10 factors for choosing The Best Online Course

Over the years, learning or upskilling oneself for competitive examinations has evolved significantly, due to which there has been an increased demand for audio-visual learning along with conventional learning methodologies. The web-based learning has become mainstream over the past couple of years, as most online coaching platforms are identifying creative ways to make the preparation journey for competitive exams simple and effective for the students. The best part about online learning is that you can upgrade your skill set and knowledge base with various online courses and that too at your own convenience.

The online teaching methodology has now reached even the most remote parts of the country.  Without any obstructions, you can now get prompt test outcomes that further improve your abilities. You can get study materials, video recordings, and mock tests at the convenience of your home over conventional learning, wherein you have to go to physical institutes.  

Before we dive into discussing the details of the GATE 2024 and ESE 2024 examinations, let us find out the answers to some basic yet must-know questions: 

Which type of online course is best? 

This depends on the respective study pattern and requirements concerning the competitive exams such as GATE, ESE, and State Engineering Exams. If you are looking for the best course, then feel free to check out MADE EASY’s LIVE-Online courses.     

What is Online Education?

Online education is a web or app-based education methodology that helps students and exam aspirants (of any age and educational background) to study from anywhere and offers the flexibility to study anytime.    

Which online course is best for getting a job?

Most students willing to join online courses often have this question in mind – Will I get a job after completing this course? Therefore, students enrolling in the course must strive towards upgrading their conceptual base to the best possible extent instead of completely focusing on whether they will get a job after this online course. However, if you want to get a government job via the GATE and ESE exams, then this course will provide you with the required guidance and an edge over other aspirants.   

Which courses have more job opportunities?

The online courses that offer a wide range of job opportunities vary from time to time depending upon the demand in that particular sector. Therefore, you need to analyse and find out the field or specific niche in which you want to study and build a successful career.   

For GATE and ESE examinations too, there are various online coaching platforms with several courses available. However, it is important to choose the best online course wisely, as this is what your entire preparation journey will depend on. Here are some of the factors that students or exam aspirants must consider while choosing the best online coaching platform to prepare for their GATE Exam and ESE examination. 

1. Course Structure

Before you register for any online course, make sure to check the complete course and structure to ensure that it covers everything from an examination perspective. Taking an online class that does not focus on the important aspects of the GATE exam or the ESE examination will be a waste of both time and money. So, with the exam syllabus handy, match the course structure of the online course with that of the actual examination.

In addition, you must also ensure that special attention is being provided to the most important topics of the exam in the course structure. Apart from this, you can check the additional offerings of the respective course. Before you register, here are some important checkpoints:

1. Does it include only classes or a complimentary test series?
2. Does it provide practice questions?
3. Is there a doubt-clearing session?
4. For how long are the videos available? 
5. Length of the course.
6. Is there any study material also being provided?

So do not register for any online coaching platform before being sure of their deliverables and the course structure.

2. Faculty:

You need to ensure that the course is delivered by a renowned and experienced subject expert (faculty). A good faculty will help you understand the topics better and clear your doubts as and when they arise. An experienced faculty will also be aware of the syllabus from the examination perspective and will ensure that the subject is being taught in a manner that is in sync with the syllabus of the exam.

One can argue that an experienced and engaging faculty is important only during face-to-face classes. Well, that is not true, as you may not want to compromise and settle for less just for the fact that the online course is available at a lesser price. Therefore, look for the reviews of the faculty and find out their experience in teaching the particular subject for the specified exam. 

3. Methodology:

While some online courses just offer the lectures in a recorded or LIVE format, you can also opt for innovative methodology being adopted by online coaching platforms, wherein there are animations and other value-added features that will help you understand the concept better. Using videos and animation is a great and innovative learning method that is being incorporated by various online coaching platforms.

While the methodology is important, it should also be simple and exam-oriented. A very complicated teaching methodology will only confuse you and make it even more difficult to study online. You may get frustrated if the technology does not work as per your expectations and there is too much time spent on troubleshooting issues rather than time to study. So, look for courses that offer an innovative yet reliable methodology and technology that different devices and browsers support universally. Overall, you should be able to access all the resources of the platform easily and learning should be simplified.

4 Pricing:

While online classes are less expensive than offline courses, there are various options available in the market to choose from. So, while choosing the best online classes, ensure that you keep your budget in mind. Also, make sure that while you are trying to stay within your budget, do not go for an online coaching platform that does not have good faculty and course structure. 

