IELTS has reported that over 63,000 test sessions have been adjusted following a “technical incident,” with nearly 59,000 tests receiving higher scores.

The organization recently released detailed information about the scope of the issue, which occurred between August 2023 and September 2025 and led to some candidates receiving inaccurate results.

IELTS clarified that the “internal technical issue” was not related to any cyberattack, affecting less than 1% of total global test sessions.

A total of 63,216 test sessions were re-evaluated, including cases involving re-sits for individual skills. Altogether, 62,794 candidates worldwide were affected by this incident.

The majority of score adjustments were upward. About two-thirds of the reviewed cases did not change the overall band score, while roughly one-third experienced an increase or decrease of around 0.5 band.

More specifically, IELTS stated that approximately 93% of adjusted tests (58,867 sessions) had at least one skill score increased, while 7% (4,344 sessions) had a single skill score reduced.

Only five cases recorded both increases and decreases across different skills.

As a result, 20,600 tests saw their overall IELTS band score rise by 0.5, while 1,115 tests dropped by the same margin. Remarkably, two test sessions globally experienced a full one-point increase in the overall score.

The IELTS partners confirmed that once the issue was identified, they launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause, assess its impact, and ensure corrective measures were implemented so that no candidate would be disadvantaged.

“The adjusted score is now the final score. Previous Test Report Forms are no longer valid. If candidates need documentation or explanatory letters for universities, employers, or immigration authorities, we are ready to provide assistance,” the organization said.

All affected candidates have already been contacted and provided with their revised results.

Thuy Nga