proofreading certification online free

15 FREE Proofreading Courses + Certification [2024]

Are you looking for a free proofreading course that will help you start a career in proofreading?

Being a grammatical whiz in high school will not cut it. The production of written content is at a record high, and almost everyone requires needs a fresh pair of eyes to screen through their work. 

Are you prepared to use your command of written communication to land a fulfilling career where you have control over your schedule and how much money you make?

This article will tell you about the top proofreading online course free available because I am a certified proofreader with experience in the industry.

We’re going to also look into some inexpensive options. Let’s get to it!

My Favourite FREE Proofreading Course that I took when I had no experience :

THIS FREE Proofreading workshop that will help you learn the basic skills and decide on whether freelance proofreading is for you. Perfect if you want to know how to become a proofreader with no experience and if you are looking for proofreading courses online for FREE

Affiliate Link Disclosure

This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. 

Note- the Proofread Anywhere course helps you transition into a full-time proofreader/editor and run it as a well-paid business.

The Proofread Anywhere course begins with proofreading basics and then goes on to share advanced proofreading methods, how and where to find jobs, what rate to set, and common mistakes to avoid.

Caitlin is the lady who runs the course and she has been a proofreader since 2007. She turned her love for proofreading into a full-time job and now helps others do the same.

The Proofread Anywhere course is packed with 40+ lessons in 8 modules, grammar-specific worksheets, and real-life example jobs.

After passing with 90% or higher on the final exam you will receive a Certificate of Completion and access to the Self-Publishing School Preferred Outsourcer Rolodex.

Ps; Caitlin is offering a FREE Proofreading workshop that will help you learn the basic skills and decide on whether freelance proofreading is for you. Perfect if you want to know how to become a proofreader with no experience and if you are looking for proofreading courses online for free.

15 Free Proofreading Courses

1. university of california – grammar and punctuation.

• 1: Course Introduction
• 2: Verb Tenses And Conjunctions
• 3: Compound And Complex Sentences
• 4: More Commas, Parallel Structure, and Sentence Variety

Are you no longer the grammar police? Does your skill need a little basic refresher? If so, you’ll do great in this course.

This specialization serves as a review of some writing tools. You can use it to prepare for another free online proofreading course with a certificate.

It will take you roughly 10 hours to finish. Writing and proofreading are skills, and practice is the key to mastering any skill.

Watch the videos in this course, put into practice the topics studied, and get them reviewed in the discussion. 

Upon completion, you can: 

• Recognize the appropriate verb tenses to utilize
• Learn correct punctuations
• Use a variety of sentence structures
• Improve English writing skills

2. University Of Michigan – Writing And Editing Specialization

• 1: Word Choice And Word Order
• 2: Structure And Organization
• 3: Drafting
• 4: Revising

Even though this is one of the proofreading and editing courses online free, the writing component is the focus of this course.

It focuses on a variety of abilities, such as how to offer and accept high-quality criticism, how to organize a selection of writing material in a reader-friendly fashion, and how to regularly meet deadlines.  

3. University Of Michigan – Writing And Editing: Revising

• 1: Editing And Empathy
• 2: Uselessly Accurate
• 3: Writer To Reader
• 4: Feedback Loops

The distinction between proofreading and editing will be explained in this course. You’ll practice simplifying content so that the information and figures you use are understandable and convincing.

On top of that, you’ll learn about the feedback loop system that helps organize the contents to be eliminated and the contents to be maintained.

You will also have access to a huge selection of publications and other materials that you may use long after you complete the course.

These include the tasks and readings that were given to the students who participated in the live sessions of the class at the Universities of Michigan and Chicago.

4. Editing For Beginners

You can learn proofreading online for free with this minicourse.

This course will offer you an idea of what it may be like to be an experienced proofreader. It offers some grammatical lessons and details on what you might anticipate working as an experienced proofreader. 

This mini-course can be very helpful in assisting you in determining if proofreading is the correct choice for you if you’re unfamiliar with the concept of working as an experienced proofreader. 

5. Kickstart A Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career On Upwork

• 1: Introductory Information
• 2: The Basics To Get Started On Upwork
• 4: Ratings And Repeat Clients
• 5: Macro-Level Tips For Doing A Great Job
• 6: Practical Concerns
• 7: Bonus Lecture

While this course is not your typical course that gives proofreading certification for free, it teaches you how to set yourself up for a successful proofreading career on Upwork. 

Upwork is a freelance marketplace where freelancers thrive and earn a steady stream of income. 

With this course, you will be able to draw clients and write a compelling cover letter for your bid proposal.

In Upwork, it is all about bidding for your job, and this course can help you gain contracts by using ethical bidding practices and improve your ratings quickly to increase your chances of winning a bid.

Upon completion, you will:

• Impress customers with straightforward editing concepts and techniques.
• Develop recurring customers to expand your business.
• Develop your proofreading business more quickly.
• Avoid the common errors that new freelancers make and lose money.

If you are keen on exploring Upwork, here are some articles that may benefit you:

• The Best Cover Letter For Upwork: Tips Plus Sample! [2024 Update]
• Upwork Hourly Rates: The Best Rate For A Beginner [2024]
• Is Upwork Worth It In 2024? [My Personal Experience!]
• 9 Upwork Scams: How To Spot & Avoid Them? [2024 Update]
• Is Upwork Good For Beginners? + Tips To Land First Client!

6. How To Find & Correct Writing Errors: The Proofreading Guide

1: Good Habits

2: Do These Things When You Proofread

3: Issues With Words And Punctuation

4: Lists And Guides

5: Proofreading The Format, Design, And Graphics

6: Final Tasks People Forget To Do

7: You’re Not Alone: Getting Help With Proofreading

8: Bonus Lecture

This course is intended for authors and editors of all genres who wish to improve their proofreading abilities and avoid mistakes in their work.

The proofreading phase is your final opportunity to find mistakes before your writing is seen by coworkers, authors, and the public. Effective proofreading involves polishing your writing so that it reads well and looks professional. 

7. Proofreading Power Basics

• 1: Proofreader Expectations
• 2: Grammar Assessment
• 3: Proofreading Tips
• 4: Proofreading Strategies
• 5: Proofreading Marks
• 6: Proofreading For Capitalization
• 7: Proofreading For Numbers
• 8: Proofreading Error Hotspots
• 9: Style Guides

Proofreading Power Basics is a distinctive online course that teaches the essentials of proofreading through hands-on exercises and exams.

This is a primer on the principles of proofreading for those with strong language and grammatical skills who desire an additional skill challenge, especially teachers, working freelancers, or anyone who wants to broaden their scope of services.

8. Writing Proofreading Course: Proofread Punctuation & Grammar

• 1: Master The Basics Of Proofreading
• 2: Punctuation Checklist
• 3: Other Language Mistakes Checklist
• 4: Proofreading Practice Activities
• 5: Proofreading job Sites & Full Upwork Guide
• 6: Final Proofreading Lecture

The instructor of this course has been a professional proofreader for over 5 years and will teach you three crucial methods for proofreading translation.

You will learn the way to track modifications to Microsoft Word and choose an autocorrect program. 

Clarify your writing, and improve your grammar and punctuation.

On top of that, you will also study the basics of text proofreading and editing.

9. What Is Proofreading? (Proofreading Training Centre)

For anyone who is just starting out with proofreading, this course is fantastic.

Your grammar and proofreading abilities will develop from novice to more experienced proofreader upon completion of this course.

The course is broken down into a couple of chunks that make it easier for the student to understand proofreading principles and to help them develop their writing abilities through tasks.

10. How To Be An Editor/Proofreader (For Translators) 

• 1: What Does Editing/Proofreading Mean?
• 2: What Does Editing/Proofreading Mean To You?
• 3: Starting Strategies
• 4: How To Proceed
• 5: Other Issues
• 6: Tips And Tricks

Translators who want to focus on proofreading should take will benefit from this course.

This course covers subjects and problems unique to the specialization of proofreading, which can be beneficial knowledge for a translator to have.

On top of that, advice on how to improve your résumé, how to get started with job notifications, and how to choose a reliable translation company.

11. Certification In Editing And Proofreading – Masterclass

• 1: Content Edit
• 2: Structure Edit
• 3: Presentation Edit
• 4: IT Skills
• 5: Choosing Editing And Proofreading As A Career
• 6: Assessment
• 7: Professional Updates

This is a comprehensive course that covers A to Z. You will have a deep understanding of how to examine a document for its context and break it down when you are proofreading. 

You will also learn to make the document evocative while correcting the tone, punctuation, and grammatical errors. 

12. Complete Writing Editing Masterclass + An eBook With Examples

• 1: Basics Of Writing Editing
• 2: Writing Editing Step-By-Step
• 3: Editing Rules With Examples
• 4: Grammar Rules For Copyediting And Proofreading
• 5: Proofreading Strategies And Rules

This course is a straighforward one. If you are looking for a course with minimal to no-fluff, the type that gets straight to the point, then this course is for you. 

By the end of this course, you will learn how to effectively write and edit, as well as have your proofreading skills enhanced. 

13. Editing Mastery: How To Edit To Perfection

• 1: The Magic Of Deep Editing
• 2: The Content Edit
• 3: The Structure Edit
• 4: The Style Edit
• 5: The Presentation Edit

You’ll learn how the best copy editors captivate loyal readers. Almost any kind of writing will be taught to be proofread well in this course. After completing the course, you will be given an Editing Mastery Certificate of Completion.

You will learn how to produce captivating writing with ease and how to effectively elevate a document. You will also learn techniques and certain tools that will make you stand out from the rest.

14. General Proofreading: Theory and Practice™ (GPTP) (Proofread Anywhere)

• 1: Introduction To General Proofreading
• 2: Grammar Refresher
• 3: Sentence Structure
• 4: Spelling And Word Use For Proofreaders
• 5: Punctuation Principles
• 6: Proofreading Methods
• 7: Proofreading Practice
• 8: Types Of Proofreading
• 9: Turning Proofreading Into A Business
• 10: Finding Clients
• 11: Marketing Basics
• 12: Your Workflow
• 13: Getting The Most Out Of The Freelancing Life

Yes, this is a pricey one but I can tell you that this course is well worth the investment. 

All there is to know to work successfully as a proofreader or editor will be covered in this course. You’ll be taught how to start an internet proofreading side hustle, how to locate clients, and the most recent proofreading techniques.

15. Becoming A Proofreader (Knowadays)

• 1: Introduction To Becoming A Proofreader
• 2: Proofreading And Editing
• 3: The Basics Of Microsoft Word
• 4: Common Spelling Mistakes
• 5: Common Grammar Mistakes
• 6: Common Punctuation Mistakes
• 7: Other Common Errors
• 8: Proofreading In Practice: Style
• 9: Academic Proofreading
• 10: Academic Proofreading: Referencing And Citations
• 11: Creative Writing And The Publishing Industry
• 12: Proofreading Business Writing
• 13: Finding Work And The Final Assignment

Another pricey yet worthwhile course is Becoming A Proofreader by Knowadays (formerly known as Proofreading Academy). 

This course emphasizes fixing obvious tone issues, such as degrees of formality and improper language use. It is incredibly thorough and extensive, giving you all the resources you need to obtain a proofreading job.

The course outline is well-defined and simple to understand.

It is jam-packed with helpful advice and activities where you may put your newly acquired abilities to use. The practice tests strengthen your knowledge and comprehension, and the course can be completed at your own pace.

FAQs on Best Proofreading Courses

How can i learn proofreading for free.

THIS FREE Proofreading workshop that will help you learn basic proofreading skills

At the end of the day, regardless of the course, you can only achieve the goals you set for yourself to become a proofreader by taking action. 

You may hear people preach about really expensive courses or professional proofreaders trying to convince you that their course is the best. Remember that you can start with a free proofreading course first before deciding to splurge. 

Especially if you are a complete beginner to this field, you might find that being a proofreader is not your cup of tea. So why spend money which you will not be getting back. 

How Much Does It Cost To Proofread 1,000 Words?

The average proofreader charges $0.014 – $0.018 per word, amounting to $14 to $1 8  per 1000 words. 

Factors Affecting Rates

Document to be proofread.

The element that typically results in the biggest price fluctuations is the deadline set by your client. 

If a client demands a document to be submitted very quickly, that will result in a higher premium. Another scenario is if a client changes the deadline at the last minute, then you can impose a higher fee. 

The type of document is one thing to take into account. Different types of texts require different levels of proofreading. 

For example, if can proofread a 6-year-old preschool English language text quicker than an academic paper that is about to be published. 

Additionally, compared to most other types of writing, corporate papers often attract a higher premium. 

One way to ensure you earn big bucks is to niche down with the type of documents you proofread. Say you have a background in science and mathematics, you should start offering your services in the STEM field. 

With more scholarly papers being published now, you will find that there is a demand for proofreaders in this field. 

When you offer your service to a niche that is high in demand, you will be able to charge a higher fee.

The educational backgrounds, level of expertise, and previous experience of proofreaders vary widely and so does the fee imposed by them.

Due to these variations, average rates for independent proofreaders fluctuate greatly from one another.

This is given because just like any other field, a ‘specialist’ in a field will charge more than the generic worker. Similar to when you consult a general doctor compared to a neurologist in the hospital. 

Since the level of expertise varies, so does the fee imposed. 

As a beginner, you can start by proofreading documents of your friends, family, or colleagues to start building a portfolio. Once you have accumulated a few samples and attracted clients, you will then be able to charge your clients more.

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Can You Be A Proofreader With No Experience?

Yes, you can be a proofreader with no experience. (I had no experience when I started!)

Even with minimal to zero experience, you can still find work as a freelance proofreader. There are online courses, tests, and certifications that you can obtain when you are starting out with being a proofreader. 

Skills Needed To Be A Proofreader

The main skills needed to be a proofreader are – grammar skills, spelling, and punctuation. Then, later on, with the best proofreading courses online, you can discover how to identify typical mistakes in writing.

You will learn the fundamentals of grammatical structures and syntax in a proofreading-free course as well.

Having attention-to-detail skills is also a proofreading quality that you should have. You should have the patience to catch every single sentence-level inaccuracy. To make sure the text is flawless, go line by line through it and look for any mistakes. 

Another skill that is good to have is good communication skill. 

A proofreader with this skill is adept at negotiating their fees, keeping clients informed of their progress, and providing constructive criticism.

Maintaining professionalism also includes keeping an open line of communication with the customer.  

How Do I Study For Proofreading?

So, how do I study for proofreading? When it comes to proofreading, there is no studying required. However, there are some things you can do with the help of the best online proofreading courses to start a career in freelancing.

Decide On Your Niche

When it comes to proofreading, you can decide either to be a general proofreader or a specialized proofreader. 

In specialized fields like the legal, medical, scientific, or technology industries, you can anticipate earning more money.

This includes editing and proofreading research papers, legal files, medical reports, thorough transcripts of court sessions , and other court reporters’ work.

If you already possess knowledge in one of these areas, don’t be afraid to go for specialized employment where you can be paid more.

To decide on your niche, take into account your interest, work background, and current interests you have. 

Keep Developing Your Skill

The truth is that the English language is continually evolving, and even the most proficient writers can develop undesirable habits.

No matter how many proofreading courses online for free that you take online if you do not start practicing at the beginning of your journey, you will probably lag behind. 

Attempt to read as many papers and books as you can, but read critically and look out for mistakes. Then, put your knowledge to the test. You can find a lot of free tests online that will determine how well you can spot important proofreading issues.

Here are some platforms that offer free proofreading tests:

• Test Yourself
• Free Proofreading Quiz – Test Your Skills
• Sample Proofreading Tests

The most essential thing to remember is that if you want to earn from proofreading, is enrolling in the best editing and proofreading courses online to improve your abilities and expand your toolkit.

A good quality course can assist you in getting past the early obstacles that so many new people encounter. 

The one course I recommend multiple times is the General Proofreading course from Proofread Anywhere . It is a pricey course only because it is worth every penny. 

Key features:

• Free 7-day program on proofreading.
• Additional resource manuals are available for all service-provider markets.
• Lifelong accessibility to program content
• Certification

No Degree Required

The majority of corporations and authors merely request to examine your resume. You can also be required to provide a portfolio of sample projects that are relevant to the literary topic. 

Remember that a large portion of professional proofreaders in the market lack degrees. Even those who provide online training on how to be outstanding proofreaders can only speak from their own professional experience. 

Who Should Take A Free Proofreading Course?

Now, who should take a free proofreading course? Anyone who wants to their proofreading journey seriously will benefit from proofreading training free.

You can familiarise yourself with style guides by taking a proofreading course.

