Terms of Service

Effective date: February 13, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of deutschexam.ai and related services ("Service"). By using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. No Affiliation and No Guarantees

• DeutschExam is not affiliated with or endorsed by telc gGmbH, Goethe-Institut, TestDaF, or any examination body. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
• The Service provides practice materials and guidance for educational purposes only. No outcome is guaranteed, including passing any specific exam.
• We strive for high quality, but we do not warrant that any question, solution, or explanation is error-free or aligned with any official exam specification.

2. Use of the Service

• You agree to use the Service lawfully and not to misuse content or attempt to interfere with its operation.
• You will not share copyrighted materials from the Service outside the platform except as permitted by law or by us in writing.
• One account per person. Sharing login credentials with others is prohibited and may result in account termination.
• Automated access, scraping, or systematic downloading of content is prohibited.

3. Accounts and Payments

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
• Paid plans are processed by our payment provider (Stripe). All payments are subject to their terms.
• Prices are displayed in Euros (€) and include applicable taxes where required.
• Subscription plans auto-renew unless cancelled before the renewal date.

4. Refund Policy

For complete refund terms, eligibility criteria, and how to request a refund, please see our Refund Policy.

5. Right of Withdrawal for Digital Content (Widerrufsrecht)

This consent is obtained during the checkout process. Despite this waiver, our 14-day fair-use guarantee (Section 4) provides a goodwill refund option for minimal usage.

6. Service Availability and Maintenance

We aim for high platform availability but cannot guarantee uninterrupted service.

• Target uptime: We strive for 99% availability per calendar month.
• Scheduled maintenance: Performed during low-traffic hours (typically 2:00–5:00 CET). We provide advance notice when possible.
• Emergency maintenance: Unplanned updates may be necessary to address security issues or critical bugs.
• Refund eligibility: System downtime of less than 12 hours in a calendar month does not entitle users to refunds, credits, or price reductions.
• Extended outages: For outages exceeding 24 consecutive hours, we may offer service extensions or credits at our discretion.

We are not liable for unavailability caused by factors beyond our reasonable control, including internet outages, third-party service failures, or force majeure events.

7. AI-Generated Content and Quality

Our platform utilizes artificial intelligence to generate exam explanations, assess writing, and provide personalized feedback.

• AI-generated content is provided "as-is" for practice purposes only.
• While we continuously improve our AI models, minor linguistic variations, occasional inaccuracies, or subjective feedback differences are inherent to AI technology and do not constitute a "defective product" under German law (§§ 434, 475 BGB).
• AI assessments are for learning purposes and do not reflect official exam scoring.
• Refunds based solely on perceived AI quality issues are granted at our discretion as a gesture of goodwill.
• We welcome feedback on AI content quality at support@deutschexam.com to help us improve.

7A. AI Data Processing Consent

7A.1 AI Features and Data Types

Our platform uses artificial intelligence (powered by Google Gemini) to provide the following features:

• Write with AI / Writing Assessment: Your typed German letters, essays, and exercise responses are sent to Google Gemini for grammar, vocabulary, coherence, and exam criteria assessment.
• Speak with AI: Your voice is recorded through your device's microphone. The audio is transcribed to text locally in your browser using the Web Speech API, and the transcribed text is sent to our servers and forwarded to Google Gemini for conversational AI response and assessment.
• Speaking Assessment: Similar to "Speak with AI," your voice recording is transcribed locally, and the transcribed text is sent to Google Gemini for evaluation against CEFR-aligned speaking criteria.
• Handwriting OCR: If you upload a photo or scan of a handwritten letter, the image file is sent to Google Gemini for optical character recognition (OCR) to extract text, which is then assessed like typed submissions.
• AI Trainer (Translation Practice): Your German translation attempts are sent to Google Gemini for detailed feedback on grammar, vocabulary, and idiomatic usage.

