Choosing between two courses on the same subject

Course listings compete on hours and lesson counts, which are measures of length rather than of value. A tighter course that reaches a finished outcome beats a longer one that surveys a field.

Is the curriculum published in full?

A course confident in its structure shows every module and lesson title before purchase. One showing six vague module names is hiding either thinness or repetition.

Does it end in something finished?

The better test of a course is what you have when it ends. An audited site, a live campaign, a running workflow. Courses organised around topics rather than outcomes tend to leave you informed and still unable to do the thing.

What does it assume you already know?

• A stated prerequisite is a good sign: it means the course has a defined starting point rather than re-teaching the basics to fill time.
• No prerequisites at all on an advanced subject usually means the first third is padding.
• Check whether the prerequisite is one you meet, honestly, before buying.

On updates

For anything platform-dependent, ask what happens when the platform changes. A course on paid advertising recorded two interface revisions ago will cost you more in confusion than it saves in fees.