Withdrawals, Non-attendance and Fee Refund Policy

a. Only the applicant (the person who booked the exam) can cancel exams or withdraw candidates. We return exam fees to the applicant or the organisation who made the payment.

b. When booking a Public Venue exam or a digital exam (Performance Grades, diplomas or online Music Theory), you can cancel the contract within 14 days of booking the exam and receive a full refund. Cancellations during this  14-day 'cooling-off' period must be made by the applicant through their online  account. 

If the exam date is within 14 days of the date when you booked the exam, we will only provide a full refund if you cancel before the exam date. 

c. We will not usually offer a refund if you cancel a Public Venue exam outside the 14-day 'cooling-off' period. See sections h, i, j or k of this policy to find out when you might qualify for a refund. 

d. Until 31 January 2025, if you cancel a booking at a Public Venue outside the ‘cooling-off period’ we will offer a refund as outlined in the ’Special terms for non-attendance' section of this policy.

e. When booking face-to-face instrumental and singing exams at a Private Visit, either as the Visit Organiser or as a Permitted Applicant, the booking may be cancelled up to 28 days before (and not including) the first day of the Private Visit and receive a full refund. 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 fee for the cancelled exam other than in the circumstances specified in Reg. 8a: Withdrawals and non-attendance. Cancellations made 28 days (or more) before the first day of the Private Visit must be made by the applicant using the online booking service.

f. When booking a Music Theory exam at a Private Visit, either as the Visit Organiser or as a Permitted Applicant, the booking may be cancelled up to, and including, the Music Theory booking period closing date and receive a full refund. If a booking is cancelled outside this booking period, we will not offer any refund of the exam fee for the cancelled exam other than in the circumstances specified in Reg. 8a: Withdrawals and non-attendance. Cancellations must be made by the applicant using the online booking service.

g. A candidate who is withdrawn from an exam, who does not attend an exam, or who does not submit a video or press Start Music Theory exam during the allotted 28 days of the booking, may be eligible for a partial refund under certain circumstances. The candidate may be re-entered in future, but a new booking and full payment must be made. For face-to-face exams and Music Theory Grade 6-8, neither a cancelled booking nor the exam fee already paid can be transferred from one booking period to the next. Requests received more than one week after the exam date will not normally be considered.

h. If a candidate is unable to attend their exam owing to illness or injury, please notify us via our contact us form below as soon as possible, and no later than the day of the exam. Please provide supporting documentary evidence. This should normally be a letter from someone in authority, such as a head teacher, confirming the candidate’s indisposition or injury, or a medical certificate. Notice given only to an examiner, local representative, steward or invigilator is not sufficient to qualify for a refund, if applicable.

i. If a candidate needs to withdraw owing to exceptional personal circumstances such as bereavement, please notify us using our contact us form as soon as possible, and not later than the day of the exam, giving the reason for the request. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and our decision is final.

j. Where a candidate misses their exam owing to circumstances beyond their control (such as a major travel incident that causes serious difficulties getting to the exam, or an accident to their instrument immediately before the exam) the applicant must notify us using our contact us form as soon as possible, giving the reason for the request. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and our decision is final.

k. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that information provided when booking an exam is correct. We will not issue refunds if applicants make errors, for example, entering candidates for the wrong grade.

l. We will reimburse payments received, subject to our statutory right to retain a portion of the exam fee to cover reasonable costs. We will process any refund due as soon as possible and, in any case, no later than 28 days after the day on which we were informed about the decision to cancel the contract. UK refunds are normally returned using the original payment method. Refund payment methods may vary outside the UK. If the booking is cancelled after the ‘cooling-off' period, payment methods may vary.