Terms of Service

Last Updated: January 10, 2026

Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to BAND9AI. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of our AI-powered IELTS mock testing platform and related services (the "Service") operated by BAND9AI ("we," "our," or "us").

By accessing or using our Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of these Terms, then you may not access the Service.

Important: BAND9AI is an independent mock testing platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by the British Council, Cambridge Assessment English, or IDP Education. IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

Service Description

BAND9AI provides:

  • AI-powered IELTS mock tests covering all four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking
  • Automated grading and detailed feedback based on IELTS band descriptors
  • Personalized test experiences with adaptive content generation
  • Audio processing and speech recognition for speaking test evaluation
  • Progress tracking and performance analytics
  • Educational materials and test preparation resources

Our Service is designed for educational and practice purposes only. Results and scores provided are estimates and should not be considered as IELTS scores or guarantees of actual IELTS performance.

Test Completion Requirements

Important: You should complete tests in one sitting without exiting. If you exit your browser, close the page, refresh, or navigate away during a test session, you may lose your progress. If you experience an unexpected disconnection, you may restart your test within the 3-hour access window, but you cannot resume from where you left off - you must restart from the beginning. We are not responsible for any data loss, progress loss, or the need to retake tests due to browser issues, internet connectivity problems, power outages, or user actions that interrupt the test session.

User Accounts and Access

Account Creation

To use our Service, you must:

  • Provide accurate and complete information during registration
  • Purchase access through our secure payment system
  • Be at least 13 years old (users under 18 require parental consent)
  • Maintain the confidentiality of your access credentials

Test Access

Your test access is:

  • Non-transferable and for single-user use only
  • Valid for a limited time period as specified at purchase
  • Required for accessing test sessions and materials
  • Subject to our refund policy outlined below

Access Window

3-Hour Access Window: Once you purchase access and start a test session, you have a 3-hour window to complete your test. If you experience an unexpected internet disconnection or technical issue, you may log back in within this 3-hour window to restart your test (not resume - you must start from the beginning). After the 3-hour window expires, your access becomes invalid and cannot be reused.

Account Security

You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the security of your account credentials
  • All activities that occur under your account
  • Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access
  • Using strong passwords and secure access practices

Acceptable Use Policy

Permitted Uses

You may use our Service for:

  • Personal IELTS test preparation and practice
  • Educational purposes in academic or professional settings
  • Skill assessment and improvement tracking
  • Language learning and development

Prohibited Activities

You must not:

  • Share, resell, or distribute your test access to others
  • Attempt to reverse engineer, hack, or exploit our AI systems
  • Use automated tools or bots to interact with our Service
  • Misrepresent our Service as IELTS testing
  • Upload malicious content or attempt to disrupt our systems
  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Infringe on intellectual property rights
  • Harass, abuse, or harm other users or our staff

Academic Integrity

When using our Service:

  • Complete tests independently without unauthorized assistance
  • Do not share test content or questions with others
  • Use our platform for genuine practice and learning
  • Respect the educational nature of our mock testing environment

Payment and Billing

Pricing and Payment

Our pricing structure includes:

  • Single Test Access: $24.99 USD for one complete IELTS mock test
  • Multiple Test Bundle: $39.99 USD for extended access
  • Prices are subject to change with 30 days notice
  • All payments are processed securely through Stripe
  • We do not store your payment information

Refund Policy

Refunds are available under the following conditions:

  • Technical Failure (Our Side): Full refund if our platform is unavailable for more than 24 hours due to our technical issues
  • Access Problems: Full refund if test access fails to work within 48 hours of purchase due to our system errors
  • 24-Hour Refund Window: Full refund if requested within 24 hours of purchase and before starting any test
  • No Refund: After any test has been started, after the 24-hour window expires, or if access has been shared/transferred

To request a refund, contact us at [email protected] with your purchase information and reason for the request.

