Is TEFL Hard to Pass & Is it Worth It?

Off the bat, is a TEFL course hard to pass? Unfortunately, that’s an impossible question to answer without knowing you personally. To put it into perspective, each individual needs to consider their own needs, abilities and constraints.

We recommend our Level 3 120-hour TEFL course as a minimum. This course is an intensive experience requiring a sizeable amount of time devoted to reading and digesting information, and developing lesson plans and content for the classroom. 

If it’s been a while since you were last in a learning environment, the sudden piles of work and activities can be a challenge. If you are someone who doesn’t consider yourself massively academic or especially strong when it comes to essays, the TEFL experience can be overwhelming. It’s important to remember that a TEFL course is equivalent to a university-level course, so having the right attitude – and being prepared – is vital. 

With that being said, if you dedicate the time to the course, complete your assignments and respond constructively to our tutor’s feedback, you are very unlikely to fail a TEFL course. 

With a TEFL course at The TEFL Academy, our team of expert tutors will give you up to three attempts to pass the course, providing you with detailed feedback on every assignment you submit. And you’ve got six months’ access to your course – so you can do it in your own time at your own pace.

Possible challenges which might affect your TEFL experience are:

• Personal reasons. We get it, sometimes life throws up events that demand our attention. However, not being able to invest the time and commitment into a TEFL course can lead to some problems.
• Time commitments. For people looking to complete their TEFL course alongside school, work or family life, the hectic nature of the course can lead to the feeling that there aren’t enough hours in the day to get things done.
• English proficiency. For non-native English speakers, TEFL courses can be a demanding challenge. Because we only ever qualify students with as high a chance as possible of completing the course and landing a job, high-quality English proficiency is a key requirement. You must be able to prove your English is at level C1 or above to sign up with The TEFL Academy.
• Expectations. The biggest commitment we ask of our students is to have the right expectations of the course and the motivation to complete the course. Trust the process, ask for help when needed, and soon you’ll be walking away with a very useful qualification.

Overall, The TEFL Academy is committed to professionally training you and doing all we can to support you along your journey to the successful completion of a TEFL course. Our user-friendly course is thorough but straightforward, and our dedicated team of tutors are always available to help.

Now that you’ve passed a TEFL course, what can you do with the certification you’ve been awarded? 

With an accredited TEFL certificate, an English speaker can find teaching jobs around the world. TEFL certification enables you to teach students of all ages either locally, abroad or online, start your own business teaching English, or volunteer with a number of international partners. 

Want to teach kindergarten in Bangkok? Get a TEFL!

Keen on volunteering with remote communities in Kenya? Get a TEFL!

Prefer to work in swanky hotels in Europe? Get a TEFL!

A TEFL qualification opens the door to numerous opportunities all over the world. 

Read more: How Useful Is A TEFL Qualification?

You might be wondering: do I really need a TEFL to teach abroad? 

In short, yes.

A TEFL certificate acts as a sign to employers that you are qualified to teach English abroad. TEFL certification is instrumental in helping you stand out from other candidates for a position, and can help you negotiate for better pay and higher-quality jobs. More and more schools and institutes will no longer consider applicants without a TEFL certification.

But for us the question is also, would you want to teach English abroad without a TEFL certification? Would you like to stand in front of a class of 35 16-year olds and not know what to do for 45 minutes? Nor would we. 

You might think we’re a little biased, but we wholeheartedly believe that getting a TEFL certification is absolutely essential for those looking to begin their careers teaching English. 

A TEFL certificate is becoming an increasingly important part of an application for teaching English in any country in the world. A TEFL certificate broadens your job search, makes you stand out from the crowd and helps with negotiations for better salaries, benefits and positions. 

Our TEFL courses provide you with the essential skills needed to step into the classroom with confidence. On top of learning how to teach language skills, grammar, how to lesson plan, and the ins and outs of classroom management, there are options for boosting your TEFL certification with our Top-Up courses: Observed Teaching Practice, Teaching Business English, Teaching Young Learners and Teaching Online and 1:1. 

What’s more, our TEFL certificates are completely affordable! Our online Level 5 168-hour course is available to purchase for just $230! There’s also the option of upgrading your TEFL qualification with a CELTA-equivalent Observed Teaching Practice course for just $140*!

[*Prices correct as of June 2023]

In a nutshell, no, a TEFL Course is not hard to pass and it’s totally worth it. Want to know more about getting TEFL-qualified and teaching English abroad? Check out our TEFL courses page or get in touch with our team to start your TEFL journey today!

READ MORE:

TEFL Accreditation Explained & Why It’s Important