Covid-19 updates for test takers

Following the Japanese government’s declaration of a ‘State of Emergency’ on 7 April 2020, all Paper-based IELTS for UKVI examinations at British Council Japan are now cancelled until May 2020, and our office is closed. Computer-delivered IELTS for UKVI and Computer-delivered IELTS and Life Skills A1 / B1 examinations scheduled until 31 May are also cancelled. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. The health and safety of our staff, customers and the communities in which we operate are our top priority, and we support all the ongoing efforts to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Examinations board: Cambridge Assessment International Education  International A-levels and International GCSEs

[Note:] The final date to defer your test, withdraw your application or apply for grading was Thursday 16 April 2020. Requests made from now up to 1 May 2020 will be considered only on a case by case basis. After 1 May 2020 the session system will be closed and no further amendments can be made. 

Scheduled dates: May/June 2020

Current status: The exam board has taken the decision not to hold any international examinations in the May/June 2020 series

Status update expected: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/

Examinations board: Cambridge Assessment Admission Testing STEP 

Scheduled dates: June 2020

Current status: 

STEP 1 will not go ahead. For candidates who have already registered for this test paper, please speak to your Exams Officer about arranging a refund. Centres will be contacted to ensure they do not accept any more registrations for STEP 1 and will also be given further information about refund arrangements.

STEP 2 and STEP 3 will go ahead, however, to ensure the safety of our candidates and centres, the tests will not be run in the usual way. Further information about how the tests will run will be available as soon as we have it.

Status update expected: Please refer to: https://www.admissionstesting.org/

Examinations board: Pearson Edexcel International A-levels and International GCSEs

[Note:] The closing date to make amendments or withdraw applications is on 30 April 2020, any requests after the closing date would be subjected to approval on a case by case basis. No requests will be entertained after 12 May 2020. 

Scheduled dates: May/June 2020

Current status: Pearson has taken the decision not to hold any General Qualification exams in May and June 2020 globally.

Status update expected: Pearson Edexcel will continue to update the website: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/home.html

The list below shows the status of our school, university and professional examinations. Test takers should read the special test taker measures (in the expandable section below) and be fully prepared to comply. 

Following the Japanese government’s declaration of a ‘State of Emergency’ on 7 April 2020, all examinations at British Council Japan are now cancelled until 17 May 2020, and our office is closed. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. he health and safety of our staff, customers and the communities in which we operate are our top priority, and we support all the ongoing efforts to stem the spread of Covid-19. 

Re-scheduling and refunds

If your examinations have been cancelled , please contact your examinations boards directly for rescheduling and/or refunds. If you have paid local centre fees to the British Council, you may receive a full/partial refund. 

Examinations board: University of London 

Scheduled dates: April, May, June 2020

Current status:  University of London has decided to cancel all written examinations (including those for International Foundation Programme (IFP) ) that were scheduled to take place in April, May and June 2020. EMFSS and Computing and Information Systems/Creative Computing examinations will be postponed until July. 

Status update expected: University of London will begin notifying students shortly. 

Examinations board: King's College London 

Scheduled dates: May 2020

Current status:  Based on the current circumstances, overseas exams have now been cancelled. Refunds have been issued in full to students for exam fees paid to the University.

Status update expected: Please regularly check the university website or your student portal.

Examinations board: Imperial College London 

Scheduled dates: April 2020

Current status: Imperial Global MBA examinations will be cancelled. 

Status update expected:  Please regularly check the university website or your student portal.

Examinations board: HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY

Scheduled dates: April to August 2020

Current status: Heriot-Watt University has taken the decision to not arrange any August 2020 examinations through its worldwide exam centres or at any Heriot-Watt campus.

Status update expected: The university will be issuing students with “take home exams” for August 2020 as an interim solution. The university is currently planning to resume business as usual for the December 2020 examinations. Please check the http://MyHWU Portal on a regular basis for all University news, this is where you will find the latest information on Coronavirus (Covid 19).

