Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22 August 2026

SmoothMock is an AI-graded mock test platform for IELTS and PTE preparation. This policy explains, in detail, what data we collect across every part of the platform, why we collect it, how long we keep it, who else might see it, and what control you have over it.

We're a small team, so this is written in plain language on purpose, even though it's long. It's long because we'd rather cover every real data flow on the platform specifically than hide behind a short, vague policy that technically says nothing. If anything here is still unclear after reading it, email us at nishant@smoothmock.com and we'll explain it properly.

1. Who this applies to

This policy covers anyone who visits smoothmock.com, joins the waitlist, creates an account, uses any free or paid plan (Free, Full Access, Intensive, or Unlimited), or interacts with any feature on the platform, including mock tests, Drill Mode, Vocabulary Builder, progress tracking, and study planning.

It also covers visitors who use the embedded IELTS Band Score Calculator widget on third-party sites, to the extent that widget sends any data back to SmoothMock.

2. Information we collect

We've broken this down by feature rather than lumping everything into one vague "usage data" bucket, since what we actually collect differs a lot depending on what part of the platform you're using.

2.1 Account information

When you sign up, we collect your name and email address. Phone number and country are optional. If you're on a paid plan, our payment processor collects and stores your card details directly; we don't store full card numbers on our own systems. You can optionally use a display name that isn't your full legal name, though your email is still required for login and account recovery.

2.2 Reading and Listening attempts

For these two modules, we collect your selected answers, the raw score out of 40, the resulting band conversion, timing data (how long you spent per passage or section), and any questions you flagged for review. There's no audio or written submission involved in these two modules beyond your answer selections.

2.3 Writing attempts

We collect the full text you submit for Task 1 and Task 2, the resulting grading report (band score, criteria breakdown across the four writing criteria, and mistake taxonomy flags), inline corrections, word count, and time spent writing. Writing text is analyzed by our automated grading system to generate your report.

2.4 Speaking attempts

Speaking attempts are recorded, since that's how they're graded and so you can review your own transcript afterward. We collect the audio recording itself, the generated transcript, timing and waveform data per part of the test, your Part 2 cue card notes, the resulting grading report (band score, criteria breakdown across the four speaking criteria, and mistake taxonomy flags), and pronunciation-related data used to generate that report. Recordings and transcripts are treated the same as any other account data described in this policy: used to generate your report, retained under the same schedule described in Section 6, and deleted along with the rest of your account data if you request deletion.

2.5 Mistake taxonomy data

Every graded Writing or Speaking attempt is checked against a structured set of mistake categories (things like article agreement, run-on sentences, or pronunciation patterns). We store which categories were flagged on which attempts so we can show you patterns across your own history. This data is derived directly from your own submissions.

2.6 Drill Mode activity

If you use Drill Mode (available on Full Access, Intensive, and Unlimited), we collect which mistake pattern you chose to drill, your responses to each exercise, whether each response was correct, and your accuracy trend on that pattern over time. Drill Mode sessions don't count against your monthly Writing or Speaking allowance and are tracked separately from full graded attempts.

2.7 Vocabulary Builder data

Vocabulary Builder (also on Full Access, Intensive, and Unlimited) automatically builds a personal word list from words you've misspelled, misused, or overused in your graded attempts, along with any words you add manually. We track each word's status (new, in review, or mastered) and your spaced-repetition review history for that word.

2.8 Progress and analytics data

We store your band score and mistake pattern history across every attempt, broken down by module, so we can show you trend lines, a practice streak, and (on Intensive) a weekly band-score projection. If you set a target band score, we store that too.

2.9 Study planning data

If you set an exam date, your weekly availability, or opt into practice reminder emails, we store that information to tailor suggestions and reminders. On Intensive, this also includes your weekly personalized study plan history and your monthly deep-dive report content, both of which are generated from your own mistake taxonomy data.

