Retake IB exams without guessing the price

Compare retake fees by who charges them and what they cover. Ask for a written breakdown of the IBretake search package, any school or IB assessment fees, optional academic support and personal travel costs. A payment receipt, a school’s acceptance and an official IB entry are different stages.

Compare two fee routes without double-counting

“IB fee”, “school fee” and “IBretake price” are not interchangeable. The IB directs candidates to the registering school for its fees. IBretake's student checkout has its own formula.

• IBretake, three subjects: 150 + (3 × 800) = EUR 2,550.
• Direct school arrangement: use that school's itemised written quote, not a worldwide estimate.
• Either route: calculate personal transport, accommodation and other travel costs separately.

Do not add a school's general online fee list to the IBretake total unless you have written confirmation that a charge applies separately to your arrangement. Do not assume a third-party quote includes travel or coursework supervision either. Resolve unclear charges before paying.

The price guide gives the 1–6 exam totals, while the budget worksheet covers personal costs. Keep the registration checklist beside the quote so a low price does not distract from subject, level or session restrictions.

Count subject entries, not individual papers

The checkout counts each selected subject-and-level pair once. Mathematics: analysis and approaches (AA) at Higher Level (HL) is one selection even though it has three written papers. Selecting Biology HL as well makes two selections; it does not add another registration fee to the same request.

One Mathematics AA HL selection therefore has a EUR 950 base total, rather than EUR 2,550 for its three papers. Choose subjects against the exact university condition or unmet Diploma condition before comparing totals; 24 points alone does not establish that all Diploma conditions are met.

How IBretake pricing works for retake candidates

The formula describes IBretake’s student-facing search price, not a worldwide IB tariff. The base rate does not increase because the subject is HL, the school is in a different country or several schools review the request. Use the final written quote to identify any separately payable charge.

• Search package: the displayed IBretake service price.
• School or IB charges: identify what is included, collected through checkout or payable separately; do not pay for the same item twice.
• Currency and payment charges: record the checkout currency, any legally added taxes and disclosed conversion, bank or processor charges.
• Personal costs: travel, accommodation, documents and any separately agreed preparation or coursework supervision.

Build the budget in the quoted currency

Start with the checkout total in its stated currency. Add only costs that the quote expressly excludes. Converting a EUR base price is not itself another EUR cost to add to that price.

Two selected subjects have a EUR 1,750 base total. Checkout can convert the price and round the displayed line amounts; the payment provider or bank may apply its own disclosed charges. Save the currency, itemised quote, payment instructions and reference before transferring funds.

School and travel costs near a deadline

Starting later does not change the fixed IBretake base formula. It can reduce the available school or travel options. A school’s own late-entry or administration charge needs a specific quote, and paying extra does not guarantee that late registration is possible.

• Ask whether school or IB entry charges are included and what deadline applies to each quoted amount.
• Check travel between your first and last papers, including overnight stays between examination days.
• Confirm the separate price and feasibility of any new internally assessed work or oral preparation.

Check the registration deadlines guide alongside the quote. The school’s document and payment cutoff can precede the IB submission deadline; an exam date is not an entry deadline.

What to check before you pay to retake IB exams

Before paying, confirm these details in writing:

1. Your subjects and levels: for example, Biology HL is not the same request as Biology SL.
2. The session: N26 and M27 have different timelines and school availability.
3. Your candidate details: name, date of birth, country, and IB candidate number should match your profile.
4. The payment reference: if paying by bank transfer, the reference is how the payment gets matched.
5. Included services: host-school search does not include tutoring, internal assessment (IA) supervision, oral preparation or coursework support. Optional preparation, if offered, needs a separate scope and price.
6. Partial availability and cancellation: ask what happens to the quote if a subject is unavailable, added or removed, and which refund policy applies to each charge.

Check the quoted name, date of birth, candidate number, subject and level against your existing official records. Ask the school to resolve any mismatch before entry; retain the payment receipt and matching reference with that written confirmation.

IB fees and private candidates

A private or external retake candidate still needs an accepting IB World School. Under Article 10 of the 2026 IB regulations, the school coordinator submits the official entry; candidates cannot register themselves with the IB.

A school is not obliged to accept an outside candidate. Confirm subject, level, session, coursework arrangements and written acceptance before treating a low quote as a usable place. The private-candidate registration guide explains the host-school route.

From payment to school registration

Admin confirmation of successful payment activates the search; it does not guarantee placement. A school’s acceptance completes the contractual placement search. The required agreement and administrative checks precede final coordinator contact and the school’s official entry work; keep evidence of each stage.

Refund timing and school acceptance

Section 9.8 of the current terms allows a full search-package refund request if no school has accepted the request. At least 10 calendar days must also have passed since IBretake admin confirmed successful payment processing. The clock does not simply start when you send a bank transfer.

• School acceptance completes the placement-search service and ends this contractual search-package refund eligibility, even before 10 days have elapsed.
• A school fee follows the school’s own cancellation/refund terms; it is not automatically refundable with the search package.
• Mandatory statutory withdrawal or refund rights remain separate. Keep the acceptance record and the terms applying to your payment.
• Check the refund status in your student dashboard. When eligible, use “Request refund” and submit the request there; keep its confirmation with the payment record. A refund request can pause or close the current school search.