Questions and answers
Common questions about the assessment, your recordings, and your results.
The assessment
How long does it take?
About twelve minutes from start to finish. About five of those minutes are you speaking; the rest is reading the instructions, checking your microphone, and re-recording a part if you want to.
Do I need an account?
You can do the recordings without one. To unlock the scored report you need a free account and one credit — your recordings are kept while you create the account, so you never have to record twice.
An account also keeps your reports and shows your progress over time.
What if I make a mistake while reading?
Keep going. Normal speech has small mistakes in it, and we expect them.
If a recording goes badly wrong, you can record that task again before you move on.
Can I stop and come back later?
Yes. Your finished recordings are saved as you go. If you close the page by accident, open it again and you will continue where you stopped.
Do I need a special microphone?
No. A laptop microphone or normal headphones are fine.
A quiet room matters more than an expensive microphone. We check the sound quality of each recording, and we tell you if it is too poor to measure.
Your results
What do A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2 mean?
They are levels from the Common European Framework of Reference, a scale used widely in language teaching. A1 is a beginner. C2 is the most advanced.
Why does it say "provisional"?
Because we are honest about what we have proven. The exact line between two levels comes from a study we have not yet finished. The measurements are real; the label on the boundary may move slightly.
Why does it say "not assessed" for some items?
Because we could not measure that item from your recordings. Perhaps the task it needs was skipped, or the sound quality was too poor.
We would rather tell you we do not know than invent a number.
Can I print my report?
Yes. There is a print button on the report. It works with a printer, and it also works with "Save as PDF".
Privacy
Who can hear my recordings?
Nobody, unless you share the report yourself. Recordings are encrypted while stored.
How long do you keep my recordings?
Your audio is deleted thirty days after your assessment finishes. Unfinished sessions are deleted after seven days. Our privacy policy has the full details.
The measurements and your report stay, so you can compare your progress later.
Do you sell my data?
No.
Payment
How does payment work?
You buy credits. One credit scores one assessment. Credits do not expire.
Is my card safe?
Your card details are entered on Stripe's own page, not on ours. We never see or store your card number.
Can I get a refund?
If a scoring run fails through our fault, you can retry it free, and if it still fails we put the credit back on your account. Unused credits can be refunded within 14 days of purchase. The details are in our refund policy.