1.1 Trinity College London (“Trinity”) is a company (company registration no 2683033) and a registered charity in England and Wales (charity no. 1014792) and Scotland (charity no. SC049143) whose registered office is at 7th Floor, 22 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD, United Kingdom.
1.2 These conditions apply to the IELTS Concordance Study (the “Concordance Study”) run by Trinity College London, which is a specific piece of research involving a cohort of students who will be required to take the IELTS Academic exam (“IELTS Academic”) and ISE Digital exam (“ISE Digital”), (together referred to as the “Exams”).
1.3 The aim of the Concordance Study is to evaluate the concordance between IELTS Academic and ISE Digital scores by collecting and analysing participant data across several stages.
1.4 Trinity will use data from approximately 1200 selected participants who complete the requirements of the Concordance Study in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
1.5 The selection of participants for the Concordance Study will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to additional criteria designed to ensure the Concordance Study sample is representative of the target population. Selection criteria may include but are not limited to: (i) gender balance; (ii) first language background diversity; (iii) geographic distribution; (iv) English proficiency distribution (primarily B1-C1 on Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR), with limited representation at A2 and C2 levels); and (v) maintaining an appropriate balance of participants assigned to complete IELTS Academic first or ISE Digital first as part of the Concordance Study design.
1.6 Applicants who are notified that they are eligible and have been provisionally selected to participate in the Concordance Study (“Participant(s)”) will be required to:
1.7 This Concordance Study will remain open for applications from candidates to participate in the study until Trinity has obtained the requisite number of participants or the Concordance Study is otherwise terminated in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
2.1 To be eligible to be selected to participate in the Concordance Study, applicants must:
2.2 Trinity reserves the right to exclude any applicant who is resident in a country which is an embargoed country within the meaning of the UK sanctions listed at: Trade sanctions, arms embargoes, and other trade restrictions - GOV.UK or in a country in which Trinity does not currently operate.
2.3 To assess their eligibility, applicants must first complete the online Screening Questionnaire. Applicants who meet the initial eligibility requirements will then be invited to complete the Background Questionnaire. Completion of the Background Questionnaire does not guarantee participation in the Study. Trinity reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to select prospective participants based on the selection criteria described in condition 1.
3.1 If selected after taking the Screening and Background Questionnaires, the Participant will be required in the order and within the time scales indicated by Trinity to:
3.2 Trinity shall not be liable in the event that the Participant's IELTS Academic results cannot be verified within the requisite time scales required under the Concordance Study for any reason even if this may not be due to the fault of the Participant including, but not limited to, a malfunctioning in the IELTS results service or the IELTS network.
3.3 Trinity shall not be liable for any inability of a Participant to access, schedule, or complete either Exam or the Mock due to, but not limited to, test centre availability, technical issues, geographic, financial or time limitations.
3.4 Trinity reserves the right to waive the conditions set out in 3.1 (i) and (ii) and to extend the 3-month timetable set out in 3.1 (iii) above at its sole discretion in certain circumstances should it be deemed necessary by Trinity to do so in the best interests of the Concordance Study.
3.5 Trinity reserves the right to cancel the Concordance Study at any time on written notice to the Participant without any liability for such cancellation whatsoever.
4.1 If selected after taking the Screening and Background Questionnaires, the Participant will be required to sit the Exams and is responsible for completing the requisite steps to take the Exams within three (3) months of each other. This may be at a recognised exam centre or digitally where digital exams are available.
4.2 Booking, and payment of the IELTS Academic fee is the sole responsibility of the Participant.
4.3 Participants will be able to book and sit the ISE Digital free of charge as set out in condition 5.1(i).
4.4 Participants who have already taken and paid for the ISE Digital prior to being selected to take part in the Study will not be entitled to reimbursement of that fee and in order to take part in the Study they will need to take ISE Digital again in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
4.5 If the Participant has not already taken the IELTS Academic at the time the Participant is selected, the Participant will be instructed by Trinity to take IELTS Academic and ISE Digital in the order specified by Trinity.
4.6 Prior to taking ISE Digital, the Participant will be required to complete a short online familiarisation course for ISE Digital within the time scales notified to it by Trinity.
4.7 The Participant will be required to sit a paper -based version of the ISE Digital at a Trinity registered exam centre under invigilated exam conditions by way of a mock exam.
4.8 After the Participant has taken IELTS Academic, the Participant must provide evidence of this by notifying Trinity in writing of its TRF results number as set out in condition 3. (v) above.
4.9 Provided that this IELTS results verification is successful and the exam was completed within the requisite time period to enable the Participant to meet the three (3) months deadline, the Participant will be deemed to have met the condition for sitting IELTS Academic and will then be required to meet the other conditions set out in condition 3 and to register and take ISE Digital via a centre, or remote delivery where available.
4.10 In the event that the IELTS verification is not successful, or the exam was not completed within the requisite time period to enable the Participant to meet the three months deadline, the Participant may not continue with the study and will not be compensated.
4.11 Participants are responsible for taking the Exams at an available exam location and Trinity has no liability in the event that the candidate is unable to find an available exam slot or location within the required times scales.
4.12 In the event that the Participants take the digital version of either Exam, Participants must have access to all the technology required to do so, such as computer camera and microphone and where necessary, mobile phone. They must successfully complete the required Identify verification process. Trinity has no liability in the event that the Participant’s equipment does not meet the technical requirements of the remote/home-based version of ISE Digital or IELTS Academic where available.
5.1 In consideration for participating in the Concordance Study and completing IELTS Academic and ISE Digital in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, Participants will be entitled to receive the following:
5.2 Reimbursement of the fee for IELTS Academic pursuant to condition 4 above, is conditional on both IELTS Academic and ISE Digital being completed by the Participant in accordance with these Terms and Conditions in a suitable manner and with a genuine effort to demonstrate their ability in both exams.
5.3 The Reimbursement of fees for IELTS Academic and provision of ISE Digital free of charge is limited to a maximum of 1200 Participants and to the condition set out in 5.4.
5.4 Reimbursement of the IELTS Academic fee will be made to the Participant or where the Participant has not paid the fee for the Exam, to the payor of the Exam fee, subject in all cases to production of written evidence of payment of the exam fee. In the event that either Exam was provided free of charge to the Participant, no reimbursement shall be made in respect of that Exam.
5.5 The Participant shall provide, when requested, accurate, current and complete information of the relevant billing address and billing contacts, including, but not limited to, bank account number, sort or BIC code as well as email address and phone number, and where applicable, those relating to the payor of the exam fee and will promptly notify Trinity if this information changes.
5.6 Trinity reserves the right to withhold (i) any reimbursement of the IELTS Academic fee and/or (ii) the ISE Digital certificate, where any of these Terms and Conditions are not met.
The Participant must comply with all applicable terms and conditions and any Exam regulations for the Exams. Participants will be automatically disqualified for this Concordance Study if found to have breached any of the applicable exam regulations or of any form of malpractice or cheating.
Trinity reserves the right to modify these terms and conditions at its sole discretion at any time without any liability to the Participant. In such case Trinity will notify the Participant in writing of any changes so you may decide not to continue to participate in the Concordance Study.
8.1 By participating in the Concordance Study and submitting responses to the questionnaires, ISE Digital on-line familiarisation course and Mock exam, documents and other accompanying materials, recordings or communications, (the ”Concordance Study Submitted Materials”), the Participant:
8.2 This condition does not affect intellectual property rights relating to the Exams which are subject to the exam regulations and terms and conditions governing each Exam.
8.3 Trinity and its licensors own and retain all intellectual property rights in and to the Trinity name, Trinity logos, trademarks, images and other intellectual property appearing on the Concordance Study materials, including the on-line familiarisation course for ISE Digital materials and Mock paper exam. These works are protected by intellectual property laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.
8.4 The ISE Digital Online familiarity course and the paper Mock exam are the confidential and proprietary information of Trinity, made available by or on behalf of Trinity to the Participant for the purposes of the Concordance Study to prepare for ISE Digital and the Exit Questionnaire. The Participant shall not use, resell, copy, photograph, or otherwise reproduce or disclose the contents of the ISE Digital course Online familiarity course materials or the Mock to third parties.
Notices to Trinity should be sent by email to academic.research@trinitycollege.com. Trinity may give notice to Participants at the e-mail address they provided to Trinity. Notice will be deemed received and properly served immediately when posted on our website; 24 hours after an e-mail is sent within business hours and business days being 9am to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday; In proving the service of any notice, it will be sufficient to prove, in the case of an e-mail, that such e-mail was sent to the specified e-mail address of the addressee.
Trinity will not be liable or responsible for any failure to perform, or delay in performance of, any of our obligations under a contract that is caused by events outside its reasonable control (“Force Majeure Event”). A Force Majeure Event includes events, circumstances or causes beyond Trinity's control. Trinity’s performance of these terms and conditions is deemed to be suspended for the period that the Force Majeure Event continues, and Trinity will have an extension of time for performance for the duration of that period or reserve the right to cancel the Concordance Study.
11.1 If there is any reason to believe that there has been a breach by a Participant of these Terms and Conditions, Trinity reserves the right at its sole discretion, to exclude the relevant Participant from participating in the Concordance Study. In such case the Participant shall not be entitled to the reimbursement of the IELTS Academic fee or to an ISE Digital certificate free of charge or to receive access to the ISE Digital familiarisation course and/or Mock or to participate in the Concordance Study.
11.2 Trinity reserves the right to hold void, suspend, cancel, or amend the Concordance Study where it becomes necessary to do so.
12.1 Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes or limits the liability of Trinity for fraud, death or personal injury arising out of negligence or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.
12.2 Subject to condition 12.1, Trinity will have no liability, whether in tort (including for negligence), breach of statutory duty, contract, misrepresentation (whether innocent or negligent), restitution or otherwise, for:
in each case however arising under or in connection with the Concordance Study even where the parties were aware of the possibility that such loss or damage might be incurred.
12.3 Subject to conditions 12.1 and 12.2, to the extent permitted by law, Trinity’s total liability to a Participant for any loss or damage arising under or in connection with these Terms and Conditions, whether in contract, misrepresentation (including innocent or negligent), tort (including negligence) or otherwise shall not exceed £50. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions affects the statutory rights of the Participant.
13.1 In the event that Trinity fails, at any time during the term of this Concordance Study, to insist upon strict performance of any of the Participant’s obligations any of these Terms and Conditions, or if Trinity fails to exercise any of the rights or remedies to which it is entitled under these Terms and Conditions , this will not constitute a waiver of such rights or remedies and will not relieve the Participant from compliance with such obligations.
13.2 A waiver by Trinity of any default will not constitute a waiver of any subsequent default. No waiver by Trinity of any of these Terms and Conditions will be effective unless it is expressly stated to be a waiver and is communicated to the Participant in writing.
If any court or competent authority decides that any of the provisions of these Terms and Conditions or any provisions of a contract are invalid, unlawful or unenforceable to any extent, the term will, to that extent only, be severed from the remaining terms, which will continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by law.
15.1 By participating in this Concordance Study, Participants will be providing their personal information to Trinity. In relation to this Concordance Study, Trinity is the data controller and will collect, use and process the personal information of the Participant including their first name, surname, email address and contact information, date of birth, gender, country and region, language learning and test taking background, course participation and exam assessment information and any other details, content, recordings and media from the Exams and any other personal information provided by the Participant.
15.2 Trinity will comply with all applicable data protection requirements when using this information and will process it in accordance with Trinity’s online Data Protection Policy which is available at https://www.trinitycollege.com/page/data-protection/data-protection-policy and Privacy Statement at https://www.trinitycollege.com/page/privacy
15. Trinity will store and use your personal information including content, recordings, media and results from the Exams from your participation in the Concordance Study for research, product development and training. In addition, Trinity will process the personal information of Participants to fulfil Trinity’s obligations under these Terms and Conditions and to comply with the legal obligations to which it is subject in relation to conducting this Concordance Study.
15.4 Trinity may engage external data analysts or service providers to support data cleaning, statistical analysis and reporting activities relating to the Concordance Study. Any such third parties will access and process anonymised data only, via secure systems such as SharePoint or other approved platforms, and solely for the purposes of statistical analysis and reporting in connection with the Concordance Study. Such third parties will not have access to information that directly identifies Participants.
15.5 Trinity may use the Participant’s personal information for up to 10 years in an anonymised format. If the Participant has any questions or objections in relation to how Trinity processes their personal information, please contact Trinity’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@trinitycollege.com
15.6 If a Participant is under 18 years, Trinity requires the written permission of their parent or legal guardian to process the make, store and use personal information, content, recordings, media and results from the Exams (in their original form or edited in any way which Trinity decides is appropriate)
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by English law, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
24.06.2026
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