- CPD accredited
- Beginner friendly
- Guaranteed work with Proofed
- Takes 4–5 weeks at 5 hours a week
- 100% self-paced learning with lifetime course access
- 24/7 expert tutor support
- Private alumni Facebook group
Learn New Skills, Build Your Confidence, and Discover New Job Opportunities as a Professional Proofreader
Ready to Upskill and Build a New Career in Proofreading?
Chances are you love reading and writing and often find yourself spotting errors – our proofreading course will help you put that habit to good use! You’ll learn how to proofread all kinds of documents, in various formats, and how to work according to client style guides.
- Learn an in-demand, unique set of skills, and be ready to work in as little as one month.
- After passing both Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor (with scores of at least 80%), onboard immediately with our partner, Proofed, and receive your first project as part of our guaranteed work offer.
- Gain insights into working with different clients and the tools you’re likely to encounter day-to-day.
- Get certified to showcase your knowledge to potential clients.
Who Is This Proofreading Course For?
You can become a freelance proofreader if you aspire to…
Kick-start a career in something you’ve always enjoyed
- Earn more, or boost your existing income
- Leave behind an unfulfilling job
- Start a career in something that truly interests you
Gain more flexibility and work from anywhere
- Work from home or while traveling, switching on and off whenever you want to
- Work for yourself around your family’s schedule
- Organize your work around your life, not the other way around
Work on rewarding projects where your expertise is needed and appreciated
- Stay active in your retirement
- Earn extra income to put toward trips and new experiences
- Get a sense of accomplishment while helping others
Introducing Our Becoming A Proofreader Course
13 modules, over 66 lessons, and dozens of practice-based exercises.
You’ll learn unique skills that are essential for a successful freelance proofreading career. Plus, you’ll have the chance to try out simulated client scenarios that will prepare you to tackle the real thing.
Comprehensive content
Learn about common mistakes, working to style guides, differences between US and UK English, useful shortcuts, tracking tools, and the nuances of proofreading different types of writing, including creative, business, and academic.
Interactive by design
It’s more than just words on a screen! With a mix of videos, quizzes, practical try-it-yourself exercises, and case studies, we’ll help you stay engaged every step of the way.
Built by proofreading experts
You’ll learn from materials carefully crafted by academics and proofreading experts, whose knowledge of grammar and punctuation served as launchpads for their own careers.
1:1 interaction with tutors
One of the best things about this course is our friendly, knowledgeable tutor team. They are always available for one-to-one assistance and genuinely want to see you succeed. After receiving your final assessment results, you’ll have a call with a tutor who will give you detailed, tailored feedback.
Self-paced learning
There’s no pressure and no ticking clocks. With total control over your education, you can complete the course in under one month or in six months if life is busy. When you’re finished, you can come back to it anytime.
Leads to actual work
With Knowadays, there’s no need to worry about what comes next. When you pass the Becoming An Editor and Becoming A Proofreader final assignments with scores of at least 80%, you’ll have the option to onboard with Proofed and start a paid trial working on real client documents.
Our Work Guarantee – Everything You Need to Know
Is it real? Where’s the catch? Will I really get paid projects after this? Hesitant learners often come to us with these questions. But we’re here to assure you that yes, it is 100% true. Here’s how it works:
Pass your final exam and onboard with Proofed
If you achieve a score of at least 80% on the final assignments for Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor, you’ll be offered the chance to trial with our partner company, Proofed. Proofed onboards new editors on a monthly basis, so it won’t be long before you’re taking on real work!
Did you know? You can make multiple attempts at the final exam (and we make sure you receive all the guidance you need to pass it).
Showcase your skills
Start your trial with Proofed! You’ll be paid to proofread or edit up to 10 documents from real clients. A friendly Proofed team member will review your work and provide valuable feedback.
Did you know? The top 20% of Knowadays graduates go on to edit for companies such as Samsung and Substack.
Unlock exciting new opportunities
If you successfully complete the trial, you’ll get access to more Proofed clients. As you gain more practice and experience – and positive feedback – you’ll be able to tackle greater volumes of work and more challenging assignments. You can work solely with Proofed or find more clients and earn $53,000 on average as a full-time proofreader and editor.
Did you know? So far, we have created more than 3,000 job opportunities for our graduates.
Dive into Varied Proofreading Work
Our graduates have proofread for a huge variety of clients across many different industries, with endless different subjects and specialisms to explore. With articles and essays in the world of academia, blogs and web copy to meet business needs, and romantic fiction and autobiographies from creative writers, you can find your niche or enjoy variety in your work!
