User guide

Get started (setup takes about a minute)

Zhen Hao Xue is an unofficial AI self-study site for TOEFL and IELTS. There is no sign-up and the site is free. The AI parts (the examiner, scoring and explanations) use your own Gemini key, so any cost and usage count against your own Google account — and plenty works without a key.

1. Setup (4 steps): on the home page, click “Set up (about 1 min)”. Choose your exam (IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training or the 2026 TOEFL iBT — “IELTS A / G” in the top bar means Academic / General Training), choose a target score and tick three boxes (you are 18 or over, you understand the privacy note for free-tier keys, and you understand that scores are AI practice estimates). The first three steps take about a minute. Step 4, “Set up your key now (optional)”, starts folded away; open it to paste your Gemini key. Getting one takes about 3 minutes and can wait — see Get a Gemini key.
2. Click “Done — start practising”, right under step 3, once the three boxes are ticked; you do not need a key. The home page becomes “What shall we practise today?”: without a key, a note at the top offers “Watch the demo (about 2.5 min)” (about 1 min if you chose TOEFL) or “Set up a key (about 3 min)”; below it come today’s tasks, then two cards for the placement check and the 21-day speaking challenge (once you have taken the placement check, its card shrinks to one line). You can also pick anything from Practice or Mock tests.

Today’s tasks change every day: reading starts with the task type of the exam you chose (IELTS: IELTS academic passages; TOEFL: TOEFL academic passages). If there is none at your main level, the nearest level is used and the task says so; only if there is none at all does it use Taiwan exam items or Belebele, marked “foundation practice (not an exam task type)”. The speaking and writing tasks also rotate by date.

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What works without a key

Every card on the Practice page is labelled “Free” or “Key needed”. On the home page, “Use it now — no key needed” holds only free features; the 21-day speaking challenge, which needs a key, has its own section, “A little every day”.

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Try the demo, no key needed

To see what a speaking test is like first, try the demo: it uses pre-written content — no AI, no key, no cost.

• Where to find it: the main entry is the “Watch the demo (about N min)” button. Before you finish setup, the home page has “Watch the demo (about 2.5 min)” at the top (about 1 min if you chose TOEFL, which shows the TOEFL interview), and there is one in “Use it now — no key needed” too; after setup, if you have no key yet, the note at the top of the home page has the same button, and the speaking tasks in today’s tasks and on the 21-day challenge card offer “Watch the demo first”. The “Start here” row at the top of the Practice page and step 4 of setup (a “watch the demo” link) have it as well. Without a key, every speaking page explains that you need a Gemini key to start, with two buttons below: “Watch the demo (about N min)” and “Set up a key (about 3 min)”.
• Choose one: “Watch the auto demo” needs no microphone and reads out both the examiner and a sample candidate (with sound); the button shows roughly how long it takes — about 2.5 minutes for the IELTS Speaking mock test, about 1.5 for Part 2 task card practice, and about 1 for the speaking coach, Take an Interview and Listen and Repeat. “Try it myself” starts with the microphone check and then lets you answer. Your recordings stay in this browser and are deleted when the demo ends; if you do not allow the microphone, “Continue the demo without a microphone” still takes you through, just without picking up any sound.
• You can tell what is going on: captions are on by default, and a “Demo guide” inside the test card, just below the status line, says what is happening, what to do and how the real test differs; during the auto demo it also has “Let me try it myself”.
• A shorter test: the IELTS Speaking mock test demo has two Part 1 questions, 20 seconds of Part 2 preparation (one minute in the real test), a sample long turn of about 30 seconds and one Part 3 question; the Part 2 task card demo skips the follow-up question after the long turn; Take an Interview has two questions (four in the real task); Listen and Repeat has 4 sentences (7 in the real task); and the speaking coach demo uses a fixed topic.
• It ends with a sample report: the scores and advice come from the sample answers, not from anything you said; after “Try it myself”, the report notes for each question whether any sound was picked up (the demo does not recognise what you say). At the end you can choose “Set up a key and practise for real”, “Step-by-step: get a key”, “Back to home” or “Watch the demo again”. The demo’s writing report starts by saying these are sample scores, unrelated to what you wrote, and each task type uses its own criteria and scale.
• If your browser has no built-in voice, the demo says so and asks you to follow the captions.
• Records, recordings and settings made in demo mode are kept separately and never mix with your real records. A yellow banner stays at the top; click “Leave demo mode” in it to go back.

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Get a Gemini key (API key)

All the AI on this site (the examiner, scoring, explanations and Gemini voices) runs on your own Gemini key. Google calls it an “API key”; you get one free from Google AI Studio, and the first time takes about 3 minutes. Before you start, you need:

• A Google account: a personal Gmail account is best. School and work accounts may have the service turned off by an administrator; if AI Studio does not open, use a personal account.
• To be 18 or over: the Gemini API terms require it, and so does this site.
• Ideally a computer: a phone works too, but copying and pasting the key is less error-prone on a computer.

4 steps

Step 3 shows a real screen from AI Studio (captured on 2026-09-29, with the key, project ID and billing details hidden); step 2 is an illustration drawn from Google’s official documentation. Google updates its interface from time to time, so follow the words and positions you actually see.

1Open Google AI Studio and sign in

Open aistudio.google.com/apikey (Google’s official site; it opens in a new tab) and sign in with your Google account.

2First time only: accept the terms

The first time you open AI Studio you will see the Terms of Service. Read them, tick to agree and continue. According to Google’s documentation, once a new user accepts the terms, AI Studio automatically creates a default Google Cloud project and an API key, so you do not need to set up Google Cloud yourself.

3Copy your key

1. Click 1 “API Keys” under “PROJECT” in the menu on the left (its address is aistudio.google.com/apikey).
2. Find your key in the list (the Key column shows only the last few characters; the project is usually called “Default Gemini Project”) and click the 2 copy button, the first icon at the right of that row.
3. No key listed? Click 3 “Create API key” at the top right. We recommend a key just for this site, so you can turn it off without affecting anything else.

