TAKING IELTS AT BRITISH COUNCIL SAUDI ARABIA

The IELTS test is regularly administered by the British Council Saudi Arabia. For information about availability of places, test dates and for general IELTS enquiries, please check our IELTS web page www.britishcouncil.org/me or www.ielts.org

A.

REGISTRATION -

To register for the IELTS test you will need the following: i) Application form You can download the IELTS application form and available test dates in Saudi Arabia from www.ielts.org or by visiting one of our offices. You must complete your application form yourself and sign the last page. ii) ID Saudi nationals must attach a clear copy of their National ID Card or valid passport to their IELTS application form. Non-Saudi nationals must attach a clear copy of both their valid passport and iqama. The attached ID must be valid for at least one month from the date of the exam. Please note that you must use the same ID for all 4 modules. The ID used on the test day will be used on your Test Report Form. iii) Photos You need to attach two recent passport sized coloured photographs with the form. Please write your full name on the reverse of each photograph and sign it. One photograph must be pasted securely with glue and the other attached using a paper clip to the IELTS application form. Detailed information about the photo requirements can be found on page iv of the application form. iv) Test fees The IELTS registration fee for 2011 is SAR 850. The fees must be paid in cash or draft bank / cheque issued from SABB bank only. . Cheques from other banks and credit cards will not be accepted. Candidates wishing to send their registration forms via courier should attach a bank draft / cheque from SABB bank only payable to the British Council Saudi Arabia with completed application form, photographs and copies of identity documents. If you do not have an account with SABB bank please send the test fees in cash in a sealed envelope along with your documents.

B. PRE TEST INFORMATION i) Test dates are available on a first come first served basis and candidates must register at least 5 weeks before the test date. Please keep a copy of your receipt and confirmation letter. Incomplete application forms will be returned to candidates with clear reasons for rejection. ii) Special Arrangements Candidates requiring special arrangements due to temporary, permanent or long-term disability, such as hearing/sight impairment, dyslexia or speech impediment must give three months notice to the British Council Examinations Services so that the appropriate guidance and approval can be taken from the Special Circumstances Unit at Cambridge ESOL. iii) Venue Details IELTS examination venue details are included on the IELTS test date confirmation letter. Please note that the Speaking interviews may be conducted up to seven days before or after the written test. You will be informed about your speaking test timings on the test date.

vi) Test date Transfers and Refunds

Test date transfers or refunds are allowed once only and such requests will only be accepted if they are received by Examinations Services at least five weeks (34 days) before the registered test date. A test date transfer fee (SAR 210 in 2011) will be charged. Candidates who seek to cancel their registration or transfer test dates within the five week period prior to the test date will only be allowed to do so if they can satisfy the Administrator that their ability to sit the test has been affected by illness or serious cause. Serious causes include: Serious illness e.g. hospital admission or serious injury (does not include minor illness such as a cold) Loss or bereavement death of an immediate family member Hardship/trauma victim of crime, victim of a traffic accident Military Service.

Please fill in the Test Date Transfer form which is available on request from the British Council. vii) IELTS Practice Materials A pack containing IELTS Practice Material is available for SAR140 (in 2011) from the British Council. The IELTS Practice Material book includes practice IELTS test materials for all test modules with an answer key and a CD of the listening test. It gives candidates an idea of their level and allows them to familiarise themselves with the format of the test. Please note that these materials have been produced according to the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) Question Paper Production cycle. Online practice material and the IELTS Handbook are also available on the IELTS website www.ielts.org viii) IELTS Preparation Courses The British Council prepares students to take the examination. Courses are designed to improve language skills while developing examination technique. British Council preparation courses help you achieve the best mark possible. To take an IELTS course with the British Council, you will need to take a level test. The test is a written test that lasts no more than 30 minutes. This test will be followed by a short interview. Kindly contact our Customer Services representatives to enquire if IELTS Preparation Courses are offered in your area. For further information or visit our website www.britishcoucil.org/me

C. TEST DAY INFORMATION Candidates must report to the written examination venue no later than 08:15am with their original ID document submitted at registration, test date confirmation letter, pencils, sharpener, erasers and blue/black ballpoint or pen. Candidates without original / valid ID document will not be allowed to take the test and will be marked as absent * on the test date. Please note that you must use the same ID for all 4 modules. The ID used on the test day will be used on your Test Report Form. Candidates who arrive late will not be admitted inside the examination hall. Please read the Notice to IELTS candidates from the registration form to familiarize yourself with the exam regulations. * Candidates marked absent on the test day will lose their full test fee.

