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Feedback beats volume
Ten essays with no marking teach you less than two with honest, specific feedback. That is why every essay and speaking test is marked on Bandcrest.
About Bandcrest
We help serious candidates get the band they need, the first time.
Bandcrest is an independent online preparation platform for English and French language exams. We bring together examiner-style feedback, full timed rehearsals and a plan that tells you what to do each day, so the hours you put in turn into a higher score.
Why we exist
Hard work isn't the problem. Direction is.
Most people preparing for IELTS are capable, motivated and short of time. They are studying for a university place, a job, a professional licence or a new life in another country, often around a full-time job and a family.
They buy books, watch hours of videos and practise most evenings. Many still miss their band by half a point. Not for lack of effort, but because nobody shows them what is costing them marks. Writing and Speaking, where most marks are lost, are the hardest skills to judge on your own, and a private tutor is expensive and hard to fit into a busy week.
Bandcrest began as a free practice platform. We turned it into a paid service so that we could give every learner what we believe makes the difference: marking against the real criteria, a speaking examiner available any time, full mock tests under exam conditions, and a plan that puts your time where it will raise your score.
“Every session should move you closer to your band, and you should be able to see that it did.”
What we believe
Four ideas behind everything we build.
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Measure, don't guess
A placement check, instant marking and an estimated band for every skill show where you are and whether this week's work moved you forward.
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Rehearse the real thing
Nerves and timing cost marks. Full mocks with real timings make test day feel like something you have already done.
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Honest about what we are
We are independent, our AI bands are well-informed estimates rather than official scores, and we will always tell you which exams are ready and which are still coming.
How we build Bandcrest
Built with care, for results you can trust.
Marked against the real criteria
Our AI examiner marks Writing and Speaking against the four public band descriptors that human examiners use, and explains every score with examples from your own work.
Original teaching material
Our lessons, essay questions, placement check and guides are written by our own team. We do not copy official test books.
Practice that adapts to you
Your plan is built from your own placement check, test date and available hours, and your results show which question types and habits to work on next.
Made for real lives
Practise on your phone, tablet or laptop. Your progress is saved to your account, so you can start an essay at lunch and finish your listening at night.
Secure by design
Verified accounts, strong passwords, protected database access and two-step security for our staff. Payments are handled by Paystack; we never see your card number.
Your data stays yours
We use your work to mark it, track your progress and plan your study. We never sell your data. You can ask us to correct or delete it at any time.
Who Bandcrest is for
For learners who need a result, not a hobby.
- Candidates aiming for Band 7, 8 and above for study, professional registration, work or migration
- Busy professionals and parents who need every hour of study to count
- Retakers who missed their target by half a band and need to know exactly why
- Independent learners who want examiner-style feedback without the cost and scheduling of a private tutor
- Anyone with a test date who wants to walk in knowing they are ready
Learner stories
Real journeys. Real challenges. Real experiences.
Before Bandcrest went online, our tutors prepared learners one-to-one for IELTS, CELPIP, TEF Canada and TCF Canada. Every learner has a different story. Here are theirs, in their own words.
Independent and transparent
Clear about what we are.
Bandcrest is an independent preparation platform. We are not affiliated with, approved by or endorsed by IELTS, the British Council, IDP, Cambridge, CELPIP, Pearson, France Éducation international, CCI Paris Île-de-France, IRCC or any government authority. Test names belong to their owners.
We provide exam preparation only. We do not give immigration or legal advice, and no preparation provider can guarantee an official score. What we can promise is honest feedback, a clear plan and the tools to rehearse until you are ready.
Ready to find out where you stand?
Take the free placement check, try the live speaking examiner and get your first essay marked. No card needed.