eGDCORE refund policy
Refunds are not normally offered to candidates. This is because once we have confirmed your name to the exam board, we are liable for your exam fee and we do not consider it appropriate for that cost to be funded from the annual retention fee paid by registrants. The cost of the place will remain the liability of the withdrawing candidate whatever stage they withdraw from the examination.
We only offers refunds in the below circumstances, and there is no guarantee if you submit a refund in line with these that you will be granted a refund:
(1) when a candidate withdraws from the examination prior to their name being submitted to the exam board (circa five weeks before the exam date), and the GDC can replace them with another candidate. Please note, there is no guarantee that we will be able to find another candidate to take your place and if we cannot, for whatever reason, we will be unable to offer a refund.
(2) in exceptional extenuating circumstances. We defines exceptional extenuating circumstances as circumstances that are severe, unforeseen and outside the control of the candidate i.e. serious illness, death of a close family member.
Being unable to obtain a visa does not constitute an extenuating circumstance. Candidates are responsible for ensuring that they are permitted to be in the UK to take the examination before they book a place.
Applications for a refund due to exceptional extenuating circumstances will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. A candidate can only apply once for a refund per examination.
Applying for Refunds
In circumstance (1), you should contact the GDC on 020 7167 6000 to see if they can replace you, and submit the withdrawal and refund forms by email on that day to the examinations team. If you delay and do not submit the forms your name may be submitted to the exam board and your fee will not be refunded. As soon as your name is submitted to the exam board we are unable to refund any fees. In circumstance (1) you do not need to provide corroborating evidence. Please note, there is no guarantee that we will be able to replace you for the exam and you will remain liable for the entire exam fee.
In circumstance (2), if the candidate believes they are eligible for a refund due to extenuating circumstances they will need to provide the GDC with the following documentation:
- A letter outlining the reason for their refund request.
- A completed ORE Refund Form.
- Independent corroborating evidence to demonstrate their extenuating circumstances. For example, Medical or Death Certificates. This must demonstrate why the candidate cannot sit on the days of the exam.
- Visa documentation or evidence demonstrating a valid visa could have been obtained.
- Evidence of travel (e.g. flight details) and accommodation arrangements for the duration of the examination.
Upon receipt of the documents, our examinations team will assess whether the candidate is eligible for a refund. The decision for a refund will be considered based on the evidence provided at the time of the request. You will not be given the opportunity to provide further evidence or to reapply for the refund. Therefore, you must make sure you provide all your corroborating evidence when you apply for a refund.
The ORE refund form can be downloaded here. The completed form, along with your evidence, should be emailed to the team.
Please note that a decision will be made up to 10 working days of receipt of the request, and if granted, refunds can take up to three weeks to process. Refunds requests submitted after the exam has taken place may not be considered.