Where can I take IELTS or PTE in Riyadh?

Pearson's test centre finder listed four PTE centres in Riyadh on 10 October 2026, all partner venues. Pearson labels two of them by gender: Topsys runs one centre for female candidates only and another for male and female candidates. Vinsys Arabia IT Company and JNS Education – Riyadh carry no gender label. Women who want a female-only room can choose the Topsys female-only centre.

Pearson's finder does not say which tests each centre runs on which day. When you book, choose PTE Academic, PTE Academic UKVI or PTE Core first and then your city; only centres with slots for that test appear.

Read on 10 October 2026 in the British Council's booking system, IDP's session listings for Riyadh, both providers' Saudi Arabia fee pages and Pearson's price finder with Saudi Arabia selected. Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries where the two IELTS providers charge different prices: the British Council was SAR 69 cheaper for standard IELTS and SAR 71 cheaper for UKVI. Pearson prices PTE in US dollars, so your bank converts it to riyals.

Refund, transfer and payment rules are in our IELTS fee in Saudi Arabia and PTE fee in Saudi Arabia guides.

For the Eastern Province, the British Council tests in Alkhobar/Dammam, Al-Hassa, Jubail and Qatif, and Pearson's only PTE centre there, Al-Bassam Institute in Dhahran, is labelled for male candidates. The British Council also tests in Buraydah and Hail. Jeddah has the second-largest choice, including a female-only PTE centre. See our Jeddah guide.

IELTS: book online with the British Council or IDP, choose Riyadh and pick a session; the venue address comes in your confirmation. At the British Council, Saudi nationals can register with a passport or national ID and other residents with a passport or Iqama; digital IDs are not accepted, and you bring the original to both the Speaking and written tests. It takes cards online or a bank transfer.

PTE: create a myPTE account with details that exactly match your ID, choose the test, then Riyadh, a centre and a slot at least 24 hours ahead (Pearson's booking guide). Pearson's ID policy asks for a valid passport. Saudi Arabia is not on its exceptions list, and residents testing outside their country of citizenship must show a passport in any case, so an Iqama will not do for PTE.

Results: the British Council's booking system says 1 to 5 days for IELTS on computer, and Pearson sends PTE scores typically within 48 hours (PTE scoring). Before you pay, take a free IELTS mock test or a free PTE mock test to check you are ready.