Terms of Use

1. Introduction

These Terms of Use constitute a legally binding agreement between you and The Practice Book ("we", "us", or "our").

By accessing or using The Practice Book platform, mobile application, or any related services (collectively, the "Services"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, please do not access or use our Services.

If you are under 18 years of age, you must have your parent or legal guardian's permission to use the Services and they must agree to these Terms on your behalf.

2. Definitions

• "AI-Generated Content" means practice questions, explanations, learning materials, study notes, images, diagrams, and other educational content that has been initially generated using artificial intelligence systems and subsequently reviewed and verified by qualified human educators.
• "Avatar" means the preset profile image selected by the User from a library of available images provided within the Services.
• "Content" means all practice questions, explanations, learning materials, assessments, notes, and other educational content provided through the Services, including AI-Generated Content.
• "Coins" means the virtual currency earned through completing exercises and other activities within the Services, which can be used to purchase virtual items in the Shop.
• "Diamonds" means the premium virtual currency that can be purchased or earned through specific activities, used for premium features and items.
• "Exercises" means practice question sets organised by topic and difficulty level.
• "Exams" means timed assessments simulating real examination conditions.
• "Human Verification" means the review, editing, and approval process conducted by qualified educators to ensure AI-Generated Content meets our quality and accuracy standards.
• "Intellectual Property Rights" means patents, rights to inventions, copyright and related rights, trademarks, trade names, domain names, database rights, and all other intellectual property rights.
• "Leaderboard" means the public rankings displaying User performance based on XP earned. Only your first name and selected Avatar are visible to other Users on the Leaderboard.
• "Learning Data" means all information generated during your use of the Services, including your responses, performance metrics, progress data, and engagement patterns.
• "Lives" means the limited attempts available for exercises and exams, which regenerate over time or can be replenished.
• "Platform" means The Practice Book website and mobile applications through which the Services are accessed.
• "Pro Subscription" means a premium paid subscription that provides additional features and benefits.
• "Shop" means the in-app marketplace where Users can purchase virtual items using Coins or Diamonds.
• "Streak" means the consecutive days a User has been active on the Platform.
• "Streak Freeze" means a feature allowing Users to preserve their Streak for one day of inactivity by using Diamonds.
• "Subscription" means any paid access plan to premium features of the Services.
• "User" means any individual who accesses or uses the Services.
• "User Content" means any content you submit or create through the Services.
• "Virtual Currency" means Coins and Diamonds collectively.
• "XP" (Experience Points) means points earned through completing exercises, exams, and other activities, used to determine User level and Leaderboard rankings.

3. AI-Generated Content and Human Verification

3.1. Use of Artificial Intelligence: The Practice Book utilises artificial intelligence systems to generate practice questions, explanations, study notes, diagrams, images, and other educational content. This AI-assisted approach allows us to provide a comprehensive library of learning materials across multiple subjects and curricula. Images and diagrams accompanying questions may also be AI-generated to support visual learning.

3.2. Human Verification Process: All AI-Generated Content undergoes a Human Verification process before being made available to Users. Qualified educators review, edit, and approve content to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with curriculum requirements. However, you acknowledge that:

• Despite our verification processes, some errors, inaccuracies, or omissions may occasionally occur;
• The verification process may not identify every potential issue with AI-Generated Content;
• Content quality and accuracy may vary, and we continuously work to improve our materials;
• You should exercise your own judgment and verify information against official sources when necessary.

3.3. AI Content Disclaimer: By using the Services, you acknowledge and agree that:

• AI-Generated Content, even after Human Verification, may contain errors, inaccuracies, or be incomplete;
• AI-Generated Content should be used as a supplementary learning tool and not as the sole source of information;
• We do not guarantee that AI-Generated Content will perfectly align with specific examination board requirements or marking schemes;
• The use of AI-Generated Content does not guarantee improved academic performance or examination results;
• You should not submit AI-Generated Content as your own original work in academic settings;
• We reserve the right to modify, update, or remove AI-Generated Content at any time without notice.

