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Online TEFL certification you can actually verify
Study from home at your own pace. Our Level 5 diplomas sit on the Ofqual public register, awarded through Highfield Qualifications, so an employer or a visa office can look yours up rather than take your word for it.
You do not have to trust us. Check it before you pay.
What is an online TEFL certification?
A qualification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language that you study entirely over the internet, at your own pace. It covers grammar, lesson planning, classroom management and teaching methods, and it is the credential most language schools and online platforms ask for before they will hire you.
There is no campus and no timetable. You work through written modules, video and quizzes, submit assessed written assignments, and a tutor marks them and gives feedback. Your certificate is issued once you pass, and it does not say “online” on it.
Two words get used loosely in this market, and the difference is the whole ballgame.
An external body has reviewed the course against a standard. Useful, but the body sets its own bar and there is no central list.
The qualification sits on a government register with its level and hours recorded. Anyone can look it up. This is the stronger of the two.
Which one you need depends on where you are going
Hours are the difference. More hours means a higher level, and a higher level is what the stricter countries and the better paid roles ask for.
Advanced TEFL Course
The accepted baseline. Enough for most online teaching platforms and a lot of language schools abroad. The fastest route to qualified.
Level 5 TEFL Diploma
Ofqual regulated and on the public register. The level employers mean when a job advert says “Level 5 required”.
Level 5 Advanced Diploma
The highest we offer, and the only one with live teaching practice over Zoom with a real trainer and real feedback.
Each course page shows the current price in your local currency, along with any sale and the two interest free instalment option on the diplomas.
The three courses compared
The row that matters most is the first one. Only the two diplomas are Ofqual regulated, which means only those two can be looked up on a public register.
| 120 Hour Advanced | 180 Hour Level 5 Diploma | 310 Hour Level 5 Hybrid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofqual regulated | No, accredited only | Yes | Yes |
| Qualification number | Not applicable | 610/1571/4 | 610/1573/8 |
| Framework level | Not levelled | RQF Level 5 | RQF Level 5 |
| Guided learning hours | 120 | 180 | 300 plus 10 practical |
| Total qualification time | Not applicable | 382 hours | 542 hours |
| Assessment | Module tests | Module tests, multiple choice and written, 100% pass mark with re-attempts | As the 180, plus two Level 5 specialist awards |
| Live teaching practice | No | No | Yes, 10 hours over Zoom with a trainer |
| Typical completion | 4 to 8 weeks | 10 to 12 weeks | 12 to 16 weeks |
| Price | Shown in your local currency on each course page, including any sale and the interest free instalment option on the diplomas. | ||
What is actually inside the course
Written for the Level 5 Diploma. The 120 hour course covers the same ground in less depth, and the hybrid adds specialist awards on top.
Each module ends in a test of multiple choice and open written questions. The pass mark on the Level 5 is 100 per cent and you can re-attempt any question, so the point is that you finish knowing it rather than that you scrape through.
Once the modules are done, our academic team reviews your written answers and may send some back to be reworked. That is normal, and it is the part that makes this a qualification rather than a video library.
| Module | |
|---|---|
| 01 | The Principles of Teaching English Grammar |
| 02 | The Principles of Teaching English Vocabulary |
| 03 | The Principles of Learners’ Needs and Teaching Methodologies for Online and Face-to-Face Learning |
| 04 | The Principles of Teaching Receptive Skills for Online and Face-to-Face Learning |
| 05 | The Principles of Teaching Productive Skills for Online and Face-to-Face Learning |
| 06 | The Principles of Teaching Pronunciation and Phonology |
| 07 | The Principles of Online Teaching Using Teaching Aids and Materials |
| 08 | The Principles of Lesson Planning and Online Classroom Management Techniques |
| 09 | The Principles of Teaching Adults English as a Foreign Language |
| 10 | The Principles of Teaching Young Learners English as a Foreign Language |
You get a named mentor
Matched from our academic team, CELTA and DELTA qualified with at least four years of classroom teaching behind them. Not a ticketing queue.
Feedback, not just a score
Written answers come back with comments on what to change. Weekly live and asynchronous feedback while you are working through the modules.
Six months to finish
Most people take ten to twelve weeks on the Level 5. There is no weekly deadline and nothing expires if life gets in the way.
Try it before you pay
The three day trial opens real modules, not a demo. It is the fastest way to tell whether the teaching style suits you.
When this is the wrong course
We would rather you bought the right thing, or nothing, than the expensive thing.
If the plan is a few hours a week on an online platform or private tutoring locally, the 120 hour course clears that bar. Paying for a Level 5 diploma buys you recognition you will not use.
Japan, South Korea, the UAE and others require a bachelor’s degree for a work visa. No TEFL qualification substitutes for one, at any level, from any provider.
If a specific employer or a teacher training route requires observed hours with real learners, check their wording before you buy. Our hybrid includes ten hours of live practice over Zoom, but that is not the same thing as a classroom teaching practicum.
Nobody can promise that and we will not. A qualification widens the roles open to you and improves the pay on offer. Getting hired still comes down to your application and your interview.
You can start a course at 16. Most teaching jobs abroad set a minimum age of 18, so check the timing works before you enrol.
How to check a TEFL course is real
TEFL is an unregulated market, so any company can print a certificate and call it accredited. Three checks take about five minutes and work on any provider, including this one.
Find the qualification on a register
A regulated qualification appears in Ofqual’s public database with its level and hours. If it is not there, it is not regulated, whatever the sales page says.
Check who awards it
The awarding organisation is not the company teaching the course. Ours is Highfield, and we are an approved centre, number 21335.
Ask how a certificate is verified
An employer should be able to confirm your certificate directly with the provider. If there is no way to do that, the certificate proves nothing.
How you get certified
Four to twelve weeks for most people. You need to be 18 or over with strong English. No degree, no teaching experience, no entry exam.
Pick your level
Decide by where you want to teach rather than by price. If you are unsure, our advisors will talk it through before you pay anything.
Work through the modules
Written units, video and quizzes, on any device, whenever suits. You have six months, and most people take far less.
Submit assessed work
A qualified tutor marks each assignment and tells you what to fix. This is the part that makes it a qualification rather than a video course.
Get certified, then get hired
Your certificate is issued on completion and never expires. Access to our jobs board and recruitment team continues after your course ends.
The things people ask us most
Is an online TEFL certification accepted by employers?
Yes, provided the qualification is accredited or regulated. Employers care about the awarding organisation and the level, not the delivery format. An Ofqual-regulated Level 5 studied online carries the same weight as one studied in a classroom.
Do I need a degree?
Not for the certification. A degree is a separate visa requirement in some countries, including Japan, South Korea and the UAE, set by the state rather than by us.
How long does it take?
A 120-hour certificate usually takes four to eight weeks part time. A Level 5 diploma takes eight to sixteen. There is no deadline, so you can go faster or slower.
Does it expire?
No. Once earned it is valid for life and never needs renewing.
Can non-native English speakers take it?
Yes. What matters is your command of English and your ability to teach. Many employers actively value teachers who have learned English themselves.
Everything else is answered in our guide to TEFL qualifications and terminology.
Try three days of the course before you pay
Full access to real modules, no card required. If it is not for you, nothing happens.
