Who do you think is the largest supplier of free online learning? MIT? Stanford? Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learn Initiative? iTunesU? The UK’s OpenLearn? The Khan Academy? The University of the People? Coursera? Udemy? XuetangX?

Well, what about ALISON? Who, you may ask, is ALISON? ALISON.com is ‘the world’s leading free online learning resource for basic and essential workplace skills. ALISON provides …. interactive multimedia courseware for certification and standards-based learning.‘

Alison in 2020 claims to have 19 million registered learners spread across nearly 200 countries worldwide. Although only started in 2007, ALISON had graduated over 50,000 people in Certificate and Diploma courses by 2011.

Alison stands for “Advance Learning Interactive Systems Online”. It is based in Ireland and uses mainly a mix of advertising and sponsored programs from partners and publishers to enable students to take the courses free of charge.

I’d be interested in hearing from people with experience of studying with Alison.

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135 COMMENTS

  1. Alison is a great site and I know of many learners that have been able to take advantage of their free educational content. I would like to also point out that GCFLearnFree.org is a large provider of free online learning.

    As a staff member of the GCFLearnFree.org, I’m completely biased! However, the facts do speak for themselves. We also have over a million registered learners at 1,152,817 but we stopped requiring visitors to register for an account in Summer 2010 so we’ve obviously seen a drop in registered learners. This has only allowed us to serve even more people however! In 2011 alone, we had over 6 million visitors from every country except North Korea and served over 2 million (served means learners consumed content in some way, whether it was by reading a lesson, viewing a video tutorial, or playing an interactive game). Since we began our online classes in 2002, we have awarded over 67,000 CEUs.

    We are able to do this because we are a program of Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina; revenue from our retail stores 100% fund this program. We do not rely on ANY government funding, grants, donations or online advertising. I would wager that we are one of the larger online learning sites available that is completely free and free of all advertising.

    • @IG-S: Whilst yacapaca might have all those things, Tony’s question was pitched at more advanced learning in higher education / further education. Therefore, one might say ALISON is more of a further education resource and really is no competition for the likes of MIT, Stanford, CM or even OU.
      All the best!

  4. Tony – as an experienced learner (in age and qualifications (MArch, MA, ProfQual)) I’ve completed one certificate in Sustainable Development and I’m currently undertaking their Diploma course in Environmental Science in advance of a career change into Sustainable Development.

    With both course materials provided by the Open University through their OpenLearn project, I’m finding the content quality is good/very good and really interesting, the material presentation/delivery method good (albeit in Flash so I need the Puffin browser on my iPad) and the overall course administration and delivery outstanding, with continuous progress updates and a straightforward syllabus plan.

    I’ve not chosen to say the content is outstanding, as it’s pitched at a post-high school level, which I have found lacking in some detail. That said, the more detail it has, the longer it will take to get through, and they are introductory courses not advanced level Harvard. And they are free.

    If I were to nit pick, I would recommend some links to investigate key issues further, the inclusion of higher-quality graphics and diagrams, and inclusion of some video content (albeit several of the courses are delivered by video/interactive presentations).

    Overall, a good spread of topics and definitely a strong recommendation for general interest or knowledge supplementation, but I wouldn’t suggest trying to get a job solely off the back of the certificate courses.

    Best of luck to everyone!

    • Many thanks, Richard. great to have your feedback and if others have experience in using in using OERs or studying with organizations using OERs I’d like to hear from you.

    • sorry to say but i would not recommend ALISON as a very great site,,,,,as it is a fake site which doesnt give certificate……..even though i’ve cleared my DIPLOMA course in ENGLISH GRAMMAR, i m still struggling with the certificate,,,,i can see my learner record but not the certificate….my friend already got it in the same course free of cost but i have still not got it….i have cleared the course 3 days back,,,, – See more at: https://tonybates.wpengine.com/2012/04/30/the-worlds-largest-supplier-of-free-online-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-1849626

      • Yeah, I’ve cleared a course or 2..and certificate is shown and Ordered. its pretty legit. and its a low charge to order the actual certificate.

        • HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO OBTAIN A DIPLOMA FROM ALISON UPON COMPLITION OF STUDIES.
          I AM TAKING DIPLOMA IN CUSTOMER SERVICE
          from cameroon
          +237 674 335 766

          • Send them an email and they’ll reply within a day or so with specific information as to the cost of ordering and shipping your diploma or certificate. The price will be different if you want it framed or not.