You can test out your proofreading abilities on a variety of texts when studying the program to see where you thrive and which part needs enhancement.

Courses can help you assess your abilities and determine whether you are prepared to begin working for potential clients with thorough practice.

Teachers or trainers will be able to provide you with constructive feedback that can help simulate real-world jobs.

Last but not least, enrolling in a free proofreading course with a certificate will boost your self-confidence because you’ll be sure that you can do the job well.

Some courses award certificates for attendance or success on the final test. Your customer base will be curious to know that you have received professional education. 

Now you can choose the best proofreading course that suits you!

These 15 incredible free proofreading courses may develop your proofreading abilities and become an authority in this field.

Learning proofreading procedures has become crucial because of the growing importance of competent proofreading in the field of digital media.

These classes, with ample modules, include subjects including editing and writing. These courses provide tools and approaches to help you grow your talents and accomplish your goals, even if you are just starting out.

• How To Become A Proofreader Online [In 8 Simple Steps]

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Proofreading Courses and Certifications

Learn Proofreading, earn certificates with paid and free online courses from University of Michigan, UC Irvine, UC Berkeley, University of Reading and other top universities around the world. Read reviews to decide if a class is right for you.

• Style Guides Courses
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• Free course (16)
• University course only (6)
• Beginner (27)
• Intermediate (1)
• < 30 mins (4)
• 30 - 60 mins (7)
• 1 - 2 hours (16)
• 2 - 5 hours (14)
• 5 - 10 hours (4)
• 10+ hours (8)
• English (56)
• Japanese (1)
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Writing Proofreading Course: Proofread Punctuation & Grammar

Proofread Writing & Translation Like a Pro | Be a Freelance Proofreader on Upwork | Grasp Punctuation & Grammar

• 2 hours 32 minutes
• Paid Course

The Complete Proofreading Course: Editing and Proofreading

Learn All Aspects of Proofreading Writing Editing Punctuation and Other Communication Strategies

• 1 hour 23 minutes

Upwork Freelancing: Make Money With Proofreading Skills

How Dan Makes an Excellent Monthly Income on Upwork - Learn Everything You Need to Do and Proven Proofreading Method

• 1 hour 9 minutes

How to Find and Correct Writing Errors: The Proofreading Guide

Develop proofreading skills to catch errors in spelling, punctuation, and formatting. Learn effective techniques and best practices to polish your writing and impress readers with error-free documents.

• Free Trial Available

Basics of Proofreading

A proofreader ensures content is free of typographical, grammatical, spelling, punctuation, syntax, & other such errors.

• 1 hour 30 minutes

Editing and Proofreading Masterclass | Dominate Writing, Punctuation & Grammar

Comprehensive guide to mastering editing and proofreading skills, covering grammar, punctuation, and techniques for various writing styles. Includes practical tips for freelancing and using professional tools.

• 3 hours 49 minutes

Certification in Editing and Proofreading

Master editing and proofreading skills to enhance your writing across various formats. Learn strategies for deep editing, structuring content, and polishing your work to professional standards.

• 1 hour 24 minutes

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Writing and Editing: Revising

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6 Best Free Proofreading Courses + Low-Cost Options (2024)

This article may contain affiliate links. Please see our affiliate disclaimer in the footer menu for more information. Thank you for your support!

As a trained proofreader, I can tell you about the best free proofreading courses on the market. We’ll explore a few low-cost options too. I’ll let you know which ones give you a certificate of completion for finishing the class or passing the final assessment.

We’ll also see who would benefit from these classes and who may want to avoid them.

Table of Contents

Om Proofreading Picks for the Best Free Classes

Here are my top two choices for the best free proofreading courses.

Proofread Like a Pro is number one on my list for the following reasons:

• The class is included with Udemy’s free trial and is a bestseller on the platform.
• The teacher won Udemy’s 2019 Award for Student Success.
• The instructor has a wealth of relevant experience and expertise.
• It has one of the highest ratings for a proofreading course on Udemy.
• It’s reasonably priced if purchased alone (without a subscription).

Let’s look at the best options for free and low-cost proofreading courses.

Best Free Proofreading Courses + Low-Cost Options

Please note that prices, ratings, and other details are subject to change. I’ve included links to all the classes so you can see the most up-to-date information.

The Price for These Proofreading Classes

Whether a course can be free on Udemy or Skillshare depends on whether the class is available with a free trial. Only new subscribers are eligible for a free trial on either platform.

Top-Notch Tip: You can often find Udemy and Skillshare’s classes for a significant discount.

Alison’s proofreading class is free for everyone who signs up (no membership required).

Here’s a quick look at the cost of subscribing to these platforms.

Subscription Plans for Udemy, Alison, and Skillshare

Note : Udemy subscriptions are not currently available to students everywhere; however, they’re working to make their subscriptions available to more learners in the future ( source ).

A subscription to one of these platforms gives you access to thousands of courses taught by working professionals and industry experts so you can learn new skills for a reasonable price.

Access to the classes ends when you terminate your subscription.

Do You Earn a Certificate of Completion?

Let’s see which providers offer certificates with their respective courses.

Before we dive into the details of each class, let’s see who these courses are best suited to, how I decided which ones to include in this list, and how I organized the list.

What to Know about Free Proofreading Courses

Before we begin, please know that free and low-cost classes aren’t suitable for providing adequate training for aspiring proofreaders.

Although you can become a proofreader in a fraction of the time required to get a college degree, you still need adequate training and practice.

Competition exists in every sector, and the proofreading industry is no exception.

It’s illogical to think that a free or inexpensive course lasting a matter of hours could be comprehensive enough to prepare you to earn the rates that professional proofreaders get paid .

If you have any doubts about this, I encourage you to ask successful proofreaders for their opinions.

But if you want to become a professional proofreader, don’t worry. I can still help you. 😊

The FAQ at the end of this article contains all the information you need to take your next step.

Who Should Take a Free (or Low-Cost) Proofreading Class?

These classes are best suited to the following:

• folks wanting to improve their proofreading skills for job-related purposes
• students wishing to boost their proofreading proficiency to earn better grades
• people who are unsure whether being a proofreader is a good fit for them
• proofreaders wanting to brush up on their skills or get additional training
• those who’d like to volunteer as proofreaders

Now, let’s look at the standards a course had to meet to be included in this article.

Criteria for the Courses

I came up with specific criteria for evaluating the courses I researched . To make the list, classes needed to meet the following requirements:

• a high rating (4.0 or above for Udemy courses)
• ratings from a minimum of 300 students
• at least one hour of video content

How I Organized the List

Since you’d likely prefer a free course over a low-cost one, I’ve included the courses available with a free trial first.

For the reasons I mentioned, the Udemy class is number one. Next comes the Alison class since you don’t need to sign up for a free trial.

Then come the Skillshare classes, which are available with a free trial. Finally, the list concludes with two low-cost options offered by Udemy that aren’t part of their free trial.

Details of the Best Free Proofreading Courses

1) proofread like a pro.

Provider : Udemy

Course Level : All levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced)

Who It’s For : Aspiring proofreaders, writers, and professionals

Requirements :

• a strong understanding of grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling
• access to a printer

Cost : Free with a 7-day trial

• $79.99 for nonmembers
• please see your Subscriptions page for further info about fees

Rating : 4.5 out of 5.0 (2,701 ratings)

Certificate : Yes

Duration : 1 hour 45 minutes (48 lectures)

Time to Access Course : As long as you’re subscribed OR lifetime access (if you purchase the course without a subscription)

Materials : 23 downloads, 21 articles 

Main Topics :

• finding and correcting punctuation and grammar errors
• proofreading symbols
• finding proofreading jobs
• what to look for when proofreading a text
• tactics for identifying mistakes

Course Creator: Dr. Clare Lynch / Dr. Lynch has a PhD in English Literature. She’s an expert writer with decades of experience.

Sign up for Proofread Like a Pro .

2) An Introduction to Proofreading

Provider : Alison

Course Level : All levels

Who It’s For : Writers, office assistants, paralegals, and anyone in charge of producing error-free texts

Requirements : A printer

Cost : Free

Rating : High

Certificate : Available for purchase after you pass the class with an 80% or above on the final assessment

Duration : 1.5 hours (7 topics) / 3–4 hours to complete

Time to Access Course : Lifetime

Materials : 5 downloads, 3 practice tests

• how to spot and fix mistakes
• proofreading hacks
• advanced proofreading methods
• common pitfalls for proofreaders
• special proofreading situations

Course Creator : Marcia Yudkin / Marcia is an author, marketing mentor, and writing coach who has been an editor for a small press.

Since the Alison platform isn’t as well known, I’ve included some additional info below.

Pros of the Alison Proofreading Course:

• fantastic instructor (she knows her stuff!)
• excellent course overall (lots of great takeaways)
• practice tests are helpful, and corrections are accurate
• class has earned CPD certification

Cons of the Alison Proofreading Course:

• tech support lacking* (took more than 24 hours to respond during the week)
• must pay if you don’t want ads between videos 
• outdated user interface (can’t play videos at a higher speed)
• needed to email customer support to get certificate

* The first video lesson stopped loading at one point, but fast-forwarding a few seconds fixed the glitch. It may have been a problem on my end, but no one was available to help me at the time (hence the listing as a con).

How to Receive a Certificate of Completion from the Alison Proofreading Course

To ensure that readers who want to take this class receive the certificate they’re promised, I went through the process of passing the class and purchasing the certificate. 😊

Some of Alison’s courses offer a free certificate of completion but not the proofreading class.

Although I had to email the support team to get my certificate (it wasn’t automatic), I got it within a day of writing them. The certificate costs $39, but sometimes you can get it for less if Alison is running a sale.

And here’s the certificate I received, in case you’re curious about what it looks like.

Sign up for An Introduction to Proofreading .

3) Writing Editing Masterclass—Content Editing, Copyediting & Proofreading

Provider : Skillshare

Who It’s For : Aspiring editors, editors, and anyone wanting to improve their writing by self-editing

Requirements : None listed

Cost : Free trial available for some regions; yearly subscription cost varies

Rating : High; met or exceeded the expectations of 91% of students

Certificate : No

Duration : 2 hours, 59 minutes (62 lessons)

Time to Access Course : As long as you’re a Skillshare member

Materials : Not specified, 2 projects

• how to track changes in MS Word
• how to track changes in Google Docs
• proofreading strategies
• how to fix spelling mistakes
• how to fix punctuation errors

Course Creator : Sivakumar Kannan / Sivakumar is a digital marketing consultant, trainer, and coach.

Sign up for the Writing Editing Masterclass .

4) Editing and Proofreading Masterclass | Dominate Writing, Punctuation & Grammar

Course Level : Beginner

Who It’s For : Anyone wanting to get better at editing and proofreading texts

Rating : High; met or exceeded the expectations of 87% of students

Duration : 3 hours, 48 minutes (64 lessons)

• proofreading with MS Word
• proofreading tips
• how to proofread translated documents
• jobs for proofreaders

Course Creator : Nitay L. / Nitay is an English and Hebrew proofreader, translator, and transcriptionist at Upwork.

Sign up for the Editing and Proofreading Masterclass .

5) How to Find & Correct Writing Errors: The Proofreading Guide

Provi der : Udemy

Who It’s For : Anyone wanting to rid their texts of errors and freelance editors wishing to improve their proofreading skills

Requirements : Good grasp of English

Cost : $64.99 for nonmembers

Rating : 4.6 (1,172 ratings)

Duration : 1 hour (19 lectures)

Materials : 3 articles

• finding and correcting typos and spelling errors
• finding mistakes in images and formatting
• using lists to correct errors with consistency

Course Creator : Dr. Duncan Koerber / Dr. Koerber has a PhD in Communication and Culture and has spent 12 years teaching writing and communications classes to students at Canadian universities.

Sign up for How to Find & Correct Writing Errors .

6) Writing Proofreading Course: Proofread Punctuation & Grammar

Who It’s For : Anyone who wants to get better at proofreading texts

Requirements : You need to know English 😉

Cost : $54.99 for nonmembers

Rating : 4.2 (637 Reviews)

Duration : 2.5 hours (31 lectures)

Materials : 7 downloads, assignments

• how to identify common mistakes
• basic proofreading methods
• how to fix errors with punctuation and syntax

Sign up for the Writing Proofreading Course .

Now that we’ve seen the best options, let’s get an expert opinion about free and inexpensive classes. Then we’ll figure out the answers to some common questions.

An Industry Expert’s Opinion about Free Proofreading Courses

Louise Harnby is a well-known editor, proofreader, writer, podcaster, and speaker who has worked in publishing for 30 years.

Here’s what she says about free and inexpensive proofreading courses for aspiring proofreaders:

“Any courses that promise miracles for very little to no money and time need to be viewed with caution. Use them to evaluate whether a professional editorial career is right for you. Beyond that, financial investment will be necessary.” – Louise Harnby

Louise also discusses what someone looks for when they need editorial services. She tells us that people are looking for an enthusiastic professional who cares enough to invest in top-quality training and understands how to correct a document to industry standards.

She says, “If you can’t demonstrate that you’re that person, you won’t be able to compete effectively.”

I agree with Louise.

It would be a shame to invest in an inexpensive course with the idea that it would be your sole source of training. You’d then have to fork over more money after realizing you didn’t receive sufficient preparation to work in the field.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which proofreading course is best?

After countless hours of research, I can confidently recommend four online proofreading courses—all of which will prepare you to be a professional proofreader.

• General Proofreading: Theory and Practice™ by Proofread Anywhere
• Becoming a Proofreader by Knowadays
• Essential Proofreading: Editorial Skills One by The Publishing Training Centre
• A series of three courses by The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading

I authored a comprehensive article comparing these proofreading classes . The post contains two helpful tables and explains the details of each course in an organized way so you can draw comparisons.

I also include a “key takeaway” for each course to help you decide which is most appropriate for your needs.

All these courses provide a way for you to receive a proofreading certificate—whether you earn it by passing a proofreading exam or it’s given to you for finishing the class.  

How do I learn to proofread?

How you learn to proofread depends on your goals. If you want to become a professional proofreader, a comprehensive course is the best way to get the knowledge and confidence you need. However, a simple class or self-study can suffice if you simply want to improve your proofreading skills.

Are proofreading courses worth it?

A proofreading class is worth it if you’d like to increase your proofreading proficiency. The ability to produce polished writing is essential in many careers and in academic settings.

And if you want to be a professional proofreader, a thorough course will give you the knowledge, skills, and confidence you need to succeed. A class will also help you compete in the industry since your clients will know you’ve received excellent training.

A comprehensive course should provide you with numerous relevant real-world documents to proofread. You’ll get feedback on your performance so you’re aware of areas that need improvement.

I penned a post about why proofreading classes are worth it if you’d like to learn more.

How do I become a certified proofreader?

To become a certified proofreader, you must pass a rigorous proofreading exam offered by Editors Canada . They recommend you have at least five years of experience as a full-time proofreader before taking the test. Currently, no organization in the United States offers this certification.

Om Proofreading has a post about getting certified as a proofreader if you’re curious about this.

Getting a professional certification in proofreading and getting a proofreading certificate are two different processes.

Finally, let’s move on to the research I did to write this article.

How I Determined Which Free Classes Are Best

I found the top courses by researching the websites on Verywell Family’s list of best online learning platforms.

The article containing that list is no longer available; however, here are the seven platforms that made the list:

• MasterClass
• Pluralsight

Courses Taken from the Best Online Learning Platforms

Udemy and Skillshare are the only two platforms on the list that provide proofreading courses. So all the classes recommended in this article (except one) come from these two providers.

Coursera was considered the best overall learning platform, but they don’t offer proofreading courses.

However, if you want to learn about grammar, punctuation, editing, or writing, I encourage you to check out Coursera.

I was impressed with their offerings and was glad to see they provide financial aid to students who need it.

A Course Taken from the First Page of Google Search Results

I also checked the first few pages of Google after searching for “free proofreading courses.” I found a proofreading class provided by Alison on the first page.

Udemy and Skillshare are relatively well-known sites, but many have never heard of Alison.

Therefore, I took the Alison course to see if it deserved a spot in this article.

I liked it and included it as the second course in this listicle.

I hope this post has given you valuable information about the best free proofreading courses (and inexpensive ones too).

Good luck with your proofreading-related goals!

Best wishes to you!

“I don’t want to live in the kind of world where we don’t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand. I can’t change the way anybody else thinks, or what they choose to do, but I can do my bit.” – Charles de Lint

Lindsay Babcock

Lindsay is the creator of Om Proofreading. She has a BA in psychology and earned a certificate in proofreading by passing the final exam in Proofread Anywhere’s general proofreading course. She shares what she’s learning in the field and through research to inform and inspire her readers.

