FAQs

We offer a range of proofreading courses to suit experienced proofreaders looking to continue their professional development, those looking to get the required skills to become a professional proofreader, and those who want to improve their proofreading in particular subject areas. Please see the full list of courses here.

We offer a range of proofreading courses, so please have a look at our course summaries here.

Our courses range from short summary courses that may take just a few hours to in-depth courses with 30+ hours of content. The prices reflect the different levels of content and tutor interaction. If you have any questions about our courses please see the course summary page, where you can click to read detailed information about each course, or contact us.

The course that we have on Udemy is a shorter course (4 modules) and does not have the work guarantee that the Becoming a Proofreader course offers. The full course is currently only available via our website.
If you’d like to have a chat about what the course involves and the difference between the two courses, please contact us.

The course platform features readable content, short tutorial videos, quizzes, and assignments. There is also the opportunity to contribute to our proofreading forum. You will need to be online to view the content.

The course is self-paced, and you can progress through the material at any time of day or night. You can learn at your own pace, in your own time.

Our courses are valid for twelve months. Extensions are available and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you have any questions about this.

No. The price of each course includes access to all of our materials and any applicable tests. That being said, to complete your course you will need a laptop or desktop computer and access to an internet connection and Microsoft Word. We recommend that you have at least Microsoft Word 2016, as this is the version you will need if you want to work with us after you have completed the course. We provide the rest, including real-world sample documents for you to download and practice proofreading.

Please take a look at out course summary page, which outlines the benefits of the different courses we offer. If you’d like to have a chat about our courses in more detail, please contact us.

Proofreading Academy teaches a broad range of skills in our Becoming a Proofreader course to prepare you to work as a professional proofreader immediately after completing the course. Instead of having to take numerous courses to learn about proofreading for business, creative, and academic purposes, you’ll find everything you need in one place. We also teach how to proofread and edit different English dialects and how to work with various referencing styles. However, if you want to learn specific skills, we also have short courses available, drawn from our full course, that focus on these. Please take a look at out course summary page, which outlines the benefits of the different courses we offer.

We do not offer a recognized qualification as yet. However, graduation from the course qualifies you to work for Proofed, a respected international network of freelance proofreading businesses with branches in the UK, the US, and Australia. Once you have passed the course, you can go on the books as a freelancer for Proofed and have access to their internal jobs board, where you can see all the proofreading work available each day.

Yes – we teach the digital methods that proofreaders, businesses, and publishers really use.

At Proofreading Academy, we recognize that most of our proofreading clients work on a computer with internet access and require documents to be proofread immediately. Our courses have always been based on the need for modern editing and proofreading in a digital world. We do not teach the proofreading symbols, as proofreaders today are unlikely to use this method in their day-to-day work. You can read more about this here. There may be some customers who prefer the traditional methods of proofreading (for instance, those who do not get on well with or have access to technology), but most of your work will be done in Microsoft Word.

To complete any of our courses, all you need is a laptop or desktop computer and access to an internet connection and Microsoft Word. We recommend that you have at least Microsoft Word 2016, as this is the version you will need if you want to work with us after you have completed the course. We provide the rest, including real-world sample documents for you to download and practice proofreading. Currently, the course is not optimized for completion on mobile phones or iPads.

Our Becoming a Proofreader course includes an assessment. Although you’ll need to pass all the modules with 80% or above to pass the course, only the final assignments count towards your final grade on the course. You have three tries at the final assignment, and infinite tries at all other quizzes in the course. We currently offer detailed feedback at the final assignment stage. However, if you would like support earlier in the course then please contact us.

Once you purchase a course, you will be asked to complete your user profile. When this is done, you will be able to start learning right away. If you have already signed up, you will be able to sign up for more courses from within your user area.

Check out some of our great reviews on Trustpilot! We also have some success stories of students who have taken the course.

No, you can participate in the course (and work for Proofed) from any country in the world. All you need is an internet connection and the latest version of Microsoft Word!

At the end of each course, all participants are able to download a course completion certificate. If you take our complete course in editing and proofreading you will receive a digital certificate showing your final grade.

Currently it is not possible to earn credit for completing a Proofreading Academy course.

