Published 28th January 2016
Undertaking any course of study is a daunting prospect, especially when you consider the time and the money that you will put into it. It’s no wonder many people worry about quitting their jobs and taking a TEFL course in order to begin a new adventure teaching english online or abroad. A question that many of you out there may be asking yourselves, is it possible to fail a TEFL Course?
Is it Possible to Fail a TEFL Course?
So let’s put this into perspective. Yes, it is possible to fail the TEFL course. But probably not in the way you are imagining. For some people, the idea of failing a TEFL course conjures up images of hours and hours of impossible coursework and tough exams. There is obviously a strong academic component to TEFL courses but the vast majority of people are well able to complete the TEFL course in this sense.
Dropping Out
There are no two ways about it, doing a TEFL course requires a huge commitment in terms of time and effort. It generally takes about 4-6 weeks when studying the course full time. It can take longer depending on the individual. The majority of TEFL students who “fail” our courses are in fact those who drop out. This may be due to them not having the time available to keep up with the coursework. But if you have the right mindset, there is a very slim chance of not passing the course. Motivation is key to getting your TEFL qualification and having the chance to pick up a really great qualification before setting off on your new life in the world of TEFL is definitely a strong motivation for most!
Schools Don’t Want You to Fail TEFL
Bear in mind that the school or organisation that is offering the course does not want you to fail. They want to keep their pass rates up for advertising and marketing reasons. It doesn’t look good if everyone fails the TEFL course. At the same time, these courses are designed to develop teachers so any school or organisation worth their salt will want to send out adequately qualified teachers. This, again, is an issue of reputation.
We create our level 5 courses with this in mind, we ultimately want our students to get the best jobs possible in the industry. The level 5 courses that we offer are highly regarded by the top TEFL language schools and recruiters that pay the highest salaries and have the best working conditions. We are renowned for the quality of our graduates and for this reason we do not want anyone to fail. With our students best interests at heart will do everything possible to make sure that this does not happen. So, help us by letting us help you!
You Will Be Able to Pass
With the high standards that the best school and recruiters look for, a TEFL course is naturally not a walk in the park. We have a full blog article on how hard TEFL is exactly that you can read. That said, if you have the time and the dedication you will definitely be able to pass. You will be required to do a lot of reading and various assignments based on these readings. It is essential that you do these readings and the assignments because this is the way to keep on track for the whole course. Obviously, if you do badly in an assignment, then you know you need to focus on that area again or ask someone for help.
Tutors are There to Help You
This is also the reason why there are always tutors to help you through the course. Even if you do an online TEFL course, there will be people you can contact if you need any help. Use them. It can be hard to keep up with all the course requirements if you have a job or haven’t studied in a while. If you have no experience to teaching, it can also be a lot of information to digest. Work at your own pace, making sure you work regularly and consistently, and you should be fine.
What is comes down to is commitment. Before embarking on a TEFL course seriously consider whether you have the time to do the course. Be honest with yourself because if you find yourself overwhelmed and struggling, it’s only yourself that will suffer. If you have the time and are prepared for the work and effort that will go into to studying, then you can feel comfortable signing yourself up for a TEFL course.
Time Management
There will be assignments and deadlines of submission to met, it’s really important that you meet all of them. Time management to avoid missing submissions and ultimately to avoid failing TEFL is crucial. We understand that many students may be juggling lots of other things in their life like work, college or family commitments. Obviously extraordinary circumstances can come up in anyone’s life that we can excuse, but as a rule we require students to keep up with all the deadlines that we set. There are more time management tools in the world today than you can shake a sick at. One tech solution that we recommend is Google calendar (or the calendar of any email platform) with reminders enabled. One old school (but in our opinion, very effective) solution is keep a pen and paper diary!
Online TEFL Course
Completing our online TEFL course is becoming increasingly popular. In many ways it is the most efficient way of getting TEFL certified. Online fatigue or feeling slighted alienated by completing the course 100% online can happen. At this point disillusionment can kick in and the risk of failing the TEFL course increases. Some people are happy to complete the course online but miss the human contact and camaraderie that a classroom learning environment possesses. Being part of groups where you can chat about what you are doing with peers is often useful to combat this. This can be questions about the course work itself or possibly a bit more casual, like talking about peoples travel plans for when they finish the course! Our teaching practice course webinar is another great opportunity to engage with fellow students and is often completed as an add on to the online TEFL course. Via webinar you will get to put the things you are learning from the online course into practice to your peers and guided along by one of our expert tutors.

Light at the End of the Tunnel
The key to getting through and to allay any fears or asking yourself, is it possible to fail a TEFL course, is to keep reminding yourself of why you wanted to do a TEFL course in the first place. Think of all the amazing places you can travel to and cultures you can experience once you are qualified. Think about an once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the world famous Mekong River Delta in Vietnam on a weekend excursion. Maybe it’s your dream to be able to gain the benefits of flexible working via teaching english online from your own home. Getting TEFL Certified is your ticket to scoring that ideal life and this is definitely worth bearing in mind which you are getting through the coursework.
We Will Help You Get There
Like starting anything new, TEFL may appear as a mammoth task to complete. It is a big time commitment and a bit of a monetary investment. But in answering the question of is it possible to fail a TEFL course above you can see that with some determination and discipline you have nothing to worry about. Just keep on dreaming about the Mekong River Delta or wherever you dream beauty spot is!