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Learn How To Edit Like A Pro With 2024‘s 7+ FREE Best Online Proofreading Courses

Working as a proofreader is a great way to find some part-time freelance work. But you want to make sure that you are delivering the quality that your clients are expecting!

Below are some of the best online proofreading courses that you can take in order to establish your skills and build good proofreading techniques and habits.

If you want to start a proofreading business and become a copyeditor, you can certainly benefit by honing your proofreading skills/copyediting to increase your overall abilities.

Take a look at this list of copyediting courses and see which of these awesome courses looks like the “write” fit for you!

• #1 Top Recommended Proofreading Course
• Taught By Professional Editor & Proofreader
• Covers Proofreading, Content Structure, Punctuation & More
• Beginner Friendly Course
• 29,000+ Other Included Classes
• 1,000+ Students Enrolled
• 1-Month Free Trial
• Activate Free Trial Now

Table of Contents

Top 9+ FREE Best Online Proofreading Courses & Certifications 2024

1. skillshare: writing editing masterclass (skillshare).

Up first on my list is a great all-around editing course with many modules that focus specifically on proofreading. On top of that, this free Skillshare course also dives deeper into the larger context of the editing process for copyediting and proofreading.

In this 3-hour-long course, you’ll learn about the following proofreading topics: typos, proofreading strategies, spelling errors and homonyms, the comma, question marks and exclamation marks, colon and quotation marks, apostrophes, hyphens, and dashes, and parentheses.

Another great component of this training is that there is an optional final assignment that will test your skills and act as a great overview of what you have learned.

As this course is hosted on Skillshare, students get to take the classes at their own pace via the desktop portal or the smartphone app. Skillshare also offers a 1-month free trial , so there’s no losing! Hands down one of the best online proofreading courses!

• Can be accessed for free with the Skillshare free trial, making this a free course
• Beginner friendly and suitable for all levels of freelance proofreaders
• Good overview of fundamentals of the editing process in general for English grammar
• Low time commitment

Activate FREE Skillshare Trial

2. Editing and Proofreading Made Simple

For beginners looking to quickly improve their proofreading skills, Erin Rickard ’s LinkedIn Learning course is a great place to start. As a longtime freelance copywriter, she’s well-versed in what it takes to effectively communicate; as a professor, she’s adept in connecting with her students and helping them improve their craft.

This efficient course packs a lot into 40 minutes. You’ll learn how to develop personalized templates, tools, and tactics necessary for effective editing including checking content, spelling, and grammar as well as the proper use of formatting. You’ll practice applying these skills and spotting errors across presentations, emails, and website articles.

This course is on LinkedIn Learning, a subscription platform that gives you access to a full catalog. So for one price, you can take this course as well as other highly-rated related courses: Grammar Foundations , Business Writing Principles , Social Media Marketing Foundations , and Writing Emails People Want To Read .

There’s even a 1-month free trial. Even better, you earn a certificate for each course that appears on your LinkedIn profile and helps you rank higher in jobs searches.

• 102,406 students have taken this course
• 40 minutes of videos across 3 chapters
• Continuing Education Units available
• Certificate of completion appears on your LinkedIn profile
• 30-day free trial gets you access to full 15,000 course catalog

3. Proofreading Your Own Work

Next up is a proofreading course from Heather E. Saunders , owner of Just the Write Type Editing. She’s been called on to edit everything from medical journals to fiction novels, so her techniques are timeliness and universal.  

What I love about this course is how practical her advice is. She’ll teach you how to come back to your own writing with the fresh eyes necessary to catch even your most common and easily overlooked mistakes. And while it may seem simple to read it aloud or take a break, applying her proofreading tricks can be the difference between a great submission that gets published or an embarrassment that gets set aside. 

Once you’ve completed this class you’ll know the common proofreading mistakes, your personal writing blind spots, how to create an ideal environment for editing, and how to fact check efficiently. 

This course is available on CreativeLive, which frequently runs sales that put each course below $10. Even better, they have an all-access Creator Pass to 2000+ courses starting at $13/month. While they don’t technically have a free trial, they do have a 7-day refund window.

GET 20% OFF THE CREATOR PASS WITH CODE CREATIVELIVE20 THRU 10/31!

• 7,600 students have taken this course
• 100% of students recommend it
• 8 videos running just over 1 hour 
• Lifetime access via  desktop or mobile
• Satisfaction guarantee

4. The Writer’s Toolkit: 6 Steps to a Successful Writing Habit (Skillshare)

Hopefully, if you like proofreading, you like to read. And hopefully, if you like to read, you also like to write! Being a strong writer can help you to be a stronger proofreader. You get an eye for what good writing looks like and what makes sense on paper.

This course will help you to foster a healthy writing habit . By following the six steps laid out by award-winning author Simon Van Booy you will be able to increase the amount that you write and your level of writing ability.

He will discuss each of the steps in detail in this 38-minute-long course. The steps include making your own space, finding your medium, reading inspiring works, setting the conditions, sticking to a routine, and sketching to stay inspired.

This  Skillshare course will also give you the possibility to view other students’ projects and to submit your own project to the course webpage. Looking at what other people have done can inspire you and help to spark your creativity.

This course is for anyone who wants to learn how to be a better writer, beginners included. All you need is an open mind and a blank screen or notebook that you can fill with your own wonderful words!

• Lots of student projects to view for inspiration
• Very popular! 14,255 students
• Designed for students of all levels

5. Udemy: Proofreading Power Basics (Udemy)

Up next on my list is great course hosted on Udemy, which is all about teaching the tricks of the trade and give students a new confidence in their proofreading skills. This course is also aimed towards beginners, but knowing intermediate grammar and writing skills will be extremely beneficial.

Taught by English professor Ashan Hampton , he provides students with helpful assessments, exercises, and quizzes that will keep students learning experience productive and keep them on the right track.

While the course is brief (1 hour long), it is jam-packed with information! Over the course of 23 video lessons, students will learn about topics like proofreader expectations, proofreading tips, strategies, marking, proofing for capitalization and numbers, and proofreader error hotspots.

Overall, this is a fantastic course that caters to those of all experience levels!

• High 4.3-star rating
• Popular course – 1,271 students!
• Includes a module on proofreading marks
• Lifetime access to course materials
• 10 downloadable resources + 9 articles
• Certificate of completion

Visit Udemy.com

6. Udemy: How to Find & Correct Writing Errors: the Proofreading Guide (Udemy)

Moving on is another Udemy course taught by University professor Duncan Koerber. While the course is brief, coming in at only 50 minutes, the 19 video lessons are filled with a wealth of knowledge!

In this course, students learn about good habits for proofreading, practical proofreading tips, professional proofreading symbols, using lists and guides in the proofreading process, tips for proofreading the format, design, and graphics of a document.

Professor Koerber will also teach students about important final tasks that people forget to do when proofreading. The resources and techniques students will gain from this course truly make it one of the very best online proofreading courses.

• Popular! 1,631 students
• Suitable for all levels

7. The Publishing Training Centre: What is Proofreading? (Publishing Training Center)

Are you new to editing and looking to find out if proofreading is something you might be good at? Then this entry-level course will prepare you for what you need to do as a proofreader, and give you the chance to test your skills to see if you have what it takes.

In this class, students learn how proofreading is applied in four different sectors: book and journal publishers, other organizations that have information or messages to share, independent authors, and students.

Divided into two sections, the first section will provide students with information on proofreading. The second section involves a practical exercise that will help you gauge your proofreading abilities.

After completing this course, students should have a strong sense of their skill level and an idea of what steps you should take next in order to keep progressing as a proofreader. Or you can pair this with an online journalism course and start writing for one of the millions of online publications.

• One of the most extensive courses on this list: about 5-7 hours of course material
• 8 months of access to the course material
• Course certificate awarded upon completion of the course
• Suitable for beginners

Visit Publishingtrainingcentre.com

8. Udemy: Kickstart a Freelance Editor and Proofreader Career on Upwork (Udemy)

If you want to work as a proofreader, chances are your first paid jobs might be on a freelance basis. It’s not always easy to find good jobs and many people will try to underpay you or even avoid paying you at all.

This course walks you through how to use the Upwork platform to find work as a proofreader. And to ensure that you get paid for your effort! Using Upwork might not seem like rocket science but there is a bit more to it than meets the eye.

Professor Duncan Koerber will share some great insight into this two-hour-long course. He covers topics such as getting started on Upwork; bidding for jobs; ratings and repeat clients; macro-level tips for doing a great job; and some practical concerns for an online editor or proofreader.

Throughout 25 lessons you will gain valuable knowledge that can help you to succeed as a freelancer. This course is for all levels and all you need to get started is Microsoft Word software and a keen eye that’s ready to spot the best new job! You can also take your skills on the road and get a digital nomad job that will allow you to work from anywhere in the world!

This is easily one of the best online proofreading courses available!

• Very high 4.5-star rating
• Popular course! 1,430 students
• Lifetime access to course material

9. Skillshare: Proofreading Your Articles: Tools (Skillshare)

There are lots and lots of tools available that can help you to be a great proofreader. This Skillshare course will teach you some excellent tips and hacks that will make your proofreading process quicker and more accurate. This is a good course to take if you are just starting out as a proofreader.

In this course, you’ll cover topics such as punctuation, word tips, and proofreading hacks. But the main focus of the course is how to use online grammar checkers like Grammarly , ProWritingAid, and other free auto-proofreaders to check your work.

These grammar checkers will basically do your proofreading for you. However, some (like Grammarly) aren’t free so ideally, you can learn to proofread without relying on them. But it can be a good idea to use them to check your work while you are first starting out.

Nothing makes you lose clients faster than handing in an assignment filled with mistakes. This course will help you figure out how you can use online grammar checkers to improve your own skills. But you should never discount the effectiveness of good old fashioned paper and (red) pen!

If you want to learn more, you can read my comprehensive review of Skillshare .

• Low time commitment: 48 minutes
• Possible to access this course for free using a Skillshare free trial
• Positive student reviews – the course met or exceeded student expectations
• Links to 2 helpful articles included with course content

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this guide on the best online proofreading courses helps you to better your skills or even land that next job! For more upskilling, you can see our guide on other online classes and training here .

Or if after reading this, you’d rather just hire a proofreader for your project or website, I’ve had great success with Fiverr . Check out the profiles below for pros who can start today!

My name is Lewis Keegan and I am the writer and editor of SkillScouter.com. I'm extremely passionate about online education and what it can do for those to better their lives. I spend most of my time blogging, hiking, and drinking coffee. I also have a Bachelor's Degree in Education and Teaching.

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Skill Courses

9 Free Best Online Proofreading Courses in 2024 [Free Guide]

Updated on April 10, 2024 by Patrick

One question that students commonly ask is, “Is proofreading training worth it?”

Yes. Having good proofreading skills will not only help make your texts more engaging and readable, but it’ll also make you more valuable to publishers and increase the demand for your freelancing service.

And that’s why we’ve rounded up the nine best free online proofreading courses in 2024 to help you step up your writing career.

Quickly, the best free proofreading course is Skillshare’s Writing Editing Masterclass – Content Editing, Copyediting, and Proofreading. This course covers the common types of editing journalists do, how to fix errors in your writing, and how to use the correct punctuations. Also, the online course is entirely free.

The other top two courses that make into our top 3 recommendations are;

• Proofreading Academy: Becoming a Proofreader (Best Value)
• The Publishing Training Centre: What is Proofreading? (Best Academic Proofreading Training)

So let’s take a deeper dive into what makes these courses stand out. But first, let’s know the difference between an editor and a proofreader.

What’s The Difference Between A Proofreader and An Editor?

Often, people use the titles’ proofreader’ and ‘editor’ interchangeably, and they find it difficult to separate the two from each other.

However, they’re two different sets of professionals with different roles.

The primary difference between an editor and a proofreader is that an editor ensures that a content piece adheres to a style guide, is clear and understandable for readers or listeners. Editors also restructure sentences and paragraphs and fact-check the content to ensure no false or misleading information.

On the other hand, a proofreader is the last eye that gets on the content piece before the content is published. Proofreaders also ensure that written or audio content is free of grammar errors, spelling errors, homonym errors, and typographical errors. They also format content, so it looks more presentable.

You can decide to be a general proofreader and work on all types of content pieces, from academic journals to blog posts to website pages to novels, books, and even resumes. Or you may decide to niche down to a field you’re highly skilled at, like medical, legal, or technical fields.

Now, where the confusion comes in is that a lot of times, when clients hire writers, editors, or proofreaders, they expect them to have impeccable copy editing and proofreading skills: so they expect you to be a complete package.

So for writers, editors, or proofreaders, having both editing and proofreading skills is a surefire way to increase your value in the market and generate more income.

Let’s explore the nine best free proofreading classes you can learn online and what makes them stand out without further ado.

Top 9 Best Online Free Proofreading Courses

1. skillshare: writing editing masterclass – content editing, copyediting and proofreading (best overall proofreading course).

• Rating: 153 reviews
• Price: Free

Our top pick for the best free online proofreading course is this detailed course from Skillshare.

This course by Sivakumar Kannon (a seasoned digital marketing consultant, content marketer, and agency owner) takes a deep dive into teaching beginner proofreaders proofreading strategies to improve their writing.

A highlight of what you’ll learn from this in-depth 3-hour, 62 practical video lessons include;

• Journalists of leading publications use the three most common types of editing.
• How to fix spelling errors.
• The correct usage of punctuations such as comma, hyphens, dashes, quotation marks, question marks, colon, etc.
• How to edit content to make it leaner and more engaging.
• 30+ editing rules and how to tackle homonyms .

There are also a couple of writing assignments, such as editing blog content to ensure students easily grasp all they teach.

And at the end of this Writing Editing Masterclass course, you’ll be proficient enough to take up any copy editing and proofreading work.

Plus, your writing skills would have significantly improved, and you’ll be structuring and editing either your work or client work with better accuracy and ease.

And the good news is that if you sign up TODAY for this Skillshare course, you will grant a 2-month free trial to learn this editing course and many other training courses on the e-learning platform.

• The class is free for you to learn and improve your English grammar.
• The practical course also has downloadable course material and transcripts you can access anytime.
• Over 2,600 students have taken this course.
• It requires low-time commitment and is excellent for beginners.
• You can take this self-paced course from the convenience of your home.
• This course doesn’t make you a certified proofreader.

The Writing Editing Masterclass is one of the best online proofreading courses to help writers and freelancers work as editors.

2. Udemy: How to Find & Correct Writing Errors: The Proofreading Guide

• Rating: 4.4/5
• Price: $89.99 $12.99

Coming close second on this list is another editing course that self-editing proofreaders will find very valuable.

That’s because the course instructor – Duncan Koerber – is a university professor with 12+ years teaching writing and communications courses in Canadian universities. He’s also worked as a journalist for several media outlets.

So when you take this course as the other 3,600 students did, you’ll be tapping from over 20 years of Duncan’s writing, editing and proofreading experience.

A summary of what you’ll be learning in this 50-minute 19 lectures online proofreading course is;

• The good habits to improve your skills as a proofreader.
• Practical proofreading tips and proofreading symbols that only professional proofreaders use.
• How to use lists and guides in your proofreading process.
• Practical tips for correcting punctuations and writing errors.
• And how to format and design your text and content. Plus, you’ll learn to fix errors with graphics.

This online video training course is excellent for writers, freelance editors, and proofreaders who want to improve their editing and proofreading skills.

• A university professor teaches an online proofreading course with over 20 years of writing and proofreading experience.
• The online training program takes only 50 minutes of your time.
• You’ll get lifetime access to the course materials.
• Significant for beginner proofreaders and experts to improve their proofreading and grammar skills
• You’ll receive a certificate of completion.
• It focuses primarily on proofreading, not editing.

Despite this proofreading course having to learn by a university professor, there’s no barrier to entry. The only requirement is that you have a good grasp of English grammar.

How to Find & Correct Writing Errors is easy to understand, concise, and packed with a lot of very informative content.

The above features make this free proofreading course one of the best proofreaders, editors, and freelancers.

3. The Publishing Training Centre: What is Proofreading? (Best Academic Proofreading)

• Rating: N/A

This list won’t be complete without this online proofreading course from The Publishing Training Centre.

This intensive entry-level course is excellent for students just starting editing and proofreading. It will take their proofreading and grammar skills from amateur to a more advanced proofreader level.

This editing and proofreading course is split into two sections to help simplify proofreading concepts for the proofreader and improve her writing skills with assignments.