Everyone who has passed the course will be invited to join our LinkedIn group of professional proofreaders.

The Becoming a Proofreader course entitles you to three separate attempts at the final assignments, with fresh tests each time. Our tutors grade your assignments against specific criteria, which you will either meet or not meet, and award marks accordingly. In each test attempt we will provide you with detailed feedback and point you to an area of the course to revise. We are happy to discuss our marking with you. However, in order to pass the final assignments and work as a freelance proofreader with Proofed it is important to be able to listen to feedback and to take it on board.

That’s great to hear! Please click here to go to our course summary page and click on the course you’d like to purchase. If you’d rather do this over the telephone then contact us and we can set this up.

Of course. Please contact us and we’ll call you.

Please contact us and we will be happy to help.

The distinction between proofreading and editing can be quite blurred in modern freelance proofreading, though in the publishing industry it is still preserved. Many proofreaders now work on screen, rather than on paper, and this typically involves some degree of editing.
If you would like to learn more about proofreading and editing, then why not sign up for our free trial module. The free trial will give you a great idea of our course style and contents. We also have some articles on proofreading and editing on our website.

As everyone comes from a different starting point in terms of academic background and proofreading experience, it’s hard to give a pass rate since it varies from week to week depending on the ability of people on the course. The Becoming a Proofreader course offers three attempts the final assignments and some applicants will pass on a second or third attempt at the final tests. The ability to listen and take on the feedback is very important if you do not pass on your first attempt. If you’d like to discuss your experience and suitability for the course, you are welcome to contact us for a chat.

No. Our courses is interactive and can only be accessed online. Once you complete the Becoming a Proofreader course, we will send you a summary document along with your certificate.

If you do not pass the Becoming a Proofreader course on the third attempt at the final assignments then we will give you detailed feedback and advice as to your next steps. We will give you an idea of what wider reading and other training might be suitable for you in order to become a professional proofreader.

While it may be possible to complete the course without Microsoft Word by using open source software, you will be at a disadvantage for the assignments at the end of each module and also for the final assignments. So it really depends on your reason for taking the course.
If you are taking the course for your own development and not seeking to obtain work as a professional proofreader, then perhaps you may be reluctant to pay for Word.
However, if you are hoping to pass the final tests with 80% or more and either join our partner, Proofed, as a freelance proofreader or market your skills elsewhere, clients will expect you to use Word 2016/Office 365. Finally, a proportion of the marks in the final assignments is based on demonstrating your competence in Word. You can read more advice on operating systems and other common queries about the course here.

No. Our courses are interactive and can only be accessed online. Once you complete the Becoming a Proofreader course, we will send you a summary document along with your certificate. You are welcome to print the summary document for your personal use.

That’s a great question. Our advice page has a great article on why people use proofreaders.

We do offer a tutoring service in addition to our online course. Please contact us. We will then arrange a call to better gauge your needs.

You can, but the course content and final tests are designed for fluent English speakers. It’s important that you have native-level fluency, as there are certain parts of English that are difficult for speakers of other languages to always get right, such as idioms and the correct use of prepositions. It’s unlikely that you will pass the final tests with a high enough score to work for Proofed if your English level isn’t at the fluency of a native speaker.

That really depends on you! Before you choose a course it’s a good idea to think about what you are hoping to gain from it.
Consider your starting point, and factors such as whether you are looking to become a professional proofreader, whether you want to pick up occasional freelance work, and if there is a particular subject area or area of expertise that you would like to focus on. Then choose a course that will meet your needs and provide you with the right support.
Also consider if you would like interaction with a tutor, and if this service is available and already included in the course price.
Lastly, if you are hoping to get work in this area it’s a good idea to check if the course provider is set up to help with this. Our Becoming a Proofreader course includes tutor support and has a freelance work guarantee for course graduates who pass with a score of 80% or more. If this is what you are looking for, then we look forward to welcoming you to the course.

Although we are based in the UK and the course is written in British English, we teach people to proofread in US, UK, and Australian dialects. We have noted the main differences in terms of spelling and grammar between all these dialects in our Becoming a Proofreader course. So yes, it would be suitable for you! The company we work with takes on proofreaders from all over the world and has proofreading work from British, American, and Australian clients.

