Who we are
This policy covers cefrchecker.com (“CEFR Test”, “we”, “us”), a free tool that estimates the CEFR level of a piece of writing. We are responsible for the personal data described below. You can reach us at hello@cefrchecker.com.
What we collect and why
The text you submit
When you press Check my level, your text and the prompt you answered are sent over an encrypted connection to our server. Our server works out whether the text is in English or German and passes it to our assessment provider, TypeSafe, which analyses it and returns the level estimate. We do not save your text and we do not write it to our logs; once your result has been returned, we no longer have it.
The English vocabulary profile is worked out in your browser. Your text is not sent anywhere for that part.
Please don’t include your name, contact details or other personal information in what you write. The test doesn’t need it.
Anonymous result statistics
For each result, we keep a record that contains:
- the date (day only, not the time);
- the language, whether you answered a prompt or pasted your own text, and which prompt;
- the number of words;
- the estimated level, the confidence, the probability for each level and the levels for each skill;
- the version of the assessment model used;
- a random ID that identifies the record, not you.
The record does not contain your text, your IP address or anything else that identifies you or your device. We use these statistics to check how the test is performing and to improve its accuracy.
An official score, if you choose to give one
After a result, you can tell us an official exam score you have (for example an IELTS band) and roughly when you took the exam. This is optional. If you answer, it is added to the anonymous record above and used to compare our estimates with real exam results.
Technical data
Like every website, ours receives your IP address and basic browser information when you visit. The site is hosted by Cloudflare, which processes this data to deliver pages and protect the site from attacks and abuse. To stop automated misuse, our server uses your IP address to limit how many texts can be checked per minute; the count expires after a minute and is not saved with your results. Cloudflare keeps short-lived technical logs of requests, which we use only to find and fix errors.
Website analytics
We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to count visits and measure how quickly pages load. It runs on every page without asking, because it doesn’t use cookies or local storage and doesn’t track you across sites or visits. For each page view it receives the page address, the site that linked to it, your browser and operating system, your country and page-speed timings, and we see these only as totals.
If you agree in our cookie banner, we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, to understand how visitors find and use the site — for example which pages are viewed, how long visits last, which site or search brought you here, and your approximate location, device and browser. Google Analytics sets cookies in your browser and sends this information to Google. It does not receive the text you write or your results. Google Analytics does not log or store IP addresses; it uses them only briefly to estimate your location. We use the reports only in aggregate, to improve the site.
If you choose Reject, or make no choice, Google Analytics is not loaded at all and nothing is sent to Google. You can change your choice at any time with Cookie settings at the bottom of every page; withdrawing consent deletes the Google Analytics cookies from your browser. You can also block Google Analytics with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, a content blocker, or your browser’s cookie settings. The test works fully without it. For more about how Google uses this data, see How Google uses information from sites that use its services.
Messages you send us
If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you write, and use them only to reply and deal with your request.
Storage in your browser
The only cookies on the site are the Google Analytics cookies described above (named _ga and _ga_*, which last up to two years), and they are set only if you agree to them. Separately, your browser’s local storage keeps three things: your cookie choice, so we don’t ask again on every page; your light or dark theme choice; and a draft of your text with your chosen test mode and prompt, so it isn’t lost if you reload the page. All three stay on your device and are never sent to us. The draft is cleared when you empty the text box, and you can remove all of them by clearing your browser’s site data.
Apart from Google Analytics and the cookie-free Cloudflare Web Analytics, we don’t use any analytics, advertising or social-media trackers, and our fonts are served from our own site.
Legal bases
Where the EU or UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, we rely on:
- providing the service you ask for (Article 6(1)(b)) to assess the text you submit;
- our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) in keeping the site secure, preventing abuse, fixing errors, improving accuracy, measuring visits and page speed without cookies (Cloudflare Web Analytics) and answering your messages;
- your consent (Article 6(1)(a)) for Google Analytics and the cookies it sets. You can withdraw it at any time with Cookie settings; this doesn’t affect anything done before you withdrew it.
Wherever you live, we process personal data only for the purpose for which you provide it — assessing your text, keeping the service secure, understanding how the site is used and answering your messages — and for other uses that the applicable law allows.
Who we share data with
We don’t sell your data or share it for advertising. We use three service providers, who process data on our behalf:
- Cloudflare, Inc. hosts the website, the server code and the anonymous statistics database, protects the site from attacks and provides Cloudflare Web Analytics.
- TypeSafe receives the text you submit in order to produce your level estimate.
- Google (Google Ireland Limited for visitors in the EEA and UK, otherwise Google LLC) provides Google Analytics and, if you agree to it, receives the usage data described above.
We may also disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect our rights or the safety of others.
International transfers
Cloudflare runs a global network, so your request may be handled in a data centre near you and in other countries. Our providers, including Google, may process data outside your country, including outside the European Economic Area and the UK. Where personal data from the EEA or UK is transferred, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.
How long we keep data
- Your text: not stored by us. It is processed only while your result is produced.
- Anonymous statistics and official scores: kept for as long as they are useful for improving the test. Because they don’t identify anyone, they are not personal data.
- Rate-limit counts: about one minute.
- Technical logs: a few days, as set by Cloudflare.
- Google Analytics data: up to 14 months, after which Google deletes it; the cookies in your browser last up to two years unless you delete them.
- Emails: as long as needed to deal with your message and any follow-up.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, to have it corrected or deleted, to object to or restrict how we use it, and to receive a copy of it. Some laws also let you ask how your data has been processed, have your grievances addressed and nominate someone to exercise your rights on your behalf. To make a request, email hello@cefrchecker.com. We will respond within one month.
Because we don’t keep your text and our statistics don’t identify anyone, we usually hold no personal data about you except any emails you have sent us and the pseudonymous usage data collected through Google Analytics.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please contact us first. You can also complain to your local data protection authority: in the EEA, the supervisory authority in your country; in the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office; elsewhere, the data protection authority where you live.
Children
The test is not designed for children under 13. Younger learners and anyone under 18 should use it with the permission of a parent or guardian. The test doesn’t ask for any personal information, and children should not include any in their writing.
Security
All traffic to the site is encrypted with HTTPS. We collect as little as possible, keep visitor text out of storage and logs, and restrict access to our systems and service accounts.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle data, we will update this page and the date at the top.
Contact
For any question about this policy or your data, email hello@cefrchecker.com. See also our terms and conditions.