Whether you are an exam preparer, have set up an academy or simply want your centre to make the leap into the digital world, choosing the right e-learning platform is essential to offer quality online training that meets students’ expectations and really helps them prepare for the exams.
The big question is, which are the top elearning platforms for competitive examinations? With so many options available, choosing the right one can seem overwhelming and complicated. Each platform has its strengths, limitations and functionalities that can be more or less adapted to your academy model or way of teaching.
In this article we show you the best e-learning platforms for competitive examination academies, making a e-learning platforms comparison so that you can evaluate all the options and choose the one that best suits what you need to deliver your online competitive examination courses.
What does an examination academy need in an e-learning platform?
An e-learning platform for an academy for distance competitive examinations does not necessarily have to have the same characteristics and functionalities as one for internal company training or training courses.
An online competition academy must take into account what is competitive exam. Academies and trainers usually have students with a very clear objective: to pass one of the most demanding tests and with the most extensive syllabus in the country. Many of these students combine the preparation of the competitive examinations with work or family, so what they are looking for is a complete, organised and flexible training. Therefore, the tool you choose to teach your classes must respond to these needs.
Some of the characteristics that an e-learning platform for a competitive examination academy should have are:
- Live or recorded online classes: synchronous classes to offer explanations, resolve doubts and maintain interaction with live students, or asynchronous classes so that students themselves can study and access the content at their own pace.
- Correction of exams and tests: to be able to evaluate exercises and exams, especially automatically, so that candidates can practice and receive instant feedback that allows them to improve and continue to make progress.
- Progress tracking: to be able to monitor the progress of each student and to be able to detect areas that require reinforcement or even opportunities to improve your content.
- Payment management: it is important to be able to automate enrolments and registrations for your training to facilitate the administration of the business.
- Discussion forums: communication spaces where students can share doubts, experiences and feel part of a community.
- Downloadable content: so that learners have access to support material at any time, even offline, whether videos, articles or flashcards.
Although the online platform for studying for competitive examinations meets all of these requirements, there are still some specific challenges that preparers and academies face when working with these tools:
- Lack of time: between preparing materials, taking care of students and managing the business side, you may not have much time to spare. That is why it is important that the platform is intuitive, easy to use and efficient to optimise your tasks and your time.
- Learner management: without the right technology, being an e-learning trainer, managing learners, calendars, attendance and groups can be a bit chaotic.
- Scalability: the training platform for competitive examinations must be able to adapt to changes such as the growth of your student base and the expansion of the academy without compromising either the functionalities of the tool or the quality of the training.
How to choose an e-learning platform if you are a competitive examination academy or a civil service exam preparer
Before jumping into any e-learning platform, there are a number of criteria you need to take into account when choosing the right tool.
Look at the price, sometimes the most expensive is not the best, and sometimes the cheapest is not the worst. Assess what you really need, some e-learning tools for competitive examinations offer different plans according to their functionalities. In addition, you should take into account your budget and your initial student base and choose something coherent so that the investment does not affect your profitability in a negative way.
Consider the ease of use and user interface, bearing in mind that not everyone has the same technical knowledge. Also consider what kind of content you want to upload to your courses and what formats you need the tool to support. In addition, being able to personalise and customise the course to your liking in line with your brand is a plus that can bring authority and a perception of quality.
Task automation is another element to take into account, being able to streamline processes and optimise times will save you some headaches. And, if the platform also has a good technical support service, you will be able to solve any problem in a much simpler way.
The scalability of the online learning for competitive exams is something you should also consider. Even if you are just starting out and see it as a long way off, there is a chance that your business will grow, so keep this in mind so that you are not changing tools every time you need to expand your courses and open up to new learners. For example, you may start by teaching a course in administration exams, but eventually decide to expand your training to include other branches.
The 7 top e-learning platforms for competitive examination academies
Now that you know the key criteria you should take into account before choosing an e-learning platform, it’s time to compare, evaluate and choose. To make your job a little easier, we have selected the 7 best e-learning platforms for candidates, making a e-learning platforms comparison and highlighting their main functionalities.
1. evolCampus
Evolcampus is the one of the best online study platform for competitive exams. Designed for academies, companies and training centres looking for a complete solution, it is very intuitive and scalable. Evolcampus stands out for:
- Integrated communication with forums, chat, messaging and videoconferencing.
- SCORM compatibility.
- Instant creation of courses without great technical knowledge.
- Assessment with self-correcting tests, surveys and multiple activities.
2. OpoSuite
0poSuite is a platform developed specifically for competitive examination academies, it combines management, evaluation and personalisation of the courses, its most outstanding functionalities are:
- Full specialisation in competitive examinations.
- Use of artificial intelligence to analyse student performance.
- Interactive tools to underline and annotate material.
- Personalisation of mobile applications.
3. ClassOnLive
- Own brand and total customisation without white label.
- Allows the integration of different payment gateways such as Klarna or PayU.
- Automation of marketing campaigns on social networks, email marketing and affiliate marketing.
- Allows you to establish simple rules and automations.
4. Moodle
Moodle is one the best online platform for competitive exams, ideal for companies with large resources or looking for high scalability. It stands out for:
- A large community and support for expert advice on online training.
- It has integrated content accessibility checkers.
- Allows multiple certified integrations such as plagiarism detectors.
5. Thinkific
Thinkific is an e-learning platform in the cloud that allows you to create, manage, sell and analyse online courses. The most important features of this tool are:
- Visual drag-and-drop builder to design courses visually.
- Artificial intelligence tools for content generation.
- Artificial intelligence content generation for social networks.
- Includes B2B sales functionalities.
- Includes marketing, upselling and abandoned cart retargeting functionalities.
6. Canvas LMS
Canvas LMS is also a cloud-based platform that enables open and extensible learning management. Its most important functionalities are:
- 24/7 technical support.
- Reduce evaluation time by 50% with SpeedGrader and Gradebook.
- Communication through messages, audio notes, videos and more.
- The size of the files that can be uploaded is unlimited.
7. Chamilo
Chamilo is a simple and intuitive open source downloadable LMS, easy to use and adaptable. It stands out for:
- It is open source and free, which allows it to be adapted to any type of training.
- It can be integrated with other software such as BigBlueButton.
- It can import SCORM and AICC standards.
How Evolcampus works and its advantages
This is how you can manage courses, tests and students in Evocampus, a single platform designed for competitive examination academies without technical complications or the need for external tools.
Discover how it works and all its advantages in evolCampus.
Comparison of e-learning platforms for competitive examination academies
To help you make an informed decision, here is a comparison table of the top e-learning platforms for competitive examinations in our ranking:
Frequently asked questions about the best e-learning platforms for competitive examination academies
What is the best platform to prepare for competitive examinations online?
What is the difference between an LMS and an e-learning platform?
An LMS (Learning Management System) is software that manages courses, users, content and assessments. An e-learning platform includes an LMS, but also adds extra marketing, payment, automation, analytics or community functions.
Which is the easiest to use without technical knowledge?
Evolcampus, ClassOnLive or Thinkific stand out for their ease of use and for offering very basic plans with simple functionalities that do not require great technical knowledge. They are perfect for those who want to be independent online competition preparers.
How much does a competitive examination academy cost per month?
The cost of setting up an online competition academy depends on many factors such as the platform chosen, the number of students or the investment in content and marketing. The range can go from €50 to more than €200 per month.