We compare the International TEFL Academy online TEFL course with the gold-standard online Trinity CertTESOL course.
The following table shows a line-by-line comparison of the International TEFL Academy online TEFL certificate course to the EBC online Trinity CertTESOL.
You will be amazed that the inferior TQUK course run by the International TEFL Academy costs a few hundred US Dollars more than the Trinity CertTESOL. Go figure!
Comparison table
| Feature | Trinity CertTESOL | International TEFL Academy |
| Cost | 1,575 USD (1,450 Euros) | 1,999 USD |
| Who accredits the course? | ||
| Accredited by | Trinity College London | TQUK |
| Year founded | 1877 | 2013 |
| “Ivy League” (1) style accreditation | Yes | No |
| Accreditor also runs international English exams in 60+ countries | Yes | No |
| Accreditor is one of the world’s largest educational organisations | Yes | No |
| The certificate, its acceptance and its recognition | ||
| Certificate name | Trinity CertTESOL | TQUK Certificate in TEFL |
| Level | Ofqual 5 | Ofqual 5 |
| Mentioned by name on job advertisements | Yes | No |
| Guaranteed, no questions asked certificate acceptance for prestigious schools in over 110 countries (2) | Yes | No |
| Worth between 30 and 60 university credits (3) | Yes | No |
| Course hours and content | ||
| Course length | Four weeks | Four weeks |
| Total course hours | 200 | 170 |
| Delivery method | Online, live-streaming using ZOOM | Online, live-streaming using ZOOM |
| Hours of observed teaching practise with feedback | 6 | 6 |
| Who arranges and organises your teaching practice classes | We do | You do |
| Hours observing experienced teachers | 4 | 4 |
| Flipped-learning where you experience what it is like to learn a foreign language | Yes | No |
| Specialised training for developing and teaching individualised courses | Yes | No |
| Published Syllabus | Yes | Yes |
| Published management, operational and administrative standards | Yes | No |
| Maximum class size | 10 | 12 |
| Assigned trainers | 2 | Not specified |
| Independent moderation and quality control | ||
| A visiting moderator independently moderates every course | Yes | No |
| Every course is independently quality control checked by a visiting moderator | Yes | No |
| A different moderator visits each course | Yes | Not applicable |
| Published moderation and quality control standards | Yes | No |
| Trainers independently checked and approved by the accreditor | Yes | No |
| Annual trainer competencies check and signoff by the accreditor | Yes | No |
| Additional features | ||
| A dedicated course and career counsellor/adviser | Yes | Yes |
| Worldwide job help | Yes | Yes |
| Lifetime, worldwide, proactive job placement that sends your CV directly to school hiring managers around the globe | Yes | No |
| Lifetime helpdesk support | Yes | Yes |
| Continuing Professional Development | Yes | No |
| Path to further qualifications like the Ofqual level 6 CertPT and the Ofqual level 7 DipTESOL | Yes | No |
- The TEFL/TESOL, “Ivy League” of qualifications, is very small. There are only two members, CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL.
- These are prestigious British Council schools. Unfortunately, the British Council only automatically accepts CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL certificates.
- The base value of the Trinity CertTESOL is 30 credits. However, some universities offer up to 60 credits.
