The charge follows revelations last year that a technical concern in IELTS’s automated marking system led to rating corrections for countless test takers, triggering concerns about the influence on worldwide students, migrants and institutions relying on the high-stakes English language test.
In response, IELTS apologised to those affected and accepted responsibility for the errors.
According to Ofqual, automated marking failures in the listening and reading components of IELTS went unnoticed from August 24, 2023, up until September 2025, impacting prospects taking computer-delivered tests internationally. The regulator stated the errors stemmed from weaknesses in Cambridge English’s monitoring and error-detection procedures.
Ofqual found that 93,865 actions were incorrectly significant among around 7.7 million IELTS test instances processed throughout the affected period. While a number of those errors did not change final results, 62,794 private students eventually received incorrect part or credentials results that later needed to be corrected.
Of the 21,717 qualification-level corrections made, 20,602 were up adjustments and 1,115 were downward revisions. Many modifications involved a 0.5 band rating adjustment, although 2 prospects received increases of a complete band.
Ofqual said some of the affected tests were Secure English Language Tests (SELTs), which are utilized in UK visa and immigration applications.
According to IELTS, of the 1,108 affected UK visa-related tests, 279 involved a modification in Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) level.
The organisation said that 4 cases eventually impacted visa eligibility, which all four prospects subsequently satisfied the necessary requirement after resitting the test.
Announcing the sanction on June 11, Ofqual executive director for shipment Amanda Swann stated prospects had been “pull down by systemic failures over an extended period”.
“Tens of thousands of individuals took these tests with the expectation of accurate outcomes which influence important choices,” she said.
“We apologise to those affected, and we take responsibility for the mistake that led to some individuals receiving inaccurate outcomes,” an IELTS spokesperson stated.
We apologise to those impacted, and we take responsibility for the error that led to some individuals receiving inaccurate outcomes
IELTS representative
“Once this issue was determined, we acted to correct it, correcting outcomes and supporting people. We offered refunds or resits to everyone affected. We dealt with extra support requests, including for 19 people who called us regarding potentially missed chances. We worked directly with recognising organisations and relevant authorities to help reduce any damage.”
IELTS added that it had conducted “a thorough evaluation” and implemented additional safeguards to avoid a recurrence.
“Our focus stays on delivering precise, relied on and fair evaluations for each test taker,” the spokesperson said.
The organisation likewise highlighted the scale of its removal efforts. According to figures provided by IELTS, 26,246 impacted test takers requested and received refunds, while 1,145 candidates chose a resit. An overall of 270 problems were gotten, of which 24 were promoted. Nineteen of those grievances associated with alleged missed out on chances arising from the incorrect scores.
Ofqual noted that Cambridge English had actually complied with the examination, accepted obligation and participated in a voluntary settlement arrangement. The regulator stated these actions were considered mitigating elements when identifying the size of the charge.
The regulator also acknowledged that Cambridge English had actually invested more than ₤ 6m on restorative steps, compensation, consumer support and system enhancements after discovering the issue in September 2025.
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