UKVI costs ₹19,250, IELTS Life Skills costs ₹18,000, and the One Skill Retake costs ₹12,650. Every figure includes GST.
IDP raised the standard IELTS fee in India from ₹18,000 to ₹19,000 on 1 April 2026. IELTS fees are reviewed each year and usually change on 1 April. Book before a review date if you already know your test window.
No. Computer-delivered and paper-based IELTS cost the same in India, ₹19,000 for Academic or General Training. The only difference is speed of results: 3 to 5 days for computer, about 13 days for paper.
There is no British Council fee in India. IDP has been the only IELTS provider in the country since 25 July 2021, when it bought the British Council's India IELTS business. One provider, one fee, one booking route.
Transferring to a later date costs ₹4,750 for Academic or General Training, ₹4,850 for UKVI, ₹4,500 for Life Skills, and ₹3,200 for One Skill Retake. You can also move your test earlier, up to 9 days before the original date, if a seat is free.
For a standard test, cancelling 9 or more days before the date gets you a full refund minus a 25% administrative charge. Cancelling with less than 9 days' notice means you lose 25% of the fee and the rest is refunded in 7 to 10 working days. UKVI and Life Skills tests use a tiered scale based on 14 and 2 days' notice.
Local coaching centres usually charge ₹8,000 to ₹25,000. Our live online course starts at £79 and includes personal Writing and Speaking feedback, mock tests and materials. The coaching fee is separate from the exam fee you pay to IDP.
Next steps
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