Mero IELTS Sathi Privacy Policy

Last updated: 21 October 2026

1. Who we are

Mero IELTS Sathi ("we", "us") is an independent IELTS practice website for students in Nepal. It is run by Mero IELTS Sathi, Nepal. Contact: inquiry@meroieltssathi.com.

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains what personal information we collect on our website, why we use it, who can see it, where it is kept, how long we keep it, and the choices you have.

3. What we collect

When you create an account

Your first name, an optional middle name and an optional family name, written in English letters as on your passport.
Your email address. We send a 6-digit verification code to it, and your account starts only after you enter that code.
A password. We store it only in scrambled form, so nobody can read it, including us.
A system generated student number that we give you.

When you use the site while logged in

Your answers to Listening and Reading questions, your scores and the date and time of each practice.
The lessons you finish.
The Writing answers you save.
The notes you type for Speaking.
The results of automatic Writing checks you ask for (see section 5).
Teacher Checks you request: the date of the request, the marks and written tips from the teacher, and when you opened the result.
On the My account page, if you choose to add them: your target band and your exam date. If you change or remove an exam date you added earlier, we also keep the old date, the new date and the reason you choose.
The time you last logged in and the last time you used the site.

Speaking recordings

When you record your voice for Speaking practice, your browser asks for permission to use your microphone. The recording stays on your own device: it is not sent to us and we do not store it. It is lost when you leave the page, unless you download it to your device yourself.

Login security

To stop people guessing passwords or sending too many emails, we count wrong log-in attempts and code requests. Wrong log-in attempts are counted in our server's memory for about 15 minutes, by email address and internet (IP) address, and code requests from each internet address for about one hour. These memory counts are not saved in our database. Code requests per email address, and wrong guesses at a code, are counted from our code records, which we delete within 2 days.

Server error records

When something goes wrong, our server writes a short technical error record, which our hosting provider keeps for a limited time. In rare cases this record can contain a short piece of an automatic Writing check reply, which may quote your Writing. It never contains your name or email address.

If you are not logged in

We do not store personal information about visitors. Our hosting providers may keep short technical records, such as internet addresses, to run and protect their services.

4. How your information helps you and us

to create and run your account, verify that you are using the correct email address, and keep you logged in;
to save your practice, show your progress and estimated bands, and help you review your mistakes;
to run the automatic Writing check and the Teacher Checks you ask for;
to send you emails about your account: the sign-up code and the "forgot password" code. We send no other emails at present;
to keep your name private from our staff: our teachers and our dashboard show your student number instead of your name;
to understand how students learn and make the site better for you: we analyse practice results, for each student and for all students together, to find questions that need fixing or explaining better, improve our lessons, and make your study journey on the site as useful as possible;
to keep the site secure and working.

We do not sell your information. We do not use it for advertising. We do not use analytics or tracking tools.

5. The automatic Writing check (an outside AI service)

When you use the automatic Writing check or ask for a Teacher Check, the text of your Writing answer and the task are sent to Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI, which helps us check your Writing. The automatic check gives no marks and can make mistakes. For Teacher Checks, a teacher always reviews the result before you see it.
We never send your name, email address or student number to Anthropic.
Anthropic stores data in the United States. Under its business terms, it does not use this content to train its AI and deletes it within 30 days, with some exceptions.
If you don't want your Writing sent to Anthropic, simply don't use these checks. You can still save and practise your Writing.

6. Who can see your information

Mero IELTS Sathi (the site owner). We have access to your account and practice information so we can run the site and improve it, as explained in section 4. In our dashboard, you appear by your student number, not your name.
Our teachers. When you ask for a Teacher Check, the teacher sees only your student number, the task and your answer. Teachers never see your name or email address.
Other team members (for example marketing) see only overall numbers for the whole site, such as how many students have signed up. They never see information about individual students.
Service providers that help us run the site, only as needed for their service:
- Render, which hosts the website (our server is in Singapore);
- Neon, which stores our database (in Singapore);
- Namecheap Private Email, which sends our emails, such as verification codes;
- Anthropic, for Writing checks (see section 5).

In line with data protection law, we never sell your information, and we do not share it with anyone other than the service providers listed above, unless the law requires us to.

