Where do I start?
The 15-minute placement — free, no card. You get your starting belt, a four-domain radar, and White Belt Units 1–2 free forever. If the teaching doesn't convince you inside those two units, walk away having paid nothing.
What are the belts?
Six belts, White to Black, each teaching five signature moves — finish a thought, prove it, face the other side, name the yardstick, say exactly what you mean, lift the room. One move at a time; each unit ends with a recorded test marked on the four exam domains.
What happens in the AI practice room?
You pick Part A (2–4 AI candidates, 6–10 timed minutes) or Part B, choose a topic and a room — the Strong Room, the Quiet Room, the Dominator — get a 10-minute prep paper, then talk. The avatars wait, interrupt and yield like real candidates; you get a live transcript and a coach's-draft report you can email home. Your transcript is never stored — only your four practice estimates and the coach's report are kept, on your own Portfolio, deletable anytime. Nobody ever hears your practice except you.
My English is weak. Will I understand any of it?
Every drill and every report has a 中 button — one click shows the whole passage side-by-side in Chinese. Practice rooms have gentle settings (try “Second Chance”), and the ladders show real answers at every level, including the broken ones — you'll find your level on the wall, not below it.
I get nervous speaking English. Normal?
Completely. The practice room exists because nerves shrink with reps that feel real but cost nothing — no audience, no storage, no judgment. Start with a quiet room, speak badly in private until it's boring, and read the calm guide — months-before, week-before and exam-day plans included. If anxiety is heavy beyond exams, tell a trusted adult — that matters more than any exam.
How much can I practise a day?
Free accounts: 10 AI responses a day. Dojo students: 200 a day (a group mock uses about 25, a Part B round about 5). Rubies extend a day when you're on a roll — 1 ruby = 50 responses, earnable by training or purchasable.
Will you tell me what grade I'll get?
Never — and be suspicious of anyone who will. What you get is a coach's draft: two strengths in your own words, one fix with a micro-drill, and the four-domain radar. The grade belongs to the exam; the improvement belongs to you.