Udemy
Is This Your Business?Udemy is an online learning platform. It offers students and professionals over 130,000 online courses ranging in topics from test prep to business intelligence. It was founded by Eren Bali in 2010. Courses are available in over 65 languages and can be accessed all over the world. Each course is administered by an instructor who is an expert within their field.
Each course is created, owned and managed by the instructor. This is a different model than other test prep platforms that directly vet and hire their instructors. While Udemy does not verify its instructors' qualifications, it does state they are experts in their fields. Customers can view reviews left by former course-takers and leave theiri own reviews.
Students can access courses on demand and at their own pace using their web browser on a computer or the Udemy Android or iOS app on mobile devices. Like similar platforms, each course has a lecture format which can include videos, slides, and text. Course instructors can also add supplemental materials for students such as practice activities. Some test prep courses require students to buy a particular test prep manual or book.
A variety of courses are available for ACT and SAT test prep. These courses can include comprehensive learning for the whole test or focus on specific areas. Udemy test prep courses are priced well below companies that specialize in just test prep instruction. Courses range from free to $200, with the average course costing around $24.99. Although, there are large platforms that offer free test prep instruction and that are affiliated directly with companies like CollegeBoard.
Top Ranked Companies
The Good
- Udemy App
- 30-Day, Money-Back Guarantee
- Lifetime Access
- Reviews and Free Previews
- Variety of Test Prep Courses
Udemy App
A mobile app is available for individuals to download courses and watch offline or listen to courses in a podcast-style. The app also allows learners to download courses to watch offline. You can also watch courses with Chromecast and Apple TV.
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
All eligible courses on Udemy can be refunded within 30 days. The company does not require you to have a specific reason. If you are unhappy with a course, you can request a refund. Certain restrictions do apply and some purchases may only be eligible for a credit refund. Payments are sent to instructors after 30 days, which means that Udemy will not issue a refund after the refund window.
Lifetime Access
Udemy courses are on-demand. You can begin the course whenever you’d like, and there are no deadlines. You also gain lifetime access to the course. Even after you complete the course, you will continue to have access to it with some limitations: your account has to be in good standing and Udemy must continue to have the license to the course.
Reviews and Free Previews
Udemy hosts 78 SAT courses alone on its platform. This selection could make it difficult to select a good fit for your learning style or needs; however, the company does allow past learners to review courses. Reading reviews can give interested customers a good idea of the instructor’s teaching style and course content. You are also able to view a free preview of courses. Every Udemy course has some lectures the instructor has selected for a free preview, so students can sample the course content and their teaching style. These two features are critical to Udemy’s usefulness because it does not directly hire or vet its instructors as do most other test prep platforms.
Variety of Test Prep Courses
Udemy's platform hosts a large number of different test prep courses: SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, test taking skills, and more. Each test has a varying number of courses available at any one time. For example, the SAT had 78 courses at the time this review was written while the ACT has only 12. Each course may cover the full test, or just specific parts such as ACT English.
The Bad
- Courses Could Be Removed
- Serves as a Marketplace
Courses Could Be Removed
Udemy hosts over 130,000 courses on its online learning marketplace. Because it is a marketplace model, Udemy does not actually own the copyright to the content of the test prep course. Course content is owned by the respective instructors. This means that on rare occasions, instructors might remove their courses from the Udemy marketplace. This could be very inconvenient if you are using the course content. Udemy does say it can assist if this happens, but offers no specific solutions.
There is also the potential for instructors to unpublish their courses. Instructors may choose to do this if they have an older course that they’ve updated. If a course is unpublished, the course content will remain on the platform and will be accessible to students who enrolled in the course.
Serves as a Marketplace
The fact that Udemy is a marketplace and not a producer of online instructional content could be inconvenient and lead to inconsistent test prep course material and instruction. Many competitors have a more direct involvement in the hiring process for its instructors or have developed their own test prep curriculum. Udemy’s lack of direct involvement in its courses or instructors could be troublesome. You are able to read reviews and view a preview before enrolling in a course. The prices of Udemy’s test prep courses are significantly more affordable than its competitors due to its marketplace model.
The Bottom Line
Udemy is an online learning marketplace. It hosts courses from hundreds of instructors from around the world, in many languages, and with millions of hours on a huge variety of topics. One major subject area that it hosts courses on is test prep. It offers students a large number of courses for many tests including common ones like the SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. Because it is a marketplace, you may find that the quality, length, and usefulness of each test prep could vary widely. You should read course reviews carefully before enrolling and view the course’s free preview. Each course also comes with a 30-day, money-back guarantee.
The cost of Udemy’s test prep courses are very affordable in comparison to many competitors. It also offers sales regularly, some very generous, that make it even more affordable.
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Kogan Powell West Valley City, UT
4 years ago
Jenna Bagley American Fork, UT
4 years ago
