Cambridge English Spent More Than £6 Million Correcting Results, Compensating Affected Candidates And Operating A 24-Hour Support Line After The Systemic Failures Were Exposed With Ofqual’s Amanda Swann Saying Those Who Sat The Tests “Were Let Down By Systemic Failures Over A Long Period”
According to The Telegraph, Ofqual and FE Week, the University of Cambridge’s awarding body Cambridge English has been fined £875,000 by UK examinations regulator Ofqual after an automated marking system in the International English Language Testing System delivered incorrect results to 62,794 candidates over a two-year period.
The flawed computer-marking system, used to score the listening and reading sections of on-screen IELTS tests, incorrectly marked 93,865 responses across 7.7 million tests taken between August 2023 and September 2025.
Of those affected, 2,740 candidates saw a change in their Common European Framework of Reference for Languages level. Critically, 1,108 of the affected candidates had taken the Secure English Language Test; the official test required by UK Visas and Immigration for people applying for UK visas.
Four cases were identified where incorrect IELTS results had directly affected visa eligibility decisions, though all four candidates subsequently retook the test and met the required standards.
Cambridge English accepted responsibility for the breaches, entered into a settlement agreement with Ofqual, and spent more than £6 million correcting results, compensating affected candidates, operating a round-the-clock support service, and introducing safeguards to prevent a repeat.
Ofqual’s Executive Director for Delivery Amanda Swann said: “Tens of thousands of people took these tests with the expectation of accurate results which influence important decisions. Those who took these tests, as well as those who used them, were let down by systemic failures over a long period and our significant fine reflects this.”
IELTS jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS, and Cambridge University Press and Assessment describes itself as the world’s most trusted English test.
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