As a working mom, it gave me the confidence to start a career later in life and the feeling that I could do it.
“Out of all the different courses out there that I took, this one gave me the fundamentals that prepared me to work in the proofreading industry.”
Now I can work around my family schedule and organize work around life, not the other way around.
“After taking the course, a pool of options opened up to me. Proofreading is a nice add-on and a security blanket that brings me the extra income and flexibility I need.”
I used to do a job anyone could do. Now I have something unique to offer which led to increased self-esteem.
“I thought I might pass the test and then receive some email explaining why I was wrong for thinking I’d get to work for Proofed. Those worries were groundless though; I’ve worked for Proofed for ten months now.”
Working with Proofed, I get to read student work and help people at the start of their careers, which feels quite satisfying.
“It’s a flexible, informative and well-thought-out course. Gives you insights into what’s expected of you in this job. I’m happy to have found a new way to make money to supplement my retirement. Now I can travel and eat out with my wife feeling like I deserve it”.
Becoming A Proofreader Course Curriculum
Here is a sneak peek of what you will learn in each module
- Know what to expect from our Becoming A Proofreader course and get situated before delving into the details of what it means to be a proofreader.
Module 2: Proofreading And Editing
Find out why editing and proofreading have traditionally been treated as separate tasks in print publishing, as well as how they often merge in digital work. Get to grips with the ethical issues you might encounter while proofreading. And meet the different client types you might work with once you start your career as a professional proofreader!Module 3: The Basics Of Microsoft Word
If you’re a bit rusty on computing, this module will oil you up! Take a tour through all the tools in Microsoft Word you’ll need to get started with proofreading. If you are a technophobe, worry no more! Our back-to-basics course covers tracking changes, changing the proofing language, setting your user name in Microsoft Word, and more.Module 4: Common Spelling Mistakes
Finally, you can nail the difference between ‘there’, ‘they’re’, and ‘their’, and much more. Get to grips with British, US, and Australian spelling, clear up the rules about irregular plurals, and impress friends with your knowledge of closed, open, and hyphenated compounds!Module 5: Common Grammar Mistakes
Perfect your prepositions, parenthetical clauses, and parallelism! Fix fragments and faulty agreement! And free yourself from dangling and misplaced modifiers forevermore! Grind down the grammatical gremlins of UK, US, and Australian English, and bust some well-worn myths as you boldly go where no non-proofreader has gone before!Module 6: Common Punctuation Mistakes
Queries about question marks? Extremely excited about exclamation points?!! Do you, put, too, many commas, in your sentences? We’ll iron all that out. If you’re the type who goes shopping with a paintbrush to correct grocer’s apostrophes, you’ll be right at home here.Module 7: Other Common Errors
Take our guided tour through everything else you need to know about the nitty-gritty of language, including Latin terms, abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms, number use, and capitalisation. Find out where most people trip up and separate your ‘i.e.’s from your ‘e.g.’s for good!Module 8: Proofreading In Practice: Style
What’s the difference between a style guide, a style sheet, and a referencing style? Worry no more, we’ve got you covered in our style module. We’ll also talk you through written tone, technical jargon, avoiding offensive language, and how to turn clunky confusion into elegant flow.Module 9: Academic Proofreading
We’ll take you back to school with an in-depth look at proofreading academic documents, ranging from undergraduate essays to journal articles and PhD theses. We’ll show you how to work with LaTeX (no, it’s nothing kinky), how to make sure quotes are used properly, when the active and passive voices are appropriate in academic writing, and much more.- Does Harvard hurt your head? Does APA make your eyes ache? Are you shy about Chicago? And what does ALWD even mean? We’ll soothe all your referencing woes with our extended guide to some of the major citation styles, as well as some not-so-well-known ones.
Module 11: Creative Writing And The Publishing Industry
Learn how to work with authors and publishers as we guide you through how to proofread creative writing. This module looks at both fiction and non-fiction, as well as non-standard English, authorial voice, and proofreading dialogue. After completing the lessons, you will be primed to proofread a range of different writing styles and document types common in the publishing world, including book manuscripts, screenplays, and PDF page proofs.Module 12: Proofreading Business Writing
Here, we teach you how to proofread for different business clients. We take you through working with brand voices and understanding how grammatical point of view works in different types of business writing. After completing this module, you will know how to proofread many document types and formats common to business writing, including formal reports, website copy, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and Google Docs.Module 13: Finding Work And The Final Assignment
Drum roll, please! It’s time to show off what you have learned! In this final part of the course, you’ll discover how to find work as a freelance proofreader. We’ll also guide you through top review areas and give you a practice mock assignment. Then you’ll take two proofreading tests, which we’ll provide detailed tutor feedback on. If you score 80% or above on this and the final assignment in Becoming An Editor, we’ll offer you the opportunity to undertake a paid trial as a freelance proofreader and editor with Proofed.