          • As Etchi asked, If any of you have knowledge ALREADY of Diploma or Certificate, wouldn’t it be nice of you to just ANSWER the question, or copy and post it. Some of us are in a struggle just to survive on a daily basis.

    • These courses will not make you an environment specialist nor a specialist in sustainable development or sustainability.
      They are just about raising your awareness.

      I would not hire someone solely on the basis of these courses or even a diploma.
      These courses serve to enhance current learning and interests and are not a substitute for degree level academic learning .

  6. I have enrolled in the ALISON Dip. Social Media Marketing and I must say I am impressed with the attention to detail and quality of delivery by the chosen instructors. I already have a BA degree in Geography & Resource Development but decided to charter a career path in online marketing particular social media marketing. The lessons I got at alison enabled me to set up my blog and personal business (http://www.sparkssocialmedia.com) strictly from following the lessons plus some personal research. I must say overall, it is an excellent resource as far as my course area is concerned and I will highly recommend it to anyone who has interest in personal development. I intend to start their Dip. Project Management once i’m done with the current one. My 2 cents…:)

    • How much did the certify or Dip cost? Why make me wait to find out later (I’m disabled. Money is TIGHT!) I’m a little worried to start and then can’t prove it. Thanks in advance.

  7. Hi all, just came across this blog…very interesting comments…what I’m keen to clarify is the actual accreditation of these certificates and diplomas. So far, all I’ve found is that there is reference to NQF level equivalents, but no actual acrreditation references. In my mind this begs the question…..are these certificates and diplomas recognised ? I have an MBA and have enrolled for the Dip in Project Management with a view to supplementing my resume….I hope it’s not in vain…

    • No sure I can help with this, Mike. I don’t think Alison offers credits itself, but the original providers of the online materials, so the accreditation is as strong or as weak as the offering institution. It’s then up to an employer to decide the value of the certificate. If you are already employed by a medium to large organization the HR department might be able to tell you whether the employer will recognize the qualification.

      Anyone else want to comment on this?

    • According to a paragraph on this page http://alison.com/knowledgebase/entry/104/ Alison is not accredited. I’ve pasted it here:

      “In an effort to keep programme costs down and to retain the current motivational-based format of ALISON, ALISON has not sought to be, nor been, approved by the US DOE, CHEA or DETC provider and does not represent itself to be an “accredited” programme of any of these organisations.”

    • I have completed a few of Allison’s Diploma courses. As a mature learner I have found their courses & the study material a useful supplement to my further education & my goal of getting a higher qualification.However i would by no means consider the certificates or Diplomas offered by this online school as having any value within one’s
      CV or Resume in regards gaining worthwhile employment in ones chosen field.For example if one is doing a science or computing course or language course then the materials, examinations(tests) covered would barely suffice as an introduction in a reputable colledge.If one is seeking a quality online school, then certainly the Open Universities will give one a thorough course of study, properly adjudicated examinations & a recognized qualifcation, given of course, with an associated cost – some of whom may not be able to afford & others perhaps are not elegible as non-residents.For those who seek a thorough online education with recognized qualifications,then as has already been said on this forum there is MIT & Carnegie Melon with whom i am presently doing an excelent & very thorough Statistics course with plenty of practical exercises & tests included.
      Coursera also offer up a whole variety of quality courses with the choice of paying or not for one’s final certificate or
      qualification.To sum, ALlisons offer courses in “my view” that offer a perhaps usefull insight / introduction to certain subjects that obviously require months or years of dedicated study at an alternative school to gain the required knowledge necessary to At the end of the day gain a worthwhile & well recognized qualification.Best wishes &
      happy learning.

  8. I’ve found it very much depends on the publisher as to the quality of the materials. Having studied a business degree at the Open University and having covered a lot of the HRM theory therin, I found that the Open Learn published Diploma of Human Resources was excellent and quite faithful to the original materials (albeit in a more easily digested format). The same can’t be said for many of those courses I’ve had a dabble with that are produced by other publishers. Consequently, the quality of the Open Learn materials plus the fact that they are produced by a recognised UK academic body means that I now choose to study with this one publisher alone – and get a great deal from it too.