7A.2 Third-Party AI Processing

• Processor: Google Gemini (Google Cloud AI), a service of Google LLC
• Location: Data is processed on Google Cloud infrastructure, which may include servers in the USA
• Data sent: Your exercise submissions (text, transcribed speech, images) without personal identifiers (your email, name, or account ID are NOT included in AI requests)
• Data retention by Google: Google retains API request data for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring, then deletes it. Google does not use API submissions for training its AI models.
• Safeguards: Data transfers are protected by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and Google's Data Processing Agreement

7A.3 Your Acknowledgments and Consent

By using our AI-powered features, you acknowledge and agree that:

• You understand that your voice may be recorded when using speaking features, and the transcribed text will be processed by AI
• You understand that images you upload (e.g., photos of handwritten letters) will be sent to and processed by Google Gemini
• You understand that your written submissions (typed text) will be sent to and processed by Google Gemini
• You consent to the transmission of your submissions to third-party AI services (Google Gemini) for the purpose of providing AI-powered learning feedback
• You accept that AI assessments are for practice purposes only and do not guarantee similar results on official exams
• You accept that AI feedback may contain errors, subjective interpretations, or inaccuracies
• You will not hold DeutschExam liable for any AI-generated feedback or its consequences
• You will not submit content that is illegal, harmful, offensive, or violates third-party rights through AI features

7A.4 Voice Recording Specifics

7A.5 Handwriting Image Upload Specifics

• Supported formats: JPEG, PNG (maximum 5MB)
• Images are sent to Google Gemini for OCR processing
• Images are processed in real-time and are not stored after processing
• Inappropriate or non-German-text images will be rejected

7A.6 Withdrawing AI Consent

You may withdraw your consent to AI processing at any time by contacting us at support@deutschexam.com. However, please note:

• Withdrawing consent will limit your access to AI-powered features
• You will still be able to use non-AI features (practice questions, listening exercises, reading materials)
• Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal

7A.7 We Do NOT Store Your Submissions

For complete details on how we handle your data, including retention periods and your rights, please see our Privacy Policy - AI Processing Section.

7B. Selbstlernwerkzeug – Kein Fernunterricht / Self-Study Tool – Not Distance Learning

7B.1 Einordnung des Dienstes (DE)

• Kein Fernunterricht: DeutschExam bietet keinen Fernunterricht im Sinne des Fernunterrichtsschutzgesetzes (FernUSG) an. Der Dienst ist ein rein softwarebasiertes Selbstlernwerkzeug (vergleichbar mit einer Rechtschreibprüfung oder einem Vokabeltrainer), das Nutzern Übungsmaterialien und automatisierte Textanalysen zur Verfügung stellt.
• Keine pädagogische Betreuung: Es gibt keine Lehrkraft, keinen Tutor und kein pädagogisches Personal, das den Lernfortschritt der Nutzer überwacht, bewertet oder individuell begleitet. Sämtliche Rückmeldungen werden ausschließlich durch automatisierte KI-Sprachmodelle erzeugt.
• Keine Lernerfolgskontrolle: Die Plattform führt keine systematische, individuelle Lernerfolgskontrolle im Sinne des § 1 Abs. 1 FernUSG durch. Die KI-gestützten Auswertungen sind statistische Textanalysen (Muster­erkennung, Grammatikprüfung, Wortschatzabgleich) und keine pädagogische Bewertung durch Fachpersonal. Es besteht kein Vertragsverhältnis über die Überwachung des Lernerfolgs.
• Kein Vertragsverhältnis zum Lehren: Zwischen DeutschExam und dem Nutzer besteht ein Softwarelizenzvertrag, kein Unterrichtsvertrag. Der Vertrag umfasst den Zugang zu einer Software, nicht die Vermittlung von Wissen durch eine Lehrkraft oder die Begleitung eines Lernprozesses.
• Selbstbestimmtes Lernen: Die Nutzer entscheiden eigenständig, welche Inhalte sie wann und in welcher Reihenfolge bearbeiten. Es gibt keinen vorgeschriebenen Lehrplan, keine Pflichtmodule und keinen vorgegebenen Lernpfad.
• Keine formalen Abschlüsse: DeutschExam vergibt keine Zertifikate, Zeugnisse, Diplome oder sonstige formale Qualifikationen. Die Nutzung der Plattform ersetzt keinen anerkannten Sprachkurs und berechtigt nicht zur Teilnahme an oder zum Bestehen einer offiziellen Prüfung.
• Empfehlung: Für eine individuelle pädagogische Betreuung und gezielte Prüfungsvorbereitung empfehlen wir den Besuch einer akkreditierten Sprachschule oder eines anerkannten Integrationskurses.