The course is written in British English, so yes, it would be suitable for you! We also teach people to proofread in US and Australian dialects. We have noted the main differences in terms of spelling and grammar between all these dialects in our Becoming a Proofreader course. The company we work with takes on proofreaders from all over the world and has proofreading work from British, American, and Australian clients.

Although we are based in the UK and the course is written in British English, we teach people to proofread in US, UK, and Australian dialects. We have noted the main differences in terms of spelling and grammar between all these dialects in our Becoming a Proofreader course. So yes, it would be suitable for you! The company we work with takes on proofreaders from all over the world and has proofreading work from British, American, and Australian clients.

As the work offer is dependent on you passing the final assignments, and is also on a freelance basis, the Becoming a Proofreader course does not currently meet the DWP requirements for a funded course. However, we can offer you a payment plan to make the cost of the course more accessible to you. Contact us to find out more.

Yes, we can set up a payment plan for you to spread the cost of the course over two or three months. Contact us to find out more.

Great question! Perhaps you are looking to brush up your current skills and use our course as part of your professional development. Or perhaps you would like to join our respected international network of proofreading providers that regularly hire new freelance proofreaders. If you have completed the Becoming a Proofreader and obtained a pass grade of 80% or above then you are qualified to work for us. For more details, visit our hiring page.

While it may be possible to complete the course without Microsoft Word by using open source software, you will be at a disadvantage for the assignments at the end of each module and also for the final assignments. So it really depends on your reason for taking the course. If you are taking the course for your own development and not seeking to obtain work as a professional proofreader then you may not need Word. However, if you are hoping to pass the final tests with 80% or more and either join our partner, Proofed, as a freelance proofreader or market your skills elsewhere, clients will expect you to use Word 2016/Office 365. Microsoft offers Word in both Mac and PC versions, and you can compare the features on each here.

If you are new to proofreading then it’s a great idea to get experience on all kinds of documents and subjects in order to get some words under your proofreading belt. If this is the case then we’d recommend doing our Becoming a Proofreader course first, which comes with a work guarantee if you pass the course with 80% or more. If you are already an experienced proofreader then contact us to find out more about our new creative writing course.

We’ll help you – Proofreading Academy is part of a respected international network of proofreading providers that regularly takes on new freelancers. If you have completed our Becoming a Proofreader course and obtained a pass grade of 80% or above then you are qualified to work for us. For more details, please contact us.

The Becoming a Proofreader course covers a wide range of skills that you will need to become a proofreader across most types of work, including academic proofreading. If you pass this course with 80% or more on your first attempt then you qualify to work with our sister company Proofed as a freelance proofreader. Proofreading work can be extremely varied, so you may want to consider if you have a specialist area of interest or if you are open to all subject areas and types of documents before you start marketing yourself as a proofreader.

If you have completed our Becoming a Proofreader course and obtained a pass grade of 80% or above then you are qualified to work for us. The work is on a freelance basis. We support flexible working hours and are committed to helping our freelancers manage a freelance lifestyle. All of the work is displayed on a jobs board on an internal system, and any freelancer on the books is free to select it. The work is then returned using the same internal system. There is no upper or lower limit in terms of the hours you work week to week: this is entirely up to you, and you won’t be asked for a commitment of a certain number of hours. If you don’t pass the course with us then we won’t be able to offer you work. We will give you advice on how to improve your proofreading skills if you don’t pass on your third and final attempt. Please see our terms and conditions regarding our refund policy.

No! If you are competent in Microsoft Word, have an eye for detail, and are a stickler for grammar and punctuation, then the Becoming a Proofreader course could be a great way for you to begin your professional proofreading career. We’ve seen strong passes from former teachers, retail assistants, waiting staff and retired doctors. We have also had some native speakers, who claim to be experienced proofreaders, fail the course because they had over-editing habits that couldn’t be broken!

Proofreaders tend to be paid based on the number of words in a document and the types of services required (such as proofreading, editing, and/or formatting). It is rare to have payment calculated on an hourly basis. We would expect experienced proofreaders to be able to proofread 2,000 – 3,500 words per hour, though when you first start out you may be nearer to 1,000 – 1,500 words per hour.

