International Open Academy TEFL Review 2026: Should You Enroll?

Last updated: 14 October 2026. Course, prices, terms and accreditation re-read on IOA’s site that day. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.

We wrote the first version of this review in 2021. Since then IOA has changed how it sells courses (it now pushes a membership), how it sells certificates and what it says about accreditation, so we re-read the course page, the full module list, the accreditation and certificate page and IOA’s terms of use on 14 October 2026. We also read 60 recent Trustpilot reviews (including every one- and two-star review from the past two years that mentions TEFL or TESOL) and the Reddit threads that come up when people search for this course.

What is International Open Academy?

International Open Academy (IOA) is an online course catalog run by North Royal Training Limited, a company based in Dublin, Ireland. It sells more than 300 self-paced courses, from TEFL and TESOL to bookkeeping, dog training and eyelash extensions, and says it has had more than 1.5 million learners. Courses are text and video lessons with a quiz at the end of each module; there is no live teaching.

You can buy one course at a time or take a membership. On 14 October 2026 IOA listed three plans:

From internationalopenacademy.com, read 14 October 2026. Course product pages showed the membership at $32.99 a month. Subscriptions renew automatically until you cancel in your account.

On Trustpilot IOA has a TrustScore of 4.3 from 1,326 reviews, 77% of them five stars. Two caveats from Trustpilot itself: only 67 of those reviews were posted in the past 12 months, and IOA has not been inviting customers to review recently, so the score leans on older reviews. Our full International Open Academy review covers the platform as a whole; this page is about the TEFL course.

What is IOA TEFL?

TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. A TEFL certificate is what most language schools and online tutoring companies ask for when they hire teachers who do not have a teaching degree, and the usual minimum is 120 hours of training. IOA’s course is named to fit that minimum: the “120-Hour TEFL Course,” which IOA says 41,056 students have taken.

IOA’s recommended study time is 120 hours, and completing it earns 120 CPD points. That is a recommendation, not a measured requirement: the course is self-paced, and one Trustpilot reviewer in 2026 says they finished all 120 hours in two weeks, while a Reddit user said in 2020 that it took them under three hours. Employers know this, which is one reason the accreditation behind the hours matters more than the number.

IOA states on the course page that its 120-Hour TEFL and 120-Hour TESOL courses have the same content; the name is the only difference. Our IOA TESOL review covers the longer 150-Hour Advanced TESOL, which adds modules on teaching online.

See IOA’s 120-Hour TEFL course and current price →

What the 120-Hour TEFL course covers

The course has ten modules, each ending in an exam:

1. Introduction to basic pedagogy
2. Classroom management
3. Introduction to English grammar
4. Introduction to English vocabulary
5. Teaching reading skills
6. Teaching listening skills
7. Teaching writing skills
8. Teaching speaking skills
9. Learning aims and lesson planning (including young learners)
10. Next steps: further study, a career in ELT, resumes, interviews and where to teach

It is a sensible overview of the subject, similar in outline to other entry-level TEFL courses. What it lacks is what separates stronger courses: there is no observed teaching practice, no tutor marking your lesson plans and no live feedback. You read, watch and take multiple-choice exams.

How the exams, pass mark and course window work

• Pass mark: you must complete every page and score at least 55% on each module exam. If you fail a module, you get one free resit per exam.
• 60-day window: IOA’s terms say each course is valid for 60 days from the day you activate it, and must be activated within 12 months of purchase. Several one-star reviews come from people who opened a course to look around, came back later and were asked to pay to extend it. Do not click into the course until you are ready to work through it.
• Certificates: passing makes you eligible to buy a certificate. It does not come with one automatically (details below).

Price: what you actually pay

This is where many buyers are caught out. The course and the certificate are separate purchases. On 14 October 2026 IOA listed the 120-Hour TEFL Course at $142 as a single course, and its certificate and document options at:

So a single-course buyer who wants the ICOES certificate IOA highlights pays $142 plus $33, or $175 at list prices. IOA runs frequent sales (an “Accreditation Week” countdown was on its site when we checked), and the course is often sold through voucher sites, so the course price can be far lower. The certificate prices are what catch people: it is one of the most common complaints about IOA’s TEFL course on Trustpilot. One 2025 reviewer called the title misleading because the “certificate” course does not issue a certificate without a further payment.

