Last updated: 14 October 2026. Membership, course and certificate prices, terms and accreditation re-read on IOA’s site that day. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.
Quick verdict: 3 / 5
International Open Academy (IOA) is a legitimate, low-cost course library that works well for hobbies and personal skills, but its certificates are sold separately and its accreditation does not make a course a recognized qualification. The membership is the better buy if you will take several courses; a single course expires 60 days after you start it.
- Good for: lifestyle and personal-interest courses (sign language basics, drawing, herbalism, dog training), CPD points, and trying a subject cheaply.
- Not for: anything a job, visa or license depends on. Check the requirement before you pay for a certificate.
- Price on 14 October 2026: $33 a month, $186 a year or $439 lifetime for 300+ courses, or $142 for a single course before discounts; certificates $17 to $55 each.
IOA pays us a commission if you buy through our links. That has not changed the score.
Correction, October 2026
Earlier versions of this review said ICOES is “an internationally recognized accrediting body,” that IOA was approved by Training Qualifications UK, that its TEFL course was a “level-5 government-regulated course,” that IOA was a member of the European Commission and had tech partnerships with Google, Microsoft and IBM, that it enrolled 11,000 students a day, and that every instructor had 10+ years of experience. We could not support any of those claims on 14 October 2026, so they are gone. The section on accreditation below explains what IOA’s accreditation does and does not mean.
We first published this review in 2021, from research by Jhanvi Shah. On 14 October 2026 we re-read IOA’s homepage, membership page, course catalog, accreditation and certificates page and terms of use, and we read the low-star reviews on Trustpilot and the Reddit threads that come up for IOA. We have separate, deeper reviews of IOA’s two biggest courses: the IOA TEFL review and the IOA TESOL review.
What is International Open Academy?
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International Open Academy is an online course platform run by North Royal Training Limited, based at 77 Camden Street Lower, Dublin. It calls itself a learning experience platform and mixes its own “IOA Originals” with courses from outside creators. On 14 October 2026 its library listed 304 products: 223 courses in English, 51 in French and 42 in Spanish (the count includes certificates and plans). IOA says more than 1.5 million people have learned with it.
Courses are self-paced text and video lessons with a quiz at the end of each module. You need 55% on each module and must save every page to complete a course. There is no live teaching and no tutor marking.
How much does International Open Academy cost?
IOA sells two ways: a membership that opens every course, or single courses. Certificates are a separate purchase either way, though the yearly and lifetime plans include ten.
| IOA membership | Price (14 Oct 2026) | Certificates included | Effective monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $33 a month | None | $33.00 |
| Yearly | $186 a year | 10 Certificates of Achievement | $15.50 |
| Lifetime | $439 one-time | 10 Certificates of Achievement | Not applicable |
A single course lists at $142 on IOA’s site, though IOA and deal sites such as Groupon often sell them for far less. Single courses must be activated within 12 months of purchase and expire 60 days after activation; extra access time is sold from $43. Memberships remove the 60-day limit while you stay subscribed and renew automatically until you cancel.
| Certificate or document | Price |
|---|---|
| IOA Certificate of Achievement (PDF) | $27 |
| ICOES Digital Certificate | $33 |
| ICOES Hard Copy Certificate | $55 |
| CPD certificate | $44 |
| IAPCC Digital Certificate | $44 |
| Proof of Enrollment, Proof of Completion or Result Breakdown | $17 each |
| Bundle: ICOES digital + CPD + Achievement + IAPCC | $109.99 (instead of $147.36) |
From internationalopenacademy.com, the membership page and the accreditation and certificates page, read 14 October 2026. IOA was running an “Accreditation Week” offer of 10 euros off a certificate at the time.
The 60-day window: the complaint that comes up most
The single most common complaint about IOA is losing access to a course. Under IOA’s terms, a single course is valid for 60 days from the day you activate it. If you start a course, get busy and come back in month three, you will be asked to pay for more access time or a membership.
