Cancellations
Refunds for exams up to 31 January 2025
Until 31 January 2025, all candidates absent from face-to-face instrumental and singing exams or Grade 6 to 8 Music Theory exams will automatically receive a full refund.
- This only applies if you pay for your exams when you book.
- It doesn't apply to any digital Performance Grades, digital diplomas (including Performance ARSM) or online Music Theory exams.
You don't need to contact us to request a refund. However, it will help us if you log in to your account and cancel the exam.
For exams at Public Venues and diplomas, we normally issue refunds by the end of the month following the exam session. For Private Visits we issue refunds by the end of the month following the month of the visit date.
For more information about cancelling exams, see below.
Withdrawals, non-attendance and fee refunds
If a candidate is absent the person who made the booking (the applicant) is responsible for cancelling the exam through their account or by email. This applies when a candidate:
- Withdraws from an exam
- Doesn't attend for any reason
- Doesn't upload a video or start their online exam before the deadline
In some situations we may provide a refund to the applicant or the organisation that made the original payment.
Cancelling exams booked online
The exam applicant can cancel an exam:
- Up to three days before the exam date for face-to-face exams
- Up to three days before the exam deadline for digital and online exams
To cancel an exam:
- Log in to your account, find the booking and click ‘Booking Details’.
- Click the bin icon to the right of the candidate information.
If the candidate qualifies for a refund (in accordance with our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy) check the information below to find out how to claim.
Cancelling exams booked with an entry form
The exam applicant can cancel an exam by emailing [email protected]. If the cancellation qualifies for a refund (in accordance with our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy) see below for information about making a claim.
Public Venue and digital/online exams
You can cancel within 14 days of the booking date and receive a full refund. For digital Performance Grades and diplomas this must also be before you've submitted the exam video/evidence.
Cancellations during this 14-day 'cooling-off ' period must be made by the applicant through our online service. We will then refund fees back to the original payment card.
To cancel exams booked using a paper entry form, email [email protected].
If you cancel a booking and/or it expires (28 days after the date of booking for digital and online exams) outside the 14-day 'cooling-off' period we will not offer a refund other than in the circumstances given in paragraphs h, i, j or k of our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy. In this instance the applicant must tell us in writing at [email protected] as soon as possible and no later than the day of the exam or the date the booking expires.
For accounts authorised to use the ‘submit and pay later’ option for Public Venue exam bookings, the applicant can cancel a booking using the online service up until the day the booking period closes.
Refunds for Private Visit exams
Private Visit Organisers and Permitted Applicants can cancel bookings up to 28 days before (and not including) the first day of the Private Visit and receive a full refund. Cancellations must be made by the applicant using the online exam service. We will issue refunds back to the original payment card. For exams booked using a paper entry form, cancellations must be emailed to [email protected].
If a booking is cancelled less than 28 days before (and not including) the first day of the Private Visit, we will not offer any refund of the exam fee for the cancelled exam other than in the circumstances specified in paragraphs f, g, h or i of our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy. In this instance the applicant must notify us in writing at [email protected] as soon as possible and no later than the day of the exam.
For an exam booked during the late booking period, after the 28- day deadline, we will only make refunds in the circumstances specified in paragraphs f, g, h or i of our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy. In this instance the applicant must notify us in writing at [email protected] as soon as possible and no later than the day of the exam.
Other refunds
A candidate who withdraws from or doesn’t attend an exam, or doesn’t upload a video or start their online exam during the allotted 28 days, may be eligible for a partial refund under the circumstances specified in paragraphs h, i, j or k of our Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy. The applicant must notify us in writing at [email protected] as soon as possible and no later than the day of the exam, or the date the booking expires. Telling the examiner, honorary local representative, steward or invigilator isn't enough to qualify for a refund.
We cannot transfer booking details / payments from one exam session to the next.