A key is a long string of letters and numbers. It may start with AIza (older keys) or AQ. (keys created from 28 May 2026). New keys work only with the Gemini API by default, and Google quickly disables them if they leak, so they are safer. The “Billing Tier” column shows your plan; on the free tier you will see “Set up billing” (click it only if you want to pay).

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4Paste it into this site

1. Not done setup yet? Paste the key in step 4 of setup (the same page has the three checks to tick before you begin). Already set up? Open Settings in the top bar or, on a phone, at the bottom of the screen. Both places use the same form; if you save a key in Settings before ticking the three checks, a box first asks “Before saving your key, please confirm three things” — tick them and click “Confirm and save the key”.
2. Paste the key into the 1 box. Spaces, invisible characters or full-width characters picked up while pasting are removed automatically, and the site tells you “Extra characters picked up while pasting were removed”.
3. On your own computer you can tick 2 “Remember this key”; do not tick it on a shared computer. If it is not ticked, the key stays in this tab only and is forgotten when the tab closes — but the browser’s “restore tabs” can bring it back, so on a shared computer use a private window, or press “Remove key” when you are done. If you save without ticking it, the site asks “Is this your own computer?”; choosing “Yes, remember this key” ticks it for you.
4. Click 3 “Save and test”. The site sends one tiny request to Google and saves the key only if the test passes; when you see “It works!”, you are done. A rate limit (429) during the test means the key itself is fine, so it is saved anyway and the site asks you to wait a little; a used-up prepaid balance (402) or any other error means the key is not saved, and a key you saved before stays as it was.
5. Once saved, the form shows only “Saved (ends in …)” and “Replace”; the full key is never shown on screen. To use a different key, click “Replace”.

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Free or paid?

You are on the free tier as soon as you sign in. Turn on billing if you want higher limits or more privacy.

Based on Google’s Gemini API pricing page and terms (checked on 2026-09-29). With a free-tier key, feel free to make up answers to personal questions such as your home town or family; it does not affect your score.

Turning on billing and setting a spend cap

1. In AI Studio, go to the “API Keys” or “Projects” page, find your project and click “Set up billing” in the Billing Tier column.
2. Choose or create a Google Cloud billing account and enter your contact and payment details.
3. Choose a plan: Prepay needs at least US$5 up front; usage is deducted from your balance, credits last 12 months and requests fail when the balance runs out. Postpay charges you at the end of the month for what you used.
4. We strongly recommend a monthly spend cap: “Spend” page → “Monthly spend cap” → “Edit spend cap”.
5. Check how much you have used at any time with “Usage” in the menu on the left.

Source: Gemini API billing documentation (checked on 2026-09-29).

Keep your key safe

• Treat it like a password: that is Google’s own advice. Never post it in group chats, homework, social media or GitHub, and hide it before sharing a screenshot.
• If it leaks, replace it: create a new key in AI Studio, switch the site to it, check that it works, then delete the old one. Google also quickly disables new-style keys that are detected as leaked.
• How this site stores it: your key goes only from your browser straight to Google (generativelanguage.googleapis.com). The site has no application server of its own and never sees your key. By default it stays in this tab; only if you tick “Remember this key” is it stored in this browser. Settings only ever shows its last 4 characters.
• Live speech carries the key in its address: the live connection used by speaking tests and the coach (a WebSocket) cannot carry extra headers — a browser limitation — so the key is part of the connection address (other requests send it in a header). That address can appear in the browser’s developer tools or in school or company network logs, which is one more reason to use a dedicated key with a spend cap.
• Shared computers: do not tick “Remember”, and ideally use a private window. When you finish, click “Remove key” in Settings and close the browser (without “Remember”, the browser’s “restore tabs” can still bring the key back).

Troubleshooting

How each feature works

The Practice page lists everything for the exam you chose; Mock tests are timed versions, one skill at a time (there is no full four-skill mock test yet). To switch exams, use “IELTS A / IELTS G / TOEFL” in the top bar (on narrower screens, under the heading of the Practice, Mock tests and 21-day speaking challenge pages, and on the home page before setup). The “Start here” row at the top of the Practice page has the placement check, the 21-day speaking challenge and the demo.

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Microphone check

Before any speaking practice (the IELTS Speaking mock test, Part 2 task card practice, the speaking coach, Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview), the site helps you test your microphone; it takes about 30 seconds. The 21-day challenge opens the same pages.

1. On a speaking page, click “Start: test the microphone first”, then “Allow the microphone and start the test”; click “Allow” when your browser asks.
2. Say something into the microphone (for example, “My name is …”) and watch the level bar move; “Sound picked up ✓” means it works. If you have more than one microphone, you can choose one under “Which microphone”.
3. Click “Record 3 seconds”; the recording plays back automatically.
4. When it asks “Can you hear yourself?”, click “Yes — start the test” (the wording differs a little by page, for example “Yes — start the interview” or “Yes — start the demo”), or “No — try again” if you could not.

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• If the level stays very low while recording, the site says it hardly picked up any sound and suggests three fixes: try a wired headset, check the input device and its volume in your system settings (the screen gives the Windows and Mac paths), and check that the permission icon at the left of the address bar allows the microphone. A blocked permission, no microphone found, a microphone used by another app and a browser that cannot use the microphone each get step-by-step help (on a phone, a blocked permission shows the iPhone or Android settings steps); when you have fixed it, click “Try again”.
• Once you pass, the same microphone goes straight into the test without asking for permission again. If you passed in this tab recently, the page says you tested the microphone in this tab, and you can choose “Start now” or “Test again”.
• You can click “Skip the test”; the site first asks “Skip the microphone test?”, because if it cannot hear you, you only find out at scoring time — and your key is still charged. If you skip, the site opens the microphone just before writing the test (that is when your browser asks for permission).
• When you practise with your own key, the site writes no questions, opens no connection and uses no key until the microphone check is passed.
• Headphones help (they stop the examiner’s voice from reaching your microphone), and so does a quiet room.

IELTS Speaking mock test and Part 2 task card practice

The mock test is under Mock tests and in the speaking section of Practice; Part 2 task card practice is in the speaking section of Practice.