3.4. **Reporting Errors:** We encourage Users to report any errors, inaccuracies, or concerns regarding AI-Generated Content through the in-app reporting feature or by contacting us at hello@thepracticebook.org. We review all reports and make corrections where appropriate.

3.5. Continuous Improvement: We are committed to continuously improving our AI systems and Human Verification processes. User feedback, error reports, and performance data help us enhance the quality and accuracy of our Content over time.

3.6. AI System Changes: We reserve the right to modify, update, or replace our AI systems and content generation processes at any time to improve the quality of the Services, provided we continue to deliver the core educational services.

4. Licence to Use The Practice Book

4.1. Users are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use The Practice Book for personal educational purposes only during the applicable subscription period or while using free features.

4.2. You must provide accurate and complete information when creating an account. You may create an account using your email address or through third-party authentication services such as Google Sign-In. When using Google Sign-In, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture from Google in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy. Account credentials must be kept secure and must not be shared with any third parties.

4.3. You are prohibited from sharing account details with others or allowing anyone else to use your account. We reserve the right to terminate accounts where credential sharing is detected.

4.4. You acknowledge that The Practice Book is designed as a supplementary educational tool and is not a replacement for qualified instruction or formal educational coursework.

5. Our Intellectual Property Rights

5.1. All Intellectual Property Rights in The Practice Book, including all Content, materials, algorithms, AI systems, teaching methodologies, interfaces, our website, and mobile applications are owned by or licensed to The Practice Book. Nothing in these Terms of Use transfers any ownership rights to you.

5.2. You are not permitted to:

• Copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works, publicly display, or transmit any materials from The Practice Book;
• Download, store, or archive any substantial portion of Content from The Practice Book;
• Use data mining, robots, or similar data gathering methods;
• Remove any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices;
• Access or use our materials for any commercial purpose; or
• Permit any third party to engage in any of the above activities.

6. Conditions of Use

6.1. Access to our Platform and Services is granted on condition that you shall not:

• License, sell, rent, lease, transfer, assign, distribute, host, or commercially exploit the Services;
• Modify, make derivative works of, disassemble, decrypt, or reverse compile the Services;
• Use the Services for any illegal, unethical, or unauthorised purpose;
• Frame or embed the Services within another application;
• Use any automated system including robots, spiders, or offline readers to access the Services;
• Submit or transmit harmful code, viruses, or other disruptive programming routines;
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Services;
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Services or its related systems;
• Harass, abuse, harm, stalk, threaten, or impersonate any other User;
• Collect or harvest any personally identifiable information from the Services;
• Use the Services in a manner that places excessive load on our infrastructure; or
• Bypass measures we use to prevent or restrict access to the Services.

6.2. Age Restriction: If you are under 13, please do not use the Services, attempt to register for an account, or send any personal information to us. If we discover we have unknowingly collected information from someone under 13, we will delete that information immediately.

7. Suspension or Termination of Your Account

7.1. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Services, without notice or refund, if we have reasonable grounds to believe that:

• You have breached any provision of these Terms of Use;
• Your continued access would cause harm to the Services, its Users, or third parties;
• You have engaged in fraudulent or illegal activities; or
• You have not paid any applicable fees or charges.

7.2. Upon termination:

• Your right to access and use the Services will immediately cease;
• We may delete or archive your account information;
• If terminated due to breach, no refunds will be issued for any remaining subscription period.

8. Technical Support

8.1. For all operational queries related to The Practice Book, please contact us via email at hello@thepracticebook.org. We aim to respond to all inquiries within 2 working days.

8.2. The Practice Book is accessible from internet-enabled desktop computers, mobile devices, and tablets. We recommend using a high-speed internet connection for optimal performance.

8.3. To ensure maximum functionality, we advise that you use the latest version of your internet browser and/or The Practice Book mobile app. Older browser versions may not display content correctly.

9. Complaints Procedure

9.1. We take complaints seriously and aim to respond within 5 working days. Please email us at hello@thepracticebook.org with any complaints you may have.