    • Hi, Abdelifattah
      I doubt if any institution’s programs are recognized worldwide. Most countries have their own accreditation bodies, often managed or controlled by the government, and some are (perhaps rightly) very suspicious of foreign programs, either on grounds of academic quality or in terms of ‘cultural appropriateness’.
      This probably doesn’t matter unless you want to transfer credits from a foreign program into a national qualification. For instance, if you want to learn how to use an Excel spreadsheet for work purposes, one of Alison’s courses will be sufficient. However, if you want to use that recognized competence for entry to a local college, it might not be accepted, and you’d have to learn all over again (or just skip those classes).
      Hope that helps
      Regards.

  10. Hi Tony and all

    I have come across your blog in my quest to find the best free online course institution to bulk up my CV. I must thank Richard for his post as I feel this is what answers our general concerns the best and has motivated me to pursue this route.

    An institution like ALISON acts as a means to further ones educational knowledge, where it is up to you to prove what you have learned within a working environment. I think a perfect CV “booster” that would get the attention of any employer when you have a grounded CV already. It reflects a positive, constant and balanced attitude towards your overall working ethos. Knowledge is Power! Why stop when you have the opportunity at completing a free online course in your own time?

    Well- I am off to embark on the Sustainable Development course- would like to find out though is anyone knows how much it is to get the certificate released (if this is even the case?)

    Thank you again and all the best

  11. I have completed this online course of Diploma in Customer service within two days (maximum 3 hours, the assessment was just a joke to be honest) just by reading the material. I knew that you have to pay for the certificate because I did some research about it but I was shocked that I have to pay 100 Euros for the diploma!!! 100 euros? Are you kidding? For this much money I can go and get a proper 3 days course and get a diploma at the end that is accreditated! The reason I did this course is that I wanted to enhance my resume (for free or picayune amount) a bit as I am working as a recepcionist/ security officer on a corporate site. This is why they do not tell you in advance how much your certificate/diploma will cost. You have to complete all of the modules of the selected course then when it is done you have to face with these unfairly sky-high prices for a piece of paper that is not even accreditated….You will be better off to get a proper course. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!

    • Jenny,
      The certificate and diploma is not compulsory and comes as an extra if you want it. It’s free to use all their learning materials and to complete and ‘certify’ in the courses, the only cost is, as you say, the piece of paper which many people may not even want if they are learning to gain a skill for professional purposes. Granted these may not be aligned directly with government bodies at this stage, but they do provide free skills training which can enable people to become task competent pretty quickly. I took their Adobe Photoshop course and completed it, I had no need of the parchment so didn’t shell out for it but the things I learned have been very useful and have enabled me to do much better in what I do. I already have a BA and an M.Phil from ‘conventional’ universities. Alison must have to cover their costs somehow and charging people for diplomas seems fair enough. Trinity College Dublin charged me several hundred for my parchments even after registration fees and graduation fees. It’s par for the course.
      Regards,
      Marcus

      • And you can get all the free information from youtube videos. Charging for a diploma (courses) at a university is worth it when it is recognized but I will write you a PhD in Philosophy if you send me $500US. The diplomas are not recognized by anyone so you might as well make up your own. Somewhere on their page it says they can offer free courses because of their business partnerships…The cost of a piece of parchment paper and printer ink: $0.40.

  12. Thanks to all
    true alison is the largest offering free online couse but the problems is that their Dip,coyrse are short compared to other universities or college
    is their Dip.recognised by any government or any development county?

  13. So if you take a course and pass it what does that mean what do you do from there? Does it credit you or how does it exactly work?

    • Hi, Alexis

      In most cases it won’t count as a credit towards a degree but employers may be willing to recognize it if the course comes from one of their approved educational suppliers. However, you should check with Alison itself about any particular course you are interested in.

  14. sir i am indian my name is sanjay sigh when i read in book that there is now no problem for the poor people who has desired to learn and earn for education degree so i am telling you i want degree one year course in health and safety diploma . do you know in india many people who has take graduate and post graduate degree is not able to speak on e sentence in english.i had hobby to read but due to povetry i could not success in my life but privately in library or by other material i continue reading and learn because it was my hobby i want certificate so that i could utilise to anywhere. a lot of thank to those who think free online degree for globe .i wish success future to all personnel who has attached for this solemn work.