• The mock test follows the official format: Part 1 everyday questions → Part 2 task card (one minute to prepare, up to two minutes to speak; it stops at two minutes) → Part 3 discussion, about 11–14 minutes in all. The examiner gives no corrections or feedback during the test, and the report comes at the end. The AI writes a new test each time from a list of topics, avoiding topics you had recently.
• Part 2 task card practice covers only Part 2: the examiner reads the task card → one minute to prepare → you talk for 1–2 minutes → one follow-up question → feedback.
• Answering: when the examiner finishes and “Your turn — start speaking” appears with “Recording”, start talking. When you finish, click “I’m done”; the examiner waits for this and never cuts in. With a physical keyboard you can also press the space bar (if the focus is on another button, such as “Show captions”, the space bar presses that button instead).
• Clicked “I’m done” too early? If you spoke for less than 4 seconds (less than 30 seconds for the Part 2 long turn), the site first asks “You spoke for only N seconds on this one. Keep going?”. “Keep answering” is the default (so is Esc); the other choice is “Next question”. The recording and the timer keep running while it asks, and if time runs out the question simply ends.
• Part 2 preparation: you can type notes on screen (only for you, not scored); when you are ready, click “Ready — start now”.
• Captions: the real test has none, so they are off by default; click “Show captions” in the test card if you need them. If you miss something, just say “Could you repeat that, please?”.
• Ending early or leaving: “End and score” scores only the questions you have answered. You cannot pause a test; if you try to leave, the site first asks “Leave the test?”, and “Leave without scoring” stops the test and deletes the recordings so far. On a phone, the bottom tab bar is hidden during the test so you cannot leave by accident.
• Scoring takes about 30–60 seconds (a full mock test has more recordings, so about 1–2 minutes). Do not close or reload the tab until it is done (you will get a warning); moving to other pages of the site is fine, and the report is saved to Records. If scoring fails, your recordings are still in this browser and you can click “Score again”; if you try to leave the page, the site asks first and leaving deletes them.
• If the browser cannot save recordings (it is out of space or does not allow sites to store data), the site tells you before the test starts, and writes no questions and uses no key; if it happens during the test, the test stops there so your key is not charged for nothing. If scoring succeeds but the report cannot be saved to Records, the report is still shown on screen — it is not scored again, so you do not pay twice.
• Cost: with a paid key, about US$0.3–0.6 per mock test and about US$0.05–0.15 per Part 2 session (conversation plus scoring).

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Speaking coach

• Chat in English with Amy, your coach. She corrects one mistake at a time and asks you to say it again; if you get stuck, say “hint”, click “Hint” or ask in Chinese. There are no scores in this mode.
• Before you start: edit the topic or click “Another”; under “When to correct”, choose “After each turn” or “At the end”; “Focus for today” is optional (verb tenses, articles and plurals, linking words and longer sentences, or replacing overused words like good and very).
• While chatting: just talk; when you pause for about 2.5 seconds, your coach replies. Corrected sentences appear under “Corrections” and go into your mistake log in Records when the chat ends (or when you leave the page).
• If you go quiet: after 90 seconds without speech, the site pauses sending your voice to the coach (no charges while paused) and asks “Are you still there?”; click “Continue” to carry on. If you do not click “Continue” within 3 minutes, the session ends by itself and your corrections still go to the mistake log. After 20 minutes in one session, the site reminds you to take a break.
• “Practise your weak spot with the coach: …” at the bottom of an IELTS speaking report sets “Focus for today” to the lowest of your grammar, vocabulary and fluency-and-coherence scores from that test (for example, “Verb tenses”); pronunciation is not used.
• Cost: with a paid key, about US$0.03 a minute — the longer you talk, the more it costs. During the chat the screen shows “This session: about US$…” (estimated at paid-key prices; free keys are not charged).

TOEFL speaking: Listen and Repeat, Take an Interview

The TOEFL speaking section has used these two tasks since January 2026; you will find both under Practice and Mock tests.

Listen and Repeat

• Each sentence plays once, then you say it back straight away; a round has 7 sentences, from short to long. Before you start, choose an accent: American (female), American (male), British (female) or Australian (male).
• Click “I’m done” when you finish, or the next sentence starts when time is up.
• Afterwards each sentence gets 0–5 (the round score is the average); words you missed or said differently are in red, and you can play your recordings back.
• Sentences come from passages in our bank and the audio is made with Gemini speech; the same sentence in the same accent is saved, so you do not pay for it twice (up to 200 sentences; the oldest are removed first). About US$0.03 per round with a paid key. If the sentences cannot be loaded (an unstable network), the site turns the microphone off, says why and offers “Try again”.

Take an Interview

• A researcher (the AI interviewer) asks you 4 questions about campus life and learning, moving from personal experience to opinion. Each answer has about 45 seconds and the next question starts when time is up; you can also click “I’m done” earlier.
• Afterwards you get a 0–5 score for delivery, language use and topic development, with a rewrite for each answer.
• About US$0.1–0.2 per interview with a paid key.

Writing feedback

• Task types: IELTS Task 2 essays (40 minutes, at least 250 words) and General Training Task 1 letters (if you chose IELTS G; 20 minutes, at least 150 words); TOEFL Write an Email (about 7 minutes), Academic Discussion (about 10 minutes) and Build a Sentence; and Taiwan exam tasks: original translation and essay tasks from the GSAT, AST, TVE joint exams and civil-service exams.
• IELTS Academic Task 1 (describing a chart) is not available yet.
• Prompts: built-in original tasks (not official exam questions); click “Another built-in task” for a different one, or “New task by AI” to have the AI write one (key needed).
• Writing: type straight into the 1 answer box; the word count updates as you type. Your draft is saved in this browser together with its task: when you come back, the same task returns (including one written by the AI), and switching language does not change it. If the same task is open in two tabs and the other one changes the draft, the site pauses autosave and asks which version to keep.
• Timing: Practice has no time limit; tasks opened from Mock tests are timed, with the time left shown above the answer box. When time is up, the answer is submitted automatically if it is long enough; if not, the site says “Time is up — this answer will not be scored” and locks the answer box (your answer and draft are still there to copy, or click “Restart the timer and keep writing”).
• Scoring: click 2 “Submit for scoring” (at least 20 words; translation tasks depend on the number of items). The report arrives in about 20–40 seconds and costs about US$0.03 with a paid key. Under the report, “Revise and resubmit” lets you edit your answer above and score it again to compare.
• No key? Open “No key? Copy the scoring prompt to Gemini”, click “Copy and open Gemini” and paste the prompt into Gemini (for a picture task, remember to send the picture to Gemini too). The results are not saved on this site, and in the free Gemini app your content may be used to improve Google’s products.
• Build a Sentence: 10 items per round; tap the word chunks in order, then click “Check”. The original sentence is the answer (another order may sometimes work too, but practise against the original). When you finish, “Another round” starts a new round straight away. No key needed.
• Taiwan exam tasks: official items. Translations are scored with the official points (usually 4 per item); essays use this site’s own 0–10 scale (content, organisation and language), which is not the 20 or 35 points of the original paper. Picture tasks show the picture from the original paper under the task, and it is sent to the AI with your answer. The scoring and feedback come from the AI and are unofficial.