Along with the pricing, you should also take care of the duration and flexibility of time for a particular course. If you are a working professional, you have to see how you will manage both your studies and your job. So, make sure that the classes provide an enriching experience that helps in your preparation without compromising on any other aspect. To ensure that you can also talk to some of the students who have previously studied at the particular institute.

5. List down your criteria:

While all the above points are important, you need to analyze what are your key criteria, and what you are looking for from the course. Before starting any course, you must have details such as the examination name, for what time, and which specific subjects. 

Various courses are offered by online coaching platforms. Some common types of courses for GATE exam and ESE exams are:

• Live classes with study material
• Only test series
• Concept through questions
• Individual subject classes
• Module course
• Tablet Course

Based on your requirement, you can choose the course that suits your preparation. These questions will help you know your priorities:

• How long do you want to spend on online classes?
• What topics are you especially interested in?
• Do you want study material or not?
• Do you want classes or questions for practice?

6. Quality of the course: 

Before choosing one of the available online courses, it is important to understand the quality of the course and certain features that reflect the same. Aspirants must note this critical aspect for the GATE 2024 and ESE 2024 examinations. One of the critical features includes the availability of updates linked to the course structure set for the respective course. If you are comparing offline courses with online courses, you must prioritize analysing the course features in the best possible manner. If required, you can speak to some of the past students on social media platforms or even ask questions directly from respective online education institutes.

One can easily check and test the quality of the course on the level of interaction offered in the course. Therefore, one must check for features such as engagement in the form of a healthy comparison of scores with the top scorers, thus providing the right level of effectiveness while preparing for the most challenging exams. You must also prioritize the feature of visual learning, as it plays a key role in reaping the best results from the enrolled course. As it is an online course, aspirants must check whether the respective course offers a significant amount of interaction with the teachers and if possible with fellow students.   

7. Assessment and evaluation: 

Competitive exam aspirants must check this critical aspect before enrolling in one of the shortlisted courses. If you constantly study online and do not test yourself for your current state of exam preparation, all your efforts will go in vain without helping you score the desired results in these competitive exams. Regular tests in the courses and online test series help in building the right concepts through questions, thus avoiding time or resource wastage during the entire exam preparation. 

Also, you must create your study schedule only after proper analysis and detailed evaluation of the entire test attempt. In this way, you will ensure that you can prepare for the competitive exams after making the required tweaks and changes to your preparation schedule. This, it will help you to bring your preparation and knowledge base for the examination to the right track toward achieving your exam-oriented goals. 

8. Learning Support: 

Here comes a factor that most exam aspirants usually tend to skip while searching for an online course to prepare for the respective exam. You must keep in mind that every online course comprises Learning Management Systems (LMS), which is responsible for offering the finest features that will provide you with an excellent online learning experience. Some such features include live and recorded lectures, an online-exam taking facility, doubts resolution with the respective teaching faculty, and advanced portal systems for timely submission of completed assessments and tests.  

Apart from this, another crucial aspect that you must check is the quality of student support. Online courses lack physical interaction and students cannot easily approach the institute in most cases. Therefore, you must speak to the student counselors, especially the ones catering to the students presently studying the courses at the respective institute.

9. Compare with similar courses: 

If you are searching for online courses that will provide you with the best guidance throughout your exam preparation, you must have read about different courses. Most aspirants make the mistake of comparing the prices instead of checking the essential aspects such as features, course structure, and course quality, to name a few. 

Therefore, you must understand that although there are several GATE 2024 and ESE 2024 online courses, aspirants must choose the course that will guide them towards success in the form of top ranks in these competitive exams. 

10. Ask for recommendations: 

Yes, you heard that right! You might be feeling that you can research, shortlist, and finalize the respective online courses. This might be true at times, but it is always better to ask for recommendations from the ones studying in your network. You can even ask students who have scored the desired marks in the respective exam about their opinions and suggestions for the course. You can even check out some MADE EASY online courses focused on GATE 2024 and ESE 2024 exam preparation.         

While Online Classes have gained so much traction, it is important to choose the one that suits you the best for your exam preparation. So, choose your preferred online coaching platform with the utmost care. Along with that use your time judiciously and focus on preparing for the exam that you aim to crack in the upcoming months. 

Stay motivated and keep learning!

Dear Aspirants,

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