Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 10, 2026

Introduction

BAND9AI ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our AI-powered IELTS mock testing platform and related services (the "Service").

By using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you disagree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

We collect the following personal information when you use our Service:

  • Name: First and last name for account creation and identification
  • Email Address: For account verification, communication, and support
  • Payment Information: Processed securely through Stripe (we do not store payment details)
  • Test Access Information: Unique identifiers for test authentication

Test Data

During your use of our IELTS mock tests, we collect:

  • Test Responses: Your answers to listening, reading, writing, and speaking questions
  • Audio Recordings: Voice recordings from speaking tests for AI analysis and grading
  • Session Data: Test timestamps, completion rates, and performance metrics
  • Usage Analytics: Test section preferences, time spent, and navigation patterns

Technical Information

We automatically collect certain technical information:

  • Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device identifiers
  • Log Data: IP addresses, access times, pages viewed, and referral URLs
  • Session Information: Unique session identifiers and security tokens
  • Performance Data: Error logs and system performance metrics

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

Service Provision

  • Provide and maintain our IELTS mock testing platform
  • Generate personalized test content using AI technology
  • Grade your tests and provide detailed feedback
  • Track your progress and performance across test sessions
  • Enable audio processing for speaking test evaluation

Communication

  • Send you test confirmations and access information
  • Provide customer support and respond to inquiries
  • Send important updates about our Service
  • Notify you of system maintenance or technical issues

Improvement and Development

  • Analyze usage patterns to improve our AI algorithms
  • Enhance test content quality and relevance
  • Develop new features and functionalities
  • Ensure platform security and prevent fraud

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

  • Contract Performance: To provide our services, process payments, and fulfill our contractual obligations to you
  • Legitimate Interests: To improve our platform, ensure security, prevent fraud, and analyze usage patterns for service enhancement
  • Consent: For marketing communications (you may opt out at any time)
  • Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

  • Maintain your login session and authentication (essential cookies)
  • Track usage patterns and analyze platform performance (analytics)
  • Remember your preferences and settings

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our Service.

Third-Party Services

We integrate with the following third-party services to provide our platform:

  • Stripe: Payment processing (credit card information is processed directly by Stripe and not stored by us)
  • Mistral AI: AI model services for content generation and test grading (may process your test responses and transcripts)
  • Google Speech Recognition: Speech-to-text conversion for speaking test analysis
  • Zoho SMTP: Email delivery services for notifications and support

These third-party services have their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing their privacy practices as we are not responsible for their data handling procedures.

Data Storage and Security

Test Session Data

Important: You should complete tests in one sitting without exiting. Test progress may be stored temporarily, but if you exit your browser, close the page, refresh, or navigate away during a test, your progress may be lost and you may need to restart. 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 start from the beginning. We are not responsible for data loss due to browser issues, connectivity problems, or user actions that interrupt test sessions.

Access Window

3-Hour Access Window: Your test access remains valid for 3 hours from the moment you first use it to start a test session. During this window, if you experience an unexpected internet disconnection or technical issue, you may log back in to restart your test (not resume - you must start from the beginning). After 3 hours, your access expires and cannot be reused.

Storage

Your data is stored:

  • On secure servers with encryption at rest and in transit
  • With appropriate access controls and authentication mechanisms
  • In temporary session storage that is automatically cleaned up
  • Audio files are processed and then securely deleted

Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

  • SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission
  • Secure session management with unique identifiers
  • Access controls and authentication mechanisms
  • Regular security monitoring and updates

Data Retention

We retain your information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including:

  • To provide and maintain our Service
  • To comply with legal obligations
  • To resolve disputes and enforce our agreements
  • For legitimate business purposes such as security and fraud prevention

When we no longer need your information, we will securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our data retention practices and applicable laws.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

  • Access: Request access to your personal information
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
  • Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
  • Objection: Object to certain uses of your personal information
  • Restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected] with your request and purchase information for verification.

Complaints: If you are not satisfied with our response, you may file a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information during such transfers, including:

  • Contractual protections such as Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable
  • Encryption and security measures during transfer
  • Compliance with applicable data protection regulations

Data Sharing and Sales

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only with:

  • Third-party service providers who assist us in operating our platform (as described in the "Third-Party Services" section)
  • Legal authorities when required by law or to protect our rights

Marketing Communications: You may opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or contacting us at [email protected].

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

For data protection inquiries or to contact our Privacy Officer, please include your purchase information in the subject line to help us locate your information quickly and securely.