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The One Skill Retake (OSR) lets you resit just one section of IELTS — Listening, Reading, Writing, or Speaking — instead of the full test. You keep your scores from the original test and only replace the section you retook.
It's a significant time and money saver. But there's a catch: not every university or institution accepts it. Some still require a full test sitting.
IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training on paper and computer-delivered tests.
Your destination — university, employer, or visa authority — must explicitly accept OSR scores.
You're close to your target in all skills except one. OSR saves you from retaking the whole test.
Policies change. Even a confirmed result here should be verified directly with the institution before booking.
Found directly on the institution's official admissions or English requirements page.
Found on a reliable third-party source (IDP, IELTS.org, verified aggregator). Credible but not from the institution directly.
No clear information found. Contact the admissions office directly before making a decision.
The institution explicitly states they do not accept One Skill Retake scores.
The IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) lets you resit just one section of your IELTS test — Listening, Reading, Writing, or Speaking — instead of retaking the full four-section exam. Your scores from the original test are kept, and only the retaken section is replaced. It is available for both IELTS Academic and General Training, on computer-delivered tests. You must book your retake within 60 days of your original test date.
Acceptance varies by institution. All six Australian Group of Eight universities — including University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and Monash University — officially accept OSR. In the UK, University of Southampton confirms acceptance, while UCL and King's College London do not. Many other universities have not published a clear policy yet. Use the checker above or browse the university list to find your institution.
After receiving your original IELTS results, log in to your IELTS test provider account (IDP or British Council). If your original test was computer-delivered, you will see the option to book a One Skill Retake for the section you want to improve. Select the skill, choose a test date, and pay the retake fee. You must book within 60 days of your original test. The retake itself takes between 30 and 60 minutes depending on the skill.
It depends on the country. Australia's Department of Home Affairs accepts OSR scores for Subclass 500 student visas. However, Canada's Student Direct Stream (SDS) visa does not accept OSR — even if your Canadian university accepts it at the admissions level, your visa application may still require a full IELTS sitting. Always check both the university and the visa authority requirements for your destination country before booking a retake.
Your OSR result is valid for 2 years from the date of your original full IELTS test — not from the date of the retake. This means if your original test was in January 2025 and you retook one skill in March 2025, both scores expire in January 2027. Factor this into your application timeline, especially if you are applying to multiple institutions with different intake dates.
No. The One Skill Retake allows you to resit only one section per original test. If you need to improve two or more skills, you will need to retake the full IELTS exam. The OSR is designed for students who met their target in three sections but fell short on one.