9.2. In your complaint, please include:

• Your full name and contact details;
• Details of the issue, including dates and times;
• Any relevant documentation or screenshots; and
• How you would like us to resolve the matter.

10. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

10.1. Educational Disclaimer - The Practice Book provides educational practice questions and learning materials. While our content is designed to align with various curricula, we make no guarantee that:

• The content will be entirely error-free;
• The learning approach will be optimal for every learner;
• The content will perfectly align with specific examination board requirements;
• Use of The Practice Book will result in improved academic performance or examination results; or
• The system will identify or address all learning difficulties.

10.2. Accuracy - While we make reasonable efforts to ensure information is correct and error-free, we do not guarantee that the Services will be entirely uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.

10.3. Content Accuracy - Our content, including AI-Generated Content, is developed to align with relevant curricula; however, curricula may change, and there may occasionally be discrepancies, inaccuracies, or delays in updating our content. It is your responsibility to verify any information against official curriculum materials or examination board specifications.

10.4. Trademark Disclaimer & Independence - The Practice Book is an independent educational platform. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or in any way officially connected to Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Pearson Edexcel, the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), or any other examination board mentioned on the platform. All curriculum names, examination board names, and related trademarks are the property of their respective owners. References to these organisations are made solely for the purpose of identifying the syllabi to which our educational content is aligned. Our practice questions, study notes, and other materials are original works and do not reproduce or contain any official examination board content.

10.5. Limitation of Liability:

• Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any matter in respect of which it would be unlawful to exclude liability.
• We are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breach of these Terms or our negligence, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable.
• We supply the Services for domestic and private use. You agree not to use the Services for any commercial or business purposes and we have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.
• Our maximum liability to you under these Terms will be limited to the amount you have paid for the Services in the 12 months preceding your claim, or R1,000 (one thousand South African Rand), whichever is greater.

10.6. External Factors - We are not liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations due to causes beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters, pandemic, epidemic, strikes, acts of terrorism, changes in law or regulatory requirements, or actions by governmental authorities.

11. Subscriptions and Payments

11.1. The Practice Book offers both free and premium subscription options. Premium features require a paid subscription.

11.2. All prices shown are accurate at the time of publication but are subject to change. You will be notified of any price changes before they take effect. Prices are displayed in multiple currencies (including ZAR, USD, EUR, GBP, and AED) and the applicable price will be determined based on your selected currency or region.

11.3. Payment details must be provided at the time of subscription. Payments will be automatically processed according to your chosen billing cycle.

11.4. We employ industry-standard security measures to protect your payment information. However, we cannot be held responsible for any loss resulting from unauthorised access to your payment data, except in cases of our negligence.

11.5. All discounts or special offers are subject to additional terms and conditions, which will be displayed at the relevant time. These offers are subject to change, and we reserve the right to withdraw them at any time.

12. Cancellation & Refund Policy

12.1. **Cancellation:** You may cancel your subscription at any time. This can be done through your account settings or by contacting us via email at hello@thepracticebook.org.

12.2. Monthly Subscriptions: Upon cancellation, your subscription will remain active until the end of your current billing period. No partial refunds are issued for cancellations mid-billing cycle.

12.3. Exam Pass (One-Time Purchase): Exam Pass purchases are non-refundable once the product has been accessed or after 14 days from purchase, whichever comes first. If you have not accessed the premium content and it is within 14 days of purchase, you may request a full refund.

12.4. **Refund Requests:** To request a refund, contact us at hello@thepracticebook.org with your account email and reason for the refund request. We aim to process valid refund requests within 5-10 business days.

12.5. Refund Method: Approved refunds will be processed using the same payment method used for the original transaction. Refunds may take 5-10 business days to appear on your statement depending on your payment provider.

12.6. Consumer Rights: If you are entitled to a refund under applicable consumer protection legislation (including the South African Consumer Protection Act), we will process the refund without undue delay.

12.7. Technical Issues: If you experience persistent technical issues that prevent you from accessing the Services, please contact our support team. We may offer a refund, credit, or extension at our discretion.

