IELTS Test Dates in the UK: September 2026 Schedule

IELTS was bookable in London on 28 dates in September 2026 when the British Council All Locations calendar was audited on August 28. Academic and General Training both appeared on every date except September 8 and September 22.

Each product search returned 72 cards across seven centre groups. Ordinary IELTS prices were GBP 240, GBP 260 or GBP 265, depending on centre. Those cards must not be confused with IELTS for UKVI or Life Skills when a visa route requires a Secure English Language Test.

Key takeaways

• London showed 28 September dates for Academic and General Training.
• Each search returned 72 cards across seven centre groups.
• Ordinary IELTS prices were GBP 240, 260 or 265.
• Every audited card described Speaking as live with an examiner.
• Visa applicants must check whether the route requires IELTS for UKVI or Life Skills, not ordinary IELTS.

In this guide: date pattern | inventory | centres | fees | SELT | Speaking | results | other cities | research | FAQ

London IELTS dates in September 2026

The two absent dates are both Tuesdays, but other Tuesdays appear. This is not a weekly rule. It is live inventory returned by the provider.

London is denser than New York IELTS and similar in date count to Toronto IELTS, but centre count and prices differ. Madrid IELTS has another local pattern.

How 72 cards fit into 28 dates

A booking card combines centre, date, written time, Speaking appointment and fee. Several cards can share one date.

Academic and General Training had matching counts and centre distribution in the audit. They remain separate products, and the receiver decides which one is acceptable.

Use the IELTS 2026 booking guide for the general workflow. This page owns London and September.

Seven London centre groups

Malvern House, Covent Garden and Chiswick accounted for nearly four out of five cards. This describes inventory concentration, not a ranking of centres.

Confirm the final venue and written time on the selected card. Similar organisation names can refer to different London locations.

Ordinary IELTS and UKVI prices are separate

The ordinary Academic and General Training cards showed GBP 240, 260 and 265. Different centres used different totals.

The official London Central centre page separately listed:

These UKVI figures belong to the named centre page and can change. The central lesson is product separation: ordinary IELTS and SELT-approved IELTS are not interchangeable checkout options.

Read IELTS UKVI versus Academic and General Training before booking for a visa.

When ordinary IELTS is the wrong product

The current GOV.UK SELT guidance says applicants whose route requires a secure test must use an approved test and approved location.

For IELTS, the approved product names are IELTS for UKVI and IELTS Life Skills. The route determines whether four skills or speaking and listening are required.

The exact CEFR level comes from the route. The UK speaking-and-listening-only tests guide, Trinity GESE visa guide, and LanguageCert SELT comparison cover alternatives.

GOV.UK says approved SELT results are valid for two years and provides a unique reference number for online verification. It updated the approved-centre lists on August 12, 2026.

Speaking is live with an examiner

Every audited London ordinary IELTS card used the label live with examiner. The written components were on computer.

The centre controls the final Speaking appointment. The IELTS computer Speaking guide explains why computer delivery does not mean speaking to software.

For general spoken-English output, start a free SpeakShark conversation and use official IELTS materials for the exam.

Use IELTS Speaking practice at home, practice alone, and the daily IELTS routine for a sustainable plan.

Result and application timing

The registration flow labels the sessions as IELTS on computer. Computer results normally arrive faster than old paper results, but the receiving process can add time.

Read computer IELTS result timing and computer versus paper IELTS before choosing the latest possible date.

The One Skill Retake cost guide cannot establish visa acceptance. GOV.UK says candidates may be allowed to retake a component in certain circumstances and should check provider terms.

IELTS locations across the UK

The British Council city menu included Aberdeen, Bath, Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Coventry, Edinburgh and many other locations before London.

London All Locations aggregates seven centre groups. Another UK city has its own date and price inventory.

To audit another city:

1. Select the required IELTS product.
2. Choose the UK city or region.
3. Search the full September range.
4. Load every card.
5. Record centre, price, written time and Speaking appointment.
6. For immigration, verify the approved SELT product and location on GOV.UK.

How to book in London

1. Confirm whether ordinary IELTS or a SELT is required.
2. Select Academic or General Training only when appropriate.
3. Choose London All Locations and the full month.
4. Compare 72 cards across seven centres.
5. Check price and Speaking details.
6. Confirm original ID requirements.
7. Pay and retain the confirmation.

Use the free speaking-level check before choosing a level. After booking, practise free with SpeakShark for general English.

How we researched this guide

On August 28, 2026, we ran complete London All Locations searches for Academic and General Training from September 1 to 30 and loaded every result.

Each search returned 72 cards across 28 dates, seven centre groups and three prices. We then checked the official London Central centre page and GOV.UK's August 2026 SELT guidance.

We did not treat ordinary IELTS as visa-approved evidence, infer one London-wide fee or publish remaining-seat counts. No real exam questions were used.

We are a speaking improvement tool. We are not an exam preparation provider, and we are not affiliated with Cambridge English, the IELTS partners, Pearson or any exam board. For test format, booking and official practice material, go to the exam body directly. Use SpeakShark to make your spoken English stronger, and use official material to learn the test.

FAQ

The British Council London All Locations calendar showed Academic and General Training on every September date except September 8 and 22 when checked on August 28. That is 28 distinct dates. Each full-month search returned 72 booking cards across seven centre groups. Availability can change after this snapshot.

Academic and General Training each returned 72 cards across 28 dates. The inventory was distributed across Malvern House, Covent Garden, London Chiswick, Ealing Hammersmith and West London College, Wimbledon, Southwark College and Stratford. One calendar date can contain several centres and appointment combinations.

The audited ordinary Academic and General Training cards displayed GBP 240, GBP 260 or GBP 265 depending on the centre. UKVI products use separate prices and booking routes; the official London Central centre page listed UKVI Academic and General Training at GBP 257 and Life Skills at GBP 182.

If a visa or nationality route requires a Secure English Language Test, GOV.UK says to book the approved product, such as IELTS for UKVI or IELTS Life Skills, at an approved location. An ordinary London Academic or General Training card does not become a SELT merely because the test is taken inside the UK.

Every audited London card described Speaking as live with an examiner. The final appointment can differ from the written-component time and is confirmed by the centre. Read the booking card and Test Taker Portal before arranging travel, work leave or accommodation around the main test date.

GOV.UK says an approved SELT result must have been awarded within two years before the application date. It also requires the approved test and approved location for the relevant route. Ordinary academic or employment receivers can use different recency rules, so check the exact receiving body.

Use official IELTS material and start free daily speaking practice for general English. Premium costs $10 for one month, $25 for three months, or $69 for one year. See pricing.

SpeakShark details

• Site: speakshark.com
• Support: speaksharksupport@gmail.com
• Free tier: 3 AI conversation sessions per day with no card required

Sources

1. British Council IELTS registration for the UK, audited separately for London Academic and General Training.
2. GOV.UK SELT guidance, checked for approved products, providers, locations, skills and validity.
3. British Council London Central centre page, checked for UKVI and Life Skills prices.
4. IELTS booking guidance, checked for product selection and official booking.
5. GOV.UK English-language levels, checked for route-specific CEFR guidance.
6. SpeakShark pricing, checked for current free and paid options.

IELTS dates, prices, approved locations and immigration rules can change. Confirm the exact product, appointment and route requirement before paying.