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Reading bank and timed tests

The bank has 10,430 questions in 2,071 sets, and every set shows a CEFR level. CEFR is the Common European Framework of Reference for languages: A is basic, B is independent and C is proficient, with A1–C1 going from easiest to hardest. Exam-type sets (IELTS academic passages and TOEFL academic passages) also show the matching score for the exam you chose (IELTS reading bands here are estimated from the ETS TOEFL table, which differs from IELTS’s own CEFR mapping — see What is C1); Taiwan exam items and Belebele are foundation practice and show only the CEFR level.

• Choosing sets: filter by level, question type and source, tick “Not done yet”, or click “Random set”. After setup, the level filter starts at the two levels the site suggests for you and the type filter at your exam’s task type (IELTS: IELTS academic passages; TOEFL: TOEFL academic passages); if there are none at that level, the bank switches to the nearest level and says so.
• Three sources: 6,092 questions from exams held under Taiwanese law (CAP, GSAT, AST, TVE joint exams, equivalency exams and civil-service exams), shown exactly as printed and checked word by word against the original paper and the official answer key when added; 3,509 AI-written questions on openly licensed academic and news articles, which pass four automated checks and are labelled as AI-written; and 829 questions from Meta’s open Belebele dataset.
• Are the articles changed? Article wording is not rewritten, but some texts are shortened, and the source line says so: some Global Voices stories are excerpts (marked “excerpted”), and 28 of those sets also leave out the posts, videos and quotations embedded in the original (marked “excerpted; quotations omitted”); Wikipedia excerpts have footnotes and pronunciation marks removed. The author, source and licence of every set are shown under its questions.
• Answering: on a computer the passage is on the left and the questions on the right; on a phone, switch between “Passage” and “Questions”. The “Time” above the questions is how long you have spent on the set, and it stops when you submit. When you finish, click “Submit and check” (you are asked first if any question is unanswered).
• Instructions in IELTS academic passages: TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN and sentence-completion questions come with instructions in the official style above them (in English, with a Chinese explanation in the Chinese interface). Each gap may only use words from the passage, up to the stated limit (for example NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS); going over the limit, or using a synonym that is not in the passage, is marked wrong.
• After submitting: right and wrong answers and the correct answers are shown (“Official answer” for Taiwan exam items, “Dataset answer” for Belebele), and the evidence for each answer is highlighted in yellow in the passage (where it can be found). In the Chinese interface, AI-written sets come with an explanation written when the questions were made; for other questions, click “Explain with AI” (key needed; marked “unofficial”). Questions you get wrong go into the mistake log in Records, and when you review a set you can choose “Only the ones I missed (N)”.
• Something wrong with a question? Click “Flag a problem with this question” and choose a reason. The site has no application server of its own, so the flag stays in your browser (it is included when you export your data) and never reaches us; to tell us, please email (see How to contact us).
• Click “Next set (same level and type)” to keep going.
• Complete the Words (a 2026 TOEFL task, shown if you chose TOEFL): some words in a short text are missing their second half; type the rest. The first sentence is complete, and after that every second word is cut. Click “Check” to see your result (it is saved as a record), then “Next passage”. No key needed.

Timed tests

• Open “Timed reading test” in the reading section of Practice, “Timed test” at the top of the reading bank, or “Timed reading test” under Mock tests.
• IELTS: IELTS academic passages at 90 seconds per question (the official 40 questions in 60 minutes); a short test is 1 passage and a full test 3 passages, as in the real test. TOEFL: TOEFL academic passages at about 70 seconds per question — our own estimate: TOEFL Reading is about 30 minutes for 50 questions, but 30 of them are Complete the Words gaps that take seconds each, which leaves about 70 seconds per academic-passage question. A short test is about 15 questions, or choose the “50-question extended practice”; only academic passages of up to 200 words are used (the real test also has Complete the Words and daily-life texts).
• Sets at your target level are drawn first, then neighbouring levels if needed. The time left sits at the top of the question column (on a phone, in the “Passage / Questions” bar) and stays in view as you scroll. The test submits automatically when time is up and shows no answers until the end; afterwards, open each set to see the evidence and explanations.
• General Training reading (everyday and workplace texts) is not available yet; all IELTS reading here uses Academic passages.

Placement check

• Free, no key, about 5–8 minutes. Find it in the “Start here” row on the Practice page, on the home page (in “Use it now — no key needed” before setup, and in a card below today’s tasks afterwards; once taken, it shrinks to one line with “Practise reading at this level” and “Retake”) and in a short line below step 2 of setup.
• There are four short texts, from easy to hard: A2 → B1 → B2 → C1. In each, about 10 words show only their first half; type the rest, and leave a gap empty if you do not know it. Click “Next text”, and “See results” after the fourth. You cannot go back after moving on, and leaving halfway saves no result.
• How the level is worked out: you reach a level with at least 60% on that level and at least 50% on every level below it. Your level is the highest one you reach; if you reach none, it says “below A2”.
• The result page shows your rough level, how it compares with your target score, your result for each text, the words you missed and how the level is worked out. “Practise reading at this level” opens the bank filtered to that level; “Retake” draws new texts.
• It shapes your suggestions: once you have taken it, the suggested levels on the home page and the level of today’s reading task follow your result — warm up at your placement level, then work one level up (but not above your target level); if your placement level already meets or beats your target level, you work at your placement level; below A2, you practise A1 and A2. The page says so, for example “Based on your placement check (B1) and your target (B2)”.
• It covers only reading and vocabulary (about 40 gaps), so it is a rough estimate, not an official result, and it never changes your target score.