In this 5 – 7-hour proofreading course, you’ll be learning how to provide your proofreading service to;

• Book and journal publishers.
• Students who need help writing and proofreading their essays.
• Independent authors.
• Businesses not in the publishing industry but that have information to share with their audience.

Students will access this course for eight months after signing up for the platform’s training and paying a one-time fee of $34.

You’ll also get lots of downloadable materials in this online proofreading and editing course to strengthen your knowledge so you can work as a proofreader at an advanced level. You’ll learn most of the thoughts and processes that go into proofreading texts.

We also like that a reputable British proofreading organization delivers the training program. After taking the classes and tests, you’ll You will receive an award a certificate of completion.

• This editing course is packed with tips to help proofreaders, editors, and freelancers level up their copy editing and proofreading skills.
• The online training program is suitable for beginners to hone their writing skills better and upgrade their understanding of English grammar.
• You’ll have to pay a fair but non-refundable price to access this editing course.

Publishing Training Centre is a reputable online proofreading training platform that helps students become expert proofreaders with top-notch training courses.

4. Coursera: Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest

• Rating: 4.7/5

Writing for Young Readers is another top-notch course from Coursera (read this best coursera courses ).

This course is presented to you by two experienced authors and one doctor – David Hill, Maria Gill, and Alex Alexandrou.

This course is so popular that over 85,000 people have taken the program. So whether you’re a student or an aspiring author, you’ll be able to write engaging content for young readers.

In this 13-hour online video course that spans four weeks (although the deadline is flexible), you’ll learn;

• How to cultivate effective writing habits, put yourself into your writing, and find your identity.
• The genres that are popular among young readers.
• How to structure your texts to appeal to your audience .
• Here’s where you’ll learn about editing, proofreading, and publishing.

So if you’ve thought about writing stories for the younger generation, this is where you’ll get the chops to do so.

• This free proofreading course is in English and has subtitles in 9 other common languages so you can understand the video content regardless of your first language.
• You’ll get a shareable certificate upon completion.
• 38% of the learners pivoted to a new career after taking the lessons.
• It focuses primarily on writing for children.

There’s a lot to take home from these proofreading classes to improve your creativity in this detailed program.

5. Udemy: Kickstart Your Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career on Upwork

• Rating: 4.5/5

It is a second course by Duncan Koerber that we featured on this list.

He isn’t only a university professor and an educator, but he also works as a freelance proofreader on Upwork. And there’s no better instructor to teach you the qualities Upwork clients want from their proofreading contractors than someone who’s been down there in the trenches.

In the 22 modules spanning 1 hour 30 minutes, you’ll learn tips and topics to improve your proofreading skills to land more Upwork clients that’ll pay you what you’re worth;

• How you can write practical bid proposals that’ll get clients’ attention.
• How you can win contracts on Upwork.
• How to get good ratings and return clients.

You’ll also learn editing philosophies and the editing tools that can make your proofreading flawless. So if you’re planning on hunting for gigs on the Upwork platform, this is the best course for you.

• You’ll be learning from an experienced Upwork freelancer who’s also a university professor.
• You’ll learn to ply your trade on Upwork to get better-paying clients.
• Your business skill in attracting and retaining clients with a professional profile will improve.
• The Proofreader Career on Upwork will make you become a more efficient reader and proofreader.
• The course focuses more on the business side of freelance proofreading rather than the grammar aspect.

Getting clients as a freelancer is difficult. And it’s one thing to get a client, and it’s another to impress them, so they return for your service. So if you’re looking to boost your career chances and get more work as a proofreader, this is the proper training for you.

You won’t only be skilled at getting jobs on Upwork, but you’ll also be able to get various positions on other creative freelance platforms.

You are looking for more ways to market your proofreading services? These courses with printable certificates will show you how.

6. Skillshare: The Writer’s Toolkit: 6 Steps to a Successful Writing Habit

• Rating: 3088 reviews

It is another fantastic Skillshare course that teaches students how to cultivate a healthy writing habit.

A healthy writing habit is a great way to increase your productivity, the number of words you write, and your writing skill in general. And proofreading courses like this can help you get there.

The course instructor is Simon Van Booy, a screenwriter and an award-winning author who will take you through the six steps that’ll transform your proficiency as an editor and proofreader.

The topics you’ll learn from this short 40-minute program that over 15,000 students have taken includes;

• How to set your working conditions and stick to the routine.
• How to get inspiration from reading other people’s works.
• How to find the medium that suits you best.
• And how to stay inspired by sketching.

These proofreading courses show you a systematic approach to make writing more accessible and a more fun project.

And as an author of 10 best-selling fiction books and a writer for the New York Times and BBC, I don’t think there will be a better person to teach you about creative writing than Simon.

It will also help you if you’re looking to break into the publishing industry.

• Experts and beginners can take the course.
• It’s a low-time commitment course.
• You’ll learn to be more creative and get inspiration from an origin you never thought possible.
• It’ll teach the habits to make you a successful writer.
• It doesn’t dwell much on proofreading and editing.

You can spark your creativity and begin writing incredible stories that your audience will find intriguing.

This short course will show you the way.

7. Udemy: Proofreading Power Basics

• Rating: 4.3/5
• Price: $94.99 $14.99

If you’re a freelance writer, blogger, editor, content creator, or you work 9 – 5, but you’re looking to find work as a proofreader, then this free proofreading course is for you.

The hands-on proofreading classes cover lots of the technicalities proofreaders and editors should be aware of. The course instructor – Ashan Hampton – is a Ph.D. candidate who’s both an educator and an editor in her education and training business.

In the 1-hour on-demand video lessons, she covers tips, strategies, and topics to sharpen your proofreading skills and make you highly sought-after. You’ll learn;

• The fundamentals of proofreading and copy editing.
• Proofreading marks, capitalization, and numbers.
• The checklist of error hotspots.

All these are split into 23 classes that are easy to understand. There are also lots of quizzes, exercises, and assessments to make you quickly grasp all the information you’ll learn.

• This Udemy proofreading class is certificate training.
• You’ll learn proofreading marks in addition to other courses.
• Lots of downloadable resources and lifetime access to the topics so you can easily refresh your memory.
• You’ll get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
• It’s a great starting point for copy editors, writers, and proofreaders just starting out freelancing.
• These editing and proofreading courses don’t talk about punctuations and homonyms.

However, before you enroll in this course, you should have at least intermediate grammar skills, plus some writing skills.

8. Proofreading Academy: Becoming a Proofreader (Best Value Proofreading course)

• Rating: 4.8/5
• Price: $295 (7-day free trial)

Only a few online proofreading courses have topics that talk about style guides, and that’s where this program comes in.

In this class, you’ll learn academic proofreading so you’ll be able to proofread academic journals. You’ll also be learning various writing style guides to structure your texts and blog posts as a professional proofreader.

And another important thing you’ll learn from this 40-hour editing course is how to use Microsoft Word at an advanced level.

Another thing we love about this 10-module program is that the teaching company guarantees you freelance work. They’ve got partner companies that’ll be needing your proofreading services.

This part-time job will be your final assessment which you’ll have to pass. So this course is different in that you won’t go about searching for a job. One awaits you the moment you sign up with them.

What a way to kickstart your freelance copy editing and proofreading career without thinking about where your next client will come from.

So whether you’re a student, a worker, a stay-at-home parent, or just anyone looking to earn extra income, this course is suitable for you.

• You’ll learn to use the cool editing features of MS Word.
• You’ll immediately go from apprentice to a professional after taking this program.
• You’ll learn the popular style guides, referencing, and citations, so you’ll be able to edit and proofread academic journals professionally.
• It’s costly compared to the other proofreading programs.

Becoming a Proofreader from Proofreading Academy can easily be the best online proofreading and copyediting course on this list. However, the hefty price slapped on it (which is worth it, by the way) makes it a deterrent for some students.

You can also take the 34-minute video course on Udemy – Become a Professional Proofreader. It will give you insights into if the system is an excellent fit for the skills you desire to acquire.

9. Proofread Anywhere: General Proofreading Theory and Practice (GPTP)

• Price: $497

One of the best editing courses on our list is the General Proofreading Theory and Practice from Proofread Anywhere.

Whether you’re just starting your editing journey as a freelance writer, copy editor, or proofreader, and you’d love to run your own proofreading business without hassles, this course by Caitlyn Pyle will show you the ropes.

She’s an experienced proofreader, former reporter manager, and transcript production, specialist. So you’ll be drawing from her wealth of experience to take the next step in your online proofreading career.

It is also one of the most in-depth and extensive courses on this list as it contains 40+ classes and can take from 2 to 4 months to complete. There are also lots of downloadable resources.

The major highlights of this online proofreading class are;

• Learning the theory and practice of proofreading novels, textbooks.
• How to also proofread blog posts and resumes.
• How to market your editing and proofreading services to get repeat clients.

You’ll show zero mercy at the end of the course for spelling errors, writing errors, inconsistency in writing, and wrong punctuations. Plus, you’d have learned to make more money from your side hustle or full-time proofreading work.

• You’ll learn proofreading tips and techniques to turn your skill into a business.
• Turn meh copy into a masterpiece and earn more money.
• You’ll have access to a lot of case studies, grammar worksheets, and an extensive vocabulary.
• A certificate of completion.
• Free training before you can take the course.
• Learn the online proofreading courses from the comfort of your home or anywhere.
• A seasoned proofreader and reporter (Caitlyn Pyle) with lots of experience teaches these online editing courses.
• You can also take Caitlyn’s transcript proofreading course.
• The training is costly when compared to the other proofreading courses on this list.

You can start generating more money today to turn your side hustle into a full-time venture. This course will show you how to win publishers over and get contracts that are worth your skill.

Bonus: Free Proofreading Software Courses

Udemy: Microsoft Word 2019 Essentials – People mostly do their proofreading using Microsoft Word, so this 3-hour lesson will make you more efficient using the software. Learn it now.

Skillshare: Proofreading Your Articles: tools, tips, and hacks that work – This lesson shows you how to use free software like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, and other tools to make you faster and more efficient. Start learning it now.

FAQ’s

Do you need qualifications to be a proofreader.

No, you don’t need a degree or any special qualifications to be a proofreader. But you’ll need to take a proofreading course to be a skilled proofreader. And studying English, journalism, or any humanities courses will make your skill more desirable: However, it’s not necessary.

How do you become a certified proofreader?

You can become a certified proofreader by gaining writing and grammar experience. Or you can study English or take courses in journalism or technical writing to sharpen your proofreading skills further.

Then you’ll enroll in proofreading classes to earn a certificate of completion. And you’ll also have to learn editing and proofreading marks (style guides) to style content and documents based on some existing rules.

And after that, you’ll contact the US Proofreader Certification Association to take their test and obtain your proofreader certification.

Is there a proofreading course?

Yes, there are lots of proofreading courses you can learn online to improve your proofreading skills. This article put together a list of the nine best proofreading courses to help you become a proofreader.

A proofreader does more than read people’s texts for grammar errors and correct them.

A proofreader ensures that texts have the right cadence and impact so as to achieve their purpose.

This makes proofreading an in-demand skill. Learning a writing course can make you become a better proofreader. Also, you can learn to tell more impactful stories with these storytelling courses.

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About Patrick

Patrick is a teacher and education enthusiast. He is passionate about online education and always looks for new and innovative ways to learn new skills. He writes about different online courses, career opportunities, and self-improvement with the goal to help others succeed in their journey

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Learn How to Proofread: 13+ Free Proofreading Courses

Since March 2020, trends and opportunities in remote work have changed drastically. Employers weren’t ready for entire workforces to work from home, but thanks to innovative advances and technological wonders, it worked out better than anyone anticipated.

Where once work-from-home (WFH) jobs were seen as “gigs” and only suited to part-time, freelance, or low-paying positions, when everyone became a WFH worker, the attitude towards working from home and the people who did it for a living changed.

According to a survey of over 1,500 employers conducted by UpWork , by 2025 over 36 million Americans will be working full time from home in remote positions. 

One “divine” occupation, according to Stephen King, for those looking to join the work-from-home crowd is the pursuit of proofreading. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that demand for proofreaders will increase by 5% in the next 8 to 10 years.

To write is human. To edit is divine. Stephen King

You could spend hours studying the local library’s copies of the MLA Handbook , The Associated Press Stylebook , The Chicago Manual of Style , and whatever grammar books they have to offer.

Or you could take an online course or two, possibly earn a certification upon completion of said course, and be well on your way to a lucrative work-from-home career. 

Today, we’ll be looking at some of the best online training courses for prospective proofreaders. Train from home to work from home and do it without breaking the bank. What could be better?

Here’s what’s in store for you today:

• No-cost proofreading courses
• Free-with-trial proofreading courses
• Low-cost proofreading courses

The divine world of proofreading is made easily accessible by taking any of the courses outlined below.

Completely Free Proofreading Courses

The editing academy’s free editing for beginners minicourse.

The Editing Academy offers a “Master Course” in professional proofreading that costs around $550. However, they also offer a free online minicourse, “ Editing for Beginners ”.

While this free course won’t prepare you to become a professional proofreader, it will give you a taste of what that could be like. It includes information on what you can expect as a professional proofreader, as well as a couple of grammar lessons. 

If you’re new to the idea of becoming a professional proofreader or copyeditor, this free online minicourse can be quite useful in helping you decide if proofreading is the right career for you. 

Alison’s Introduction to Proofreading

Unlike the Editing Academy’s minicourse, the free proofreading course from Alison.com teaches you how to proofread. Even better for prospective professional proofreaders is the fact that Alison’s course focuses on business writing . An Introduction to Proofreading provides you with the skills needed to tackle proofreading business communications, especially those created in Microsoft Word.

The course also includes instruction on how to “trick” your brain into catching often overlooked errors. The final module focuses on something not every proofreading course does—the dangers of working with templated documents. 

You also have the option of buying a certificate to prove you’ve completed the course. Digital as well as printed and framed certificates are available starting at around $30. 

Alison packs a lot of learning and earning potential into a free course you can complete in an afternoon or evening. 

Edit Republic’s Proofreading 101

Edit Republic is another site devoted to proofreading and editing courses. And like Editing Academy, they offer a free email course to get you started. 

Proofreading 101 isn’t just different in how you get the course—via email over 5 days—but also in that it includes a module on how to run a professional proofreading business. As one student, Casey B., put it in their testimonial :

It delved into the aspects of conducting yourself as a professional and dug into the nitty-gritty issue of money. Casey B

It’s all well and good to learn a skill that can increase your earning potential and offer you a way to work from home. It’s another to learn how to put that skill to use professionally. Proofreading 101 gives you both.

Proofreading Service’s Free Proofreading Course

This free course at Proofreading Service comes with a bit of a twist. First, they hire you as a proofreader, and then they train you to do the job.

The catch? You must have qualifications, education, or experience in at least one of the following academic fields:

• Biosciences
• Mathematics
• Engineering

PRS offers editing services to professionals and students for their journal articles, thesis papers, and dissertation presentations. Therefore, their proofreaders and editors must have a higher level of subject knowledge than your everyday professional proofreader. 

This makes a job with them, and the free course that comes with it, ideal for grad students and the new graduate, as well as professors and professionals looking for a second career or “side hustle”. 

Free-With-Trial-Membership Proofreading Courses

Many of the online learning marketplaces offer 7, 14, and even 30-day free trial memberships, during which time you can take any of their courses. 

This means that editing and proofreading courses from LinkedIn, for example, complete with their digital certificates, could be yours before you have to pay the LinkedIn Premium monthly fee.

And LinkedIn isn’t the only online learning marketplace with a similar offer. Let’s explore your other options for a free-with-trial-membership proofreading course now. 

SkillShare’s Writing and Editing Masterclass

The Writing and Editing Masterclass at SkillShare currently runs just under 3 hours. A free trial at SkillShare lasts 30 days. You could easily make time to prepare for your new career in 30 days, couldn’t you? 

A monthly membership to SkillShare costs less than $40/month currently. And you can cancel at any time, even before your free month’s trial is up. That makes the possibility of taking and completing the Writing and Editing Masterclass for free very real. It’s SkillShare’s highest-rated proofreading course and comes highly recommended by former students.

One drawback of SkillShare is that they don’t typically offer any type of certificate or other proof of course completion. They suggest posting your final project as proof you’ve completed and passed their courses.

All in all, though, a professional proofreading course you can get for nothing is still something to take advantage of. 

SkillShare’s Editing and Proofreading Masterclass

The second-highest rated SkillShare proofreading class is their “Editing and Proofreading Masterclass”. It’s about 10 minutes shy of 4 hours in length, with a final project that consists of proofreading and editing a page of text. 