    • Hi, Sanjay
      Thanks for this. It’s good to hear from someone who is doing his best in your circumstances to get higher education. One place you could try is the Indira Gandhi National Open University (http://www.ignou.ac.in/), based in Delhi. Several states in India also have their own open university. I don’t know if they offer programs in health and safety but they probably do. IGNOU has some agreements with other countries that enable their degrees or certificates to be recognized outside India. Another organization you could try is the OERu (http://oeru.org/), which is an international consortium that aims to ensure that qualifications gained from one partner institution will be recognized by all the other institutions. However, it has only recently been set up and doesn’t have many courses yet. If other readers can suggest programs for Sanjay (health and safety, internationally transferable, online and open.), please do so.
      However, despite all the open education developments, it is still exceedingly difficult to get qualifications in higher education that will transfer across national borders, especially if they are offered by distance or online learning. Things are changing but not fast enough.
      In the meantime, good luck with your studies.

  15. How can i know if Alison is sccredited. due to finacial problem in my home country I couldn’t finish my education and

    fortunately I found Alison . can I USE IT TO GO TO THE UNIVERSITY?

    • Hi, EKI

      Unfortunately, Alison does not offer qualifications itself. It enables you to access programs from other suppliers of courses. In some cases, an institution may allow you to use a certificate from Alison towards a qualification so that instead of having to take all their courses, you can be given credit for the courses you have taken through Alison, but not many institutions allow this.

      You should contact Alison directly for more information.

      In the meantime good luck with your studies

      best regards

      • RDI do not accept the ALISON certificates as a qualification.

        I thought it would be a try after receiving three diplomas from ALISON and on my fourth, all of which are academic courses.

    • Alison courses should be used as a continuous professional development. Its not a qualification and it carries no credit. However, with Alison course you can learn and learn real fast. Your skills acquired can be used in work place. I have used Alison courses to prepare for interview several times and was extremely helpful.

    • I completed about my 4 diploma first I received the diploma in health & SAFETY MANAGEMENT IN WORK PLACE The others 3 diploma not yet received please tell me how can I get my diploma send to me ? here is my address:
      Robert Ewambi pandong B P 4832 pointe-noire Republic of ciongo/Brazzaville. Africa
      i’m waiting for your reply.
      Mr Robert Ewambi Pandong

  18. Hi Tony,
    Thank you for this valuable page..I am from India and in final year Of Bachelor in Technology in IT..problem is I need guidance and if possible free certification or not-so-costly(as every certification I checked for was more than 5k)!!

    Is alison good enough or can you suggest some other free online learning sites?

  19. My name is Sbu,

    I have completed Diploma in IT Management and Diploma in Operation in Management and found this information very useful,I a 3year Dip in IT and also quailed as an MCP hold various certificate.Alison open gate and very useful to all, their transcript or academic record is helpful if you apply for a job I thou their certificate.but if you want a cert as a proof just go for it.

  20. Hi I was wondering if anyone has done the email print of the certificate instead of the parchment? On the site it says that is is available for a nominal fee just wondering what that fee maybe?

  21. Alison is a,great choice for anyone who is hungry for knowledge, it is also convenient because everything is online, I earned a diploma in Web design and a Certificate in Visual and Graphic design, since completing these courses I have been able to build professional looking websites, logo design and I’m in the process of starting my own online business, so I highly recommend ALISON to anyone.

  22. Hi Tony Bates and everyone,

    ALISON claims that their Diploma in Workplace Safety and Health is Equivalent to QCF Level (UK) – Level 3. Is there any way for me to verify this? Like for example, a website where I can find if this claim is true.

    Your kind inputs would be highly appreciated.

  23. i found that ALISON is a very effective through and through albeit it’s free. Naysayer’s should try at least one of their courses. I’m pursuing a master’s degree currently at a local university here in malaysia, the content and distribution of the learning materials is good if not perfect.

  25. Hey Tony Bates

    I have just used ALISON to test it out as i was recommended by a friend i just completed the diploma in physcology and i was just interested what can i do with this certificate? Is it of any benifit to me?

      • i did the ALISON Customer Service diploma, to show my business funders that I engaged in learning specifically to enhance my new business. Using photoshop and word, i created a Bank Top Bikes in-house certificate, to acknowledge and reference the training, both for funding purposes and CPD. The diploma will be recorded on my CV.

