HANDLING IB RETAKE ENQUIRIES: A GUIDE FOR SCHOOLS

What to ask in the first email

A coordinator needs enough information to decide whether further review is worthwhile. The initial intake should capture the assessment session, subject and level, candidate history, current or former school relationship, location, relevant deadlines and contact details. Sensitive documents should be requested only through an appropriate secure process and only when needed.

This first gate is not acceptance. It checks whether the school participates in the session, can support the exact subject and has operational capacity. A short, explicit decline is better than leaving a family to infer that silence means a place might appear.

From enquiry to acceptance

Schools should distinguish eligibility, capacity, academic readiness, administrative completion and final acceptance. Combining them into one informal ‘yes’ creates avoidable risk. For example, subject availability does not prove there is examination-room capacity; a paid fee does not replace missing registration information; an academically motivated student may still have an impractical travel plan.

Use a visible status label for each case and record who can change it. The candidate should know which step is complete and what evidence remains. Where official operational rules are needed, coordinators should rely on current IB communications and authenticated systems rather than a third-party summary.

Example: a useful first reply to a family

The following is an editable example, not an IB-mandated form: ‘Please send the exam session, full subject names and HL/SL levels, your previous exam session, and the date by which your university needs the result. Let us know whether you intend to carry forward an existing assessment result or submit new work, so our coordinator can check the applicable rules. We will confirm whether we can review the request before asking for sensitive documents.’

After replying, record the date, person responsible and next action. If the school cannot support the session or subject, say so explicitly. If capacity is still being checked, describe the request as under review—not provisionally registered. Request candidate records through the school’s approved secure channel.

What to include in a school’s published process

Operational principle. A good workflow reduces duplicated communication while preserving the school’s discretion, the candidate’s privacy and a clear evidence trail.

• Which assessment sessions the school may consider, without implying guaranteed availability.
• Which subjects or levels are out of scope, if the school is comfortable publishing that information.
• The minimum information required before staff can review an enquiry.
• A realistic response-time range and the channel that owns the case.
• That an enquiry or matching result does not constitute acceptance or registration.
• How personal information and supporting documents should be submitted safely.
• When fees become payable and which written terms govern cancellation or refund.
• That candidates must verify university consequences independently with the institution.

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