13. Privacy Policy & Data Protection

13.1. Information We Collect: To deliver and improve the Services, we collect and process:

• Account Information: Email address, name, Avatar selection, and authentication credentials;
• Optional Profile Information: School name and province/region (if provided). This information is used to personalise your experience and is not publicly displayed;
• Learning Data: Your responses to questions, scores, progress, time spent, and engagement patterns;
• Device Information: Device type, operating system, browser type, and app version;
• Payment Information: Processed securely through Apple App Store and Google Play Store. We do not store payment card details.

13.2. How We Use Your Information:

• To provide and personalise the educational Services;
• To process payments and manage subscriptions;
• To improve our AI systems and content quality;
• To communicate with you about your account and the Services;
• To comply with legal obligations.

13.3. Data Sharing: We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:

• Payment processors (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) for transaction processing;
• Cloud service providers (Google Firebase) for hosting and data storage;
• Analytics providers to improve our Services;
• Legal authorities when required by law.

13.4. **Your Rights:** You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information. You can delete your account at any time through the Settings section of the app or by contacting us at hello@thepracticebook.org. Upon account deletion, your personal data will be permanently removed in accordance with our data retention policy.

13.5. We comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA), GDPR where applicable, and other applicable data protection legislation.

13.6. Your Learning Data may be used to improve our AI systems and content generation processes, in accordance with applicable data protection laws. This data is anonymised where possible.

13.7. Data Retention: We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide Services. Upon account deletion, we will delete or anonymise your data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

13.8. Cookies and Analytics: We use essential cookies for authentication and functionality. We use Google Firebase Analytics to understand how users interact with our Services. This includes information about feature usage, navigation patterns, and app performance. Analytics data is collected in aggregate form and helps us improve the Services.

14. User Content and Feedback

14.1. You retain ownership of any content you submit to The Practice Book ("User Content"). However, by submitting User Content, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, and display such User Content for the purposes of providing and improving the Services.

14.2. You confirm that your User Content does not violate any third-party rights and complies with all applicable laws and regulations.

14.3. We welcome feedback on The Practice Book, including reports of errors in AI-Generated Content. By providing feedback, you grant us an irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use and incorporate your feedback into the Services, including to improve our AI systems and Human Verification processes, without any obligation to compensate you.

15. Service Maintenance and Alteration

15.1. Whilst we will endeavour to provide you with uninterrupted access to the Services, we may need to withdraw, modify, discontinue or temporarily suspend one or more aspects of the Services, upon reasonable notice to you (unless such modifications are required for important reasons, such as changes in law, security purposes, or other critical operational reasons).

16. Notifications and Communications

16.1. Push Notifications: With your permission, we may send push notifications to your mobile device to remind you of learning activities, streak maintenance, achievements, and other Service-related updates. You can manage or disable push notifications at any time through your device settings or the app's notification preferences.

16.2. Daily Reminders: You may opt to receive daily study reminders to help maintain your learning routine. These can be enabled or disabled in the app settings.

16.3. App Store Reviews: From time to time, we may invite you to rate and review The Practice Book on the app store. Participation is entirely voluntary and does not affect your access to the Services.

16.4. Service Communications: We may send you important communications about your account, changes to these Terms, or updates to the Services via email or in-app notifications. These essential communications cannot be opted out of while you maintain an active account.

17. General Legal Provisions

17.1. Assignment - We may assign or transfer any of our rights under these Terms where it is required under applicable law, with your express consent, or where such assignment will not materially impact your rights.

17.2. Changes to Terms - We may make changes to these Terms from time to time (for example, changes for security reasons, changes in law, or for other important operational reasons) by providing reasonable prior written notice to you via the Platform. Your continued use of the Services will be deemed acceptance of the changes.

17.3. Severability - If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

17.4. No Waiver - Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

17.5. Governing Law - These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. You and we agree that the courts of the Republic of South Africa shall have jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms.

17.6. Consumer Rights - Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 or other applicable consumer protection legislation.

18. Contact Information

Questions about these Terms of Use should be sent to us at: