FAQs - IELTS One Skill Retake for recognising organisations

IELTS One Skill Retake allows test takers to improve their IELTS score without repeating the full test. If test takers feel the IELTS test results do not reflect their true English language ability, they can retake one of the four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking).

Until now, students could only take a major English language proficiency test (such as IELTS) in one sitting for all skills: Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking. IELTS is the first and only test to allow students to retake one skill and improve their overall test score.

To be eligible for IELTS One Skill Retake, a student must have recently completed a General or Academic IELTS on Computer test* and have received the results from a test centre that offers IELTS One Skill Retake.

* IELTS for Academic and General Training on computer One Skill Retake is currently not available for tests taken in the USA.

IELTS One Skill Retake results are shared with organisations in the same way as other IELTS results. For example, if your organisation receives IELTS results electronically, it will also receive IELTS One Skill Retake results in the same way.

If your organisation is not registered to receive results, you can request it via the IELTS online verification Registration form or, alternatively, receive results directly from the applicant.

Registered organisations should use the IELTS Results Service to check and process test takers’ IELTS One Skill Retake Results. 

All organisations agreeing to recognise IELTS One Skill Retake results will be displayed in the IELTS database. We also recommend letting prospective applicants know of your IELTS acceptance on your organisation’s website. 

The Test Report Form (TRF) will state ‘One Skill Retake’ in the top right-hand corner. This will also be shown on the IELTS Results Service Verification portal.

After completing the IELTS One Skill Retake, test takers will have two separate Test Report Forms:

• the original TRF with their four skill test results
• the new form with the updated One Skill Retake result

They can decide whether to use their new or old scores.

The original TRF will continue to exist alongside the new One Skill Retake form, and both forms are valid for two years from the original test date, as stated on the Test Report Form.

The IELTS One Skill Retake Test Report Form has the same look and format as any other IELTS Test Report Form. 

In the top right-hand corner of the form, it will display the test type, ‘One Skill Retake’, followed by the relevant skill being taken. The ‘Test Results’ section displays the retaken skill score and the original score for the other three skills.

UKVI is accepting IELTS One Skill Retake for IELTS Academic and General Training tests on computer in selected locations.

At present, IELTS One Skill Retake is only available on computer in selected test centres, in selected countries.  We are continuing to roll IELTS One Skill Retake out to test centres in more countries. In future, we expect to make IELTS One Skill Retake available to those who have taken the paper based test, and we will let test takers know when this option is made available.