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Compare · Job simulations

Job simulation or virtual work experience?

A fair comparison of an EDWartens job simulation with other kinds of virtual work experience, with the limits of each stated plainly, including ours. All of them are training, not employment.

Start the free weekVirtual work experience in the UK

Side by side

The options compared

The right-hand columns describe how these kinds of programme typically work, from general knowledge of the sector. They are not statements about any single provider, and details change, so check each provider's own page before you decide.

An EDWartens job simulation compared with other kinds of virtual work experience
QuestionEDWartens job simulationEmployer-branded virtual work experienceSchool and careers-service programmes
What it isOne role's project at a simulated company, with emails, tickets and project documentsTasks set around a real employer or sector, usually written with that employerShort programmes run by schools, colleges or universities, often in partnership with employers
SubjectsEngineering, controls, electrical, energy, AI and data, quality and projectsA wide range of sectors, with engineering usually a smaller partVaries by programme and year group
Typical lengthDays 1 to 5 free; Premium days 1 to 20, self-pacedOften a few hours to a few days, self-pacedVaries, from a day to a week or more
Who checks your workEvery task is checked as you hand it in, with a model answerVaries: some are self-checked, some give feedbackVaries by programme
CertificateOptional, £14.99; graded, with a public verification page; issued by WARTENS LTD; not accreditedOften a certificate of completion; check what each provider says it isVaries, often a letter or certificate from the school or college
CostFree days 1 to 5; certificate £14.99; Premium £53.99 (VAT included)Often free to access; check each provider's current termsOften free to students of that school or college
Counts as a placement?NoNoDepends on the school's own rules

Fair is fair

Where the others can be better

Pick by what you need. These are real advantages we do not have.

Employer names

Employer-branded programmes carry a recognisable name, which some readers of a CV or a personal statement find helpful. Ours are written around fictional companies on purpose.

Breadth of sectors

If you have not yet chosen between sectors such as finance, law, medicine and engineering, a platform that covers many of them is a better place to explore.

Fit with school

Schools and colleges can fold their own programmes into the timetable and take responsibility for you if you are under 18. We cannot.

A real placement

Nothing online gives you site contact, a supervisor's reference or the feel of a workshop. If a real placement is possible, take it.

EDWartens

Where ours is built differently

Each simulation is one role at a simulated company, worked day by day with project documents, emails and tickets. Every task is checked as you hand it in, with model answers, and hands-on tasks are finished in EDWartens Lab. The first week is free, and a graded, verifiable certificate is optional.

See every role

Choosing

How to choose

  1. Is it close to the job you want? A polished programme for a role you will never apply for is a poor use of a weekend.
  2. Does anyone or anything check your work? Self-checking is fine for a first look. For evidence you can discuss, you want marking or a model answer with feedback.
  3. Can a stranger verify the certificate? A public verification page is worth more than a PDF. Neither is a qualification.
  4. What is free and what is optional? Read the page, not the headline.

A note on claims

We do not name other providers or say anything about their results. We cannot promise that any programme, ours included, leads to a job or an interview.

Questions

Quick answers

Is a job simulation the same as virtual work experience?
They are similar in spirit: both let you try a role online. A job simulation here is one role's project at a fictional company with every task checked. Virtual work experience is a wider term for many providers' programmes, which differ in length, checking and cost.
Is a job simulation better than virtual work experience?
Neither is better for everyone. Employer-branded programmes and school schemes have real advantages, listed on this page. Ours is built for engineering and AI roles, where there is less choice.
Does either count as a work placement?
No. Online programmes are training, not placements, and employers and schools know the difference. Describe yours accurately.
Can I do more than one?
Yes. Doing a broad programme to explore, then a role-specific simulation to go deeper, is a sensible order.
Does the certificate help me get hired?
It shows what you did and your score, and anyone can verify it. It is not a qualification, and we do not promise a job.

A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement, and it is not a job offer. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens UK.

Engineers reviewing a laptop beside an automated assembly line

Try a role for free

Days 1 to 5 cost nothing. Decide about the certificate later.

Choose a job simulationRead the FAQ