Why Is Becoming A Proofreader Better Than the Competition?
See how we compare.
 | Other Proofreading Courses | |
|---|---|---|
| 13-module course designed by experts | ||
| Full-time tutor support | ||
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Final assignment graded by a real tutor | ||
| Work guarantee for the graduates of two courses | ||
| Price | $499 | $499 |
Meet Our Friendly Tutors
They were once where you are now, and they’re here to give you the confidence that you can do it too.
Hear from Our Graduates
They took a leap of faith and transformed their careers – gaining flexibility, extra income, and, often, a sense of purpose by helping others with their writing.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Proofreading Course
Guaranteed work sounds great, but surely there’s a catch?
Our guaranteed work offer might sound a little too good to be true, but there really is no catch!
We work in partnership with a leading proofreading and editing service called Proofed. If you pass Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming an Editor with distinction scores of at least 80%, you’ll be offered the chance to work with Proofed soon after you pass your final assignment.
And if you don’t score 80% right away, there’s no need to worry. You can purchase additional attempts, and you get plenty of support from our friendly tutor team to guide you every step of the way.
How does this proofreading course work?
Becoming A Proofreader is made up of 13 comprehensive modules, each focusing on a different aspect of proofreading. You can progress through the course at your own pace and return to completed modules for a refresher whenever you like.
As well as informative written content, each module includes interactive elements such as videos, try-it-yourself exercises, and quizzes. These are designed for you to test your skills as you work your way through the course, and they help highlight any areas you might want to revisit. But don’t worry, none of these count toward your final grade!
When you reach the final module, we’ll guide you through some key revision areas and provide you with a mock assignment. This is a great opportunity for you to try out your skills and see the kinds of edits you should be making in a document. The mock test isn’t marked by a tutor, but it comes with our edited version and a set of notes so you can review your work.
When you’re ready, you can then progress to the final assignment! This consists of two proofreading tests, on which you’ll receive detailed tutor feedback. You can take as long as you need to complete the tests, and you are encouraged to refer back to the course while you work. If you score 80% or above for this course and Becoming An Editor, you’ll be offered the opportunity to undertake a trial as a freelance proofreader with Proofed. And if you don’t pass the first time, don’t panic! You can purchase additional attempts.
How long will it take to complete the course? Can I start my proofreading course at any time?
One of the great things about learning with Knowadays is that you get to set the pace. When you buy one of our courses, you get lifetime access. This means you can get started whenever you want, and you can take as little or as much time as you need.
Is there a UK and a US version of the proofreading course?
Yes, there are two versions of the course! You will be assigned the US version as standard, but if you would prefer the UK version instead, you can email us at [email protected] and we will make the switch for you.
How do I know proofreading is the career for me?
Before making any kind of career change, we recommend asking yourself three questions:
What do I enjoy doing? What skills do I possess or would I be willing to learn? What would make me happy career-wise?
A career in proofreading might be for you if:
- You enjoy reading, writing, and learning about the English language
- You have great attention to detail and often spot
- You have good time management, technology, and organizational skills (or would be willing to develop them!)
- You want a career that is flexible, rewarding, varied, and always teaching you new things
errors in written material
With so many proofreading courses available, how do I know this is the right one?
We know there are a lot of different options out there, and weighing them up can be a daunting task.
One of the best ways to see if a course is right for you is to give it a go, which is precisely why we created our free trial! You can get a feel for learning with Knowadays by exploring our example modules, complete with interactive activities and quizzes.
It’s also worth asking yourself:
- 1. Does the course cover the fundamentals?
2. Does it include practical exercises to test your skills?
3. Do you get access to learning support?
4. Do you get a certification?
5. Does the course have good reviews?(When you learn with Knowadays, the answer to all of these questions is yes!)
What’s the difference between proofreading and copy editing?