Hi,
I’m just enquiring as to what happens if you fáil an assignment 3 times?
Thank you
Hi Kate. Unfortunately, if an assignment is not passed after the 3rd attempt, this would then be considered a fail. I can say, however, that over 90% of students do pass the course and gain their TEFL qualification.
hi fionnulla im waiting on information for gelp on the assignment A is it possible to have an online tutor for face to face help or must i always write a ticket and waut for a reply
Hello Ian. Thank you for commenting on our blog. Unfortunately, the tutors cannot be contacted via video chat. The best way to contact the tutors is via the dedicated Tutor Ticketing system. You should receive a reply to your queries within 24 hours. If you have any further issues or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us by email to hello@theteflacademy.com
I need to reattempt my assignment A. Please can you tell me what the maximum grade TEFL Academy awards for a second attempt of an assignment? i.e is it only a maximum of a pass grade awarded for a second attempt?
Hi there Archina! There is no maximum grade that you can achieve, even on a second attempt. The assignment will be graded in the same way as the first attempt and it will gain the correct grade, whether that is a pass, merit or distinction. I would like to wish you luck in your second attempt! 😊
Hi,
My TEFL course seem to have expired ! I can no longer see any progress, course details or even grades for the lessons I’ve completed so far. If I pay for 90 more days will my previous progress show up, will I be able to continue from where I last was ? Thank you.
Hi there Rover! It appears that your course has expired. However, it is possible to re-enrol and extend your course further and I have forwarded you an email with more information on how to do this. Once you re-enrol an extend on your course, you will be able to continue your course from exactly the same place that you last left it as all course work is saved. Please let us know if you have any further queries or issues by contacting us on hello@theteflacademy.com and we will be glad to assist you further.
hey I began my tefl course in february 2019, but life happened and I couldn’t finish the online part. I had done the 2 day in person course. Could you please tell me whether I can still continue with the previous course or has too much time passed?
Hi Lourens. Yes, you would be able to continue working on your previous course. You would only need to re-enrol and extend onto your original course and you will be able to continue working from where you last left the course. I have had more information on how to do this sent to you via email 😊
Hello, so how exactly do we re-enrol after our course has expired? Is it the same process as normal enrolment?
Hi Diana. Yes, you would be able to re-enrol and extend your course in the same way as when extending your course. You can do this via our extensions page or by giving us a call and we would be happy to assist you with your re-enrolment. If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at hello@theteflacademy.com
I need help! I miss read the email on when my course was meant to expire and I’ve missed extending it by 1 day!! Now it says that I am not enrolled in a course, is there any way I can still extend it as I got to the 5th module and was busy doing the assignment and I don’t want to have to start the tefl course all over again!!! I really hope someone can help me!!
Hi Georgie, I see my colleagues in student services are in touch with you about this via Email. Bet of luck with your course!
Does your end result appear on the certificate?
Hi Elena, It will appear on your transcript, which you will also receive – To see exactly how our certification looks you can visit this page on our website for a preview! https://www.theteflacademy.com/accreditation
Would it be possible for some information on a extentions, I’m finding the assignments hard to complete due to wifi not working properly due to COVID 19
Hi Jamie – You will need to contact Student Services at hello@theteflacademy.com for extension options
Hi
As per previous comments I am aware that an extension is possible kindly send me any information you may have so as to assist me with the extension application.
Thanks
Hi Suran – You will need to contact Student Services at hello@theteflacademy.com for extension options
Hello,
I read about a possible extension for the online course, can I have some more details around extensions?
Hi Sarah – For information on extensions please contact hello@theteflacademy.com and student services will be able to advise you.
Hi, I would like to know how the course extension works. Do you need to apply for another 6 months?
Hello Marcia, we offer a 30 day extension and a 90 day extension. If you do require more time on your course, please send an email to student services: hello@theteflacademy.com. 🙂
Hi there. Just wanted to enquire, is it possible to get an extension on the course? Is there such an option?
Hello Kuntha, we do offer course extensions on our course. We have sent you an email with more detailed information. 🙂
Would it be possible for some information on a extentions, I’m finding the assignments hard to complete due to wifi not working properly due to COVID 19
Hi Jamie – You’ll need to contact Student Services for extension options at hello@theteflacademy.com
Very true. The course is very difficult moreso if the concept of teaching is new to you – like in my case! But with determination it’s possible. I’m currently working and studying at the same time so it’s hectic, however I am learning a lot; still struggling to understand the ‘parts of speech’, but if there is anything I’m not sure of I go back to previous units, as well as make use of Further Reading options. It will take time to get used to shifting my mindset from being a typical native English speaker to being a [potential] ESL/EFL Teacher.
Hello Thandi, it’s really great to hear that you are enjoying your TEFL course. It is nice to know that you are making full use of the further reading options to enhance your understanding. 🙂
Hello Nofezile, you will need to get the required grade in the tests in order to move on to the assignments. For each assignment you will have 3 attempts. The tutor will give detailed feedback on the assignment so that you can re-submit based on this feedback. If you have ant academic queries you can contact the tutors through tutor support. The link is in the getting started unit of your course, just under step 4. 🙂
Hello Vanessa, if you would like to contact the tutors this can be done so through the following link: https://level5tutorsupport.theteflacademy.com They would be happy to assist with any academic queries you have.