Study.com Reviewed

Disclaimer: 240 Tutoring is not affiliated with Study.com in any way.

Product Comparison

Overview

Pros

• Number of practice questions
• Number of videos
• Content for multiple learning styles

Cons

• High cost per month
• Amount of content can be overwhelming
• Content can seem more generic than test-specific

Quick Take

Study.com offers a wide range of study resources for elementary through graduate school students, of which teacher certification study guides make up a very small percentage.

The study guides are set up on a subscription plan with a monthly membership fee of $59.99. Study guides are very robust, but can feel more generic than tailored to a specific certification exam.

The study guides are a great option for teachers who want to engage with multiple learning styles, as there are visual, audio and reading-only options to review the content. There’s also a separate mobile app for on-the-go studying.

Overall, study.com has a lot to offer, but it may not be the best bang for your buck based on the lack of test-specific content and resources available.

Study.com Full Review

The Full Scoop on Study.com

Study.com has a well-known learning platform that provides study help for students. As part of their expanded set of resources, they also offer a limited variety of study programs for teacher certification exams. Their programs are accessible through a monthly membership fee of $59.99 and are all online-based.

Once in the system, the study course can become a bit overwhelming, without a clear start point and a lot of content. A placement test helps purchasers measure their preparedness in certain test areas, but answering a topic question correctly is noted as ‘mastery’ of the topic which is then removed from the study plan.

The course contains plenty of practice questions and quizzes to test your knowledge of the subject area. The content is available in a video format but also offers a transcript and audio version, which appeals to many different learning styles.

There is no full-length, timed practice test available with the program. There is a free 15-question practice test and a longer practice test available as part of the course subscription. One nice feature of the test is that it does break down areas of strength and weakness so purchasers can see what sections may need more review.

However, the biggest challenge with the study guide is the sheer amount of content paired with a lack of specificity to the test concepts. It can sometimes seem that topics are not properly applied to or aligned to the actual exam, which can confuse or frustrate some purchasers.

In addition to the standard study resources, Study.com advertises online tutoring access as part of their program. Purchasers are able to submit questions and will receive a response in an unstated timeframe as long as it is meets their approval guidelines. Another feature Study.com offers is an app specifically designed for studying via mobile device.

The website does advertise a “Higher Score Guarantee” but the terms and conditions of that guarantee aren’t available in the FAQs or explained in detail on the website. They also offer a 30-day refund for the first subscription month, which does not apply to already-discounted access or subsequent subscription renewals.

Study.com has good name recognition and a wide customer base. They also have a lot to offer in terms of the amount of study content available. What may not be appealing to teachers preparing to pass their exams is the lack of clearly focused and targeted instruction that demonstrates alignment to the certification test and the high monthly fee.