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New Skills Academy Review: Course Range, Pricing and Who It Suits
New Skills Academy is an online learning provider with a very large catalogue and a pricing model built around frequent promotions. This guide looks at what the company says about itself, how its offers work, and the questions worth answering before you spend any money. It is based on the provider's public pages only. We have not taken the courses ourselves, so nothing here describes personal experience of the lessons, tutors or certificates.
What New Skills Academy Offers
New Skills Academy presents itself as an online course provider. Its homepage invites visitors to join "over 1,085,000 students" and to study one of "910+" courses, which it describes as career enhancing and confidence boosting. These are the company's own figures. They give a sense of scale, but they are not independently verified.
On delivery, student comments hosted on the provider's checkout page describe courses that can be done at your own pace and on various devices. Other comments mention videos with each module, quick tests, assignments and downloadable worksheets. In practice, that points to a flexible, self-directed format rather than scheduled classes, though the exact structure will vary by course.
The site also offers a currency selector covering GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD and NZD. That suggests an international audience, even though the pages we reviewed are the UK site. The navigation also refers to an Unlimited Membership option and a voucher redemption page. This guide does not assess either, so check their terms separately if they interest you.
The rest of this guide looks at the range of subjects, the pricing, the feedback shown on the site and the limits of what public information can tell you.
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Course Range and Categories
The homepage lists more than 20 course categories, each with a course count. The largest are Business (417 courses) and Personal Development (417), followed by Vocational / Hobbies (371), Sales / Marketing (182), Admin / Secretarial / HR (166), Medical (159) and Computing (149). Smaller categories include Beauty (53) and Animal Care (39).
| Category | Courses listed |
|---|---|
| Business | 417 |
| Personal Development | 417 |
| Vocational / Hobbies | 371 |
| Sales / Marketing | 182 |
| Admin / Secretarial / HR | 166 |
| Medical | 159 |
| Computing | 149 |
| Language | 75 |
| Beauty | 53 |
| Animal Care | 39 |
The category figures add up to far more than the headline 910+ courses. That suggests some courses are listed under more than one category, so treat the numbers as a guide to emphasis rather than a precise count. They are merchant-reported and may change over time.
The summer sale page gives a closer look at the diploma-style courses. Examples include the Complete SEND Diploma (22 modules), Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Diploma (23 modules), Payroll Diploma (23 modules) and Digital Marketing Diploma (10 modules). Others on the same page include a Garden Design and Maintenance Diploma (28 modules), a Tax Accounting Certificate (10 modules) and a Mindfulness Diploma (9 modules).
Module counts vary widely, from single digits to the high twenties. A module count says little about the depth of each module or the study time involved, so compare the module list for the specific course you want rather than relying on the title or the number.
Pricing and Current Offers
Many courses on the offer page are listed with a recommended retail price (RRP) of £100. Alongside that, the summer sale page advertises any £100 course for £25, or two for £40. On those figures, a single course works out at 75% below RRP, and the two-course deal at £20 each.
The homepage and checkout also display a 79% discount on individual courses with the code GOALS79. If that code applied to a £100 RRP course, it would imply a price of roughly £21. That is our arithmetic, not a quoted price, so confirm the actual figure at checkout.
The checkout page adds one more incentive: a free course (RRP £100), the Interview Skills and CV Writing Certificate, for people who tick a box to sign up to the newsletter. The conditions matter here. By signing up, you agree to the privacy notice and cookie policy and to receive marketing emails from the provider's group of brands, although the page says you can unsubscribe at any time.
Because these discounts are promotional and time-limited, the price you actually pay may differ from what you see on a particular page. A page headed "summer sale" may also no longer be live when you read this. Since a £100 RRP appears alongside frequent offers, the discounted price is probably the more realistic figure to use when comparing providers. Confirm the final price, currency and any conditions at checkout before you commit.
What Students Say
The provider's pages carry a number of student testimonials. The themes are consistent. Reviewers describe clear explanations, self-paced study, videos that accompany each module, frequent assessments and downloadable worksheets.
The named reviewers describe quite different reasons for studying:
- Personal interest and a possible side income. One reviewer started a dog-related course to help with their own dog and then began to consider it as a way to earn a second income.
- Returning to study. Another describes the course as challenging, with frequent assessments, after not studying for over 30 years.
- Workplace skills. A reviewer who took a sign language basics course says it should benefit them at work.
- Practice in a care role. A support worker says the course gave practical knowledge they can use in their role, and one reviewer who describes themselves as a doctor says each module of a CBT course includes a quick test and an assignment.
These comments are useful for understanding the format. They should not be read as independent or representative evidence. The testimonials are published by the merchant, who chooses which ones to show, and we have no way to see the full range of student experiences. They also do not establish career outcomes or whether any certificate is recognised by an employer. Think of them as a description of what some satisfied students liked, not as a measure of what you should expect.
Strengths Worth Noting
Based on the public information, these are the points in the provider's favour:
- Breadth. With 910+ courses spread across more than 20 categories, from dog grooming to retail banking by the provider's own description, there is a good chance of finding a course in a practical or professional area you care about.