The yearly or lifetime membership includes 10 certificates, which makes it better value if you plan to take several IOA courses. Check which certificate types count toward that allowance before you buy. One 2026 reviewer who bought an older all-inclusive package says IOA later limited them to one free certificate.

Refunds: IOA offers refunds within 14 days of purchase. If you have not started the course you get your money back; if you have started it, IOA “may” refund you with a gift card; after 14 days or once you finish, no refund. Courses bought through a voucher site are refunded by that site.

Certification and Accreditation:

IOA describes the course as “ICOES Accredited. IAPCC and CPD Certified.” Here is what each of those is, based on the organizations’ own websites and the official registers we checked on 14 October 2026:

• ICOES (International Council for Online Educational Standards) describes itself as a foundation based in the Netherlands that accredits online educators and issues certificates to their students. Its website pitches the service to course providers partly as a way to boost sales. ICOES does not appear on the UK Ofqual register of regulated awarding organizations or in the US Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) list of recognized accreditors.
• IAPCC (International Association of Private Career Colleges) is a non-profit industry association based in Geneva. It lists International Open Academy among its members. Membership of a trade association is not accreditation by an independent regulator, and IAPCC is not on the CHEA list either.
• CPD points come from the CPD Certification Service, a UK organization that approves training for continuing professional development. CPD approval shows the course has been reviewed as professional development; it is not a TEFL-specific accreditation.

For comparison, the TEFL courses that employers and visa processes treat as recognized are usually either regulated qualifications on the UK Ofqual framework (often “Level 5,” equivalent in difficulty to a foundation degree) or courses from providers accredited by bodies recognized by the US Department of Education, such as ACCET or DEAC.

Job opportunity After IOA TEFL certification:

It depends entirely on who is hiring:

• Teaching abroad with a work visa: this is where IOA’s certificate is weakest. China, for example, requires TEFL certificates to go through the same authentication process as degrees. In 2024 a regular contributor in Reddit’s r/TEFL, answering for the subreddit, wrote that “a couple of this sub’s members have managed to legalise the IOA certificate,” but that it is difficult and costly, and recommended avoiding the provider. On Trustpilot, a 2025 reviewer says their IOA TESOL could not be authenticated for China and put a job offer at risk; a 2024 reviewer writing for British buyers says the certificate could not be apostilled.
• Online teaching platforms: requirements vary by company and change often. Some accept any 120-hour certificate; others name accredited providers. Ask before you buy.
• Private tutoring and volunteering: often no certificate is checked at all, and the course content will help you plan lessons.
• Government programs such as Korea’s EPIK or Spain’s auxiliares program set their own rules; read the current requirements on the program’s own site.

Our rule of thumb: if a job, school or visa depends on the certificate, find out which TEFL providers it accepts first, and then choose the course.

Reviews From Graduates:

Most recent Trustpilot reviews that mention IOA’s TEFL or TESOL courses are positive about the course itself. Graduates describe the modules as clear, practical and easy to follow, like being able to study around work, and several say they have used what they learned in online ESL teaching. A 2026 reviewer who completed the 120-hour TEFL wrote that it changed how they make lessons engaging for learners of different ages.

The negative reviews are consistent too, and they are about the business rather than the lessons: paying separately for the certificate, courses expiring after the 60-day window, being charged for a membership they did not want, and certificates that could not be legalized for work abroad. A few say the content is basic.

On Reddit, the advice from teachers is blunter. In r/TEFL and r/OnlineESLTeaching threads about IOA, experienced teachers mostly say it is fine as an introduction but not as the certificate you rely on for a job abroad.

Pros:

• Low course price, especially on sale or within a membership you already have.
• Clear, readable module structure that covers the standard TEFL topics.
• Self-paced, online, no prerequisites.
• CPD points for people who need professional-development hours.