The Editing and Proofreading Masterclass focuses more on grammar and punctuation than the Writing and Editing Masterclass, so it might be a good fit if you aren’t a native English speaker or if you feel the need to review and sharpen your English grammar skills. 

As Ashraf Tanvir puts it in his testimonial:

It’s a truly amazing experience to get to learn so much from a single course. Ashraf Tanvir

Since both classes could probably be completed within the 30-day free trial period, it might be a good idea to complete both. 

That way, you’ll be more confident that your skills are up-to-date, making you better prepared for your new proofreading career.

SkillShare’s Certification in Editing and Proofreading

We mentioned above that SkillShare doesn’t typically offer any type of certificates upon completion of its courses. But Prof. Krishna N. Sharma does just that in his Certification in Editing and Proofreading Course .

What Prof. Sharma offers is 84 minutes of video instruction in proofreading and editing business and technical writing, blogging, emails, copywriting, and content writing. 

And once you’ve completed your hands-on final projects, you will receive instructions on how to download your very own personalized certificate of completion.

LinkedIn’s Editing and Proofreading Made Easy

LinkedIn offers two editing and proofreading courses in their Premium LinkedIn Learning marketplace.

If you are unfamiliar with LinkedIn, here’s the process to access this course:

• Sign up for and create a LinkedIn profile. 
• Sign up for a free month’s trial of LinkedIn Premium. 
• Enroll in the Editing and Proofreading Made Easy course in the Learning section of LinkedIn Premium. 

If you aren’t already on LinkedIn as a prospective professional in need of either freelance clients or an employer, it’s a good idea to set up a profile on the platform. It is, after all, dedicated to forming networks among professionals. 

The Editing and Proofreading Made Easy course is a video course lasting about 40 minutes. Again, very easy to complete during a 30-day free trial to LinkedIn Premium. 

Here’s what one student, Merrie Lynn Eaker , has to say about the course:

Very comprehensive for such a short course. Merrie Lynn Eaker

LinkedIn Learning offers PDF certificates that can be placed on your LinkedIn profile, attached to a website, or even printed and framed. 

Another advantage of the LinkedIn courses is that they are all taught by professionals with experience in, and often still working in, the careers they are teaching. Learn from qualified professionals to become a qualified professional. 

LinkedIn’s Editing Mastery Course

Your free month’s trial at LinkedIn should give you plenty of time to also complete their Editing Mastery course. 

At just shy of 5 hours, it’s another video course offered by a professional editor and proofreader. It’s more in-depth than the Editing Made Easy course. It’s also perhaps more than a novice proofreader might need but might find useful later on. 

How in-depth? LinkedIn will award professionals 4.75 Continuing Education Units. By comparison, the Editing and Proofreading Made Easy course only awards .25 CEUs.

Again, you get a professional editor and journalist as an instructor. You will receive your certificate upon completion. And you will be better prepared and more confident in starting your new proofreading career. 

Coursera’s Writing and Editing: Revising Course

Coursera offers a 7-day free trial, and the fourth and final course in their Good With Words: Writing and Editing Specialization only takes 14 hours to complete.

So what happens if you can’t complete the Writing and Editing: Revising course in a week? Then there’s a membership fee of around $60 a month.

What makes this course different from the rest? It’s offered by the University of Michigan. That’s right. A full college-level course, complete with certificate upon completion, for less than $100. And completely free if you can get it done before the free trial expires.

There’s one more thing about this course that sets it apart. If you don’t want the certificate and only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course completely free of charge. Lots of options. Lots of learning. Not a lot of money to do so. 

Low-Cost Proofreading Courses

If you have a bit more than just time to invest in preparing for your new career in proofreading and editing, you might want to consider one of the courses in this section. We’ve selected courses from Udemy, SkillShare, and CreativeLive. None of them currently cost more than $200. Udemy often runs “sales” on their courses that can reduce the cost even more. It’s a small price to pay considering the lucrative career you could have upon completing your coursework. 

Udemy’s Proofread Like a Pro

This is Udemy’s best-selling proofreading course. It normally costs around $100 but can be found for as little as $15 on sale. 

Proofread Like a Pro is specifically designed to train you to become a professional proofreader. It contains modules on not just how to proofread documents, but also how to set yourself up in the proofreading business. 

It is a very practical course. One of the suggested requirements is that you have a printer handy to print out your exercise documents so you can get hands-on experience. 

Here’s what one very happy student, Joanna T. , had to say about Proofread Like a Pro: 

This course is amazing…The hands-on activities really help to cement what is taught in each lecture. Joanna T

Udemy’s Certification in Editing and Proofreading – Masterclass

One thing that sets the Certification in Editing and Proofreading Masterclass apart from other courses is that it doesn’t restrict itself to business documents. 

It also includes creative writing, copywriting, emails, blogging, and other content editing. This gives the student a broader education and therefore broader career opportunities than many other courses can offer. 

Another thing that sets the Certification in Editing and Proofreading Masterclass apart from its competition is that it is accredited by an organization other than Udemy. India’s Virtued Academy stands behind the course and its certificate. 

Udemy generally offers all this wonderful proofreading education for less than $90. On sale during one of their discount events, you can often find it for $10 to $15. A very small price to pay for quality career prep, don’t you think?

Udemy’s How to Become a Freelance Editor

Once you’ve got all that proofreading knowledge in your head, you’ll want to start putting it to use. 

That may be why many of Udemy’s proofreading students across their various course offerings take How to Become a Freelance Editor either concurrently with, or shortly after completing, those proofreading courses. 

While several of the courses we’ve featured have offered modules on starting your freelance proofreading career, How to Become a Freelance Editor focuses the entire course on that endeavor. 

Some of the very vital proofreading career skills included in this course are:

• How to launch your freelance proofreading and editing career
• How to effectively quote fees to prospective clients
• How to market your freelance proofreading and editing business
• Where to find employment/jobs in proofreading and editing

This course normally sells for around $80. Even when not discounted to $15 to $20, it’s still a bargain for all that you’ll learn to help launch your new proofreading business or career. 

CreativeLive’s Proofreading Your Own Work

If you’re coming to the proofreading world from the writing world, you may find Proofreading Your Own Work to be of some help in getting started.

It uses your own work as its practical examples and learning tools. A writer probably has plenty of that lying around, right? And since you’re intimately knowledgeable of it, it should make the class and its information very easy to understand and get excited about.

Another thing to get excited about is CreativeLive’s low price of less than $35. For a membership of less than $15 a month, you can access over 2,000 courses at CreativeLive, in case you want to improve or learn other skills. 

Shannon Lafreniere , a satisfied student, had this to say:

Heather did a great job at breaking down do’s and don’ts of all things proofreading . Shannon Lafreniere

One thing CreativeLive doesn’t do is offer any certificate or other proof of course completion. Proofreading Your Own Work might be a good starting point, though, for those testing the waters of the field of proofreading. 

Your Next Step

Where you go from here is up to you. Which course or courses appealed to you the most? What’s your budget? And we don’t just mean what’s in your wallet, but also how much time you have. These are all things to consider before taking that next step. Good luck in making these decisions—you’ll be on your way in no time!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can a professional proofreader earn.

According to Indeed , the average base yearly salary for a professional proofreader is $53,149. 

What kind of clients do proofreaders work with?

That depends on the proofreader. You can specialize in a particular industry niche or a particular type of writing. Many proofreaders are “generalists” working with a wide variety of clients and types of writing.

Do I need to be a grammar expert to be a proofreader?

Yes and no. You have to have a very good grasp of basic grammar rules. But no one ever knows all the rules, so knowing how to research to find the answers you need is more important than a head full of grammar do’s and don’t’s. Every good proofreader also has their favorite resource materials they can turn to when uncertain about the accuracy of something.

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Katrina McKinnon

I'm Katrina McKinnon, the author behind Small Revolution . With two decades of hands-on experience in online work, running eCommerce stores, web agency and job boards, I'm now on a mission to empower you to work from home and achieve work-life balance. My passion lies in crafting insightful, education content. I have taught thousands of students and employees how to write, do SEO, manage eCommerce stores and work as Virtual Assistants. Join our most popular course: SEO Article Masterclass

• How To Become A Freelancer

5 of the Best Free Proofreading Courses

• By  Mike Fisher
• Apr 15, 2024
• Freelance Tips
• Online Learning

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Are you currently searching for the best free proofreading course? Taking a quality proofreading course is an excellent investment in your career. However, we understand the challenge of finding the perfect one for you, especially if you’re searching for a free or low-cost option.

In today’s post, we’ll explore five of the best free online proofreading courses. We’ll discuss reasons for taking a proofreading course and whether they are worth the financial investment. By the end of the post, you’ll know some of your options to help you decide on your next steps.

What Does Proofreading Involve?

Before exploring a few free proofreading course options, we should explain the scope of proofreading for those unfamiliar with it. While there are different types of proofreading , they all involve:

• Fixing grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors
• Correcting inconsistent spelling and incorrect capitalization
• Checking for extra spaces left in a document
• Making minor changes for clarity and concision
• Adapting vocabulary to suit the document type and purpose
• Ensuring a document follows a given style guide

Proofreaders working in certain niches may perform additional tasks. For example, an academic proofreader will make sure that sources are cited correctly using the relevant referencing style .

Who Are Free Proofreading Courses For?

Free proofreading courses are a good fit for inexperienced proofreaders or those wishing to dip their toes in the proofreading world. While proofreading might sound appealing, you might find that it isn’t for you once you get started. A free proofreading course is a good way to see if you enjoy proofreading before investing in paid training.

The 5 Best Free Proofreading Courses

Here’s our list of some of the best free proofreading courses. As we delve into each course, we’ll focus on the following:

• Course duration
• Learning support
• Certification

We have included completely free courses and courses that offer free trials.

1. Proofread Like a Pro

Proofread Like a Pro is a course provided by the popular skill-sharing platform, Udemy . In this course, you’ll learn what to look out for as you proofread documents, techniques to catch errors, and how to use professional proofreading symbols . You’ll also get advice on how to set your rates and find work as a proofreader.

The course includes six sections and 48 lectures, which can be completed in under two hours. Udemy allows users to try the platform for free for seven days. Some of the key course features include:

• Available on mobile and desktop devices
• 23 downloadable resources and 1.5 hours of on-demand video
• Online support from the course instructor, Dr. Clare Lynch, who has more than 20 years of experience in the editing industry
• A certification upon completion

2. An Introduction to Proofreading

An Introduction to Proofreading is available on Alison , which provides free access to over 5,000 online courses. In this course, you’ll learn proofreading best practices and how to identify common proofreading pitfalls.

This course is completely free, and you don’t have to sign up for a trial. It can be completed in under four hours. Students can purchase a certification of completion, provided they achieve a mark of 80% or higher in the final examination. Some of the key course features include:

• Available on mobile and desktop devices 
• A CPD-accredited certification you can add to your resume and online profiles
• Online support from the course instructor, usually via email

3. Proofreading 101

Proofreading 101 is a free course offered by Edit Republic . It was written by Phon Baillie, an experienced proofreader and editor with over 20 years of experience in the industry. When you sign up, you’ll receive free lessons over five days. Key features of the course include:

• Insights into the proofreading industry and why proofreading is in demand
• Tips on starting a profitable proofreading business or side hustle  
• Advice on how to focus your scope as a proofreader and find clients as a new freelancer

The only downside is that you don’t appear to receive a certificate upon completion. It might be worth emailing the instructor to inquire about certification and learner support, as these aspects aren’t covered on the webpage.

4. Editing and Proofreading Masterclass

Skillshare offers an Editing and Proofreading Masterclass , which can be completed in three or four hours. The course is taught by Nitay , an experienced proofreader and translator. You can try Skillshare for seven days before paying for a subscription.

In this course, you’ll learn how to proofread translations, spot common grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, clarify text, and fix poor syntax. One of the course modules also focuses on finding proofreading jobs through online job sites . The course even provides a guide to navigating Upwork, which can take out a lot of legwork if you wish to go down this route. Student support is usually provided via emailing the course instructor.

5. Proofreading Power Basics

Another Udemy proofreading course, Proofreading Power Basics takes 90 minutes to complete. This course is especially great for teachers, bloggers, freelance editors, and content creators. Some of its key features include:

• 15 downloadable resources and 1.5 hours of on-demand videos
• Certificate of completion
• One practice test
• Online support from the course instructor, who has a background in editing

This course isn’t designed for complete beginners – you must have intermediate grammar and writing skills before taking the course. The course provider also includes a disclaimer: the certification doesn’t qualify you to launch a proofreading business or certify you as a proofreader; it only certifies that you’ve completed the course.

Are Free Proofreading Courses Worth It?

Free proofreading courses are good if you want to gain basic proofreading skills . They’re also great if you aren’t sure proofreading is for you. However, there will be limitations to taking a free course, such as minimal resources and student support.

Here is a table showing some of the pros and cons of taking a free proofreading course:

If you decide to take a completely or partially free course, remember that you will be up against professionally accredited proofreaders. Your average client will most likely choose the fully trained and professionally accredited proofreader over the one that completed a free course. Some clients and publishers might even ask you to pass a test, such as proofreading a sample document. If your free course doesn’t provide the required knowledge, your lack of training will be exposed.

When deciding on the best online proofreading course for you, ensure that the course provides practical exercises and a final examination, awards certification, and includes access to learning support. There are lots of paid online courses that are perfect for beginners !

Becoming a Proofreader

If you dream of working remotely as a freelance proofreader, we suggest our CPD-certified comprehensive course, Becoming A Proofreader . You’ll learn all the proofreading skills needed and can study at your own pace with no deadlines. Additionally, you’ll have access to our tutor support whenever you need it. We offer free lessons for this course, so you can start learning today!

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11 Free Proofreading Courses to Kickstart Your Career

Proofreading is an important step in any writing process, as it helps to ensure that the written work is free of errors and communicates the author’s message clearly. It is the process of carefully reviewing and correcting errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting. As such, it is important for anyone creating written content to learn proofreading techniques.

As the world of digital communications grows, so does the need for proper Proofreading. In today’s age, it is absolutely essential to be able to spot errors in written work before it is published. If you looking to learn to proofread,  then you are in the right place!

There are 11 amazing free online proofreading courses available in 2023 that will help you to improve your proofreading skills. These courses are interactive and will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to become an expert proofreader. So, why wait? Start exploring these free courses and start your journey of becoming an expert proofreader today!  

1. Editing and Proofreading Masterclass (Skillshare)

Level: Beginner

Certificate: Yes

Duration: 5 hours

Are you looking to become a professional freelance proofreader? This 5-hour proofreading course is designed to teach you the essential methods to proofread the translation, spot common grammar and punctuation errors, and clarify the text. You will learn how to correct poor syntax and punctuation, work with online job sites, and much more. After completing the course, you will have the skills and knowledge to make a real impact in the proofreading industry.

2. Introduction to Editing and Proofreading (Coursera)

Duration: 2 Hours

This course will provide the necessary tools and techniques to help you sharpen your writing skills and develop your own style. You will gain an understanding of the editing and proofreading process, as well as the fundamental principles of writing for a young audience. Through a combination of online lectures, readings, peer reviews, and guest appearances from celebrated children’s authors, you will gain a deeper insight into the craft. By the end of the course, you will have the ability to learn Proofreading and edit your own work, as well as provide constructive feedback on your peers’ work.

3. Writing and Editing Specialization (Coursera)

Certificate: Available

Duration: 5 months

This 5-month series of courses from Professor Barry targets the writing side of communication. Skills taught include how to arrange complex information in an understandable way, how to give and receive feedback, and how to hit deadlines. With the version of the course that earns a certificate, part of the proceeds will be donated to Ozone House, a shelter for homeless youth in Southeastern Michigan.

The course remains free for anyone who is simply auditing, but a certificate requires payment. This course is ideal for those seeking to advance their writing and editing skills that can help students kickstart their careers in proofreading.

4. Freelance Editor & Proofreader (Udemy)

Duration: 2 hours

With this course, you’ll gain sound bidding principles to win contracts, learn how to quickly gain good ratings to improve bidding chances, and discover simple editing philosophies and approaches to impress clients. It’ll also help you cultivate repeat clients for further business.

5. The Proofreading Guide (Udemy)

Duration: 1 hour

Proofreading is an important part of the writing and publishing process. This comprehensive course will teach you how to spot and remove embarrassing typos and spelling errors, find errors in design and graphics, use lists and guides to ensure proofreading consistency, and work comfortably with professional proofreading symbols.

