Hey PH 👋 Metin here, backend dev from Turkey. My first side project (a chat app) died — nobody needs another chat app. Lesson learned: build something people already pay for. IELTS speaking is that thing. Millions need this exam for visas and universities, speaking is the part everyone fears, and tutors charge $20-40/hour. Most apps just record you and run the transcript through an LLM. BandUp actually plays the examiner: asks questions out loud, keeps real exam timing (Part 1, cue card, Part 3), asks follow-ups, then scores you on the four official criteria — quoting your own sentences back at you, which honestly stings the most. Nerd notes: Go backend, STT → LLM → TTS, examiner audio pre-generated and served from CDN — a full 14-min mock costs me ~$0.09. Mostly written with Claude Code. Live on Google Play (iOS later, sorry). Free short mock daily, no card needed. If you've taken IELTS, tell me how the scoring feels vs the real thing — that's the part I obsessed over. AMA about the stack or solo-building this.

BandUp IELTS: AI Speaking Test

Your AI IELTS speaking examiner, in your pocket

Your AI IELTS speaking examiner, in your pocket