2.10 Custom topic requests (Intensive)

If you submit a custom topic request, we store the topic you provided and the resulting mock question generated from it, the same as any other Writing or Speaking attempt content.

2.11 Plan and billing data

We store which plan you're on (Free, Full Access, Intensive, or Unlimited), your module usage against that plan's caps where applicable, your billing history and receipts, and your subscription status (active, cancelled, or reverted to Free). Full card details are handled directly by our payment processor and aren't stored on our own systems.

2.12 Fair-use and account security signals

On Unlimited, and more broadly across all plans, we monitor usage patterns for signs of automated, scripted, or resale-style activity as described in our Terms of Service, for example, request timing patterns inconsistent with an individual test-taker, or one account's access clearly being shared across multiple people. This is limited to what's needed to identify that kind of abuse and isn't used for any other purpose.

2.13 Device and technical data

We collect basic technical information: browser type and version, device type, operating system, and general location at the country level, derived from IP address. This helps us keep the site working properly and understand where test-takers are practicing from. We don't track precise location beyond country level.

2.14 Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies for two purposes: core site functionality (staying logged in, remembering preferences, keeping form state during a mock attempt) and basic analytics (which pages get used, general traffic patterns, which features are actually used). We don't use cookies to build advertising profiles, and we don't use third-party advertising trackers or retargeting pixels.

2.15 Support and other communications

If you email us, including for support, a privacy request, a bug report, or a custom topic suggestion, we keep that correspondence to respond to you and to improve the platform. If you fill out the waitlist form, we collect the name, email, phone (optional), country (optional), and referral source you provide there.

3. How we use your information

• To grade your mock attempts across every module and generate your band score, criteria breakdown, mistake taxonomy, and coach narrative.
• To power Drill Mode, Vocabulary Builder, progress tracking, weekly study plans, monthly deep-dive reports, and custom topic requests, all of which are built from your own attempt history.
• To let you review your own transcripts, recordings, and reports at any time.
• To run your account: authentication, plan management, billing, and receipts.
• To enforce the module caps and fair-use terms attached to your plan.
• To send you product updates and, unless you opt out, occasional marketing email.
• To fix bugs, understand usage patterns in aggregate, and improve the grading engine and the mistake taxonomy over time.
• To respond to support requests, privacy requests, and account deletion requests.
• To detect and prevent abuse, fraud, or activity that violates our Terms of Service.

4. Automated decision-making

Band scores, criteria breakdowns, and mistake taxonomy flags are generated by an automated AI grading system, without a human reviewing each attempt. We think this is worth being explicit about: unless you specifically email us about a report that looks wrong, no person looks at your individual Writing or Speaking submission as part of standard grading. Grading is built on real IELTS and PTE band descriptors and marking criteria and is designed to be consistent, but it's an automated process, and we want you to know that plainly rather than assume it.

5. Sharing your data

We don't sell your data. We share it only in these situations:

• Payment processing. Our payment processor handles billing for Full Access, Intensive, and Unlimited plans and receives what's needed to process your payment. We don't share your attempt content, recordings, or grading data with the payment processor.
• Infrastructure and grading providers. Service providers who host our infrastructure and run pieces of the AI grading pipeline (transcription, language analysis) process attempt content as needed to generate your reports, under confidentiality terms, and only for that purpose.
• Legal requirements. If we're legally compelled to disclose information, we will, to the extent required.
• Business transfers. If SmoothMock is ever acquired, merged, or its assets transferred, your data may transfer as part of that transaction, subject to the same protections described in this policy or a comparable successor policy you'd be notified about.

We don't have a routine data-sharing relationship with universities, employers, or immigration authorities. SmoothMock isn't an official score provider, so there's no automatic reporting pipeline to those organizations the way there is with the real IELTS or PTE exam boards.

6. Data retention

• Account and profile data: kept for as long as your account is active.
• Mock attempt content (answers, essays, recordings, transcripts, reports): kept for as long as your account is active, so your full history stays available to you across Progress & Analytics, Vocabulary Builder, and Drill Mode.
• Billing history: kept for as long as needed for our own recordkeeping and any legal or tax obligations, even after a subscription ends.
• Support correspondence: kept as long as reasonably useful for resolving related issues.
• Waitlist submissions: kept until you either create an account or ask us to remove your waitlist entry.

If you request account deletion, we delete your account data, including recordings, transcripts, essays, and reports, aside from anything we're legally required to retain briefly for billing or legal recordkeeping. See Section 8 for how to request this.

7. International data transfers

SmoothMock is used by test-takers around the world, and our infrastructure providers may process data on servers outside your own country. Wherever your data is processed, we apply the same protections described in this policy, regardless of where the processing happens.

8. Your rights and how to exercise them

You can, at any time, by emailing nishant@smoothmock.com from the address on your account:

• Request a copy of the data tied to your account, including your attempt history, reports, and account details.
• Correct inaccurate account information.
• Request deletion of your account and associated data, or deletion of a single attempt's recording without deleting your whole account.
• Ask what specific categories of service providers process your data.
• Ask us to exclude your account from aggregated, anonymized use in improving the grading engine, separate from the grading you still receive on your own attempts.
• Object to a specific use of your data that you believe is inconsistent with this policy.
• Unsubscribe from marketing email using the link in any marketing message, without affecting transactional emails like receipts or password resets.

We aim to respond to any of these requests within a reasonable timeframe, and we'll tell you plainly if something isn't possible rather than leave it unanswered.

9. Regional privacy frameworks

We're not making a formal compliance certification under any specific regional privacy law (for example, GDPR or CCPA). What we do offer, described throughout this policy, access to your data, correction, deletion, data minimization, and no selling your data, is built around the same practical principles those frameworks are meant to protect. If you have a specific regional compliance requirement, email us and we'll tell you plainly what we do and don't support, rather than make a claim we haven't had formally reviewed.

10. Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including restricting internal access to account, payment, and attempt data to what's needed to run the service. Standard encryption practices are applied to data in transit and to account and payment-related data. No online service can guarantee absolute security, so we can't promise data will never be exposed, but we take it seriously and will notify affected users if we become aware of a breach that puts your data at meaningful risk.

There's no formal bug bounty program yet. If you discover a genuine security issue, email nishant@smoothmock.com directly and we'll take it seriously.

11. Children's privacy

SmoothMock isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect data from anyone under that age. If you believe a child has created an account, email us and we'll remove it.

12. Third-party links

The site links to official resources, including the British Council, IDP, and Pearson, for things like exam booking and fee information. We're not responsible for the privacy practices of those third-party sites, and this policy only covers SmoothMock itself.

13. Do Not Track

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" signal. There isn't yet a common industry standard for how sites should respond to it, so SmoothMock doesn't currently change its behavior based on that signal. You can still control cookies directly through your browser settings.

14. Free plan versus paid plans

Data handling described in this policy applies the same way regardless of which plan you're on, Free, Full Access, Intensive, or Unlimited. What differs between plans is what features you can use (for example, Drill Mode and Vocabulary Builder are paid-tier features) and your module usage caps, not how your data is collected, stored, or protected.

15. Looking ahead: PTE

We're building SmoothMock for IELTS first. Once PTE support launches, the same categories of data described in this policy (attempt content, recordings and transcripts where relevant, mistake taxonomy, progress tracking) will apply to PTE attempts too, tied to the same account and the same protections. We'll update this policy if PTE introduces a genuinely new category of data collection beyond what's already described here.

16. Changes to this policy

If this policy changes in a way that materially affects how we handle your data, we'll update the date at the top and, where appropriate, notify active users by email.

17. Contact

Questions about this policy, or a request under Section 8: nishant@smoothmock.com. A real person reads and responds to it.