With 1 hour of content, you’ll learn how to proofread like a pro and become a confident proofreader. Get your certificate on completion of this course and become an expert in Proofreading. For further knowledge and resources, also check out the list of 11 FREE Best Online Proofreading Courses In 2023 , and take your proofreading skills to the next level.

6. The Writer’s Toolkit (Skillshare)

Certificate: No

Duration: 40 minutes

The Writer’s Toolkit: 6 Steps to a Successful Writing Habit class offered by Skillshare is here to help. Led by acclaimed novelist Simon Van Booy, this 40-minute class offers a simple and fun process to get started with writing. The class will help you to optimize your space for your writing style, create a daily writing routine, and gather and act on inspiration. With these 6 essential steps, you will be able to create great writing and build the foundation needed to make your dreams a reality.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer, this class is perfect for anyone looking to start or refine their writing skills.

7. Basics of Proofreading (Alison)

Duration: 2-3 Hours

This course is a great starting point for anyone who is interested in becoming a professional proofreader in 2023. It provides learners with the skills and knowledge needed to proofread both digital and printed material, ensuring error-free copy before publication. As proofreaders are a crucial part of the publishing team, this course can help you develop the confidence to spot mistakes that copy editors miss, and, with the help of 11 FREE Best Online Proofreading Courses , you can hone your skills to catch errors in your own writing.

8. Proofread Like a Pro (Udemy)

This course on Udemy can help you become a professional proofreader in just 2 hours. It covers all the basics of proofreading, such as using professional proofreading symbols, strategies to catch errors, what to look for when proofreading, and also how to find proofreading work. The course is designed for beginners and is accompanied by a certificate of completion. So, what are you waiting for? Get your copy now and start proofreading like a pro.

9. Become a Proofreader (knowadays)

Duration: 3 months

Are you looking to build your proofreading skills? The Becoming a Proofreader course is a 13-module program designed to guide you step-by-step. This course is perfect for beginners who want to become experts in the field. You will learn about common mistakes, working to style guides, and the nuances of proofreading all types of writing, from creative to business and academic. You’ll also get to complete practical tasks that will help you build your skills. Plus, you will receive a certificate of completion at the end.

10. Advanced Proofreading and Editing Techniques (Futurelearn)

Duration: 4 Weeks

Do you find it difficult to read, revise, and edit your own or others’ work? If yes, this four-week course is perfect for you. It will equip you with the skills to become a better reader, understand legal writing and other written work, as well as Learn Proofreading . You will learn how to choose more impactful words and sentence structures and revise more sensitively. With this course, you will gain deeper insights into the writing process and emerge as an effective writer.

11. Proofreading Power Basics (Udemy)

Certificate: Certificate of Completion

Duration: 4 hours

Proofreading Power Basics is an online class for those who want to master the fundamentals of Proofreading. It is ideal for teachers, writers, and editors who want to hone their grammar and writing skills. It provides practical applications with hands-on exercises and quizzes to help them develop their proofreading skills.

The need for proper Proofreading in the world of digital communications has increased, and learning proofreading techniques has become essential. These 11 amazing free online proofreading courses available in 2023 will help you improve your proofreading skills and become an expert in the field.

These courses range from 2-5 hours and cover topics such as editing, Proofreading, writing, and publishing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced writer, these courses offer a wide range of tools and techniques to help you develop your skills and achieve your goals.

With interactive online lectures, peer reviews, and guest appearances from renowned writers, these courses provide a unique learning experience for anyone interested in Proofreading.

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Last updated on Jul 02, 2024

The 10 Best Proofreading Courses for Editors and Writers Online

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Linnea Gradin

The editor-in-chief of the Reedsy Freelancer blog, Linnea is a writer and marketer with a degree from the University of Cambridge. Her focus is to provide aspiring editors and book designers with the resources to further their careers.

About Isabella Peralta

A writer and editor, Isabella coordinates "Prompts," Reedsy's weekly short story competition. Originally from the Philippines, she is a graduate of the University of Cambridge.

Are you looking to assume the mantle of those unsung heroes of the publishing world that have come before you and become an eagle-eyed proofreader? Or do you see proofreading as the first step in your editing career? Whatever your reasons, it’s never a bad idea to develop your skill set further by taking a proofreading course. 

In this post, we’ve assembled a list of online courses that’ll show you how to become a proofreader. For quick reference, here’s a breakdown of the courses we’ll be looking at:

Knowing how to proofread is an important skill for almost everyone in today’s media-saturated world, but if you want to become a professional proofreader or editor (or even a writer), learning how to perform a professional final check on a piece of text to ensure there are no errors could make all the difference to your career.

From in-depth programs to short overview classes available at various price points, there’s bound to be something in this post that’s suited to your needs. 

But before we take a closer look at what these courses offer and who they might benefit, let’s briefly talk about proofreading certificates and whether you need one to get hired.

Can I become a proofreader without a certification?

While you don’t necessarily need a well-known industry qualification to become a proofreader, adding at least one widely recognized proofreading certification to your CV can definitely give you a leg up, especially since the demand for editing services is continuously on the rise.

With more and more people looking to become proofreaders — not to mention AI proofreading software becoming more advanced — a strong CV and unmatchable expertise will help you stand out among your competitors, so if you have time and money to spare, why not invest in yourself and your future?

Professional proofreading

Being a professional freelancer (as most proofreaders are) involves more than just the mastery of proofreading skills — it also means understanding and adapting to the style used by each client, knowing how to market yourself, and managing your finances. Luckily, some courses cover these topics in addition to the hard skills of the trade, taught by experienced proofreaders themselves.

If you’re serious about becoming a professional proofreader, be sure to look out for courses that offer certificates widely acknowledged in the industry. That way, you can verify your own expertise once you’ve “graduated” and set yourself up for a successful proofreading career.

To get more freelance tips and advice from Reedsy professionals, follow us on LinkedIn .

Becoming a Proofreader (Knowadays) 

🎯 Perfect for: Aspiring professionals looking for immersion

💰 Cost: $499. Sign up here .

⏰ Average time commitment: 2 to 4 weeks

While that might seem too basic to many aspiring professionals out there, remember that keeping up to date with the latest features and software could be crucial to your success and efficiency as a freelance proofreader. And in addition to its 78 lessons – which you can complete in 2 to 4 weeks – the course also offers a CPD-accredited certificate upon completion and on-demand tutor support. So if you’re willing to invest in your career, this is a serious contender.

Essential Proofreading: Editorial Skills One (The Publishing Training Centre) 

🎯 Perfect for: Aspiring proofreaders looking for immersion

💰 Cost: £395 (around $500, possible to pay in installments). Sign up here .

⏰ Average time commitment: 50 hours

Since The Publishing Training Centre’s (PTC) intensive proofreading course is intended as a training program for professionals, it is assumed that students already have a good grasp of the English language, grammar and spelling included.

With those basics already locked down, this 50-hour self-paced course focuses instead on navigating the collaborative and technical elements of a proofreading job; explaining standard practices in the publishing business; and providing guidance on both paper and screen markups. It notably offers 30 self-check exercises, four long module assignments, support from a personal tutor, and a Publishing Qualifications Board completion certificate, which PTC claims to be “the most widely recognised industry qualification.”

While PTC is based in the UK, anyone from around the world who’s seriously interested in becoming a proofreader can join this course as the knowledge it offers can be applied almost anywhere where (British) English is the working language.

Proofreading and Copyediting with The Chicago Manual of Style (Editorial Freelancers Association) 

💰 Cost: $190. Sign up here .

⏰ Average time commitment: Self-paced, around 3 to 6 months

If you want to be well-versed in what’s considered the standard for U.S.-style book publishing, look no further! This course from The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) will show you all there is to know about not just proofreading, but also copyediting with The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) as a foundation.

If you’ve got “an excellent grasp of college-level grammar,” as EFA states, then this course’s focus on style, punctuation, and citation, among other things, could help you go beyond learning the fundamentals of CMOS’s notes-and-bibliography system — you’ll also learn about “the practicalities of correcting a typical author manuscript,” which will definitely help boost your CV!

The course consists of 16 lessons, and each lesson has a 10-point quiz at the end to test your knowledge. Since the course is self-paced, how long it will take to complete will depend on each student, though a representative tells us that 6 months is usually more than enough time, even with only occasional study. Students are notably given a full year to access the course site and download materials from it for later review.

Proofreading 1: Introduction (Charted Institute of Editing and Proofreading)

💰 Cost: £190. Sign up here .

Another organization that is recognized across the industry is the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP). Based in the UK, they offer (yep, you guessed it) professional resources and guidance for editors and proofreaders, including self-paced and virtual courses on copy editing and proofreading. Their core course on proofreading is divided into three parts, with Proofreading 1: Introduction introducing aspiring professionals to the foundations of the craft. 

For £190 (roughly $250), students get access to the material for 6 months to work through it at their own pace. The course explains the difference between proofreading and proof-editing, how and where proofreading fits into the publishing processs, common issues proofreaders might come across and handy solutions. Graduates will be able to go out and seek projects and opportunities with this in their arsenal, or they may choose to dive deeper by following up with Proofreading 2 and 3.

High-level proofreading on a budget

If you’re on a tight budget but still want something in-depth, consider taking one of the courses below. They provide a comprehensive understanding of proofreading — without breaking the bank. 

Proofreading Power Basics (Udemy) 

🎯 Perfect for: Aspiring professionals on a budget

💰 Cost: $85.99*. Sign up here .

*Prices fluctuate according to region. We’ve also seen frequent promotions with prices as low as $11.99, so keep an eye out for potential sales!

⏰ Average time commitment: 1.5 hours

Understanding proofreading marks, choosing your approach to a document, knowing how to address capitalization and numeration — these are just some of the things you can expect from Proofreading Power Basics.

As with many of the more advanced professional classes out there, make sure you come with a world-class understanding of grammar since there’s no talk of punctuation or homonyms here — in fact, the course’s creator states that to pass with flying colors, you “must at least have intermediate grammar skills.”

For learners on a budget who want to hone their professional skills and put them into practice right away, this just might be the class for you — and given Udemy’s frequent price drops, we think it’d definitely be more worth the wait to try and catch a sale. However, note that unlike a few other online classes in this post, you will not receive a recognized industry qualification upon completion.

Proofreading and Copyediting 101 (Universal Class)

💰 Cost: $95 with no certificate, $120 with a certificate. Sign up here .

⏰ Average time commitment: 11 hours

Proofreading and copyediting are both covered, giving you a more diverse range of skills and more bang for your buck. PIus, if you’d like to add proof of formal training to your CV, you can pay just $25 more to obtain a CEU (Continuing Education Unit) certificate. Universal Class states that CEUs “represent a crucial benchmark in professional and personal development” and serve as “the industry measurement of non-credit education.”

Kickstart Your Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career on Upwork (Udemy)

🎯 Perfect for: Those looking to get started with freelancing

💰 Cost: $94.99*. Sign up here .

⏰ Average time commitment: 2 hours

In 25 bite-sized lessons, this class’s instructor shares his insights into becoming a freelance editor and proofreader on Upwork. Though it won’t teach you the hard skills of proofreading, consider taking this course if you want answers to plenty of complex questions and issues related to being a freelancer — from finding proofreading jobs to understanding personal finance.

In addition to obtaining a certificate of completion, you’ll also learn how to: write a strong bid proposal cover letter; fast-track your career trajectory; and improve your bidding chances, thereby winning contracts and receiving good reviews.

The instructor does touch on editing philosophies and which editing tools to master, but that should be considered additional information to the golden nuggets of wisdom you’ll hear about managing your independent work.

Similar to the previously listed Udemy course we mentioned, we think this one is worth it if you can catch a sale, but otherwise, go for one of the cheaper courses below or invest in the Knowadays or PTC course.

Top tip: Don't stop at creating a strong profile — also demonstrate your professionalism with a well-designed freelance proposal.

Beginner proofreaders, writers, and students

If you’re a student who’s looking to secure those A*s or a freelance writer who just needs to make sure all your submissions are flawless, you may wish to consider the courses below. 

While they don’t go into specific details like collaborating on a digital document or managing the nitty-gritty of formatting a manuscript, they do cover basic grammar mistakes and most major types of editing — enough to give you both a good introduction and the confidence to revise an array of texts . Plus, you can potentially save quite a bit of money by doing an initial proofread yourself before hiring a professional freelancer to check your work.

Proofreading Basics Certificate Course (New Skills Academy)  

🎯 Perfect for: Beginner proofreaders, writers, and students

💰 Cost: $25. Sign up here .

⏰ Average time commitment: 1 hour

If you need help at any point while taking this class, you can take advantage of the 24/7 student support that it offers. Additionally, you’ll be given access to an exclusive New Skills Academy study group and receive a certificate upon completion of the course.

How to Find & Correct Writing Errors (Udemy) 

💰 Cost: $64.99*. Sign up here .

*Prices fluctuate according to region. We’ve also seen frequent promotions with prices as low as $11.99, so keep an eye out for that!

This Udemy class includes 19 lectures that you can watch in your own time, covering editing techniques and technical guidance regarding styles, spelling, and document formatting. You’ll receive an hour’s worth of video content that’ll equip you with the skills needed to proofread and spot mistakes in your own work without a hitch.

The instructor notably has experience working for various newspapers and magazines. He’s also taught at the university level and created content for several popular online editing classes in addition to this Udemy course.

Grammar Fundamentals (Editorial Freelancers Association)

Since this course is self-paced, how long it will take to complete will depend on each student, though a representative tells us that 6 months is usually more than enough time, even with only occasional study.

In addition to in-depth lessons, handouts, and assessments, the course also offers real-time Q&A sessions via Zoom with the instructor. Students are notably given a full year to access the course site and download materials from it for later review.

Reedsy recommends

While we recommend all of the courses above for different reasons, it’s important to choose the course that’s right for you.

If you’re serious about becoming a professional proofreader, Universal Class’s “Proofreading and Copyediting 101” offers relatively good bang for your buck at $95 for the course itself and $120 if you want the CEU certificate to strengthen your CV. Given the class’s end-of-lessons tests and 11 hours of content, it will require you to consistently put in time and effort, helping you hone your skills as a proofreader. You’ll also get the added bonus of copy editing training. 

However, the certificate that you’ll gain from Universal Class is not as widely recognized in the industry, nor does it compare to the much more extensive and immersive training that you’ll get from courses such as Knowaday’s “Becoming a Proofreader” and PTC’s “Essential Proofreading.” And while these come at a much steeper price, these courses are more likely to be a one-time investment, as they are better equipped to turn you into a full-fledged proofreader in one go — without having to pay for additional courses and training — which may be  more worth your while if proofreading is something you see yourself doing long-term.

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On the other hand, if you’re someone who’s just looking to dip their toes into what proofreading entails, there’s no reason to pay the big bucks yet. Instead, consider taking a course like New Skills Academy’s “Proofreading Basics Certificate Course,” which is perfect for those with a tight schedule and budget who still want to become more knowledgeable about not just common mistakes, but also software with the purpose of proofreading.

In the end, any one of the nine courses that we’ve detailed in this post will leave you with a better understanding of proofreading, regardless of your level of commitment, career goals, and budget. We hope that this post will help you make an informed choice about which one is right for you, and that you find the course that will bring you one step closer to being a successful proofreader.

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Free Online Proofreader

Try our other writing services

Correct your document within 5 minutes

• Proofread on 100+ language issues
• Specialized in academic texts
• Corrections directly in your document

Instantly correct your entire document in minutes

Nobody's perfect all the time—and now, you don’t have to be!

There are times when you just want to write without worrying about every grammar or spelling convention. The online proofreader immediately finds all of your errors. This allows you to concentrate on the bigger picture. You’ll be 100% confident that your writing won’t affect your grade.

What does a proofreader do?

The proofreading process is your last chance to catch any errors in your writing before you submit it. A proofreader makes sure your spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors are reviewed and fixed. This can be done automatically by an AI-powered tool like the one at the top of this page or by a real human. Both options have their advantages, so pick the one that suits you most.

Fix mistakes that slip under your radar

✔ Fix problems with commonly confused words, like affect vs. effect, which vs. that and who vs. that.

✔ Catch words that sound similar but aren’t, like their vs. they’re, your vs. you’re.

✔ Check your punctuation to avoid errors with dashes and hyphens, commas, apostrophes, and more.

✔ Avoid sentence fragments, subject-verb agreement errors, and problems with parallelism.

How does the proofreader work?

The online proofreader.

It’s really straightforward. Just paste the text into the tool. All your errors will now be underlined in red. You can hover over these mistakes to see how they can be addressed. If you agree, just click on the button “Fix all errors,” and your mistakes will be fixed instantly! 

