Privacy policy

How visitor information is handled

This page explains how UPSC Mock Test collects, uses, and protects visitor information. Last updated: June 2025.

1. Introduction

UPSC Mock Test ("we", "our", "us") operates the website at upscmock.com. This Privacy Policy describes what information we collect when you visit our website, how we use it, and what rights you have regarding your personal data. By using this website, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

We respect visitor privacy and are committed to being transparent about our data practices. We do not collect, store, or process any personally identifiable information unless you voluntarily provide it through our contact form.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily

The only situation in which we collect personally identifiable information (PII) is when you submit our Contact Form. In that case, we may collect:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • The content of your message

This information is used solely to respond to your enquiry and is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

Like most websites, our server and analytics tools automatically collect certain non-identifying information when you visit, including:

  • IP address (used for security and abuse prevention)
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Referring URL
  • Pages visited and time spent
  • Date and time of access

This information is used in aggregate form to understand website traffic patterns and improve content quality. It is not linked to any individual user identity.

3. Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. We use cookies for the following purposes:

3.1 Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function correctly. They include session cookies required for form security (CSRF protection under Django's framework) and technical preferences. Essential cookies cannot be disabled without breaking core site functionality.

3.2 Analytics Cookies

With your consent, we use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to collect anonymised usage data. GA4 tracks metrics such as page views, session duration, bounce rate, and traffic sources. This data helps us understand which content is most useful and where we can improve. GA4 data is processed by Google LLC in accordance with their privacy policy. We do not enable IP anonymisation separately as GA4 anonymises IPs by default.

Analytics cookies are only loaded after you explicitly consent via our cookie banner.

3.3 Advertising Cookies

We participate in the Google AdSense advertising programme. Google AdSense uses cookies to serve advertisements based on your interests and previous browsing behaviour across the web. These are third-party cookies controlled by Google LLC. You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google's Ads Settings.

3.4 Your Cookie Choices

When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner will appear. You may choose to accept all cookies (including analytics and advertising) or reject non-essential cookies. You can change your preference at any time by clearing your browser's local storage.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected through this website to:

  • Respond to enquiries submitted through the contact form
  • Monitor and analyse website traffic to improve user experience
  • Display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense
  • Detect and prevent security threats or abusive behaviour
  • Improve our content, question quality, and site performance

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to any third parties.

5. Third-Party Services

Our website integrates with the following third-party services, each governed by their own privacy policies:

6. Data Retention

Contact form submissions are retained for up to 12 months to enable follow-up communication. Server logs are retained for up to 90 days for security purposes. Analytics data collected via Google Analytics is subject to Google's data retention policies (default: 14 months for user and event data).

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right to access — request a copy of any personal data we hold about you
  • Right to correction — request correction of inaccurate data
  • Right to deletion — request deletion of your personal data
  • Right to object — object to processing of your data for direct marketing
  • Right to withdraw consent — for cookies, withdraw consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through the Contact Us page.

8. External Links

Our website may contain links to external websites, official government portals, and reference resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any external site you visit.

9. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the website after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact

For privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, please contact us through our Contact Us page. We aim to respond within 5 working days.