Should I request a remark or book a One Skill Retake?

If you don't get the scores you need on your original test, there are two options available: request a remark of any section or book a One Skill Retake.

Request a remark on any section of your test if you don't agree with the score you were given. A remark might be suitable if you think you performed well and deserve a higher score on one or more sections of your test.

Find out more about remarks.

The IELTS One Skill Retake is available to candidates who didn't perform as well as they'd hoped on one section of the test. You can only take the One Skill Retake once. One Skill Retake might be suitable if you don't feel you performed well, and want a chance to resit one section of your test.

Find out more about One Skill Retake. 

Yes, but not at the same time. You must choose which one you want to do first and wait for the results before you do the other. Please plan accordingly.

Remember that:

• You have 42 days after your test to request a remark.
• You have 60 days after your test to request a One Skill Retake.

Use these example scenarios to help you decide if you need a remark or One Skill retake.

Candidate B is applying to an organization that requires a minimum band score of 6 for each skill. B took an IELTS test and is confident with their performance. However, when B gets the results, their Speaking band score 5.5, which is under the requirement. Candidate B disagrees with this result and thought their Speaking deserved to be at least 6.0.

Conclusion: Candidate B chooses to first remark the Speaking test. If the remark doesn't return a positive result, they have the option to book a One Skill Retake after.

Candidate G is applying to an organization that requires a minimum band score of 7.5 in each skill. G took an IELTS test but underperformed on test day. When they get the results, their Writing band score is only 6. Candidate G understands why they were given this score.

Conclusion: Candidate G agrees with their score on this test, so doesn't request a remark. Instead, they choose to book a One Skill Retake for the Writing test.

Candidate N is applying to an organization that requires a minimum band score of 8 in each skill. N took an IELTS test and is confident with their performance, but they aren't sure if they met the requirements. They achieve band score of 9 in Listening and Speaking, but only a band score of 7.5 in Reading and Writing. 

Conclusion: Candidate N knows that their Reading score is unlikely to change because it's based on 40 questions with preset answers. However, they ask for a remark on their Writing test. The remark returns a positive result - their Writing band score is now 8. Candidate N then chooses to book a One Skill Retake for their Reading test.

Candidate W is applying to an organization that requires a minimum band score of 6 in each skill. W took an IELTS test but underperformed on test day. They received a band score of 6 in Reading and Listening, and a band score of 4 in Writing and Speaking. They feel that their scores accurately reflect their performance.

Conclusion: Candidate W does not think a remark is worth it, because they don't believe their scores will increase. Furthermore, they can't benefit from One Skill Retake because they need a higher score in more than one skill. Candidate W chooses to rebook a new IELTS test and take all 4 skills again.