        The course may not be accredited, but i found it helpful and enjoyed it. I’m doing a diploma in e-commerce now.

        Here in the UK many colleges and other employers tend to use ALISON to provide in-house training for specific areas of employment. I have the Safeguarding and Equality and Diversity certificates from previous jobs.

        Final thought, regardless of your job situation, your educational achievements or your location, it is accepted that learning of any type is good for you, and can prevent or slow down the approach of dementia. in that case, how can ALISON be a waste of time?

    • Sorry, Sunil, I can’t answer that question. You need to contact the board in India (state or federal) that regulates electrician training. I would be surprised though if they will approve an Alison certificate. Anyone in India who knows?

  27. I have to say I’m very disappointed with ALISON. When you finish the course you have to PAY to have a PDF certificate. Other than that there is actually no way to show that someone has completed a course. Therefore the course is NOT free. Its basically a really clever way to get money. The courses take an hour to complete and the information is what you can find on youtube. I think its very naughty that ALISON comes across as offering what looks like a qualification when in fact I can ask you some questions and if you answer them correctly, I can give you a certificate and thats equal to what Alison provides.

    • I have completed 2 of Alison’s short courses and found them to be informative if only as an introduction to the subjects. Currently I am doing a diploma in Electrical studies, which so far seems interesting and more in depth than the other courses. True, the lack of accredited certification is a disappointment, but I think that if your understanding of the subject studied is good then you will be able to project this to an employer. It will look good on your C.V. and shows that you are pro-active in your education.

      It is not necessary to purchase the certificates and therefore you don’t have to spend any money. At an interview you could log in to your Alison account and show the employer the list of certificates accomplished. At the very least this should show a potential employer that you have an aptitude and genuine interest in the position.

  29. I spent the time to actually complete the course Diploma in Nursing and Patient care. Many of the questions are on the nclexon on the nclex exams. I learned so much. It is only fair that employers give student opportunity to use this diploma. Recognition or not, IT IS WORTH THE TIME. For my satisfaction, I will send for my Diploma and keep it proudly. It was worth the effort.

  30. Hi there… I thought I would give my input. I’m currently doing the Diploma in Children’s studies and have found the information to be captivating.

    For those who are looking to be accredited, I’ve read that the ALISON courses are NOT accredited but one can have them accredited externally (I have not done much research into this so I cannot provide links or even verify if this is possible)

    What I CAN say though is that it certainly is not a waste of time. As with anything, when one learns something new it adds to the richness of one’s life. It is at the end of the day up to each student what they will do with the information they have learnt and how they will use it. ALISON’s courses may not be accredited or recognised as an official source of learning, but it can add to one’s experience.

    I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience with ALISON and will be taking up some more of their classes, I would recommend it to anyone else looking to broaden their horizons.

    • Hi Rayne! Thank you for your comments. I am currently pursuing this course as well. May I know how much this course cost in advance? Thank you!

  31. I have completed the certification for nursing and patient care. I chose to take this course in order for me to open my own in home health care. Will this certification benefit me? In other words, will this sufficient enough to get that business I am striving for? Please advise

    • Hi, Latecia
      This will almost certainly depend on the regulations that apply regarding nursing qualifications in whatever jurisdiction you wish to practice in. Nursing regulations are normally administered either by professional bodies and/or the state, provincial or national government, who determine what counts as qualifications.
      I would be surprised if they would accept an Alison certificate, but Alison is really a middleman for other course providers, so it will depend on who developed and administered the certificate you took, and whether that organization’s qualifications are accepted.
      My advice to anyone considering taking online courses from a private provider such as Alison or for-profit universities such as Phoenix or Kaplan is to check FIRST with your regulating body as to whether the qualification is recognised by the accrediting body, before enrolling. The best way to do this is to contact the relevant professional body. Try a Google search and type in ‘Nursing requirements Nigeria’ or whatever your locality is. Then try and talk to someone because it’s usually complicated but it will save you wasting your time and money on worthless qualifications

  32. Hello, thanks for the great resource of information you created here on online learning. Please can you tell me what are the best experienced and accredited online universities you know and thanks a lot.