We would expect experienced proofreaders to be able to proofread 2,000 – 3,500 words per hour, though when you first start out you may be nearer to 1,000 – 1,500 words per hour.

If you chose to work as an online proofreader then you can expect documents to have reasonably short deadlines. This may be within a day, or within a matter of hours. Don’t commit to proofreading something that needs to be returned quickly if you can’t commit to working on it immediately.

Once you pass the course, one of our tutors will call you to talk you through the process of joining the team. This is typically within a week of you passing the course. After this call we will send you a freelancer contract to return to our HR team. Once HR has confirmed receipt of your documents they will schedule a meeting with you to get you set up on our system and give you your first paid document. This can take as little as two weeks, but it may be longer at busy times of year. If you would like to discuss working as a freelance proofreader with our team, you are welcome to contact us for a chat.

If you are competent in Microsoft Word, have an eye for detail, and are a stickler for grammar and punctuation then being a proofreader could be a great and natural option for you. Proofreading work can be extremely varied, so you may want to consider if you have a specialist area of interest or if you are open to all subject areas and types of documents before you start marketing yourself as a proofreader. You will need to be able to work alone, often to quite tight deadlines, and be able to maintain focus and attention to detail at a consistently professional level.

A freelance proofreader is someone who proofreads documents for a living and may work for multiple clients or companies. Being freelance is the same as being a contractor or being self-employed, so rather than being on a payroll and being employed, you are responsible for declaring your income and doing your own tax returns. If you’d like to talk to us about life as a freelance proofreader then you are welcome to contact us for a chat.

If you are a company and would like some of your staff to take the course, please contact us to discuss your needs. We can offer great discounts for group rates and even tailor-made courses for your team. Contact us to find out more.

Absolutely. We offer payment plans for either two or three payments to cover the cost of the course. Please contact us and we will call you to set this up.

Our courses range from short summary courses that may take just a few hours to in-depth courses with 30+ hours of content. The prices reflect the different levels of content and tutor interaction. If you have any questions about our courses please see the course summary page, where you can click to read detailed information about each course, or contact us.

We maintain a fair and simple refund policy. The first step in any refund request would be to email us at refunds@proofreadingacademy.com. From there, we will assess your request and will provide either a full refund, partial refund or account credit based on the nature of the refund request. We will assess how much of the course has been accessed and therefore consumed to make a judgement call on the eligible refund amount. All refund requests made 14 days after course purchase will be assessed using the above methods. All course refunds requested within 14 days from the point of purchase will be refunded in full, unless it is otherwise deemed that the course has already been accessed. In that case, the un-accessed portions of the course material will be proportionately refunded less a 10% administration fee.You can read more about our terms and conditions here.

Proofreading Academy is not an eligible institution for tax credits. However, you may be able to offset the cost of the course against your income in your business or sole-trader accounts. Contact your tax office or accountant to check this, as rules vary across countries.

Yes. You can update your user name and change your password after logging in to the Proofreading Academy learning management system.

Yes, please email us and we will update your user profile.

Please see our Privacy Policy to understand more about the data that we store on users.

Proofreading Academy is a trading name of Proofed Inc., a company incorporated in the USA. Proofed has operated a proofreading and editing service since 2010 and wanted to establish a benchmark for proofreading standards for its own business, as there were no qualifications out there that sufficiently demonstrated a proofreader’s skills to the standards that Proofed required. After years of real life experience and research into what support experienced proofreaders need, as well as determining what skills people interested in proofreading need to gain, the concept of a complete course in editing and proofreading was born. The Proofreading Academy complete course was launched in August 2017, and since then Proofed has used the 80% standard as the benchmark for its professional proofreaders. All existing freelance proofreaders on the Proofed team have now completed this course, as well as hundreds of new applicants who, after successfully completing the Becoming a Proofreader course are now working as professional proofreaders. Read about some of our success stories to get inspired. Proofreading Academy now offers short courses and bespoke proofreading courses for those who do not require such a comprehensive course.

You can read about our tutors’ qualifications and experience here.