Walk Into Your GCSE Language
Speaking Exam Ready

Frequently asked questions

Which exam boards and languages does Tête-à-Tête cover?

French and Spanish for AQA (8652 / 8692), Edexcel (1FR1 / 1SP1) and Cambridge IGCSE (0520 / 0530), at Foundation and Higher tier where the board has tiers. Cambridge IGCSE is untiered, so it is one test for everyone.

Which parts of the GCSE speaking exam can I practise?

All of them: role play, reading aloud, the photo card (AQA) or picture task (Edexcel), and the general or topic conversation. Each can be practised on its own, or you can sit a full mock exam that runs the components in your board's order with the board's preparation time.

Can I try Tête-à-Tête AI for free?

Yes. The free plan includes 4 practice sessions and 1 mock exam in your first 30 days, then 2 practice sessions every 30 days and no mock exams. No card needed. Paid plans start at £4.99 a month for more sessions and mocks. Standard: 7-day free trial in the iPhone and Android apps, then £4.99 a month. Renews automatically unless you cancel in your App Store or Google Play settings, on iPhone at least 24 hours before the trial ends. A payment method is needed on your Apple ID or Google account. One trial per account; not available on the web.

How is my speaking marked?

The examiner scores every answer as you speak, calibrated to GCSE level rather than native-speaker standards. Each part is marked the way your exam board marks it: role plays task by task, reading aloud phase by phase, and the photo card and conversation on six skills (pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, fluency, interaction and confidence). You get spoken and written feedback on what to improve, and your scores convert to an estimated GCSE grade. A full mock exam gives estimated marks on your board's own official mark scheme (out of 50 for AQA and Edexcel, 40 for Cambridge IGCSE) and the grade they point to.

Are the questions like the real exam?

Original content, written in-house for each board's exam format: it follows the board's published timings and mark weightings, and it covers the specification's themes and topics. Questions are pitched at GCSE level, in the informal register the real exam uses, rather than made harder than the exam.

Can I use it on my phone?

Yes. Tête-à-Tête runs in a web browser on a laptop or desktop, and as an app on iPhone and Android. Your account, progress and plan are the same on every device.

My child can't subscribe in the iPhone app. What do I need to change?

On iPhone, Apple takes the payment, and for under-18s that depends on your Family Sharing settings. If your child has no payment method on their own Apple Account, Apple charges the family organiser instead, but only when Purchase Sharing is on for both of you: the organiser turns it on in Settings > Family > Purchase Sharing, and it also has to be turned on on your child's iPhone. That applies to the free trial too, because it continues as a paid plan unless it's cancelled. To approve each purchase before it goes through, turn on Ask to Buy in Settings > Family > your child's name. The app then shows "Waiting for approval" until you approve the request on your own device.

Can teachers use it with a class?

Yes. Teachers set up classes, pupils join with a class code, and the teacher sees each pupil's sessions and marks. Autumn pilot intake is now closed; schools can email us to use Tête-à-Tête with their classes.