7. Where your information is stored

Your information is stored outside Nepal: our database and server are in Singapore. Writing answers sent for checking go to Anthropic, which stores data in the United States (see section 5). By using the site you understand that your information is handled in these countries.

8. Browser storage and cookies

We do not use cookies. To keep you logged in and the site working smoothly, your browser saves a small amount of information on your own device:

your log-in details for the site, so you stay logged in;
the time you were last active, so you are logged out safely when you are away;
answers you have started but not yet saved, so you don't lose your work if the page closes;
your menu settings.

When you log out, your log-in details are removed from the browser. Answers you haven't saved stay on that device until you save them or clear your browser data. On a shared computer, please always log out and clear the browser data when you finish.

For your safety, you are logged out automatically after 4 hours without activity. Changing your password logs you out on your other devices.

9. How long we keep your information

Your account: until you delete it, or until 12 months after your last log-in. Each log-in starts the 12 months again (see section 10).
Unfinished sign-ups: if the verification code is never entered, the unfinished account is deleted after about 24 hours.
Verification codes: each code works for 15 minutes and is deleted within 2 days.
After an account is deleted: the practice information listed in section 10 under "What we keep" stays in our live database without your name, email address or student number, to help us improve the site.
Backup copies: we keep secure backup copies of our database for 24 months. A deleted account can remain in these copies until they expire.
Writing sent to Anthropic: see section 5.

10. Deleting your account

You can delete your account yourself at any time. On the My account page, choose "Delete my account", tick the box to confirm, type the three words shown on the screen, and enter your password. Deletion happens straight away and cannot be undone. The same happens automatically if you do not log in for 12 months.

Before deleting, you can use "Download my results" on the My account page to save a PDF of your own information, such as your scores, your answers, your Writing, your check results, your Speaking notes and the lessons you finished. It does not include our questions, answers or other study material, because those are protected by copyright.

What we delete: your name, email address, password, student number, target band, exam date, the text of your Writing answers, your Speaking notes, teachers' written tips, and any Teacher Check still waiting.

What we keep, without your name, email address or student number: your practice scores and answers, the lessons you finished, the marks from your Teacher Checks, the results of your Writing checks (which can include short quotes from your Writing), and the dates you were active. In our live database, this information is no longer linked to your name, email address or student number. Our backup copies still contain your full account until they are deleted, within 24 months. We keep this information only to improve our questions and lessons.

Signing up again: for 24 hours after you delete your account, the same email address cannot be used to sign up again. A new account starts fresh and does not include your old results.

11. Your rights and choices

See your information: most of it is on your Progress and My account pages, and you can download your results with "Download my results".
Correct your information: your name and email address can't be changed on the site. Write to inquiry@meroieltssathi.com and we will correct them.
Delete your account: you can do this yourself at any time. Section 10 explains what is deleted and what is kept.
Questions: you can write to inquiry@meroieltssathi.com with any question about your information.
Before we act on a request, we may reply to the email address on your account to confirm the request comes from you.

12. Age

You must be 18 or older to use the site. If you are under 18, you need your parent's or guardian's agreement. When you sign up, you tick a box to confirm that one of these is true. We do not ask for your date of birth.

13. Using someone else's name

An account only starts after you enter a code sent to your email address, so you can only sign up with an email address you can open. We do not check names, and many people share the same name. Because we do not ask for any identity documents, we usually cannot tell whether a name belongs to a particular person. You must not pretend to be another person. If someone tells us their name is being used on our site without their agreement, we will only act if they give us proof, such as official identity documents or a legal request. If the proof is clear, we will take suitable action, which may include closing the account. Closing an account works in the same way as deleting it (see section 10).

14. Security

We protect your information with scrambled passwords and codes, limits on wrong log-in attempts, and secure (https) connections. No website can be completely secure, but if a security problem affects your information, we will tell you as the law requires.

15. Other websites

Our IELTS guide links to the official IELTS, IDP and British Council websites. We do not control those sites, and they have their own privacy policies.

16. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page. For important changes, we will also tell you on the site.

17. Contact

For any question about your information or this policy, write to inquiry@meroieltssathi.com.

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