Building an AI Language Platform for FCE Exam Takers

Charles Crowley outlines his progress on creating an AI-powered language platform aimed at helping students prepare for the FCE exam. Starting with a lean approach, he focuses on a single feature: an AI tool that provides feedback on Speaking Part 2 of the exam. By narrowing his target audience to teens (14-20) who are preparing for the exam, Crowley is able to create a product that meets a specific need. The first product (V0.1) focuses on delivering clear, useful feedback to students, rather than a full language course. This MVP (minimum viable product) is tested using real exam recordings, and the AI’s feedback is refined to be more lenient and accurate. The key decision was to remove numerical scores and instead provide more detailed written feedback, with a personalized examiner summary. After resolving some technical issues, Crowley is now ready to seek feedback from actual users, including students and parents, to see if the service is valuable enough to justify a subscription fee. The next step involves collecting real user feedback to determine if the platform can be developed further.