IELTS marking errors affected over 1100 candidates who took the secure English visa test
12 Jun 2026
If you took an IELTS Secure English Language Test (SELT) for a UK visa application between August 2023 and September 2025, errors in the automated marking system may have affected your results.
Ofqual published an enforcement notice on 11 June 2026 and fined Cambridge English £875,000. Automated errors in the listening and reading components of IELTS produced incorrect results for approximately 62,794 learners over that two-year period. Of these, 1,108 had taken the SELT version of IELTS - the specific test approved for UK visa and settlement applications.
Ofqual includes an important caveat. The 1,108 figure covers people who sat the SELT version during the affected period. "It does not confirm whether the qualification was used in a visa application."
Cambridge English has spent over £6 million correcting errors and providing compensation. It has set up a dedicated 24/7 customer support hub for those affected. If you are concerned that your IELTS results may have been affected, contact Cambridge English directly. For questions specifically about how this affects an outstanding or past visa application, Ofqual directs inquiries to the UKVI press office.
Sources: