PTE Cancellation and Rescheduling 2026: Refund Rules and Deadlines
One number decides almost everything about changing a PTE booking: fourteen full calendar days. Inside that window your options collapse fast, and most of the money candidates lose on PTE isn't lost on the exam, it's lost on a date change made a day or two too late. Here are the current rules for cancelling, rescheduling, missing a test, and requesting a score review, plus what each one actually costs against the ₹18,900 fee.
The Refund Tiers
| When you cancel | Refund | On a ₹18,900 booking |
|---|---|---|
| 14 or more full calendar days before | 100% | ₹18,900 back |
| 8 to 13 days before | 50% | ₹9,450 back |
| 7 days or fewer before | None | ₹0 |
Note the phrase "full calendar days." Partial days don't count, and the count runs on calendar days rather than working days. A candidate cancelling on the fourteenth day before their test is on a different side of the line from one cancelling on the thirteenth, and that single day is worth ₹9,450.
Refunds return to the original payment method automatically, but arrival depends on your bank rather than on Pearson, so a normal banking cycle is the realistic expectation rather than an instant reversal.
Rescheduling: Free, Then Impossible
Rescheduling doesn't work on a sliding scale the way cancellation does. It's binary.
With 14 or more full calendar days remaining, you can move your test date at no charge. Inside 14 days, you cannot reschedule at all. There's no late reschedule fee to pay, the option simply disappears, and your only route to a different date is to cancel under the refund tiers above and book again at full price.
This is the trap worth understanding before you book. Candidates assume a fee exists for last-minute changes and plan around paying it. It doesn't. At day 13 you're choosing between sitting the test you booked or writing off half your fee.
One further limit: a single booking can be rescheduled up to six times, each move still needing to clear the 14-day line.
Missing the Test
No-shows forfeit the entire fee. No refund, no credit, no rescheduled slot. If something genuinely prevents you attending, cancelling before the date, even inside the no-refund window, at least closes the booking cleanly, and Pearson support is the route for medical emergencies rather than the automated cancellation flow.
Score Reviews
If you think your result is wrong, a review costs roughly ₹14,750 and comes with tight conditions. It covers Speaking and Writing only, since Reading and Listening are machine-scored against fixed answers. You must request it within 14 calendar days of receiving your result, it applies only to your most recent attempt, and it's unavailable once you've booked another test.
The fee is refunded in full if your score changes. That's the calculation to run honestly: at ₹14,750 against a ₹18,900 retake, a review is worth it when you have specific reason to believe the score misread you, and rarely worth it as a general appeal against a disappointing result.
The condition most candidates trip over is the last one. Booking a retake to save time closes the review option permanently. Decide which route you're taking before you book anything.
What This Means for How You Book
The 14-day rule rewards booking a date you're confident about and punishes booking a placeholder you intend to move. Two habits follow from that.
First, work backwards from your real deadline. Results typically arrive within about two days, but universities and visa processing add their own lag, so identify the last date a result can reach the institution and count back from there rather than forward from today.
Second, build in a retake window. If your target is a competitive score, book far enough ahead that a second attempt fits before your deadline. Candidates who book late and miss by a few points end up paying ₹18,900 twice under time pressure, which costs more than the preparation that would have avoided it. Knowing your required number before you book is half of this, the PTE score chart covers what each band on the 10-90 scale actually represents.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I reschedule my PTE exam a week before the test? No. Rescheduling closes at 14 full calendar days before your test date. Inside that window your only option is to cancel under the refund tiers and make a new booking at full price.
2. How much refund do I get if I cancel 10 days before? 50%, which is ₹9,450 on a ₹18,900 booking. The full refund band ends at 14 days.
3. Is there a fee for rescheduling? No. Rescheduling is free when you're outside the 14-day window, and not permitted inside it. There is no paid late-reschedule option.
4. How many times can I reschedule one booking? Up to six, with each change still needing to happen 14 or more full calendar days before the current test date.
5. What happens if I don't turn up? You lose the full fee with no refund or credit. Cancelling beforehand is always better than a no-show, even when no refund is due.
6. Is a score review worth the ₹14,750? It's refunded if your score changes, and it covers Speaking and Writing only. It makes sense when you have specific reason to think the scoring misread you. It's a poor substitute for a retake as a general appeal, and booking a retake cancels your eligibility to request one.
Where to Go From Here
For the full fee structure across PTE Academic, UKVI, Core and Home, see the PTE exam fee guide for India. To work out the score you're actually aiming at before you commit to a date, use the PTE score chart. And if your booking is already made, the 4-week PTE study plan works backwards from a fixed test date.
Sources
Pearson PTE — official site — policies are set by Pearson and revised periodically. Confirm current terms in your myPTE account before cancelling or rescheduling.
PTE Reschedule and Cancellation 2026 — Tijus Academy — refund tier breakdown for the 2026 cycle.
PTE Exam Fees, Rescheduling and Cancellation — AECC — reschedule limits and the six-change cap.
