Skip to content

Privacy Policy

Updated 19 October 2026

This policy explains how PTE Academic Society handles personal information: what we collect, why we collect it, who sees it, how long we keep it, and how you can see, correct or delete it.

Who we are

PTE Academic Society is a business name registered in Australia. The business is run by a sole trader based in Tasmania, under ABN 30 823 395 826. In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” mean that business. Our contact details are at the end of this policy.

The law we follow

In Australia, the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and its Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) set the rules for handling personal information. Because of our size, we are currently exempt from the Act, as many small businesses are. We choose to follow the APPs anyway, and this policy explains how we do it.

When we send marketing by email, SMS or WhatsApp, we also follow the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).

What we collect

When you book a free diagnostic

The form on our website asks for:

  • your full name;
  • your email address;
  • your country calling code and WhatsApp or phone number (required);
  • the band you need, or a specific score;
  • what the score is for (for example, a visa subclass or university admission);
  • your chosen assessment date, time, tutor and timezone;
  • the language you prefer for the diagnostic;
  • anything else you choose to tell us (optional).

When you contact us

If you email us, message us on WhatsApp or call us, we receive what you send: your name, your contact details, your messages and any files you attach.

When you enrol in coaching

If you become a student, we also keep:

  • your enrolment details and the plan you chose;
  • your class dates, times, timezone, contact number, remaining sessions and the date by which your package must be completed;
  • records of what you paid and when. If you pay by card, the payment processor handles your card details, and we never see or store your full card number;
  • your selected email language and records of booking, payment and cancellation messages, including whether our email service accepted them;
  • the work you send us for feedback, such as recordings of your speaking and your written responses, and the feedback we give you;
  • your practice scores, and any official PTE results you choose to share with us.

What we do not ask for

We do not need sensitive information, such as details of your health, religion or ethnic origin, so please do not send it. We do not need copies of passports, visas or other identity documents. If we receive information we did not ask for and do not need, we delete it.

Staying anonymous

You can read this website without giving us any personal information, and you can ask us a general question without giving your real name. To book a diagnostic or enrol, we need your name and a way to reach you.

Cookies, analytics and technical data

  • Signing in to the tutor dashboard sets a necessary, secure session cookie that expires after eight hours. It is removed when you sign out. Students do not need an account or a sign-in cookie to book an assessment.
  • After booking, this browser tab can remember your private appointment link using session storage so you can reopen the receipt. We store only the booking reference and access token there, not your name or contact details. Keep the link private: anyone with it can view the appointment and change or cancel it before the online deadline.
  • Your package email also contains a private access link. Anyone with that link can see your class schedule and manage the package's bookings. Do not forward it to anyone you do not want to have that access.
  • If you choose a website language, your browser remembers that preference in local storage for service emails. Otherwise we use a supported browser language, with English as the fallback. This preference is not used for tracking.
  • We keep hashed request identifiers based on an IP address or email, with attempt counts and expiry times, to limit abuse of booking and sign-in endpoints. These are not used for advertising or analytics.
  • We do not use analytics, advertising or tracking tools, and no social-media code runs on our pages.
  • Our fonts are served from our own website, so no font provider sees your visit.
  • The score checker on our score bands page works entirely in your browser. The scores you type are not sent to us or to anyone else.
  • Our hosting provider, Vercel, keeps short-term server logs (such as your IP address, browser type, the page requested and the time) to deliver the website and protect it from attacks.

For tutor accounts, we store the tutor's name, email, introduction, teaching languages, availability and a salted password hash. Administrators manage tutor accounts; each tutor can access their own schedule and student bookings.

How we use your information

We use it to:

  • arrange your diagnostic and classes, send booking confirmations and changes to you and your tutor, and provide your private scheduling links;
  • reply in the language you prefer;
  • plan and deliver your coaching, and give you feedback on your work;
  • manage enrolments, payments and our business records;
  • improve our teaching materials, using examples with your name and anything else that identifies you removed;
  • meet our legal obligations.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to anyone. We do not use it for a purpose you would not reasonably expect, unless you agree or the law requires or allows it. We do not make decisions about you by automated means alone: a person reviews your diagnostic and your work.

Marketing messages

Replying to an enquiry you sent us is not marketing. We send marketing, such as news about courses, only if you have agreed to receive it. Every marketing message says who it is from and how to unsubscribe, and we act on unsubscribe requests within five working days. We never give your details to anyone else for their marketing.

Who we share it with

We share personal information only with the service providers that help us run the business, and only as much as they need:

  • Vercel, which hosts this website and processes booking forms and payment notifications;
  • Google Workspace, which runs our email, stores our documents, sends Google Calendar assessment and class invitations and updates, and provides Google Meet calls;
  • Supabase, which stores package orders, assessment and class bookings, tutor accounts and email delivery records in our booking database hosted in Sydney, Australia;
  • WhatsApp, if you choose to message us there. WhatsApp's own privacy policy also applies to those messages;
  • Stripe, which processes package payments and sends us the payment reference, package, amount, payment date, name and email address so we can provide your classes;
  • our accountant or other professional advisers, when they need it for their work.

We do not share your information with Pearson or with any government agency, unless you ask us to or the law requires it. When you book a PTE sitting, you give your details to Pearson directly, and Pearson's privacy policy applies to them.

Storage outside Australia

Some of these providers store or process information outside Australia, mainly in the United States and, for Google and WhatsApp, in other countries where they run data centres. We take reasonable steps to make sure they handle it consistently with the APPs, by using established providers that commit in their contracts to protecting it.

How we protect it

We keep personal information in secure, access-controlled accounts, and only the people who need it to teach you or run the business can see it. This website uses an encrypted connection (HTTPS). No system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee security. If a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, we will tell you promptly and explain what we are doing about it.

How long we keep it

  • Diagnostic requests and enquiries from people who do not enrol: up to 24 months after our last contact.
  • Work sent for feedback, such as recordings and written responses: up to 12 months after your coaching ends.
  • Enrolment and payment records: at least five years, because Australian tax law requires us to keep business records for that long.
  • A result you allowed us to publish: until you withdraw your permission.

After that, we delete the information or remove everything that identifies you. You can ask us to delete your information sooner, and we will, unless the law requires us to keep it.

Your result on our website

We publish a student's result only with their written permission: their first name, the band they needed, what it was for, and their scores. You can withdraw permission at any time by email or WhatsApp, and we will remove your entry from the website within seven days. We cannot recall copies that other people may already have made.

If you are under 18

Our coaching is designed for adults. If you are under 18, please ask a parent or guardian before you send us your details.

Seeing and correcting your information

You can ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct anything that is wrong, out of date or incomplete. Email diegorojas@pteacademicsociety.com. We may need to confirm who you are first. We respond within 30 days and do not charge for a request. If we cannot do what you ask, we will explain why in writing and tell you how to complain.

Complaints

If you think we have mishandled your information, tell us first at diegorojas@pteacademicsociety.com: what happened, and what you would like us to do. We will respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints. Because we follow the APPs by choice rather than because the law requires us to, the OAIC may not be able to investigate a complaint about us, but it can explain your options.

Changes to this policy

We update this policy when our practices change, for example when we start using a new service provider. The date at the top of this page shows the current version. If a change affects information you have already given us, we will tell you before it takes effect.

Contact us

Book a free diagnostic