The professional proofreader

Upload your entire document first. Choose the pages you want proofread, the extra services you want to use, and the deadline. Then fill in some key details like your field of study so that we can find you the best proofreader. When you’re done, you pay for your order, and we make sure that your writing is checked by a proofreader. You’ll be contacted when the job is done!

Who should use this proofreader?

Avoid a bad grade and hand in your documents with absolute confidence.

Businesspeople

Look like a pro by writing error-free emails, reports, and more.

Ensure your work is clear and readable to increase the chance that it’ll get published.

Want your whole document checked and corrected in a matter of minutes?

Would you like to upload your entire document and check all your documents for 100+ language issues? Then Scribbr’s AI-powered proofreading is perfect for you.

With AI-powered proofreading, you can correct your text in no time.

• Upload document
• Wait briefly while all errors are corrected directly in your document
• Correct errors with one click

Proofread my document

Fantastic service!!

“Excellent review of a paper that was deciding my grade. I appreciate both the edits and the feedback to increase my knowledge of correct APA formatting and accurate citations. I needed the paper returned quickly, and the team worked hard to make sure I had what I needed. I just got my grade back, A+. I would 100% use this service again, it was worth every penny!!!!!!”

A proofreader for everyone

Don’t let typos and grammar keep you down. Make your writing count

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Frequently asked questions

Our support team is here to help you daily via chat, WhatsApp, email, or phone between 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. CET.

Yes! Our personal statement editors can help you reduce your word count by up to 25%. You can choose to receive this feedback through direct edits or suggestions in comments – just select your choice when you upload your personal statement.

Our APA experts default to APA 7 for editing and formatting. For the Citation Editing Service you are able to choose between APA 6 and 7.

It is not necessary to reserve a time slot for your edit. As soon as your document is ready to be proofread, you can upload it at any time via our website . Based on your chosen deadline, our editor(s) will then proofread your document within 24 hours, 3 days, or 7 days.

If you are unsure about the availability of our services or are planning to upload a very large document (>13,000 words) with a 24 hour deadline, we recommend that you contact us beforehand via chat or email .

Scribbr is following the guidelines announced by the WHO (World Health Organization). As an online platform, all our services remain available, and we will continue to help students as usual.

Can I still place an order? Will my order be completed within the deadline? Yes, you can still place orders and orders will be delivered within the agreed upon deadline. Scribbr is an online platform – our proofreading & editing services are provided by editors working remotely from all over the world. This means Scribbr can guarantee that we will process your order with the same diligence and professionalism as always. The same holds true for our Plagiarism Checker .

Can I still contact customer support? Yes. Our support team is available from 09.00 to 23.00 CET and happy to answer any questions you might have!

Yes, if your document is longer than 20,000 words, you will get a sample of approximately 2,000 words. This sample edit gives you a first impression of the editor’s editing style and a chance to ask questions and give feedback.

How does the sample edit work?

You will receive the sample edit within 12 hours after placing your order. You then have 24 hours to let us know if you’re happy with the sample or if there’s something you would like the editor to do differently.

Read more about how the sample edit works

When you upload a large document (20,000+ words), we will ask your editor to send a sample edit of approximately 2,000 words as soon as possible. This sample edit gives you a first impression of your editor’s editing style and what you can expect from the service. You will receive it within 12 hours after uploading your order.

Why do we provide you with a sample edit?

We always aim to make you 100% happy, and Proofreading & Editing is a complex service. We want to make sure that our editing style meets your expectations before the editor improves your entire document.

Our editors are trained to follow Scribbr’s academic style . However, your preferences might deviate from our conventions. The sample edit gives you the chance to provide feedback – you can let us know if you’re happy with the sample or if there’s something you would like the editor to do differently.

Once your editor has completed your sample edit, you will receive a notification via email. You have 24 hours to reply to this email and provide us with feedback. If we receive your feedback in time, your editor will go the extra mile and adjust the edit according to your input.

What sort of feedback can you give?

Give us feedback that will help your editor meet your requirements. For example:

• “I am completely happy. The editor can continue editing like this.”
• “I forgot to mention that my school has the following rules for gendered pronouns.”
• “The editor changed the spelling of a technical term, but my professor spells it differently. Please keep the original spelling of this term.”

The  Structure  and Clarity Check can only be purchased in conjunction with Proofreading & Editing . Providing feedback on structure and clarity requires extensive knowledge of the text, which the editor acquires while proofreading and editing your text.

However, our Paper Formatting Service,   Citation Editing Service and Plagiarism Checker can be purchased separately.

Yes, Scribbr will proofread the summary in another language as well.

Who will proofread my summary?

If your document contains a summary in a different language, we will send this part to another editor who is a native speaker of that language. The editor will check your summary, applying our standard Proofreading & Editing service.

If you ordered any additional services, such as the Structure Check or Clarity Check, the editor will not apply them to your summary. This is because the summary is a translation of your abstract – you already receive Structure and Clarity feedback on the text in the original language. Therefore, when proofreading your summary, the editor will focus on making sure your language and style is correct.

How does it work?

We will create a new assignment within your order and send you a confirmation email. This also means that you will receive a separate email/SMS notification from us when the editor has finished proofreading your summary. Once your summary is proofread, you can download it via your Scribbr account and read the editor’s feedback.

Yes, we can provide a certificate of proofreading.

As soon as the editor delivers the edit, you can email us at [email protected] to request a certificate.

Please indicate the following in your email:

• Your order number
• Your full name
• The title of your work

We will create a PDF certificate and email it to you as soon as possible.

Scribbr specializes in editing study-related documents . We proofread:

• PhD dissertations
• Research proposals
• Personal statements
• Admission essays
• Motivation letters
• Reflection papers
• Journal articles
• Capstone projects

Yes, when you accept all changes and delete all comments your document is ready to be handed in.

How to accept all changes:

• Word for Mac 2011

How to remove all comments:

When you’ve finished this, others will no longer be able to see the changes made by the editor.

• Read your last version one last time to make sure everything is the way you want it.
• Save your document as a .pdf file to come across more professional and to ensure the format of your document doesn’t change.

Yes, in the order process you can indicate your preference for American, British, or Australian English .

If you don’t choose one, your editor will follow the style of English you currently use. If your editor has any questions about this, we will contact you.

Yes, you can upload your thesis in sections.

We try our best to ensure that the same editor checks all the different sections of your thesis. When you upload a new file, our system recognizes you as a returning customer, and we immediately contact the editor who helped you before.

However, we cannot guarantee that the same editor will be available. Your chances are higher if

• You send us your text as soon as possible and
• You can be flexible about the deadline.

Please note that the shorter your deadline is, the bigger the risk that your previous editor is not available.

If your previous editor isn’t available, then we will inform you immediately and look for another qualified editor. Fear not! Every Scribbr editor follows the  Scribbr Improvement Model  and will deliver high-quality work.

However, every editor has a slightly different editing style, so you may notice small inconsistencies in editing choices. As with every proofreading order, be sure to carefully review your editor’s changes and suggestions as you finalize your text to ensure that everything is as you want it.

The fastest turnaround time is 12 hours.

You can upload your document at any time and choose between four deadlines:

At Scribbr, we promise to make every customer 100% happy with the service we offer. Our philosophy: Your complaint is always justified – no denial, no doubts.

Our customer support team is here to find the solution that helps you the most, whether that’s a free new edit or a refund for the service.

Every Scribbr order comes with our award-winning Proofreading & Editing service , which combines two important stages of the revision process.

For a more comprehensive edit, you can add a Structure Check or Clarity Check to your order. With these building blocks, you can customize the kind of feedback you receive.

You might be familiar with a different set of editing terms. To help you understand what you can expect at Scribbr, we created this table:

View an example

Scribbr not only specializes in proofreading and editing texts in English , but also in several other languages . This way, we help out students from all over the world.

As a global academic writing proofreading service, we work with professional editors  – all native speakers – who edit in the following languages :

This way, you can also have your academic writing proofread and edited in your second language!

Please note that we do not offer Finnish proofreading, but students can still upload English papers on scribbr.fi .

Yes, regardless of the deadline you choose, our editors can proofread your document during weekends and holidays.

Example: If you select the 12-hour service on Saturday, you will receive your edited document back within 12 hours on Sunday.

The footnotes are not automatically included in the word count.

If you want the language errors in your footnotes to be corrected by the editor, you can indicate this in step 3 of the upload process . The words in the footnotes are then automatically added to the total word count.

Need help with your references?

• If you use the APA reference style, you can use our free APA Citation Generator or the articles about APA in our Knowledge Base.
• If you’d like us to check your references for consistency, you can use our Citation Editing Service .

To keep our prices competitive, we do not offer a free trial edit. However, if your document is longer than 30,000 words, we are happy to provide you with a sample edit of 2,000 words to ensure you are satisfied with the editor’s editing style.

Rest assured, our customers are very satisfied with our proofreading services. We’re proud that they have rated us with an excellent 4.6 on Trustpilot. In the unlikely event that you have a less positive experience, we’ll solve that with our 100% happiness guarantee !

After your thesis has been edited , you will receive an email with a link to download the edited document.

The editor has made changes to your document using ‘ Track Changes ’ in Word.  This means that you only have to accept or ignore the changes that are made in the text one by one.

It is also possible to accept all changes at once. However, we strongly advise you not to do so for the following reasons:

• You can learn much by looking at what mistakes you have made.
• The editors do not only change the text, they also place comments when sentences or sometimes even entire paragraphs are unclear. We therefore advise you to read through these comments and take into account your editor’s tips and suggestions.
• Because of the many changes, sometimes there may be double spaces, double periods, or other minor mistakes in a sentence. Checking the changes one by one, you can easily detect these minor errors.

We have written a manual in which we explain step by step how ‘Track Changes’ works.

Check out an example

Our editors are very experienced and will do their utmost to correct all errors in your thesis .

However, with our current rates, an editor can only check your thesis once. This may cause an editor to overlook an error. We can therefore not guarantee that your thesis is 100% error free after you have had your thesis edited.

The editor uses ‘Track Changes’ in Word when editing your thesis.

Don’t know how this works? Then read the following guide  in which we explain step by step how ‘Track Changes’ works.

No, we do not provide you with a clean copy. You will always receive a file edited with tracked changes .

We do this for two main reasons:

• In most papers, there are sentences that the editor cannot edit without additional information from the author. In these cases, your editor will provide guidance but leave you to implement the feedback. If we were to simply accept the changes for you, then these issues would be left unaddressed.
• We believe students should be accountable for their work. Our editors can correct language errors and coach you to be a better writer. However, the end product belongs to you and should reflect your ideas and decisions.

All Scribbr editors are language experts with interests in different subject areas.

You can indicate your field of study when you upload your document . We’ll make sure that the editor who proofreads your work is familiar with your discipline and its specialist vocabulary.

These are the fields of study you can choose from, and examples of the main subjects in each field:

• Business and Management: Business Administration, Hotel Management, Accountancy, Marketing
• Economics: Business Economics, Econometrics, Finance
• IT and Engineering: ICT, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Applied Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Industrial Design, Electrical Engineering
• Natural and Life Sciences: Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Chemistry
• Geography, Agriculture and Environment: Ecology, Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies, Urban Planning
• Health and Medical Sciences: Medicine, Obstetrics, Pharmacy, Nutrition, Dentistry
• Arts and Humanities: Philosophy, History, Literature, Cultural Studies, Theology
• Law and Policy: Law, Political Science, Public Policy, Human Rights
• Social and Behavioral Sciences: Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Communication Sciences

Editors don’t have to be experts in the content of your paper, but they do know how to present it in the best way possible! Our goal is to improve your writing and give you feedback on the readability, structure, logic, and clarity of your text. We know from experience that the most effective editors are specialists in language and academic writing.

We’ve carefully selected and trained all of our editors to proofread theses and other academic documents. Once they’re qualified, we continue to carefully monitor their work to make sure we always deliver the highest quality .

Best Online Proofreading Courses

by Rebecca Salter

When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. However, this does not influence our evaluations.

Whether you’re proofreading for books, online print, or any other form of literature, a well-edited and proofread text is key to communicating accurately and professionally.

With that in mind, the courses on this list are here to help you contribute to your chosen field – whether you’re writing for business or pleasure. So, if you’re looking for the best proofreading courses of 2022, this list is for you.

Recently, I’ve immersed myself in the world of online proofreading classes to find the best out there.

I’ve looked at proofreading for different levels, as well as for different types of media.

So, here are my top picks for the best online proofreading courses:

What is the best online proofreading class?

Overall, here are our picks for the best online proofreading courses:

• Editing and Proofreading MasterClass (Skillshare)
• Proofreading to Perfection (Udemy)
• Writing Editing Masterclass (Skillshare)
• Certification in Editing and Proofreading (Skillshare)
• How to Find and Correct Writing Errors (Skillshare)
• Writing for Business (Coursera)
• Kickstart Your Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career on Upwork (Skillshare)
• Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization (Coursera)
• Business Writing Techniques (edX)
• Editing and Proofreading Made Simple (LinkedIn Learning)

In short, our top pick is Skillshare’s Editing and Proofreading MasterClass .

This is because the class covers 64 lessons and 3+ hours of content without breaking the bank. It’s also one of Skillshare’s most popular and highly viewed proofreading courses, which speaks to its value.

Skillshare also offers over 40,000 courses on any topic you can think of. So, with a single membership, you can take various classes alongside your proofreading course. You can also mix and match proofreading classes to get the best value for time and money – and many of them feature on this list!

That being said, a strong competitor to Skillshare is Udemy . For a single-course purchase especially, Udemy’s Proofreading to Perfection class covers a lot of material in a short space of time. It’s also taught by a published author who lets you in on a wealth of professional secrets.

Thirdly, Coursera’s Writing for Business is a superb option for anyone more interested in business writing and editing. Taking around four weeks to complete, this course is part of a longer series on persuasive writing and is ideal for students looking for something challenging.

Either way, with the platforms on this list offering a 7-day – 1-month free trial, you have little to lose and a whole lot to gain.

Read our mini review below to get the full details!

Best Online Proofreading Course Reviews

1. editing and proofreading masterclass (skillshare).

Platform: Skillshare | Teacher: Nitay L | Course length: 64 lessons totalling 3 hours and 49 minutes 

Nitay L is a proofreader and translator at Upwork and has a wide range of freelancing knowledge. In this course, he aims to set you up for success and to realize your earning potential right away.

You’ll learn to:

• Hack proofreading with three key methods
• Spot common grammar and language errors
• Clarify text and fix poor syntax
• Make a proofreading career
• Straightforward teaching that is ideal for beginners
• Well-explained concepts and excellent detail
• Engaging presentation of organized content
• Taught by, and geared toward, self-learners
• Less suited to advanced users
• Not all spelling/grammatical errors are addressed
• Mostly for those interested in translation-editing

Who it’s for: This class is for anyone interested in a proofreading career. That being said, it’s most useful for aspiring translation-editors, as this is where Nitay L’s experience lies. If you’re looking to freelance on platforms like Upwork, this course is a valuable guide to getting started.

Overall: A comprehensive class taught by a well-rounded and experienced teacher. You’ll uncover a number of methods for proofreading and editing, and, as Nitay L promises, you’ll be ready to start earning after a few hours of fun video lessons.

2. Proofreading to Perfection (Udemy)

Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Marcia Yudkin | Course length: 12 lectures totalling 1 hour and 29 minutes in length

Marcia Yudkin is a marketing coach and published author of 15+ books. She’s also been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur , and other esteemed journals. So, in this course, she helps you to create a proofreading routine to catch and correct errors – whether for your work or others’.

You’ll also learn to: 

• Exercise skills used by professional editors
• Understand the best systems for proofreading
• Get better at producing error-free text
• Better grasp when and how to proofread
• A great course for proofreaders with many helpful strategies
• Well thought-out class with excellent presentation
• Suitable for beginner and intermediate learners
• Helpful examples and anecdotes
• Only considers American English
• Shorter than other courses on this list
• Udemy certificate is not formally accredited

Who it’s for: This class is ideal for anyone who wants to proofread professionally, either for a company or as a freelancer. Yudkin has a wealth of experience and shares her tips on how to write, read, and edit professionally. So, if these are the skills you need to break into your chosen sector, this class is for you.

Overall: A brilliant class led by an enthusiastic teacher. Despite being under two hours, Yudkin packs in a lot of information for aspiring proofreaders. You can also use this knowledge to proofread your own work.