IOA has explained the rule publicly. Replying to a one-star Trustpilot review in May 2026, it said the 60-day period is part of its agreements with partners such as Groupon, whose vouchers are built around short access windows, and that it is what lets courses sell for very low prices. It also said a countdown clock shows the days remaining inside each course and that reminder emails go out, including one 14 days before expiry. The reviewer said they never received them.
How to avoid it: do not activate a single course until you have time to finish it, or choose the yearly membership if you plan to study slowly.
Is International Open Academy accredited?
IOA says its courses are “accredited by CPD, ICOES and IAPCC.” Here is what each one is:
- CPD Certification Service: a UK body that reviews training and lets providers award CPD points. IOA says nearly all its courses carry CPD certification. CPD points help if your profession asks you to log continuing development; they do not turn a course into a qualification.
- ICOES (International Council for Online Educational Standards): describes itself as a foundation based in the Netherlands that offers accreditation services to online educators and sells verifiable certificates for their graduates. It is not a government regulator, and it does not appear on Ofqual’s register of recognized awarding organizations in the UK or on CHEA’s list of recognized accrediting organizations in the US.
- IAPCC (International Association of Private Career Colleges): a non-profit industry association for private career schools. Membership signals that a school belongs to the association, not that a government recognizes its courses.
The practical upshot: an IOA certificate shows you completed a course, and the CPD certificate can count toward CPD hours. It is not a regulated qualification. If a teaching job, visa, license or employer list is involved, ask what they accept before you buy the certificate. Our TEFL review goes through this in detail for teaching English abroad.
Is International Open Academy legit?
Yes. IOA is a real company that delivers the courses it sells, and most students who review it are happy with the content. On 14 October 2026 it had a Trustpilot TrustScore of 4.3 from 1,326 reviews, 77% of them five stars and 7% one star. Two caveats from Trustpilot: only 67 of those reviews were posted in the last 12 months, and IOA has not invited customers to review recently, so the score leans on older reviews. IOA had replied to every negative review.
Recent positive reviews praise well-structured modules and studying at your own pace. The negative reviews from 2026 are specific:
- Certificate policy changes. A reviewer who had bought an older all-inclusive package said IOA later told them they would get only one free certificate under its new policy, and that replies took six days. IOA said the email had gone to spam and that it had sent a solution.
- The 60-day expiry, covered above.
- Certificates cost extra. A September 2026 review noted you have to pay separately for the certificate when you finish.
- Proof of completion was hard to download compared with the paid certificates, one reviewer said.
- Login problems after buying a discounted course.
On Reddit, the IOA threads are mostly from people who bought its TEFL or TESOL course cheaply through Groupon-style deals to qualify for online teaching jobs. The recurring points are the same: the course is easy and quick, the price was low, access is time-limited, the certificate costs extra, and one learner said a broken module quiz locked them out until they paid a retake fee. One commenter also argued that IOA effectively accredits itself; we found no evidence of common ownership between IOA and ICOES, but the point that ICOES is not an independent government regulator stands.
Most popular International Open Academy courses
IOA’s homepage listed these as its most popular courses on 14 October 2026:
| Course | What to know |
|---|---|
| 120-Hour TEFL and 120-Hour TESOL | IOA says the two 120-hour courses have the same content. Cheap, but not the TEFL to rely on for a visa or a school with an approved-provider list. |
| American Sign Language | About 70 videos, a recommended 50 hours of study and 50 CPD points; IOA says 145,374 students have taken it. A good introduction, not a route to interpreter certification. |
| 150-Hour Advanced TESOL | The 120-hour course plus modules on teaching English online. |
| CPR & First Aid | Useful background. Workplaces that require CPR certification usually ask for a course with hands-on skills practice. |
| Eyelash Technician | Teaches the technique. Licensing rules for lash work vary by state and country, so check yours. |
| Accounting & Bookkeeping | An introduction to bookkeeping basics, not a professional accounting qualification. |
See the IOA American Sign Language course →
Who should use International Open Academy?
- Hobby learners who want variety: a yearly membership gives you hundreds of courses for $186.
- People who need CPD points their profession accepts from CPD-certified courses.