    • Hi, Jenan
      Difficult question to answer, as it’s impossible for any single person to know all the good online programs. But here’s my first shot:
      1. Any ‘conventional’ publicly-funded university with also a long history of distance education, such as the land grant universities in the USA. e.g. Penn State’s World Campus, the University of Wisconsin, the University of New Mexico. In Canada, similar institutions would be Memorial University, Laval University (in French), University of Guelph, University of Saskatchewan, University of British Columbia. These universities usually use their own ‘on-campus’ faculty combined with professional support staff such as instructional designers experienced in online and distance learning, although not all ‘dual-mode’ institutions have moved quickly enough away from print-based to fully online. In Mexico, the Universidad de Guadalajara has an excellent online program in Spanish through its Virtual Campus
      2. Publicly funded universities that have tended to specialise in online or blended learning. The best example in the USA is the University of Central Florida. Another with a strong online program is Empire State College in the State University of New York system. One of the largest in the USA is the University of Maryland University College, which has many US servicemen as students. However, having been a guest tutor on some of their courses, I’m not particularly impressed with the overall quality, although some individual courses/programs are good.
      3. Some private, non-profit universities such as the University of Southern New Hampshire, which has one of the largest online programs in the USA. Tec de Monterrey is a dual-mode private, non-profit university in Mexico that offers high quality online programs in Spanish
      4. Outside of the USA, a few publicly funded open universities. The best online is the Open University of Catalonia, in Spain, which was founded in 1996 as a purely online university. It offers several graduate programs in English, and many undergraduate as well as graduate programs in Spanish and Catalan. Tèluq in Quebec offers high quality online programs in French. The U.K. Open University and the Open University of the Netherlands are also leaders in online learning. However, many open universities have a heavy legacy of print-based education which has limited their ability to move completely online. I’m not currently recommending Athabasca University in Canada, because it’s future is uncertain, and many of its undergraduate programs are still print-based.
      5. I hesitate to recommend for-profit institutions such as the University of Phoenix, Laureate or Kaplan, not because they don’t offer high quality online programs – they do – but because of ongoing problems with federal student aid and recognition of their degrees.
      There are many other universities offering excellent online programs, too many to number, but if other readers would like to make recommendations, please do so and I will then construct a single blog post around this topic.

      • Good day Jenan,
        a university that is well known and accreditted is UNISA in pretoria South Africa, Please be reminded that all courses are accreditted world wide. no exception offered at UNISA, and with the dollar rand exchange you will get your money worth. 😉

  33. I already have a B.Eng in electrical engineering, and i did diploma courses on project management and workplace health and safety. Please are these certificates recognaised in Nigeria?

    • Hi, Masta

      Depends what you want to use the diplomas for. If you go for a job, they will look good on your CV, in combination with your B.Eng. It shows that you are still willing to learn new skills
      However, they won’t carry much weight if you want to use them for academic purposes.

      Hope that helps and good luck

  34. Hi I live in Cape Town, am 56 years old and have 7 alison certifications and have added it to my CV. I did not pay for any certificates from Alison but downloaded my learner report in pdf format. This report details your certifications and other courses still in progress along with the time duration. As the courses is not accredited the learner report would suffice to attach to your CV and from my perspective does look impressive. Why complain when all pf this is free. Ive become a bit of an Alison addict. Take it from me and where I come from I could never afford to pay for formal education and yet its free on Alison, everything tailor made and structured for your convenience, unesco endorsed, yet we still complain. Please understand that the material is supplementary to your learniny experience and a bridge to even greater achievements, especially if you have youth oj yor side. Happy studying.

  35. Any executive here who will hire an pure Alison “Graduate” ?
    Next question guys, is Alison.com just offering cheaper lower quality courses…not necessarily free??

    Frm Bernard

  36. The NEBOSH health and safety at work award is designed to provide those starting in health and safety with basic knowledge on the principles of health and safety. As this qualification is not based around UK legislation it’s the perfect entry level health and safety training course for the Indian market. Many companies and organisations make this training mandatory for those wishing to be in the health and safety industry.
    http://www.safety-training-india.com/nebosh-health-and-safety-at-work-award-india/

  37. As part of my CPD I have selected a number of Diploma courses through Aliaon. The main reason being I am unemployed and need to brush up on skills that will appeal to employers.

