Privacy Policy
Last updated: February 2026
craqdIAS ("we," "our," or "us") operates the craqdIAS web application, a platform for UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination preparation. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our platform.
1. Information We Collect
Account Information
When you create an account, we collect:
- First name and last name
- Email address
- Password (stored securely by our authentication provider)
If you sign up using Google or Facebook, we receive your name and email from those services. We do not receive or store your social media passwords.
Exam Performance Data
When you take practice exams, we collect:
- Your answers to each question
- Scores and results
- Time spent on each question
- Question revisit counts
- Question highlights you create
Usage & Analytics Data
We automatically collect certain information when you use our platform, including:
- Pages you visit and features you interact with
- Browser type, device type, and operating system
- Referring URL and general geographic location (country/region level)
- Actions such as signing in, starting exams, and completing assessments
This data is linked to your account when you are signed in, and is used to improve the platform experience.
Temporary Session Data
During an active exam, your progress (current answers, timer state, current question) is temporarily stored in your browser's session storage. This data is automatically cleared when you complete or leave the exam.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Create and manage your account
- Authenticate you when you sign in
- Score your exam attempts using the UPSC marking scheme
- Generate performance analytics, report cards, and progress tracking
- Provide downloadable explanation PDFs and report cards
- Analyse usage patterns to improve our platform and user experience
- Monitor platform performance, identify issues, and fix bugs
3. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services to operate our platform:
- Clerk — handles authentication, account management, and session management. Clerk processes your name, email, and password. See Clerk's Privacy Policy.
- Google Cloud / Firebase — hosts our backend services and stores exam performance data. See Google Cloud's Privacy Notice.
- PostHog — provides product analytics so we can understand how the platform is used and improve it. PostHog receives usage events (such as pages visited and features used), your Clerk user ID, email, and name. See PostHog's Privacy Policy.
We do not sell your data to third parties.
4. Cookies & Local Storage
We use the following cookies and browser storage:
- Authentication cookies — set by Clerk to keep you signed in
- Analytics cookies — set by PostHog to distinguish unique visitors and track usage across sessions. These are first-party cookies and are not shared with advertisers
- Session storage — temporarily stores your exam progress during an active exam session; cleared automatically on completion
We do not use any advertising cookies or sell data to third-party advertisers.
5. Data Security
We take appropriate measures to protect your data:
- All data is transmitted over HTTPS (encrypted connections)
- API requests are authenticated with Bearer tokens
- Security headers block access to camera, microphone, and geolocation
- Passwords are securely hashed and managed by Clerk — we never see or store your plain-text password
6. Data Retention
Your account data and exam performance history are retained for as long as you maintain an active account. If you request deletion of your account, we will remove your personal data and exam records within 30 days.
7. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your account and associated data
- Export your exam performance data
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at dreamias3106@gmail.com.
8. Children's Privacy
Our platform is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the platform after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at: