IELTS struggles turned into AI innovation: Sameera Gamage helps others learn

Doctoral researcher Sameera Gamage has independently built an AI-powered tool to help prepare for the IELTS test.

Sameera Gamage is a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the University of Oulu. Originally from Sri Lanka, Gamage encountered the challenge of preparing for the IELTS test — an international English language test often required when applying for studies, work, or immigration in English-speaking countries. The test costs around 300 euros per attempt, and many people, including some of his friends, often need to take the test multiple times. 

This sparked his idea to create Passtest-AI, an AI-powered solution that generates IELTS questions, offers instant feedback, and helps test-takers focus on the skills that truly matter in the exam. The solution has dedicated sections for practicing writing, listening, and speaking skills. 

“The strength of my solution is personalization and dynamism. It tells the learner what went well, what went wrong, and how to improve”, Gamage says. 

PoC helped to develop the solution and gather feedback 

Still a student at the time, Gamage decided to apply for PoC (Proof-of-Concept) funding through the University Innovation Centre soon after developing the idea. This funding is intended to support the first implementation of inventions or ideas with commercial potential. For student projects, the funding can reach up to €5,000, while for researchers, it can amount to tens of thousands of euros. 

Gamage got the student PoC funding which helped him to take the idea further. He shares that the Proof of Concept (PoC) process was smooth, thanks to help from the Innovation Centre. 

“I got help for documentation and process advice from the Innovation Centre. Especially Ville Saarenpää helped a lot, and all the support made things easier”, Gamage explains. “They also pushed me to research similar products and conduct market analysis, which helped me improve Passtest-AI further. I also fine-tuned my business plan by thinking beyond just a website and decided to develop a mobile application as well.” 

Built from scratch – From code to commercialization 

Gamage built the solution entirely himself, working on UX design, AI content generation, Finnish language learning modules, beta testing, and prototype development. He has conducted market research, developed a commercialization strategy involving feedback from IELTS tutors, and plans to promote the platform via social media and word-of-mouth with a subscription-based model. He has also participated in hackathons to learn more and further develop his skills. 

Next, Gamage plans to deepen his market research and begin networking with potential investors. He believes that in addition to individual users, his solution could also be highly beneficial for various institutions and test centers looking to modernize and enhance their language testing support. 

For others considering their own business ideas, Gamage shares this advice: “Map and write everything that comes to your mind about the idea, and connect the dots. What are the inputs and outputs? Then you will understand what happens in the middle.” 

You can learn more about Passtest-AI here. 

You can find Passtest-AI code on GitHub. 

Interested in applying for funding for your own idea? There is still PoC funding available for the year 2025. Read more here!