    Realizing now that we have to pay 100GBP for the parchment has put me right off. It is a real shame that fees are hidden until the diploma in completed.

    I understand that Alison is free and relies on ads etc to generate income but please don’t pull a fast one on the very people who make your business possible.

    • I totally agree with you Florence, at least they should have allowed us to view the certificate/Diploma online and then pay if we want a parchment. But even though, for a non-certified and “free” course, its rather expensive.

  38. I did my courses with Alison and received my Diploma and certificates January 2015 with a discount. Not forgetting my transcripts which came along with my certificates so as to know which modules studied. Will study with them again. Very intense but quality.

  39. Hi, I’m a fervent Alison learner and have passed in 4 different diplomas and 10 other certificates. I desire to enhance my knowledge in various area and Alison is providing the platform for such aspiration. My concern is, don’t any of you think the courses are too easy? I do.

    • Hi Nathan,

      Did you get your certificate after finishing your courses? Did tou have to pay for them or did you get the PDF file they tell you?

  40. Hi,

    Im from Mauritius and just learned about ALISON. I completed The Fundamentals of Network Security some days ago. The site did specify that I’m now ceritified but I have no access to my certificate. I only have access to my online records.

    To get the parchment, I need to pay 27 Euros + 15 Euros for Shipping (42 Euros). Which makes 1700 in Mauritian Rupees.

    Like Florence Eta said: ” It is a real shame that fees are hidden until the diploma is completed “

  41. I’ve just completed my Alison basic english course and it marked that I was certified. I’m disapointed that they want to charge me over ninety pounds for a certificate.

  42. Sorry am a bit confused, am doing diploma in math…are alison certificates shiped or they come in PDF for printing thus after u make the payment

    • Hi there! I am in South Africa. I did project management, business communications with Alison. This helped a lot since the courses are in line with my work. But im struggling to print the certificates. How can I print the certificates? The person who introduced me to Alison unfortunately passed on,but she had printed her certificate. Please guys assist.

      • Hi Edith, if you have not found this out yet, go to your profile page, your certificates, and you can press the ‘adobe pdf symbol’, printing it out from the menu when it opens, hope this helps.

  46. This week I passed a diploma in web design, a diploma in project management, a diploma in workplace safety and health, a diploma in psychology, a diploma in food safety & the advanced diploma in tourism and hospitality. I have never done any kind of study since I left school at 15, so I don’t have anything to compare it with but in my opinion it’s way to easy. I’m not going to buy the parchments but will be adding the diplomas to my cv, I took a screen shot on my iPad off the emails they send to say you passed. it has your grade in the email and if anyone asks for evidence I’ll just show them the photo. If I can pass these courses almost anyone can I hardly even read any of the topics I virtually skipped through the learning material as quickly as possible and went straight to the assessments and still past the multiple choice questions with ease. I’m out of work atm so I’m bored as hell and these courses have kept me busy while I wait for new jobs to be listed online and if I don’t get work soon, I could end up doing every diploma Alison offers at the rate I’m going.

  47. I have taken three courses with ALISON to date, all in computer programming, and the standard of the content is very good. Each module was a video of an actual Harvard lecture in their ‘Introduction to Computer Science course’, so there is a definite value to the content and I enjoyed completing them. It has to be said I studied these courses for interest and in an effort to better understanding computer code for building my own websites, as such they were extremely beneficial and I learnt a lot. You will gain a basic knowledge and understanding of your chosen subject. This of course could help you in your endeavors to find employment, certainly in interviews…however, if you expect the certificates to be comparative to more traditional qualifications this is simply not going to be the case. They will show you have a keen interest in your chosen subject and that you are willing to learn in your own time. They may give you confidence to follow on to a more recognized industry standard, but at the end of the day a certificate earned in the comfort of your own home with your notes at hand will always have less employer appeal.

  48. I want to do the social work course and some on the addictions and mental health courses..has anyone done them and most importantly can anyone tellme what the fee for certification was at the end…if its too much I wont be taking it

  49. Does anyone have a Diploma o Graphic Design with Alison, please? The course it covers all the Adobe CS6 suite? Thanks – Diana

  50. Certificates for Alison are costly….
    certificate in pdf for should be free.
    Can you suggest me website which provide education + certificate without any charges.
    certificate in pdf for should be free.

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