What is a cookie
A cookie is a small text string stored by your browser at our request. We use cookies to keep you signed in across pages, to keep admin sessions distinct from candidate sessions, and for nothing else.
Cookies we set
ciq_session — a candidate authentication cookie. Set when you log in; contains a random session token, not your identity. Removed on logout. Expires after 30 days of inactivity.
ciq_admin_session — an admin authentication cookie. Set only when an administrator logs in to the admin panel. Stricter same-site policy than the candidate cookie. Expires after 12 hours.
Both cookies are HTTP-only (not readable by JavaScript), are sent only over HTTPS in production, and are restricted to the cognitiveiq.in domain.
Cookies we don’t set
We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, advertising remarketing tags, A/B testing tools, heatmap recorders, or any third-party behavioural tracker. We do not share cookie identifiers with third parties.
Third-party cookies during payment
When you proceed to payment, the Razorpay checkout window opens in an embedded modal served from checkout.razorpay.com. Razorpay sets its own cookies on its own domain to operate that flow. We do not control those cookies; their use is governed by Razorpay’s privacy policy. They are essential for completing your purchase; if you block them, payment will fail.
Managing cookies
You can clear cookies via your browser’s privacy settings at any time. Doing so will sign you out of CognitiveIQ. Browsers also let you block cookies for a specific site; if you block cookies for cognitiveiq.in you will not be able to sign in or take a test, since the session cookie is required to maintain your authenticated state.
Changes
If we ever introduce additional cookies (for example, an opt-in analytics tool with full transparency about what it tracks), we will update this page first and prompt you for consent before any non-essential cookie is set on your browser.
Last updated: April 2026 (draft)