D. POST TEST INFORMATION i) Test Results Test results are announced on the 13th day after the written examinations. The original IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) can be collected only by the candidate from the British Council Customer Services or by a friend or family member if they have an authorisation letter (obtained from the British Council) signed by the candidate. We can not give any information regarding results over the phone or by email. Please note that TRFs are not automatically mailed to candidates. If Candidates want their Test Report Form to be dispatched, they need to fill in a TRF Dispatch form and pay the corresponding courier fees. You can view your IELTS results on the website http://ielts-results.britishcouncil.org for up to 2 weeks from the official result date. Candidates are entitled to receive one original IELTS TRF only and no duplicate TRFs can be issued later. Five original TRFs can be produced free of charge by British Council Examinations Services, and sent electronically to the institutions (Universities, Immigration Consultants, Nursing Boards etc.) named in your application form within one month of the result date. If the candidate chooses or the institution he desires is not subscribed for the service, these TRFs will be couriered to the institution and a courier fee will be charged. ii) Additional TRF Requests Candidates requesting that their TRFs be sent to institutions (in addition to original 5 or after one month of the result date) will be charged SAR 60 per TRF plus courier charges of SAR50 for domestic destinations and SAR 150 SAR for international destinations.

iii) Validity

IELTS TRFs are valid for two years only. iv) Enquiry on Results (Re-mark facility) An Enquiry on Results (re-mark facility) is available for a fee of SAR 500. Candidates wishing to request a re-mark of the results must complete the IELTS Enquiry on Results Form, which is available on request from the British Council. Candidates must attach their original Test Report Form with this form. A request of Enquiry on Results must reach the British Council within 6 weeks of the test date. The re-mark of the candidate's work is done by the British Council UK office and it normally takes 6-8 weeks for such a request to be processed. Enquiry fees will only be refunded if a result is changed.

E. FEEDBACKWe are always looking for ways to improve our services and appreciate your comments and suggestions. Please email us at the addresses mentioned above.

Please feel free to visit us at one of our branches:

Dammam
7 Floor, Al Rashed Towers King Abdulaziz St Al Khobar 8387 Tel: 03 8877851 ext 120 Email: enquiry.dammam@sa.britishcouncil.org Opening Hours: 9am - 3pm Women Sat-Wed 4 pm - 10 pm Men Sat-Wed
th

Riyadh
Womens Centre Al Manahil Centre Diplomatic Quarter Riyadh Tel: 01 48078811 ext 121 or 123 or 124 Email: enquiry.riyadh@sa.britishcouncil.org Opening Hours : 9am - 3pm Sat-Wed Main Centre C-14, Al Fazary Square Diplomatic Quarter Riyadh Tel: 01 4831818 ext 345 or 343 Email: enquiry.riyadh@sa.britishcouncil.org Opening Hours : 9am - 3pm Sat-Wed

Jeddah
Womens Centre Tanweer Centre Al Naeem St Al Hamra Tel: 02 6670186 ext 102 or 0 Email: enquiry.jeddah@sa.britishcouncil.org Opening Hours : 9am - 3pm Sat-Wed Main Centre 4th Floor, Farsi Centre King Abdullah St Jeddah Tel: 02 6670186 ext 119 or 125 or 116 or 117 Email: enquiry.jeddah @sa.britishcouncil.org Opening Hours : 9am - 3pm Sat-Wed

Disclaimer
The British Council and the examining boards take all reasonable steps to provide continuity of service. We feel sure you will understand, however, that we cannot be held responsible for any interruptions caused by circumstances beyond our control. If examinations or their results are disrupted, cancelled or delayed, every effort will be made to resume normal service as soon as possible. The British Councils liability will be limited to the refund of the registration fee or retesting at a later date