Intellectual Property Rights

Our Content

BAND9AI owns or licenses:

  • All test content, questions, and materials
  • AI algorithms and grading systems
  • Platform design, code, and functionality
  • Trademarks, logos, and branding elements
  • Educational resources and feedback systems

Your Content

Regarding content you provide:

  • You retain ownership of your test responses and recordings
  • You grant us license to use your data for service provision and improvement
  • We may use anonymized data for research and development
  • Audio recordings are processed and deleted as per our Privacy Policy

Third-Party Content

We respect intellectual property rights and:

  • Use only licensed or authorized content in our tests
  • Respond promptly to valid copyright infringement claims
  • Maintain compliance with intellectual property laws
  • Credit sources where required by licensing agreements

AI Technology and Data Processing

AI Grading

Our AI grading system:

  • Uses advanced machine learning models for assessment
  • Follows IELTS band descriptors and criteria
  • Provides estimates, not official scores
  • May have variations compared to human examiners
  • Continuously improves through data analysis

Data Processing

We process your data to:

  • Generate personalized test content
  • Provide accurate grading and feedback
  • Track your progress and improvement
  • Enhance our AI algorithms
  • Ensure platform security and functionality

Third-Party AI Services

We use external AI services including:

  • Mistral AI: For content generation and advanced grading
  • Google Speech Recognition: For speech-to-text processing

These services have their own terms and privacy policies that may apply to your data processing.

Disclaimers and Limitations

Service Availability

We strive for high availability but:

  • Cannot guarantee 100% uptime or uninterrupted service
  • May experience temporary outages for maintenance
  • Reserve the right to modify or discontinue features
  • May impose usage limits to ensure fair access

Accuracy Disclaimer

Important: Our AI-generated scores and feedback are estimates for practice purposes only. They do not guarantee your performance on the actual IELTS test. Any accuracy metrics referenced in our marketing materials (including but not limited to "94% band prediction accuracy") are internal estimates and may vary. These metrics are not a guarantee of accuracy and should not be relied upon as such. Results may vary between our platform and IELTS testing.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • Our liability is limited to the amount paid for our Service
  • We are not liable for indirect, consequential, or special damages
  • You use our Service at your own risk
  • We disclaim warranties beyond those required by law

Termination

Termination by You

You may stop using our Service at any time. Upon termination:

  • Your access to the platform will be discontinued
  • We will retain data as outlined in our Privacy Policy
  • Unused access credits may be subject to our refund policy

Termination by Us

We may terminate or suspend your access if:

  • You violate these Terms of Service
  • You engage in prohibited activities
  • We detect fraudulent or suspicious behavior
  • Required by law or regulatory authorities

Governing Law and Disputes

Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ontario, Canada, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This choice of law and venue is subject to mandatory consumer protection laws that may apply in your jurisdiction.

Dispute Resolution

For disputes:

  • First contact us at [email protected] to resolve issues informally
  • Include your purchase information and detailed description of the issue
  • We will respond within 72 hours and work toward resolution
  • If informal resolution fails, mediation may be pursued

Standard Legal Terms

Force Majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance under these Terms which is due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, war, terrorism, internet outages, strikes, labor disputes, government actions, or other force majeure events.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless BAND9AI, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of your use of the Service, violation of these Terms, or infringement of any rights of another party.

Assignment

We may assign, transfer, or delegate these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder without your consent. You may not assign, transfer, or delegate these Terms or any rights or obligations hereunder without our prior written consent.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be replaced with a valid provision that most closely approximates the intent of the invalid provision.

No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by us.

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and BAND9AI regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements, understandings, or communications, whether written or oral, relating to the subject matter hereof.

Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make changes:

  • We will post the updated Terms on our website
  • We will update the "Last Updated" date
  • For significant changes, we will notify users via email
  • Continued use of our Service constitutes acceptance of new Terms

Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service or any legal matters:

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Subject Line: Terms of Service Inquiry - [Your Purchase Information]
  • Response Time: We will respond within 72 hours

For technical support or billing inquiries, please include your purchase information in the subject line for faster assistance.

Acknowledgment

By using BAND9AI, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. You also acknowledge that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy.

Thank you for choosing BAND9AI for your IELTS preparation journey!