3. Writing & Editing MasterClass (Skillshare)

Platform: Skillshare | Teacher: Sivakumar Kannan | Course length: 62 lessons totalling 2 hours and 59 minutes

Sivakumar Kanna is a digital marketing expert with a passion for teaching. He runs his own marketing agency and hosts a range of online classes from SEO to email marketing. As he proclaims, this course is for anyone who wants to become a professional editor or enhance their writing by self-editing.

• Understand and execute key proofreading strategies
• Become a world-class editor by mastering the basics and beyond
• Familiarize yourself with writing rules for different media
• Drastically improve error-laden or dull text into something engaging
• Excellent class for intermediate learners
• Recommended for those looking to sharpen their skills
• Clear and enjoyable teaching style
• Applicable knowledge to a range of skill levels
• Resources not always easy to navigate
• Some confusion over British/American English
• More suited to intermediate-level learners

Who it’s for: In my opinion, this course is better suited to those with some prior knowledge of proofreading. This is because the class, while comprehensive, presents a lot of specialist knowledge that could be overwhelming for beginners. So, with that in mind, this course is best for intermediate learners who are looking for a refresher.

Overall: An engaging but fast-paced class that collates a lot of information on proofreading and editing. Kannan includes helpful and well-explained examples that help to cement his points. If you have some knowledge of proofreading but are returning after a break, this course is a good go-to to refresh your memory.

4. Certification in Editing and Proofreading (Skillshare)

Platform: Skillshare | Teacher: Krishna N. Sharma | Course length: 37 lessons totalling 1 hour and 24 minutes

Professor Krisha N. Sharma is an author and teacher with over 40 best-selling publications to his name. Sharma has designed this course with newcomers in mind, so you don’t need any prior knowledge before taking this course. Unlike other Skillshare courses, this class is accredited by Virtued Academy International.

• Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation effectively
• Improve readability through word choice and syntax
• Know your role (and limits) as a proofreader
• Equip yourself with the best strategies to succeed
• Well-organized and informative class
• Certified with end-of-class certificate
• Strong introduction to editing and proofreading
• Ideal for anyone looking to self-edit/sell their proofreading services
• Some grammatical errors are skimmed over
• Fewer examples than with other courses
• Some students did not receive a certificate as advertised

Who it’s for: All in all, this class is perfect for anyone looking to step into proofreading with little to no experience. You do not need prior knowledge to understand this course. In fact, the class is well-rated for being informative and has clear and engaging instruction.

Overall: This class is thorough, beginner-friendly, and offers a great overview for aspiring proofreaders. You’ll learn how to self-edit and proofread for others as well as to recognize your potential as a proofreader.

5. How to Find and Correct Writing Errors (Skillshare)

Platform: Skillshare | Teacher: Duncan Koerber | Course length: 17 lessons totalling 50 minutes 

Duncan Koerber is a university professor who has taught writing and communication courses for 15+ years. Currently working at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, Koerber has a wealth of freelance experience in magazines and newspapers. He even has a writing textbook that was published in 2015.

• Proofread practically for words and punctuation
• Recognize and use proofreading symbols
• Develop and refine your proofreading skills
• Impress readers and employers with your polished text
• Packs a lot of valuable information in a short space of time
• Clear and concise delivery
• Engaging and great for instilling confidence in viewers
• Ideal for those with busy lifestyles who can’t invest in a long course
• Mostly tip-based rather than a guide
• Fewer additional resources than other classes
• Repetitious at times

Who it’s for: This course is curated for those looking to step into the world of proofreading with little to no prior experience. Koerber’s course also teaches you the necessary jargon and symbols to put proofreading into practice as a career. If you’re looking for an introduction to proofreading in this sense, this course is for you.

Overall: A short but useful course filled with practical information and helpful tips and tricks. You’ll learn how to proofread like a professional and gain confidence in furthering these skills. In short, this is a great overview of proofreading basics.

6. Writing for Business (Coursera)

Platform: Coursera | Teacher: Dr. Quentin McAndrew | Course length: 4 weeks of lessons totalling approx. 13 hours

Dr. Quentin McAndrew is an instructor in the Department of English at the University of Colorado Boulder. CU-Boulder offers this course, with financial aid available, as part of their larger series on Effective Communication. As they note, writing well is one of the most valuable skills you can develop in the business world, and this course shows you how to do just that.

• Avoid repetition and cut where needed
• Revise your work to prioritize the active voice
• Simplify sentences and edit out prepositional phrases
• Finalize your proofreading drafts
• A lengthy and thorough course that covers many proofreading aspects
• Excellent as a refresher course or for anyone looking to sharpen their skills
• Acknowledges multiple types of business writing
• Clear and personable teaching
• Can be taken free (without certification)
• Filming style can be distracting at times
• Heavier on exams/quizzes than on lessons
• Considered too basic for some

Who it’s for: This course is most beneficial to those looking for an introductory course to business writing. While it’s too specialist for general proofreading viewers, it’s also basic enough for it to be considered a foundational course for business writers.

Overall: A well-paced and informative class covering several weeks’ worth of content. Unlike some of the other courses on this list, Business Writing specializes in proofreading for business/marketing text.

7. Kickstart Your Freelance Editor & Proofreader Career on Upwork (Skillshare)

Platform: Skillshare | Teacher: Duncan Koerber | Course length: 22 lessons totalling 1 hour and 30 minutes

Another proofreading course led by Duncan Koerber, this class focuses on how to initiate your proofreading career using Upwork. In this course, Koerber distils the complete process for becoming a freelancer on the site. This includes how to maximize your success using Koerber’s key techniques.

• Create an account on Upwork and navigate your earning potential
• Understand the different types of proofreading you can pursue
• Effectively use, and gain from, Upwork’s hire/bidding system
• Sell your services and land the gigs on Upwork
• Highly detailed and well thought-out class
• Extremely valuable for those starting out in freelancing
• A solid overview of how to use one particular platform
• Professional and articulate delivery
• Not up to date with Upwork’s latest policies
• Specific to only one platform

Who it’s for: Anyone interested in kick starting their career in proofreading or editing on Upwork. In this class, Koerber teaches you how to set up an account, refine your profile, and use Upwork’s bidding system to gain jobs.

Overall: A great introduction to how to proofread for a specific freelancing platform. This makes the content easily transferable as there is a clear resource in which to apply the knowledge. If you’re looking to gain some freelancing experience and think Upwork might be the platform for you, this class is well worth a watch.

8. Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization (Coursera)

Platform: Coursera | Teacher: Patrick Barry | Course length: Approx 4 months to complete

Patrick Barry teaches at the University of Michigan Law School and is a visitor of both University of Chicago and UCLA. With a course specialty in speaking, writing, and editing, this class helps you to learn good habits for writing, editing, and proofreading text.

• Understand the difference between editing and proofreading 
• Edit and proofread text to ensure effective communication
• Assess punctuation and syntax professionally
• Obtain life-long habits for strong writing and editing
• Provides transferable skills for writers and editors
• A lengthy course with a wealth of information
• No previous knowledge/experience needed
• Subtitles available + flexible studying
• Pricier than other courses on this list
• Covers many aspects of writing and editing (not just proofreading)
• Could be too long a commitment for some learners

Who it’s best for: This course is ideal for anyone who wants to improve their written voice through attention to syntax, punctuation, and word choice. Barry teaches you how to present difficult information in a reader-friendly way and helps you to cut down on the jargon and fluff that impinges clear reading.

Overall: This class is a lot longer than others on this list, taking around four months to complete. Offered by the University of Michigan, it’s a great and well-rounded introduction to improving communication with the written word.

9. Business Writing Techniques (edX)

Platform: edX | Teacher: Deborah Sepich | Course length: 4 weeks with 5-8 hours per week

Deborah Sepich is an educator and entrepreneur. She currently works at Doane University where she specializes in business, writing, and communication. Another business-focused course, Business Writing Techniques teaches you how to write, proofread, and edit to a strong business standard.

• Apply writing and proofreading techniques to real-world scenarios
• Use the 6 Cs to enhance business messages
• Revise and evaluate text to ensure concise and persuasive writing
• Understand and put into practice proper business writing etiquette
• Self-paced course with flexible learning
• Choose between free and paid options
• Taught by a university professional
• Certificate of completion with paid version
• Focused on business writing specifically
• Longer than other courses on this list

Who it’s for: This class is best for students or freelancers interested in business writing and communication. So, if you’re looking to proofread copy for business, this course is for you. You’ll learn a range of techniques for business writing as well as proofreading, which is valuable and transferable across media.

Overall: A strong university-led course focusing on writing and proofreading for business. However, because it falls under the category of Business Writing, it’s both business-oriented and more focused on writing rather than proofreading alone. That being said, if the field is applicable to you, you’ll get a lot out of this course.

10. Editing and Proofreading Made Simple (LinkedIn Learning)

Platform: LinkedIn Learning | Teacher: Erin Rickard | Course length: 15 lessons totalling 39 minutes

Erin Rickard is a professor, writer, and editor with over 10 years’ experience in freelance writing. So, in this class, she guides you through the effective processes for editing and proofreading as a freelancer or other professional.

• Proofread and edit your own writing to an impeccable standard
• Master the five keys to effective proofreading
• Navigate the rules of spelling and grammar
• Overcome common editing and proofreading mistakes
• A great overview of proofreading and editing in the workplace
• Well-organized course content and sections
• Beginner-friendly and easy-to-understand teaching
• Actionable advice for a range of professionals
• Less helpful for intermediate learners
• Quiz questions and examples can be hard to follow

Who it’s best for: This course is ideal for professionals or students who are about to set out into the working world. It gives a well-grounded overview of the importance of editing and proofreading and is applicable to a range of professional settings.

Overall: A short but informative course, either for beginners or as a refresher. The lessons are well-paced and Rickard explains her subject matter in a clear and concise way. The course also includes examples and quizzes to further your knowledge.

What are the advantages of taking a proofreading course?

In short, there are plenty! Such as:

• Refine your professional image and be self-sufficient in writing
• Progress into a new career path by learning widely applicable skills
• Learn valuable tools for editing, writing for business, and proofing your CV
• Save time and money by being able to proofread your own work

Buyers guide: what to look out for in a proofreading class

Because of how popular e-learning has become, it can be hard to know where to begin when looking for a proofreading course. So, we’ve compiled some points you should consider before committing to any one class:

Experience and instructor ability – if you’re spending time and money taking a proofreading course, you want to be sure you’re learning from someone with the right skills and experience. So, if you’re interested in proofreading for blogs, you’ll want to find a teacher who also has expertise in this field.

Develops skills – a good proofreading course will teach you the foundations of reading and editing for grammar, syntax, etc. But, it shouldn’t only do this. A great class will help you to build upon your own skills and take these further. Hopefully, you should come away feeling inspired and ready to dive into the world of proofreading.

Working professionally – while proofreading is a great skill for anyone to have, if you’re looking to study proofreading as a career step, it’s important that you should learn the practicalities of the role. So, the best course for you will offer advice on managing priorities, working to tight deadlines, and balancing thoroughness with speed.

Syllabus and skill level – many of the courses on this list are beginner-friendly, but you should consider your own level when approaching a class. For example, if you have some prior knowledge of proofreading but want to brush up and revise, you probably don’t need a whole introduction to what proofreading is.

Price – Ultimately, you’ll want a course that you can afford. But, it’s also important to consider the value you’ll get out of the course as well as your immediate budget. For example, if a course is twice the cost but features a professional with more experience, that could end up being a better long-term investment than a cheaper alternative.

How much do online proofreading classes cost?

Prices for proofreading courses vary greatly, and some of the classes on this list are on subscription services. To give you a ballpark, edX’s Business Writing Techniques and Coursera's Writing for Business Course can be taken for free (though there is a charge if your require certification). While Udemy’s Proofreading to Perfection is $36.

LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare are both subscription platforms, which work out more cost-effective the more courses you take.

At the time of writing, LinkedIn Learning costs $39.99/month or $24.99/month annually. If you do wish to purchase an individual class, you’re looking at around $35-$45 on average.

On the other hand, a Skillshare subscription is $168 annually, working out at about $14/month. And, considering you’re investing in a wealth of knowledge for your personal and professional life, I’d say this is a pretty good deal.

How long does it take to learn proofreading courses online?

The courses on this list vary in terms of length – from 39 minutes to four months!

Many of these classes have built-in assessments, extra resources, and even exercises to try at home.

Because of this, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact time it takes to learn proofreading. Plus, it’s a skill that needs constant revision and practice, so you need to account for this as well as the course length itself.

With the exception of edX’s free course option, you can revisit the paid-for courses as many times as you’d like. This is also true for as long as you’re subscribed to a particular platform. So, if you feel like you need to sharpen your skills, there’s always the option to return to the class.

How do we rank our results?

We rank our results based on the courses we believe to be the best.

Undeniably, this is subjective. However, the factors we consider are:

• Teacher experience
• Provides transferable skills
• Has a strong and relevant syllabus
• Student feedback/ratings
• Production quality
• Overall impressions

Where possible, we complete each course in order to review them. Where we can’t do this, we research thoroughly to grasp students’ honest opinions and course quality.

If you’re looking to start out as a freelance proofreader, or if you have some knowledge and want to brush up on the technicalities, you’re not short of options.

While the best course for you will depend on your own aims, our top pick is Skilshare’s Editing and Proofreading MasterClass . As mentioned at the start of this article, the course covers over 60 lessons and 3 hours of content. This is a great middle-ground for someone who wants a course that is long enough to be informative, but not so much of an investment that it's inflexible.

Plus, the fact that this is one of Skillshare’s most viewed and highly rated proofreading courses really speaks to the value students recognize in it. And, you can get great value for money by taking as many of Skillshare's 40,000 classes as you like with their subscription .

That being said, if you are more interested in a one-off course, Udemy’s Proofreading to Perfection is a great alternative. Led by Marcia Yudkin, who is a marketing professional and published author, you’ll learn the best proofreading strategies from a trusted source. Yudkin also lists several downloadable resources for you to revise offline.

So, hopefully, this article has given you a better idea of which proofreading course is best for you!

Related articles: Best online transcribing courses and Proofread Anywhere

Online Proofreading Courses: FAQs

Our top pick for the best online proofreading class is Skillshare’s Editing and Proofreading MasterClass .

The single-purchase classes on this list are between $36 – $150. Generally speaking, these are cheaper than in-person courses.

The courses on this list vary from 39 minutes to four months. But you should also account for time spent putting the lessons into practice.

Rebecca graduated from King's College university with a first class honours in English Language, followed by a Masters' Degree in Eighteenth Century Studies.

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Free Online Proofreading Courses

These free online proofreading courses will teach you everything you need to know to become a master proofreader. Once each step of the editorial cycle has been completed, proofreaders are required to scour pre-production copies of a given text for grammar, typos and formatting errors. Proofreading is a simple and profitable career, if you need to learn about proofreading, start here.... …Read More These free online proofreading courses will teach you everything you need to know to become a master proofreader. Once each step of the editorial cycle has been completed, proofreaders are required to scour pre-production copies of a given text for grammar, typos and formatting errors. Proofreading is a simple and profitable career, if you need to learn about proofreading, start here. Read Less

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Free Proofreading Courses online

Learn proofreading with the free proofreading tutorials and online courses.

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Details about free Proofreading classes and courses

Want to learn proofreading ? This is the list of free proofreading courses available online. From this list, you can take any of the proofreading course to learn proofreading in details and become master of proofreading.

Learn proofreading from the free proofreading courses and free proofreading classes online. Select free courses for proofreading based on your skill level either beginner or expert. These are the free proofreading classes and courses to learn proofreading step by step.

Collection of free Proofreading Courses

These free proofreading courses are collected from MOOCs and online education providers such as Udemy, Coursera, Edx, Skillshare, Udacity, Bitdegree, Eduonix, QuickStart, YouTube and more. Find the free proofreading classes, courses and get free training and practical knowledge of proofreading.

Get started with proofreading for free and learn fast from the scratch as a beginner. Find free proofreading classes for beginners that may include projects, practice exercises, quizzes and tests, video lectures, examples, certificate and advanced your proofreading level. Some courses provide free certificate on course completion.

proofreading courses are categorized in the free, discount offers, free trials based on their availability on their original platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Edx, Udacity, skillshare, Eduonix, QuickStart, YouTube and others Moocs providers. The proofreading courses list are updated at regular interval to maintain latest status.

After collecting courses and tutorials from different Moocs and education providers, we filter them based on its pricing, subject type, certification and categorize them in the relevant subject or programming language or framework so you do not have to waste time in finding the right course and start learning instead.

Suggest more Proofreading Courses or Tutorials ?

Do you think any proofreading class or proofreading course need to include on this list? Please submit new proofreading class and share your proofreading course with other community members now.

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