Question 1

What is EssayHero?

Accepted Answer

EssayHero is a free, volunteer-run project that helps students improve their English writing. Using AI and official marking criteria (HKDSE Level Descriptors, IELTS Band Descriptors), it provides detailed, paragraph-by-paragraph feedback to help students understand exactly where they can improve.

Question 2

Why is EssayHero free?

Accepted Answer

This project is entirely privately funded with no commercial aims or affiliations.

Question 3

Who is EssayHero designed for?

Accepted Answer

EssayHero is designed for three groups: students preparing for HKDSE or IELTS who want detailed feedback on their writing, English teachers exploring AI's potential in education, and EdTech researchers interested in AI-assisted learning. If you have suggestions or feedback, email hello@essayhero.app.

Question 4

How does EssayHero analyse my essay?

Accepted Answer

Your submission is sent to an AI language model with a system prompt that incorporates the publicly available official assessment criteria for your chosen exam. The AI analyses your work against these standards, providing a level/band estimate and specific feedback for each section.

Question 5

Is my essay stored or shared?

Accepted Answer

For individual use, your submission is processed and immediately discarded — we do not store it unless you are signed in (in which case it is saved to your dashboard). If you use the sharing feature, your work and feedback are stored to generate a shareable link, then automatically deleted after 30 days. For Batch Essay Marking (teachers only), student names and scores extracted from scanned pages are stored for 30 days for report delivery, then auto-deleted. Teachers are responsible for obtaining appropriate consent before uploading student work. In all cases, your data is never shared with third parties and is used solely to provide analysis. We comply with Hong Kong's Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.

Question 6

What happens to student data in Batch Essay Marking?

Accepted Answer

When a teacher uploads a class PDF for batch marking, student names, class information, and candidate numbers are extracted from the scanned pages to match reports to the correct student. This data is stored for 30 days (the same retention period as shared reports) and then permanently auto-deleted. Only the uploading teacher can view, export, or share results. Teachers are responsible for informing students and obtaining consent — particularly for students under 18, where parental or guardian consent may be appropriate. Students who wish to have their data removed should contact their teacher, who can delete individual reports at any time.

Question 7

How accurate are the scores?

Accepted Answer

EssayHero provides estimates based on official marking criteria, but these are indicative, not definitive. Exam boards have the final say on actual scores. If any feedback seems off, trust your teacher's judgement — they know your work better than any AI. Use EssayHero as a learning tool, not a crystal ball.

Question 8

What are the different marking standards?

Accepted Answer

Lenient gives the benefit of the doubt and focuses on strengths — useful for building confidence. Baseline applies standard HKDSE marking criteria. Harsh is deliberately strict, reserving high scores only for exceptional work — useful for students aiming for top scores who want rigorous feedback.

Question 9

What do the Writing Statistics mean?

Accepted Answer

Writing Statistics measure aspects of your writing that research links to quality. Vocabulary (MTLD) measures word variety — aim for 80-100 (below 60 needs improvement). Sentences (MLT) measures average sentence length — aim for 14-18 words (under 11 is too basic, over 22 may indicate run-ons). Readability shows complexity level — target Form 4-5 (FK 10-12). The shaded zone on each bar shows your target range. These metrics are based on peer-reviewed linguistic research.

Question 10

What are the Writing Tools?

Accepted Answer

Writing Tools are free, AI-powered practice tools to help you improve specific aspects of your writing. Vocabulary Enhancement analyses your word choices and suggests improvements. Text Type Checker verifies you're following the correct format conventions. Rewrite Assistant helps you improve weak sentences step-by-step. Prompt Generator creates exam-style questions for practice. Sentence Drills provides exercises to improve sentence variety. Access them from the "Writing Tools" link in the header.

EssayHero

Writing Guides

Writing Guides

5 Common Mistakes That Keep HKDSE Students at Level 3

Building Your Essay Vocabulary: A Practical Approach

Grammar That Matters: What Markers Actually Check

HKDSE Paper 2: What Markers Really Look For

HKDSE Text Types: What Markers Expect for Each Format

How to Use AI Feedback Ethically

How to Write a Level 5+ HKDSE Speech

IELTS Writing: What Examiners Really Look For

What HKDSE Paper 2 Markers Actually Look For