Dictation

• For now, dictation is the only listening practice; there are no TOEFL or IELTS listening test questions.
• Go to Practice → Dictation, choose a level (A2–C1) and click “Start (8 sentences)”. Each sentence plays once automatically; click “Play” to hear it again, up to 3 plays per sentence.
• Type what you hear and click “Check” (or press Enter) to see a word-by-word comparison: green is right, a red underline means missed or misspelt, and a separate “Missed or misspelt:” line lists those words. Then click “Next”. After 8 sentences you see your word accuracy, which is saved to your records.
• Without a key, your browser’s built-in English voice is used (free, but it sounds robotic). With a key you get Gemini voices — American (female), American (male), British (female) or Australian (male) — and each sentence is saved so you do not pay for it twice (up to 200 sentences).
• Sentences come from the checked reading passages in our bank. If they cannot be loaded (an unstable network), the page says so and offers “Try again”.

21-day speaking challenge

• Where to find it: in the “Start here” row of the Practice page, and on the home page (in “A little every day” before setup, and in a card below today’s tasks afterwards).
• The day you click “Start the challenge” is day 1. After that there is one small task a day (about 5–15 minutes), and its button opens that practice directly. IELTS: the speaking coach and Part 2 task card practice take turns, with the IELTS Speaking mock test on days 7, 14 and 21. TOEFL: Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview take turns, and you do both on days 7, 14 and 21.
• Coach tasks come with the topic filled in, and most also set the focus for today; every task shows the rough paid-key cost. All tasks use the AI, so you need a key; without one, try the demo first.
• Any speaking record on a day ticks that day ✓ (IELTS mock tests, Part 2, the coach, Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview all count; writing, reading and dictation do not), whether or not it was that day’s task. The page also shows the days you practised, your day streak and the minutes you spoke during the challenge.
• No rankings and no penalties: you do not need to make up missed days — just carry on from today. To start over, click “Restart” at the bottom of the page (your records are not deleted). Open “See all 21 days” to preview every task.
• Progress stays in this browser; no sign-up.

Records, mistake log and backups

• The Records page has your practice history (speaking, writing, Listen and Repeat, the coach, dictation and Complete the Words), your mistake log and reading statistics; “Jump to” at the top takes you to each part. Trend charts are drawn once you have two or more: IELTS Speaking’s four criteria, IELTS Writing, and TOEFL 0–5 scores (Take an Interview, Listen and Repeat and writing). If you have some records but not yet two of that kind, the chart area says another one will bring it up, with a “Take a test”, “Write one” or “Do one” button.
• With two or more records, a 1 search box appears at the top (search titles, for example Part 2 or Coach), and the list is grouped into “Today”, “Last 7 days” and “Earlier”. Tick several records to delete them together (“Select all” only picks the ones your search shows), or delete one at a time; deleting a report deletes its recordings too. Coach rows open up to show how long you chatted and what was corrected, and imported records are marked “imported (no recordings)”. With no records yet, there are “Take an IELTS Speaking test” (or “Take a TOEFL interview”) and “Write an essay” buttons.
• Mistake log: sentences the speaking coach corrected (delete entries one by one), and reading questions you got wrong after submitting (listed by set with how many you missed; open one to review only those). Reading: sets completed and accuracy overall and by level; open a set to review it, or delete its record.
• Clearing: “Clear all records” (in Settings, and at the bottom of Records) deletes reports, recordings, the mistake log, reading records, drafts and cached audio, but keeps your key, settings and question flags. “Delete all data” (in Settings) removes your key and settings too; close any other tabs with this site first. Neither can be undone. Settings → My data also shows how much space the site uses and how many sentences of audio are cached.
• Moving to a new computer: on the old one, go to Settings → My data and click “Export data” to download a backup file (without your key or recordings; the site shows the file name it downloaded); on the new one, click “Import data” to read it back. Importing merges rather than overwrites: reports you already have are skipped, the newer reading progress wins and question flags are not duplicated; your placement result (if the new computer has none, or the imported one is newer) and the start date of your 21-day challenge (if you have not started one there) come across too. If the new computer has not been through setup, your exam and target score are restored from the file as well (the home page then shows your progress); if it has, they are left alone, and your language and appearance are never changed. Afterwards you see what was imported and how many items were skipped. Recordings do not come across, so imported speaking reports cannot be replayed, and your key is not in the file either — paste it again on the new computer. Only JSON files exported from this site are accepted (up to 25 MB), and a file exported in demo mode cannot be imported into your real data.

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Reading your reports

Speaking, writing and Listen and Repeat all end with a report, kept on the Records page. No key yet? The home page (before setup) has “See a sample report”, and the IELTS speaking pages link to one too.

IELTS speaking reports (mock test and Part 2)

• Practice estimate: the big number at the top is a range, for example a 6.0–6.5 band (a band is an IELTS score from 0 to 9), with a one-line summary, the note “AI practice estimate, not an official score” and roughly what this session cost (estimated at paid-key prices; free keys are not charged).
• What went well and Fix these next are at the top. The scoring format requires a “Fix these next” list (the AI is asked for 2–3 items, however weak the performance); older reports without that list get one built from the advice under each criterion, marked “taken from the advice under each criterion”.
• How much you spoke: the number of questions and about how many minutes you answered. If the total is very short (under 3 minutes for the IELTS Speaking mock test, 45 seconds for Part 2 or 1 minute for the TOEFL interview), a yellow note warns that the estimate is less reliable. The sample report and the report at the end of the demo never show this note.
• Criteria: fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy, and pronunciation. Each comes with reasons, your own words and next steps. Criteria the AI is less sure about are marked “reference only” — most often pronunciation, because the recording is compressed and cannot be judged sound by sound.
• By the numbers: average words per answer, how many fillers (um, like…) you used and which ones most, and words you repeat a lot; these are counted by the scoring AI itself, so they are marked “reference only (AI count)”.
• Question by question: each question, your recording (you can play it back), a transcript, problems (what you said → a better way, with the reason) and “See your answer, rewritten”.
• If it sounds read from a script, the report says so (examiners notice, and it lowers the score).
• At the bottom: “Practise your weak spot with the coach: …” (the button names your weakest criterion; see Speaking coach) and “Take another test”. The sample report and the report at the end of the demo have neither button; they offer next steps such as watching the demo or setting up a key instead.