- Low promotional prices. The advertised offers of £25 for a £100 RRP course, or two for £40, are low compared with the stated RRP. Whether the £100 figure reflects what courses are worth is a separate question, but the price you pay can be small.
- Flexible study. Merchant-published student comments describe self-paced learning on various devices, which suits people fitting study around work or family.
- Varied formats. Testimonials mention video modules, quick tests, assessments and downloadable worksheets, which suggests more than plain reading material.
- An established, international-facing operation. Multi-currency pricing and a stated student base of more than 1,085,000 point to a business operating at scale.
None of these points is a guarantee of quality for any individual course. They describe what the provider offers and how students have described it, not how every course performs.
Limitations to Weigh
The main limitation is what public pages cannot show. From the homepage, offer page and checkout alone, you cannot independently assess course depth, tutor support or content quality. We did no hands-on testing for this guide, so we cannot tell you how the lessons feel or how much support you would receive.
Accreditation is the next thing to check. Accreditation-style logos, including CPD, appear on the checkout page. Before relying on any certificate for regulated work, find out what that certificate actually represents. Certificates and diplomas from short online courses may not be equal to regulated qualifications, so verify requirements with your employer or professional body first.
Pricing is the third. A high RRP combined with constant discounting means the headline saving is a marketing figure. The realistic comparison is the price after discount, not the "79% off" or "£100" number.
Finally, remember these points:
- The free-course offer requires agreeing to marketing emails.
- Testimonials are curated by the merchant.
- A big catalogue does not guarantee quality across every course.
If any of these matter to you, read the individual course page closely and ask the provider's support team before buying.
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Practical Alternatives to Compare
If New Skills Academy does not look right, alternatives fall into a few broad types. We are not making claims about specific competitors because we reviewed no competitor evidence.
- Other low-cost course marketplaces. These offer similar short, self-paced courses, usually with certificates of completion. They suit the same casual or exploratory learner.
- University or MOOC platforms. These tend to offer structured courses from educational institutions, sometimes with optional paid certificates. They may suit people who want academic-style content.
- Regulated awarding-body or college courses. These lead to formal qualifications and often involve set assessment and tutor contact. They are the better route when a specific regulated qualification is required.
Whichever type you consider, compare the same few things:
- the price after discount
- the type of certificate you receive
- how learning is assessed
- what support is available
- how long you keep access
Where a regulated qualification is a requirement, a provider that actually offers it may fit better than a general short course, whatever the price difference.
How to Decide If It Fits You
AI-generated generic editorial illustration — not a retailer product photo and does not depict the reviewed product or service. Help readers match their goal, budget and need for recognised credentials to New Skills Academy, ending in a short pre-purchase checklist.
New Skills Academy looks best suited to hobbyists, people exploring a new field and anyone building general skills at low cost. The wide catalogue and low promotional prices suit curiosity-driven learning, and the self-paced format suits busy schedules.
It looks less suited to people who need a specific regulated qualification, or in-depth live tuition, unless you have verified that a particular course meets that need.
A simple approach:
- Personal interest: a low-priced course can be a reasonable way to explore a subject.
- Career boost: treat the course as skill-building, and check how employers in your field view such certificates.
- Formal qualification required: confirm the requirement first, then choose a provider that meets it.
Before you buy, run through this checklist:
- Read the course page's module list.
- Check the certificate details and what the accreditation logos mean for that course.
- Confirm the access terms.
- Check the final checkout price and currency.
- Note any marketing opt-ins attached to free offers.
- Compare at least one alternative.
Only use the summer sale or discount code once you have confirmed they are live. If the checklist looks fine, you can browse the catalogue and current offers on the provider's own site.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many courses does New Skills Academy offer?
The homepage says "910+" courses and over 1,085,000 students. These are the provider's own figures and may change. Category counts on the same page add up to more than the headline number, which suggests some courses appear in more than one category.
How much do New Skills Academy courses cost?
Many courses on the offer page show an RRP of £100. The summer sale page advertises any £100 course for £25, or two for £40, and the homepage and checkout show a 79% discount code for individual courses. Offers are promotional and can change, so confirm the price at checkout.
Can I get a free course with New Skills Academy?
The checkout page offers the Interview Skills and CV Writing Certificate course (RRP £100) free when you tick the box to sign up to the newsletter. Signing up means agreeing to receive marketing emails, though the page says you can unsubscribe at any time. Check the current conditions at checkout.
Are New Skills Academy courses self-paced?
Student comments on the provider's pages describe studying at your own pace and on various devices. These comments are published by the merchant, so check the course page and access terms for how long you keep access and how each course is structured.
Should I check accreditation before buying a course?
Yes. Accreditation-style logos, including CPD, appear on the checkout page, but you should find out what each course's certificate represents. Short online certificates may not equal regulated qualifications, so confirm requirements with your employer or professional body if you need the course for regulated work.
Sources
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