- Anyone testing a subject before paying for a recognized qualification.
Who should skip it: anyone whose job, visa, license or employer requires a specific accredited or regulated qualification, and anyone who buys a single course without time to finish it in 60 days.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Cheap membership: $15.50 a month on the yearly plan | Certificates cost $17 to $55 each, or $109.99 for a bundle |
| 300+ courses in English, French and Spanish | Single courses expire 60 days after activation |
| Self-paced, beginner-friendly, CPD points on most courses | ICOES and IAPCC are not government-recognized accreditors |
| 14-day refund window | Refund after you start may be a gift card; changes to certificate policy upset older buyers |
| Trustpilot 4.3 from 1,326 reviews | Few recent Trustpilot reviews; IOA is not inviting reviews now |
Refund policy
IOA’s terms offer refunds within 14 days of purchase. If you have not started the course, you get your money back; if you have started it or are not satisfied, IOA may issue a refund as a gift card within that 14-day window. Once you complete a course or 14 days pass, there is no refund. IOA’s terms treat courses bought through a third party or with a voucher separately, so check the deal site’s terms too.
International Open Academy alternatives
| Platform | Cost | Why consider it |
|---|---|---|
| FutureLearn Unlimited | $244.99 a year on sale (list $349.99) | Short courses from universities, with digital certificates on eligible courses included |
| Udemy | Pay per course, frequent sales | Huge catalog of practical courses with lifetime access once you buy |
| OpenLearn (The Open University) | Free | Free courses with a free digital badge or statement of participation on most |
| Alison | Free to study | 6,000+ free courses; check certificate fees before you rely on one |
More: our FutureLearn review, Udemy review, best MOOC platforms and John Academy review, a similar UK CPD course seller. Comparing UK home-learning providers? Oxbridge Home Learning is no longer trading.
International Open Academy: is it worth it?
For hobby and personal-interest learning, yes, especially on the yearly membership, which costs less than two single courses and includes ten certificates. For anything career-critical, no: buy only after the employer, school or licensing body has told you an IOA certificate is enough.
FAQ on International Open Academy reviews
Is International Open Academy legit?
Yes. IOA is run by North Royal Training Limited in Dublin, delivers the courses it sells and had a 4.3 Trustpilot score from 1,326 reviews on 14 October 2026. The main complaints are extra certificate fees and the 60-day limit on single courses.
Is International Open Academy accredited?
IOA says its courses are accredited by CPD, ICOES and IAPCC. ICOES is a Netherlands foundation and IAPCC a trade association; neither is a government regulator, so IOA certificates are not regulated qualifications. CPD certificates can count toward CPD hours.
Is ICOES legit?
ICOES is a real organization that accredits online course providers and sells certificates for their graduates. It is not on the UK Ofqual register or the US CHEA list of recognized accreditors, so its accreditation carries little weight with regulators.
How much does International Open Academy cost?
On 14 October 2026 membership cost $33 a month, $186 a year or $439 lifetime. Single courses listed at $142, and certificates cost $17 to $55 each.
Do IOA courses expire?
Single courses expire 60 days after you activate them, and must be activated within 12 months of purchase. A membership removes that limit while it is active.
Does International Open Academy give refunds?
Within 14 days of purchase. If you have not started the course you get a refund; if you have, IOA may refund as a gift card. There is no refund after 14 days or once the course is complete.
Is the International Open Academy American Sign Language course good?
It is a solid introduction, with about 70 videos and 50 CPD points, and IOA says over 145,000 students have taken it. It does not prepare you for interpreter certification.
Is International Open Academy on Groupon?
IOA courses are often sold through deal sites such as Groupon. Those voucher courses carry the 60-day access window, so activate one only when you have time to finish it.
Sources, all read 14 October 2026: internationalopenacademy.com (homepage, membership, library, American Sign Language course, accreditation and certificates, terms of use), icoes.org, iapcc.org, Ofqual’s register of recognized awarding organizations, CHEA’s list, Trustpilot and Reddit (r/OnlineESLTeaching).