The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) in the UK issued this decision earlier this week.

Cambridge English's scoring system produced incorrect results from august 2023 to september 2025. Errors were identified in the listening and reading sections of computer-based tests, which rely on automated scoring based on pre-programmed answers.

Statistics reveal nearly 94,000 incorrect answers across 7.7 million tests. Of the over 60,000 affected test-takers, one-third received corrected overall scores. Conversely, over 1,100 individuals had their scores lowered. All score changes were by 0.5 points, with two rare instances of a 1-point increase.

Amanda Swann, Ofqual's head of enforcement, noted that these systemic and prolonged errors impacted many individuals and organizations. Test scores are critical for making important life decisions, including visa applications, immigration, and university admissions.

"This severe penalty underscores the gravity of these errors," Swann stated.

Cambridge English headquarters. Photo: EH Smith

Cambridge English, also known as Cambridge Assessment English, is an examination board under the University of Cambridge, UK. It is a developer and co-owner of the IELTS examination.

Khanh Linh