TOEFL speaking reports

• Take an Interview: the big number is the 0–5 score only; a separate line below says something like “AI-estimated level (not an official conversion): B1” — ETS maps only the TOEFL 1–6 scale (section and total scores) to the CEFR, and there is no official mapping for a single 0–5 task score, so this level is the AI’s own estimate. The score is broken down into delivery (pronunciation and fluency), language use and topic development; What went well and Fix these next are at the top too (older reports without them get them from the question-by-question review); and each answer has a transcript, problems and a rewrite.
• Listen and Repeat: 0–5 for each sentence; words you missed or said differently are in red, with what you said and your recording.

Writing reports

• A practice estimate (an IELTS band, TOEFL 0–5, 0–10 for Taiwan essays or the official points for translations; on Records, TOEFL scores show “/5” and Taiwan essays “/10”, and the home page’s latest TOEFL writing estimate also shows “/5”), each criterion with reasons, what went well and what to fix next.
• In “Your answer”, click or tap a highlighted spot to see the suggestion in place. Below that are the sentence-level corrections and a rewrite that keeps your own ideas (not a model answer).
• If scoring succeeds but the report cannot be saved to Records (the browser is out of space or does not allow sites to store data), the report is still shown and your answer stays in the answer box — it is not scored again, so you do not pay twice; copy anything you want to keep before leaving.

Do you agree with this score?

At the bottom of speaking, writing and Listen and Repeat reports, choose “Too high”, “About right” or “Too low” and add a note if you like (save it with “Save” or Enter). It is saved with that record, only in your browser, and is included when you export your data. The site has no application server of its own, so we never receive it — it is there for your own comparison (to tell us, please email; see How to contact us). The sample report and the report at the end of the demo do not have this box.

Costs

The site itself charges nothing. Only the AI can cost money: Google calculates it from your key and bills your own Google account directly. A free-tier key costs nothing but has per-minute and per-day limits.

Amounts are the ones shown on each practice page (conversation plus scoring). Actual costs depend on Google’s prices at the time and how much you say or write; your Google bill is what counts. One IELTS Speaking mock test measured in the browser on 29 September 2026 cost US$0.51. Each 21-day challenge task shows the same amounts, and the speaking coach (while you chat) and speaking reports (at the top) show roughly what that session cost. To keep costs under control, prepay a small amount and set a monthly cap — see Turning on billing and setting a spend cap.

How the AI works, how accurate it is and where your data goes

This is the short version. Measurement tables, privacy details and licence texts are on the About page.

Three Google models, each with one job

• Gemini 3.8 Live plays the speaking examiner, interviewer and coach in real-time voice conversation. In our tests it started speaking 0.70–1.05 seconds after you finished.
• Gemini 3.8 Flash scores your recordings and essays, suggests sentence-level fixes, writes AI explanations and creates speaking and writing prompts.
• Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS reads sentences aloud for dictation and Listen and Repeat (American, British and Australian voices).

Conversation and scoring are kept apart: the live voice model is good at talking but not at producing structured scores. So after the test, the site sends the recording of each answer straight to Gemini 3.8 Flash for scoring (no separate transcription step), and the transcripts in your report are written by that model as it listens.

How accurate it is

• Scores are AI practice estimates shown as a range (for example 6.0–6.5), not official results, and the same answer may score slightly differently each time.
• We scored published official samples that have examiner scores three times each (28 September 2026, small samples): IELTS speaking, 12 samples (transcripts only), rank agreement 0.96 and 86% within ±1 band per scoring; IELTS writing, 6 essays, 0.99 and 100%; pronunciation, 30 sentences on a 0–10 scale, 0.82 and 76%. “Rank agreement” measures whether the AI puts the samples in the same order as the official scores (1 = exactly the same), not whether each score is exact. The speaking row was measured with transcripts only; the site actually scores your recording, and the accuracy of that method has not been measured yet.
• Known biases: with transcripts only, high bands are underestimated, so the site always sends your recording; writing scores drift towards the middle; and pronunciation is reference only (audio is compressed to 16 kbps). The samples are small and the official examples are public (the model may have seen them), so real accuracy may be lower.
• Uncertain items are marked “reference only”, and every criterion comes with reasons and your own words so you can judge for yourself. Details: scoring accuracy.

Where your data goes

• The site is a static website hosted on Cloudflare, with no application server of our own. AI requests go from your browser straight to Google (generativelanguage.googleapis.com) using your key, and the site’s security settings only allow connections to Google. Cloudflare delivers the pages and keeps ordinary access logs (such as IP address, address and time), and if a page fails to load the browser may send a network error report to Cloudflare. The site has no tracking or analytics tools of its own.
• By default your key stays in this tab; it is stored in this browser only if you tick “Remember” (without it, the browser’s “restore tabs” can bring it back). Recordings, reports and answers stay in your browser and are never uploaded to us.
• For scoring, your recording or essay goes straight from your browser to Google with a request not to store it (store: false).
• During speaking tests and the speaking coach, your voice is streamed live to Google (Gemini Live), which produces the transcript in real time; this part has no “do not store” (store: false) setting. In the speaking coach the microphone streams for the whole chat (it pauses after 90 seconds without speech); in speaking tests it streams only while it is your turn to answer. The live connection address also carries your key (see Keep your key safe).
• Fonts come from Google Fonts: when you open the site, your browser connects to Google to download them.
• In demo mode and in dictation without a key, your browser’s built-in read-aloud voice speaks the lines. Some browsers (for example Edge and Chrome) use Microsoft’s or Google’s online voices for this — only the demo lines or question sentences being read are sent, never your recordings or data.
• With a free-tier key, Google may use what you send to improve its products, possibly with human review, so do not share real personal details while practising (made-up answers are fine and do not affect your score). Content sent with a paid key is not used to improve Google’s products.
• Your data is tied to this web address and this browser: a private window or clearing your browsing data makes it disappear. To move computers, export and import it (see Records, mistake log and backups). If your browser does not allow sites to store data, the site still works, but a line at the top says “Your browser does not allow this site to store data: settings and records will not be saved.”

