This policy explains how PrepZen (“PrepZen”, “we”, “us”) handles information when you use our website prepzen.in (the “Website”) and the PrepZen Android app (Google Play, the “App”). PrepZen is a free exam-preparation service operated from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. By using the Website or App you agree to this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use them.
In short: we collect only what we need to run PrepZen, we do not sell your personal data, and we show ads through Google so the service can stay free.
1. Information we collect
a) When you browse the Website
- No account is needed. You can read everything on the Website without signing up.
- Server logs: like every website, our hosting provider automatically records technical data for each request — IP address, browser and device type, pages visited, referring page, date and time. These logs are used for security, troubleshooting and preventing abuse.
- Search terms you type in the site search are used to show results; they may appear in server logs but are not linked to your identity.
- Cookies and local storage — see section 4.
- Emails you send us (for example to support@prepzen.digitalvizag.com) and the details you choose to include.
b) When you use the App
- Account details: your name and email address. If you sign up with a password, we store only a secure (hashed) version of it, never the password itself. If you use Sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and a Google account identifier.
- Study activity: quiz and test attempts and scores, questions you answered wrongly (Mistake Bank), daily activity and streaks, live/mock test results, and your in-app settings — so we can show your progress and sync it across devices.
- Usage and diagnostics: through Google Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics we collect app events and screens viewed, device model, operating-system version, app version, approximate location derived from IP (country/region), and crash reports.
- Advertising ID: Google AdMob uses your device's advertising ID to show and measure ads (see section 3). You can reset or delete it in your Android settings.
- Notifications: study reminders are scheduled on your device. We only send them if you allow notifications, and you can turn them off at any time in Android settings.
We do not collect your contacts, photos, precise GPS location, microphone or camera data.
2. How we use information
- To provide PrepZen: show content, run quizzes and tests, save your progress and sign you in.
- To improve PrepZen: understand which features are used, fix crashes and errors, and plan new content.
- To show advertising that keeps PrepZen free (section 3).
- To send study reminders you have enabled, and to reply to your messages.
- To keep the service secure, prevent fraud and invalid ad activity, and comply with law.
We process personal data on the basis of your consent (for example when you create an account, allow notifications or accept ad cookies) and for the legitimate uses permitted by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and other applicable law.
3. Advertising (Google AdSense and AdMob)
The Website shows ads from Google AdSense and the App shows ads from Google AdMob.
- Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies (on the Website) and the advertising ID (in the App) to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites and apps.
- Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to PrepZen and/or other sites on the Internet.
- You can opt out of personalised advertising in Google's Ads Settings, or opt out of some third-party vendors' use of cookies at aboutads.info. On Android, go to Settings → Google → Ads.
- Learn more: How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services and how Google uses cookies in advertising.
- Visitors in the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland are shown a consent message (Google's certified consent management platform) and can accept, refuse or choose which uses of their data they allow. You can change your choice later using the privacy/cookie link shown on the page.
We never ask anyone to click ads, and we do not control which individual ads Google shows.
4. Cookies and local storage
Cookies are small files stored by your browser. The Website uses:
| Type | Set by | Purpose |
|---|
| Advertising cookies | Google AdSense and its partners | Showing, limiting and measuring ads; personalised ads where you have consented |
| Consent cookie | Google consent message (EEA/UK/CH visitors) | Remembering your privacy choices |
Local storage: prepzen_wx_city | PrepZen | Remembering the city you chose for weather and fuel rates |
Local storage: prepzen_cta_dismissed | PrepZen | Not showing the “Get the app” banner again after you close it |
| Session cookie (admin only) | PrepZen | Keeping site administrators signed in; not used for visitors |
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. The Website will still work, but ads may be less relevant and your preferences won't be remembered.
5. Third-party services we use
- Google — AdSense, AdMob, Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, Sign in with Google and Google Fonts (Google Privacy Policy).
- Hostinger — hosts the Website, App backend and database.
- Wikimedia Commons — some articles show freely licensed photos that load directly from Wikimedia's servers, so Wikimedia receives your IP address and browser details when you view them (Wikimedia Privacy Policy). Each photo is credited with its author and licence.
- Open-Meteo — weather on the Website. Our server requests weather for the city you select; no personal data about you is sent.
- Content delivery networks (cdn.tailwindcss.com, Google Fonts) — deliver the Website's styling and fonts and therefore see your IP address.
- Google Gemini and Yahoo Finance — used only by our server to prepare daily rates and pick article images. No information about you is sent to them.
These providers process data under their own privacy policies. Some of them store data on servers outside India.
6. Sharing of information
We do not sell or rent your personal data. We share it only with the service providers listed above to operate PrepZen, when required by law or a lawful request from authorities, to protect the rights and safety of PrepZen and its users, or as part of a merger or transfer of the service (in which case this policy will continue to apply).
7. How long we keep data
- App account and study data: while your account is active. When you ask us to delete your account, we delete your account and study data within 30 days, except where we must keep something to meet a legal obligation.
- Analytics and crash data: kept for the period configured in Firebase (up to 14 months for analytics), then deleted automatically.
- Server logs: kept for a short period by our hosting provider for security and troubleshooting.
- Emails to us: as long as needed to handle your request.
8. Deleting your account and data
To delete your PrepZen account and all associated data, email support@prepzen.digitalvizag.com from the email address registered with your account, with the subject “Delete my PrepZen account”. We will confirm and complete the deletion within 30 days. You can also uninstall the App at any time; uninstalling removes data stored on your device but not your account on our server.
9. Your rights
Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 you have the right to:
- get a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how it is used;
- have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected or updated;
- have your data erased, and withdraw consent at any time (this does not affect processing already done);
- nominate another person to exercise your rights in case of death or incapacity;
- have your grievance addressed by us, and if you are not satisfied, approach the Data Protection Board of India.
If you are in the European Economic Area or the UK, you also have rights under the GDPR, including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, data portability, and the right to complain to your local supervisory authority.
To exercise any right, email support@prepzen.digitalvizag.com. We may ask you to confirm your identity and will respond within 30 days.
10. Children
PrepZen is designed for students and job aspirants preparing for competitive exams and is intended for users aged 18 and above. Users under 18 should use PrepZen only with the consent and supervision of a parent or guardian. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children without such consent, and we do not knowingly direct personalised advertising at children. If you believe a child has given us personal data without consent, contact us and we will delete it.
11. Security
The Website and App connect over encrypted HTTPS, passwords are stored only in hashed form, and access to our servers and database is restricted. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to protect your data and will notify affected users and authorities of a personal-data breach as required by law.
12. Links to other websites
Our content may link to official exam websites, government portals and other third-party sites. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices; please read their policies.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our services or the law change. The “Last updated” date at the top shows the latest version. For significant changes we will show a notice on the Website or in the App.
14. Contact and Grievance Officer
For privacy questions, requests or complaints, contact our Grievance Officer:
PrepZen Grievance Officer
PrepZen, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India
Email: support@prepzen.digitalvizag.com
We acknowledge grievances within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within 30 days.
See also our Terms & Conditions.