7B.2 Classification of the Service (EN)

• Not distance learning: DeutschExam does not provide distance learning (Fernunterricht) within the meaning of the German Distance Learning Protection Act (Fernunterrichtsschutzgesetz – FernUSG). The Service is a purely software-based self-study tool (comparable to a spell-checker or vocabulary trainer) that provides users with practice materials and automated text analysis.
• No pedagogical supervision: There is no teacher, tutor, or pedagogical staff who monitors, evaluates, or individually guides a user's learning progress. All feedback is generated exclusively by automated AI language models.
• No monitoring of learning success: The platform does not carry out systematic, individual monitoring of learning success (Lernerfolgskontrolle) within the meaning of § 1(1) FernUSG. AI-powered evaluations are statistical text analyses (pattern recognition, grammar checking, vocabulary matching) and not pedagogical assessments by qualified staff. There is no contractual obligation to monitor learning progress.
• No teaching contract: The contractual relationship between DeutschExam and the user is a software license agreement, not a teaching contract. The contract covers access to software, not the provision of knowledge by an instructor or the accompaniment of a learning process.
• Self-directed learning: Users decide independently what content they work on, when, and in what order. There is no prescribed curriculum, no mandatory modules, and no predetermined learning path.
• No formal qualifications: DeutschExam does not issue certificates, diplomas, or any formal qualifications. Using the platform does not replace an accredited language course and does not entitle users to participate in or pass any official examination.
• Recommendation: For individual pedagogical support and targeted exam preparation, we recommend attending an accredited language school or a recognized integration course.

8. Intellectual Property

All platform content—including practice questions, explanations, audio recordings, letter samples, and software—is independently created by DeutschExam and owned by DeutschExam or its licensors. Our content is not reproduced, copied, or derived from official examination materials of telc gGmbH, Goethe-Institut, or any other examination body.

• You receive a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for your own learning and practice.
• You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from our content without written permission.
• Screenshots or limited excerpts for personal study notes are permitted; systematic reproduction is not.

9. User Content and Submissions

• Content you submit (writing exercises, feedback, support inquiries) remains yours, but you grant us a license to use it for service improvement and AI training (anonymized).
• You must not submit content that is illegal, harmful, or violates third-party rights.

10. Account Termination

• By you: You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Access continues until the end of your paid period.
• By us: We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in fraud, or abuse the Service. No refund is provided for terminations due to violations.
• Data after termination: Your data is retained for 30 days after account deletion to allow for recovery, then permanently deleted (except as required by law).

11. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied.

• We do not warrant that the Service will be error-free, uninterrupted, or meet your specific requirements.
• We are not responsible for your exam results or any consequences of relying on our practice materials.
• To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability for any claims related to the Service is limited to the amount you paid for your subscription in the 12 months preceding the claim.
• We are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, including lost profits, data loss, or business interruption.

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law (including German consumer protection law).

12. Dispute Resolution

• Informal resolution: We encourage you to contact us at support@deutschexam.com to resolve any issues before initiating formal proceedings.
• EU Online Dispute Resolution: The European Commission provides an Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.
• Governing law: These Terms are governed by German law. The courts of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, have jurisdiction for disputes, subject to mandatory consumer protection provisions.

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms to reflect changes in the Service or legal requirements.

• Material changes will be communicated via email to registered users at least 30 days before taking effect.
• Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
• If you disagree with changes, you may cancel your subscription before they take effect.

14. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.

15. Contact

16. Content Accuracy and Exam Format Disclaimer

Our practice materials are independently created for educational purposes to help you prepare for German language examinations. They are not reproductions of official exam content. However, you understand and accept that:

• Practice questions, answers, and explanations may contain errors, typos, or inaccuracies despite our quality assurance efforts.
• Official exam formats from telc gGmbH, Goethe-Institut, TestDaF, and other examination bodies change periodically without notice. Our materials may not always reflect the most current exam format or structure.
• Human error may occur during content curation, translation, and question bank compilation.
• Audio recordings, sample letters, and model answers may contain minor imperfections.
• Grammar explanations or vocabulary usage may occasionally differ from certain regional or academic standards.

We encourage users to report any errors or inaccuracies to support@deutschexam.com so we can continuously improve our content. We also recommend supplementing your preparation with official sample exams from your chosen examination body.