According to a report by The Paper, candidates taking the IELTS exam in multiple regions of China on October 10 were suddenly halted mid-test. Customer service at the British Council said it had received a short-notice instruction that IELTS test sites nationwide would cancel exams on October 10 and 11 due to technical reasons. Starting from October 11, candidates have been receiving refunds of their exam fees one after another. Lawyers say the organizers may have constituted a breach of contract.