Where the questions come from and how they are checked

• Reading: questions from exams held under Taiwanese law (which Article 9 of Taiwan’s Copyright Act places outside copyright; used unchanged), openly licensed academic and news articles (PLOS, eLife, Global Voices, UK Parliament POSTnotes, Wikipedia and more; wording not rewritten, and shortened texts are marked “excerpted” in the source line) with AI-written questions, and Meta’s open Belebele dataset. Every set shows its source and licence.
• Checks: exam questions were compared word by word with the original paper and the official answer key when added, then answered by an AI without the key, with doubtful ones reviewed by another model; the official answer stands, and questions the AI review found debatable carry a note. AI-written questions must pass four automated checks (code confirms the evidence appears word for word in the passage, two models answer without seeing the key, and a model reviews each question); anything that fails is left out. On official exam questions, the AI’s blind answers matched the official answers 97.3% of the time, and 8 old papers whose answer keys did not line up were removed entirely.
• Levels come from two signals — vocabulary analysis (the CEFR-J and Octanove word lists) and an AI judgement — and are converted to TOEFL scores with the official ETS table; IELTS reading bands are estimated from ETS’s TOEFL–IELTS comparison, which differs from IELTS’s own CEFR mapping (both are compared under What is C1).
• Speaking and writing prompts are generated by the AI from topic lists, so they differ every time. We do not use or sell recalled real-test questions.

Full list of sources and licences: Sources & licences.

Frequently asked questions

Costs

Is the site really free?

Yes. The site charges nothing and needs no sign-up. The only possible cost is the AI, which Google bills to your own Google account based on your key; it never goes through us.

Will a free-tier key ever charge me?

No. The free tier costs nothing; it only has per-minute and per-day limits, and once you hit them you wait or switch to the paid tier. Without a payment method attached, you cannot be charged.

How much does the paid tier cost, and how do I avoid overspending?

An IELTS Speaking mock test costs about US$0.3–0.6 and scoring an essay about US$0.03; see Costs for everything. Choose Prepay with a small balance and set a monthly spend cap on the “Spend” page in AI Studio (how).

Which features need no key?

Demo mode, the placement check, the reading bank (answering, checking answers and evidence), timed reading tests, dictation with your browser’s built-in voice and the sample report; if you chose TOEFL, also Complete the Words and Build a Sentence (2026 TOEFL tasks). AI explanations in reading need a key (in the Chinese interface, AI-written sets come with an explanation), and so does the 21-day speaking challenge, because every task uses the AI (without a key you can watch the demo first).

Gemini key

Can I try it before I have a key?

Yes — try the demo. It uses pre-written content — no AI, no key, no cost; you can watch the auto demo (with sound) or try answering yourself, and the report at the end is a sample, not based on what you said. Real scoring needs your own key.

What is a Gemini key, and why do I need my own?

It is a code from Google (Google calls it an API key) that lets this site call the AI for you. With your own key, costs and limits belong to your own Google account, so the site does not need to charge you or handle your data.

How long does it take? Is it hard?

About 3 minutes the first time: sign in to AI Studio with your Google account, accept the terms, copy the key and paste it into the site. Just follow the 4 steps.

My key starts with AQ., not AIza. Is that OK?

Yes, both work. Keys created in AI Studio from 28 May 2026 are the new type (starting with AQ.); they work only with the Gemini API by default, which is safer.

It worked last time, but now the site says I have no key

You did not tick “Remember this key” last time, so the key stayed only in that tab and was forgotten when you closed it. Paste it again; on your own computer you can tick “Remember”. You also need to paste it again after the site’s address changes (for example, if you came from the old address).

What if my key leaks?

Create a new key in AI Studio, switch the site to it, check that it works, then delete the old one. Never paste your key into group chats or show it in screenshots.

Privacy and data

Can you see my key or my answers?

No. The site has no application server of its own: AI requests go from your browser straight to Google, and your practice data stays in your browser. That also means we cannot look up, correct or delete your data for you — use Settings → My data to export or delete it yourself.

Does Google see what I send?

Google processes it: recordings and essays sent for scoring, and your voice streamed live during speaking (that part has no “do not store” setting; see Where your data goes). With a free-tier key, Google may use what you send to improve its products and humans may review it (after it is disconnected from your account), so do not share real personal details while practising. Content sent with a paid key is not used to improve Google’s products.

Will my records disappear if I change computers or clear my browser?

Clearing your browsing data or using a private window makes them disappear. To change computers, click “Export data” in Settings → My data on the old one and “Import data” on the new one (your key and recordings are not included). See Records, mistake log and backups.

Will demo-mode data mix with my records?

No. Records, recordings and settings made in demo mode are kept separately (in a different storage area of the same browser). After you leave demo mode, your real records are untouched and the demo ones do not appear. “Clear” and “Delete” inside demo mode only remove demo data; in normal mode, “Clear all records” and “Delete all data” also remove anything demo mode left behind.

How do I delete all my data?

In Settings → My data, choose “Delete all data”. This removes the site’s records and your key from this browser; close any other tabs with this site first (otherwise they may save data again, and the deletion only finishes once they close). To clear your practice records but keep your key and settings, choose “Clear all records” (also at the bottom of the Records page). To delete only some records, tick them on the Records page and choose “Delete selected”; mistake-log entries and reading records can be deleted one by one too.

Scores and questions

How accurate are the AI scores? Can I use them as results?

IELTS scores are estimated against the official public band descriptors; TOEFL scores against scoring points we put together from ETS’s public task descriptions (not an official rubric). They are good for direction and progress, not an official result. Uncertain criteria (such as pronunciation with little evidence) are marked “reference only”. Measured figures: How accurate it is.

