The most common question we answer in the various IELTS social media groups we are in is this one. People have taken the IELTS test, and they have not got the score they need for one or more skills. They want to see if their scores can be checked and their IELTS test remarked. If this is you, and you are wondering about IELTS EOR and whether to try it, this blog post is for you. Read on and we will tell you everything you need to know about it, including what the IELTS EOR success rate is and how to apply for it.

What is IELTS EOR?

To start with, let’s look at what IELTS EOR is, and what it is. EOR stands for Enquiry On Results. This is a remark of your test. For IELTS writing, two new examiners will assess your writing texts (there are different examiners for Task 1 and Task 2). These will be senior IELTS examiners with a lot of experience. They will assess your writing texts according to the IELTS band descriptors, using the same IELTS band descriptors as your original writing examiners used.

For EOR for IELTS speaking, a new examiner will listen to the recording of your speaking test and assess it according to the IELTS band descriptors.

For both writing and speaking, the new examiners will not see your original scores, or your scores for the other part of your test. It is just a remark of your test.

If the new examiners give you higher scores, you will get those scores. If they don’t, you won’t.

Should I apply for EOR for IELTS listening and reading?

IELTS listening and reading results are either right or wrong. It is therefore unlikely that your test was marked wrongly. The computer based test papers are marked by computer. It is highly unlikely that there has been any error there. The paper based tests are marked by clerical markers, but again, it is very unlikely that they will make a mistake.

We would therefore not recommend applying for EOR for listening or reading.

Is IELTS EOR free?

You have to pay for your IELTS test to be remarked. The cost varies depending on the country, but it costs over $100. If your remark is successful, you get this money refunded. If you apply for EOR for both writing and speaking and only one increases, you still get the refund.

The price of EOR is not cheap, and so you need to be prepared to lose the money if you are wrong.

Can my IELTS score decrease with EOR?

Your IELTS score will change IF the new IELTS examiners give you a higher score. If they give you a lower score, your score will not be reduced.

How do I apply for IELTS EOR?

There are different ways to apply for EOR. If you go to your test taker portal, you should find an option to apply for a remark on the test results page.

There are also forms on the British Council and IDP websites for your country to apply. You simply fill in the form and the organisation will send you an invoice to pay.

You can apply for EOR up to six weeks after you receive your official test results

How long does EOR take?

Most of the time, especially for computer-based IELTS tests, the EOR results come very quickly. Many of our students have received their remark results in 2-3 days. It can take up to 21 days, though, so you may need to wait a while. We have noticed that it can take longer during holiday periods, when there are probably fewer senior IELTS examiners working.

What is the IELTS EOR success rate?

This is the big question everyone wants to know the answer to. The answer is that it does not work like that. There is no probability of your IELTS EOR being successful. As we said, new examiners will assess your test and give you scores. If your writing text and/or speaking performance meet the band descriptors for a higher score, then you will get this score.

The only measure of success in EOR is how well you performed in the actual test.

Should I write a letter explaining why I need a higher score?

Absolutely not. The agencies that charge money to help you with ‘supporting evidence’ for EOR are just charging you money for nothing. IELTS does not take into account the reasons why you need the score when they are doing your IELTS remark. It is just a remark of your original test. Trying to use ‘supporting evidence’ is a waste of time.

There is a big gap between my scores for different skills. Should I apply for EOR?

It is actually very common for IELTS test takers to have very different scores. Many students are very good at one or two skills, but weaker in others. For example, in China, students are very good at reading, but rarely speak, so there is often a wide gap between reading and speaking. In other countries, writing is much weaker.

Having a high score in one or two skills does not mean your IELTS remark will be successful. Just like we have already said, you need to consider whether your performance met the requirements for a higher band score or not.

When the new examiners assess your test again, they do not see your scores for your other skills, so it has no influence over the success of the remark.

My IELTS tutor gave me higher scores in my mock tests. Should I apply for EOR?

Many people say that the teacher who was helping them with the IELTS preparation gave them higher scores than they got in the real exam. There are different reasons for this. Firstly, your performance in the real exam may not have been as good as it was in your mock tests. You were nervous and unfamiliar with the examiner and the situation, which may have affected your performance.

You also need to check if your IELTS tutor has ever been a trained IELTS examiner. If your tutor does not fully understand the band descriptors, they may have given you higher scores in your mock tests than you deserved.

Chat GPT gave me higher scores for my writing and speaking than I got in the real test. Should I apply for EOR?

Chat GPT is very inaccurate when it comes to assessing IELTS writing and speaking. It does not actually understand the band descriptors fully as it has not been trained in how to interpret them. It therefore misses really important things that lower the score, like missing overviews and data for Task 1 writing, and development of ideas for Task 2. For speaking, it does not know what the speaking examiner does at each stage, so it does not assess it properly.

If you have relied on AI models to give you scores and your official IELTS results are lower than AI gave you, you need to use real human experts to check your performance.

My IELTS speaking or writing score is lower than my last IELTS test. Should I apply for EOR?

If you have taken the test before and scored a high score, but the score in your latest test is lower than the previous one, it suggests that your skills are strong enough for the higher score. In this case, it may be a good idea to apply for EOR. Think about your test. Did you perform to the best of your ability? If you feel you did, then apply for a remark.

I don’t like the way my IELTS speaking examiner behaved in the exam. Should I apply for EOR?

IELTS EOR is not a complaint against your IELTS speaking examiner. If you really feel that your examiner behaved inappropriately, there is a complaint procedure on the British Council and IDP websites.

However, be aware that interrupting you during the speaking test is part of the test procedure. It means your answers were too long or off-topic, or they sounded memorised. This is not a reason to complain.

You also cannot complain if you feel your examiners was not ‘friendly’ enough. IELTS speaking examiners are not allowed to say things like ‘good’ or ‘well done’ like your teachers do, so they may seem unfriendly.

Should I apply for EOR?

Our advice is if you can afford to lose the EOR fee if you are unsuccessful AND you feel that your performance in the test met the band descriptors for a higher band score, then apply for EOR. If you need the money, or you are not sure whether you performed well or not, then don’t.

If I don’t apply for EOR, what else can I do?

If you took computer-based IELTS, you could do One Skill Retake to improve your lower score. If you took paper-based IELTS or the university or visa you are applying for does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake, then you can apply to take the test again. Before you do, make sure you are confident that you are doing everything you can to get the score you need. For writing and speaking, get feedback from experts to make sure you are not doing something wrong that is lowering your score.