Cons:

• Certificates cost extra, from $27 to $55 each.
• The course expires 60 days after you start it.
• No observed teaching practice and no tutor feedback.
• ICOES and IAPCC are not recognized TEFL accreditors for visa or government purposes.
• Refunds after you start are at IOA’s discretion and come as gift cards.

IOA TEFL vs TESOL: which IOA course should you take?

If you are set on IOA, the 120-Hour TEFL and 120-Hour TESOL courses are the same course under two names and both list at $142, so pick whichever name your employer asks for. If you want to teach online, the 150-Hour Advanced TESOL (listed at $274) adds eight modules on finding online jobs, setting up an online classroom, teacher profiles and ESL techniques for video lessons; IOA also sells a 150-Hour Advanced TEFL. Our IOA TESOL review goes through the advanced course module by module.

See IOA’s 150-Hour Advanced TESOL →

Better options if you need a recognized TEFL certificate

If the certificate has to work for a visa or a school abroad, these providers are the ones teachers recommend most often, and each has accreditation from a recognized regulator or accreditor. None of them pays us; prices were read on their sites on 14 October 2026, during October sales.

These cost more than IOA, sometimes much more. The difference you pay for is a tutor who marks your work, in some cases real teaching practice, and a certificate that clears the checks IOA’s may not.

International Open Academy TEFL: Is It Worth It?

It is worth it as a low-cost taster, or as an add-on if you already have an IOA membership with certificates included. The modules are clear and cover the basics of teaching English.

It is not worth it as your main TEFL qualification if a visa, a government program or an employer with an approved-provider list is involved. By the time you add a certificate, the price gap to a regulated Level 5 course on sale is smaller than it looks, and the regulated course is the one that will clear the paperwork.

FAQs:

Is International Open Academy legit?

Yes, it is a real company (North Royal Training Limited, Dublin) that delivers the courses it sells, and many students rate the content well. The concerns are about extra certificate fees, the 60-day course window and accreditation that is not recognized for visa or government purposes.

Is the International Open Academy TEFL accredited?

IOA says the course is accredited by ICOES and certified by IAPCC and CPD. ICOES is a Netherlands foundation and IAPCC a trade association; neither is on the UK Ofqual register or the US CHEA list of recognized accreditors, so the course is not accredited in the sense schools and visa offices usually require.

How much does the IOA TEFL course cost?

On 14 October 2026 the 120-Hour TEFL Course listed at $142 as a single course, or it comes with an IOA membership ($33 a month, $186 a year or $439 lifetime). Certificates cost extra: $27 for IOA’s own, $33 for the ICOES digital certificate and $55 for an ICOES hard copy.

Does the IOA TEFL course include a certificate?

Not on a single-course purchase. Passing makes you eligible to buy one. The yearly and lifetime memberships include 10 certificates.

How long does the IOA TEFL course take?

IOA recommends 120 hours of study. It is self-paced, and some students report finishing far faster. Each course is valid for 60 days after you activate it.

What is the difference between IOA’s TEFL and TESOL courses?

IOA says its 120-Hour TEFL and 120-Hour TESOL courses have the same content. The 150-Hour Advanced TESOL adds eight modules on teaching English online.

Can I teach in China with an IOA TEFL certificate?

It is risky. China requires TEFL certificates to be authenticated like degrees, and several IOA students report that their certificates could not be legalized or that it was difficult and costly. Choose a regulated Level 5 TEFL if China is the goal.

Does the IOA TEFL certificate expire?

The certificate does not expire, but your access to the course does: 60 days after activation, under IOA’s terms.

What is IOA’s refund policy?

Refunds are available within 14 days of purchase. If you have not started the course you get a cash refund; if you have started, IOA may offer a gift card. After 14 days or once the course is complete, there is no refund.

Sources, all read 14 October 2026: internationalopenacademy.com (course page, accreditation and certificates page, terms of use), icoes.org, iapcc.org, the Ofqual register of regulated awarding organizations, CHEA’s list of recognized accrediting organizations, Trustpilot, Reddit (r/TEFL, r/OnlineESLTeaching, r/TESOL, r/teachinginkorea) and the alternative providers’ sites.