How accurate is the placement check? Does it change my suggested levels?

Treat it as a rough guide: four Complete the Words texts (one each at A2, B1, B2 and C1, about 10 gaps each) that check only reading and vocabulary. Once you have taken it, the suggested levels on the home page and the level of today’s reading task follow your result (warm up at your placement level, then one level up, but not above your target; if you already meet your target level, you work at your placement level). It never changes your target score.

I think my report’s score is wrong. Can I say so?

At the bottom of the report, answer “Do you agree with this score?” with too high, about right or too low, and add a note if you like. It stays only in your browser and is included when you export your data. The site has no application server of its own, so we never receive it — it is there for your own comparison. To tell us, please email (see How to contact us).

Where do the questions come from? Are they pirated exam questions?

We do not copy official ETS or IELTS questions. Reading questions come from exams held under Taiwanese law (used unchanged), openly licensed articles (wording not rewritten, with shortened texts marked; AI-written questions that pass four checks) and the open Belebele dataset; every set shows its source and licence. See Where the questions come from.

What if a question or answer is wrong?

After submitting, click “Flag a problem with this question” under it and choose a reason (you can add a note). The site has no application server of its own, so the flag stays in your browser (it is included when you export your data) and never reaches us; for a correction, please email CY Lab (see How to contact us).

What is C1, which level should I practise, and how do IELTS bands compare?

C1 is an advanced level in the CEFR (A is basic, B independent, C proficient). After setup, the site suggests levels from your target score (and from your placement check if you have taken it), and you can also filter the bank yourself.

The “IELTS Reading X” bands on this site are estimated from the ETS TOEFL–IELTS comparison table (converted through TOEFL reading scores, then to the CEFR); IELTS has its own CEFR mapping, which is different. Both are shown here:

CEFR	This site: TOEFL 1–6 (official ETS table)	This site: IELTS Reading (estimated from the ETS TOEFL table)	IELTS’s own mapping (overall band)
C2	6	9	8.5–9 (8 is borderline C1/C2)
C1	5–5.5	7.5–8.5	7–8 (the C1 threshold falls between 6.5 and 7)
B2	4–4.5	6.5–7	5.5–6.5
B1	3–3.5	5–6	4–5 (5 is borderline B1/B2)
A2	2–2.5	4.5	Not mapped in the official chart
A1	1–1.5	4	Not mapped in the official chart

IELTS’s own mapping: “IELTS and the CEFR” on ielts.org (checked on 2026-10-03). IELTS says it maps overall band scores, not the reading score on its own, and that it is not an exact one-to-one conversion. The same target can land a level apart under the two mappings (for example IELTS 7: B2 by this site’s estimate, C1 by IELTS’s mapping); the site’s suggested levels use the ETS one.

Why is there no IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 (charts)?

It is not available yet. IELTS Academic candidates can practise Task 2 essays for now.

I am taking IELTS General Training. Is the reading the same?

For now, all IELTS reading here uses Academic passages; General Training texts (everyday and workplace documents) are not available yet. Writing does include the General Training Task 1 letter.

Using the site

Does it work on a phone? Do I need an app?

No app needed: open the site in your phone’s browser. On a phone the navigation is at the bottom of the screen. For speaking, use headphones in a quiet place.

The examiner cannot hear me

Start with the microphone check. Also make sure the permission at the left of the address bar is set to “Allow” and that no other app (such as a video call) is using the microphone.

The examiner is waiting and does not continue

Click “I’m done” after each answer so the examiner can continue; this way you are never cut off while pausing to think. If the examiner stays silent for 20 seconds, the site nudges it once; if there is still no reply, choose “End and score” to score the answers so far.

I clicked “I’m done” too early

If you spoke for less than 4 seconds (less than 30 seconds for the Part 2 long turn), the site first asks whether you want to keep going. “Keep answering” is the default, and the recording continues while it asks.

Can I pause a test?

No. If you try to leave the test room, the site asks first; “Leave without scoring” stops the test and deletes the recordings so far. To get a score, choose “End and score”.

What if I miss a day of the 21-day speaking challenge?

No need to make it up — just carry on from today. Any speaking record on a day (an IELTS mock test, Part 2, the coach, Listen and Repeat or Take an Interview) ticks it; there are no rankings and no penalties. To start over, click “Restart” at the bottom of the challenge page; your speaking records are not deleted.

I have lots of records. How do I find one?

On the Records page, type part of the title in the search box above the list (for example Part 2 or Coach). The list is also grouped into “Today”, “Last 7 days” and “Earlier”.

I see a 429, 402 or “quota” error

See Troubleshooting: 429 usually means the free tier’s limit or your spend cap was reached; 402 means your Prepay balance has run out.

Other

How do I contact you, report a mistake in a question or ask for something to be taken down?

Email CY Lab at cylab.contact@gmail.com. Mistakes in questions or explanations, correction or takedown requests from rights holders and questions about the terms all go to this address.

“Flag a problem with this question” and “Do you agree with this score?” stay in your own browser — the site has no application server of its own, so we never receive them; to tell us something, email us directly (including the set’s name or address helps us find it). Please do not include your key or any personal details in your email. We cannot see your records, so we cannot look up, correct or delete them for you; use Settings → My data to export or delete your data yourself.

Are you connected with ETS or IELTS?

No. Zhen Hao Xue AI English Classroom is an independent, unofficial practice site. TOEFL is a registered trademark of ETS. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Why 18 and over?

The Google Gemini API terms require users to be at least 18, so this site follows the same rule.

Are there terms of use and a disclaimer?

Yes: see the Terms & disclaimer page. The site is unofficial; scores are AI practice estimates and can be wrong; AI explanations, feedback, rewrites and AI-written questions can contain mistakes, and for official exam items the official answer key counts; there is no admissions or visa advice; AI costs are billed to you by Google; free-tier content may be used by Google; your data stays only in your browser, the site keeps no backup and cannot recover lost data; it is for people aged 18 and over; and the site may change or stop. The page also gives the contact address (CY Lab).

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