Examinations board: Open University

Scheduled dates: April 2020

Current status:  The University made the decision to cancel the April 2020 examinations. 

Status update expected: The university will notify candidates directly.

Examinations board: University of Sheffield 

Scheduled dates: May and June 2020

Current status: The university has taken the decision to cancel all formally invigilated examinations. This includes all upcoming examinations that were due to take place during the months of May and June

Status update expected: Please regularly check the university website or your student portal.

Examinations board: BPP University

Scheduled dates: April and May 2020

Current status:  All examinations until the end of May have now been cancelled 

Status update expected: The university is still awaiting an update regarding LPC exams scheduled to take place in June and will be back in touch.

Examinations board: ACCA

Scheduled dates: 1-5 June 2020

Current status:  Postponed to 6-10 July 2020 

Status update expected: Please regularly check the ACCA website for latest development. If you need to contact ACCA about any issues relating to any student-related enquiry, please email ACCA Connect at: info@accaglobal.com

Examinations board: Charles Sturt University

Scheduled dates: June 2020

Current status:  Traditional face-to-face paper exams will not be delivered in June this year. 

Status update expected:  Visit the university's dedicated COVID-19 page for more information: https://www.csu.edu.au/current-students/safety-wellbeing/your-wellbeing/...

Examinations board: Deakin University

Scheduled dates: June 2020

Current status: The university has made the decision to cancel located examinations for the Trimester 1 Exam Period.

Status update expected: The university will update the information on their website as updates are made available.

Examinations board: Massey University

Scheduled dates: June 2020

Current status: IPaper-based examinations will not take place in Semester 1 and will be replaced by online exams or other assessments.

Status update expected: The university will announce the plan will be for Semester 2 in due course. 

Examinations board: Laurentian University 

Scheduled dates: April and May 2020

Current status:  Following the Senate's decision to change all face to face exams to another format,. The university will be cancelling exam invigilation.

Status update expected: Laurentian University COVID-19 FAQ and updates are posted here:https://laurentian.ca/COVID-19

Self-declaration form:

All test takers must sign a declaration form at the entrance of the exams area on test day to declare that they are eligible to attend the test session. 

Please do not attend your test if: 

• you are under a 14-day compulsory quarantine, stay-at-home order, medical surveillance or a self-quarantine order, as specified by the Singapore Government 
• you have a high temperature, persistent cough, difficulty breathing or other flu-like symptoms.

Under 18s

Test takers under 18 years of age are strongly recommended to be accompanied by an adult until the necessary checks at the entrance of the test venue have been completed. If you are then excluded from the test, you and your accompanying adult must leave immediately. If you have not been given permission to leave the test venue unaccompanied, you will be escorted to a holding area until an adult comes to pick you up. Our staff will follow the British Council child protection policy and procedures when they proceed with this arrangement.

On test day: 

• We advise you to report an additional 30 minutes prior to the previously specified arrival time of the test  
• We are implementing temperature screening in the test venue before test takers enter the exams area. Test takers with symptoms of fever will not be able to take the test
• Please follow basic hygiene practices such as using hand-sanitiser provided on test day and regularly washing your hands
• Please maintain a one metre distance from other test takers or staff wherever possible
• You are welcome to/should bring with you, a face mask that covers your mouth and nose. You may be requested to remove this for identification or other purposes. 
• For speaking tests staff and examiners may/will also wear a face mask. Neither the test taker nor the examiner can insist that the other remove or put on a mask for the purpose of the interview
• All test venues will be thoroughly cleaned prior to the start of the test. For computer delivered tests, equipment will be cleaned between sessions
• You will be asked to take any stationery you use at the venue away with you except scratch paper, notes or workings sheets.

After your test:

If you are diagnosed with Covid-19 within 14 days after you take your test, please report this to your test centre by email. This will help ensure we can communicate with other test takers and follow local health authority and government advice.