If you think of the editing process as a timeline, copy editing happens toward the end – after developmental and line editing have been finished but before the final proofread:
Developmental editing ➜ Line/stylistic editing ➜ Copy editing ➜ Proofreading
A copy editor’s role is to ensure that words, sentences, and paragraphs work together to properly express the author’s ideas while maintaining the author’s voice.A proofreader focuses on fixing mechanical errors, such as spelling mistakes or typos, grammatical issues, and misused or missing punctuation. Learn more here.
Modern digital proofreading can touch upon some elements of copy writing because it’s no longer constrained by the limitations of the printing press! Some clients may not exactly know if they need a proofreader or a copy editor, but our course teaches you all about the remit of each role, plus how to establish the scope of the task before you start.
What do I need to take the course? What will I need to study for this course?
There’s no need to study anything beforehand. To complete the course, you’ll need a laptop or desktop computer with an internet connection and access to a full version of Microsoft Word (2016, 2019, 2021, or 365). Although you can view the course on smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks, they use a limited version of Microsoft Word that doesn’t include all the necessary tools. Plus, a larger screen size is preferable for study.
Other than that, all you need is the ability to set aside some study time, a little self-discipline, and the desire to learn about all things proofreading!
If English is not your first language, you can still take the course, but please note that passing the final assessment calls for a high-level understanding of written English.
Do I need any qualifications or previous experience to enroll in the course?
The simple answer is no!
Becoming A Proofreader is designed to cover everything you need to know to start work as a professional proofreader, so you don’t need any qualifications or previous experience. This course is your path from complete beginner to confident, trained professional.
That being said, lots of experienced professionals take Knowadays courses too! If you’re looking to brush up on your existing skills or find new avenues of work, our Becoming A Proofreader course can help you do just that.
Is Becoming A Proofreader a certified course? Do I get a proofreading qualification?
Becoming A Proofreader is accredited by CPD – a professional body that certifies excellence in professional development training. CPD-certified courses are rigorously tested by industry experts, which makes them a valuable addition to your resume. When you successfully complete the course, you’ll receive a digital certificate via email. This is a great way to showcase your achievements, and it lets potential employers and clients know that your knowledge and skills are up to date.
Is there a money-back guarantee?
Yes! All course purchases will be refunded in full if requested within 14 days of the purchase date.
If you’d like to request a refund, all you need to do is email us at [email protected] and we’ll be in touch.
Is there a demand for proofreaders in the UK?
There is no shortage of demand for proofreaders in the UK!
From businesses to academic institutions, publishing houses to non-profits, all sorts of organizations produce content that requires proofreading. Although some deal with this in-house, there is always a demand for professional freelance proofreaders who can get the job done to a high standard.
Webpages, blog posts, social media content, email newsletters, essays, novels, manuscripts, journal articles, legal documents, medical writing – there is a huge variety of proofreading work available (and that’s not even the full list!).How much money do proofreaders make?
The rates proofreaders charge can vary significantly based on factors such as:
How experienced you are
How complex the job is
Whether you are working in a specialist subject area
The type of clientThe EFA (US) suggests a minimum hourly rate of $31–$45 (depending on the nature of the project). The CIEP (UK) suggests a minimum hourly rate of £28.65.
When you start out, it is likely you will be earning less than this, as you may need to market your services competitively in order to build up a client base (as well as your confidence and experience!). But as you gain practice and develop your skills, you also gain the ability to charge higher rates.
Can you make a living proofreading?
Definitely!
There are lots of factors that influence how much a proofreader can charge, and figures on average income vary depending where you look. However, the figures all have something in common – they show it’s completely possible to make a living proofreading!Hundreds of Knowadays graduates are doing just that, whether by working for Proofed or building their own freelance businesses.
As with any career, you have to be willing to put in the work to develop your skills, find clients, and gain experience. But if you do that, you’re sure to succeed!
Plus, as you gain experience, or complete additional training or accreditation, you can raise your rates accordingly.
How do I get my first proofreading job?
If you pass your final assignment with a distinction score of 80% or above for this course and Becoming An Editor, you won’t need to worry about finding your first proofreading job! As part of our guaranteed work offer, you’ll have the chance to trial with our partner company, Proofed, soon after completing the course.
If you’d prefer to source your own clients, or you want to combine working with Proofed with working independently, there are a number of things you can do.
Can I book staff training or group bookings?
We do not offer in-person corporate training at this stage. But we are happy to discuss a group discount! Just reach us at [email protected].
Who can I discuss my questions and doubts with?
We’re here to help you decide whether Becoming A Proofreader is right for you, and we’ll guide you through your journey if you take the course. Our tutors have been exactly where you are now, and they will make sure you feel taken care of at all times.
