Free

Our AI grades stricter than students expect

Last updated September 6, 2026

Short answer: ParrotTalk's AI evaluation, feedback, marking and correction are all 100% free, with no sign-up, and based on real user feedback the AI tends to grade stricter than students expect, not easier.

After a practice test, ParrotTalk asks one quiet question: how did the band you received compare with what you expected? These are the answers from 88 test-takers who left feedback, internal tests excluded, collected through 21 July 2026.

49%
said their band came out lower than they expected
42%
said it was about right
9%
said it was higher than they expected

Nearly half of test-takers found the AI harder on them than they thought it would be, and fewer than one in ten found it generous. For a practice tool, that is the useful direction: a score that leans strict prepares you for an exam that will not flatter you either.

Is ParrotTalk's AI evaluation actually free?

Yes. Every evaluation on ParrotTalk, across Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, is 100% free, with no sign-up and no card required. There is no paid tier that unlocks a "real" evaluation: the same scoring engine runs for every test-taker.

How accurate is the AI marking?

We do not claim a measured accuracy figure yet, and we will not invent one. Your estimated band can still differ from an official result by roughly half a band to a full band. We are comparing ParrotTalk bands against real, official Test Report Forms to publish that gap openly once we have enough data. Until then, treat every band as a directional practice signal, not an official score.

Is the feedback strict or generous?

Strict, based on what test-takers report above: nearly half found their band lower than expected, fewer than one in ten found it higher. The scoring is anchored to the official band descriptors rather than tuned to feel encouraging.

What does the AI correction actually check?

Every essay sent to the writing checker comes back with a full correction: what the band is, where it was lost, and the specific fix to make on grammar, vocabulary, task response and coherence. When we asked users what would help most, two answers came out on top: more practice tests, and more detailed corrections. That is the work we focus on.

ParrotTalk is 100% free, with no sign-up. Figures come from in-app feedback and will be updated as more responses come in.