Codegym Review

by Jessica Chan

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Want to learn coding? Or fancy a career change into the tech world? 

With Java being one of the most in demand coding languages on the market, you’ll definitely want to check out Codegym – a platform which specialises in teaching Java to students across the world.

In this comprehensive Codegym review, I look at what the platform actually is, what lessons are like and ultimately, whether it’s worth your investment. 

With that, let’s get started!

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Quick summary

Features

  • Course: 40 Levels consisting of mini lessons, tasks and projects to establish a solid foundation of Java Programming basics 
  • Tasks: Over 1200 practice tasks and mini projects as well as other features such as instant task verification and the IntelliJ Idea Plugin.
  • Community: Access to community forums and articles for additional learning and peer to peer support

Pros

  • Practice exercises get you coding quickly
  • Wide range of tasks makes the learning experience fun and varied
  • Game format of the course is motivating and keeps you engaged

Cons

  • Structure of lessons could be improved
  • Certification not provided 

Best for: Students learning from scratch or beginners with some understanding of the basics. Plus anyone who loves interactive gamified learning.

Overall: An innovative approach to learning. This coding platform stands out from the crowd for it’s game-like format and abundance of practice tasks

In this Codegym review, I will cover the following… 

  • What is Codegym and how does it work? 
  • How much does Codegym cost (and is a free trial available)?
  • What are lessons like, is it available for businesses and who are the instructors?
  • How I reviewed Codegym 
  • Pros and Cons of the platform
  • Who it’s for and whether it is a suitable gift
  • How to find courses on the platform
  • Is Codegym Legit? 
  • Codegym’s Refund policy 
  • Alternatives to Codegym
  • What others have said about Codegym
  • Evaluation of Codegym 
  • How to open a Codegym account and is it worth it?
  • FAQ’s

Compared to other platforms, Codegym stands out due to its story/game format and its commendable effort to make learning engaging.

However, is this really enough to warrant its price point? Read on to find out more…

What is Codegym? 

Codegym teaches Java

Codegym is an online Java programming course with an emphasis on practical learning. The course takes the form of an interactive game and is designed to help prepare you for employment as a Java programmer. 

As you progress through different levels of Codegym, you earn ‘dark matter’ which allows you to unlock new lessons. 

80% of the course is geared towards gaining practical experience. By the halfway point, you will be able to start completing exciting mini projects and be well on your way with your programming journey. 

How does Codegym work?

How codegym works

Codegym is a relatively simple platform to use.

There are 4 quests (10 levels within each). Each level consists of various short lectures and tasks which take you through different areas of Java programming. Lesson content is structured sequentially ensuring that you can build upon existing knowledge in a gradual and non daunting way. 

Within the game format of the course, your aim is to ‘upgrade’ Amigo the Robot who is learning programming from scratch. As you progress through the levels, you earn ‘dark matter’ for completed tasks. This is used to unlock new levels.

Not only does the course cover the basics of Java (ie. Java Core), it also includes motivational lectures, links to additional materials as well as content to prepare you for job interviews. 

With a Codegym subscription, you can access all 4 quests as well as community forums for help and advice.

Lesson content covered by the course in each quest includes Java: 

  • Syntax (no prior experience needed) – Covers basic content such as commands, loops, methods, classes, objects and more
  • Core (everything a junior developer needs to know) – Covers beginner level content such as interfaces, threads, streams and more
  • Multithreading – Covers multithreading related content such as object organisation, inner classes, deadlock and more
  • Collections – Offers an in-depth study of java collections such as working with files and archives, JSON, Javascript, first web application and more

Types of tasks within the course: 

codegym tasks
  • Code Entry 
  • Correcting Code to match the conditions of a task 
  • Writing your own code to solve tasks
  • Mini Projects such as creating your own chatbot, URL Shortener, ATM simulator and more

Notable mentions: 

  • 1200+ tasks equates to over 300 – 500 hours of practical experience
  • Automatic verification system which ensures tasks are promptly checked and errors pointed out. Guidance is then given to ensure students know how to avoid such mistakes in future

How much does Codegym cost?

codegym cost

Codegym is a subscription only platform. However, there is the option to access some early level content for free (see below). 

You’ill need a subscription to unlock all further lessons. There are 2 tiers to Codegym subscriptions – Premium and Premium Pro:  

Premium Subscription ($29 per month) 

  • Access to all 4 Codegym quests (each quest has 10 levels, 50+ mini lessons and 1000+ exercises)
  • IntelliJ IDEA Plugin – A convenient and popular writing programme used by many programmers around the world
  • Task Requirements – Codegym will show you a list of requirements your program was supposed to fulfil and which ones it succeeded/failed in fulfilling. This helps identify problems within your code so you can see why something isn’t working and correct it
  • Task recommendations

Premium Pro ($99 per month or $999 a year)

  • Everything above plus: 
  • ReCheck – after tasks are completed, their status will remain ‘completed’ for 3 days. This allows you extra time to experiment with your code and verify it as many times as you like. Only after 3 days will it’s status change to ‘closed’
  • Analysis of your coding style

The premium subscription is a good starting point for those looking to learn the basics of coding. It gives you access to all 4 quests and a lot of content ranging from beginner to intermediate level. The abundance of exercises also allows you to fully internalise lessons via practice. 

Whilst the Premium Pro subscription is on the pricier side, it gives you flexibility to experiment with your code. This is an important feature for programmers looking to consistently improve their performance. 

Considering that Java is one of the most in demand and versatile coding languages out there, and that tech jobs can reach an average salary of $75,000, Codegym may well be worth it in the long run.

The platform claims that if you study intensively (ie. 10-15 hours a week), ‘you can become a Java developer in 6-12 months’. The likelihood of this is unconfirmed but the Platform seems to be confident in its own ability in order to put out such a statement. 

Codegym free trial

codegym free trial

For those who are unsure whether Codegym is right for them, the platform allows you to access trial level content for free. This includes: 

  • The first level of Codegym (this explains all the features of Codegym) 
  • Codegym Community Content (ie. Blog articles and community groups) 
  • Q&A forums about learning Java 
  • Games Section – Write code to create your own version of classic games

Whilst the rest of the course is hidden behind a paywall, the free content gives you a chance to explore the format of the course and assess whether its teaching method is right for you. 

Trial content is accessible without registering. The system will either assign a temporary account for you or save your progress automatically (unless you clear your browser's cache). However, you do need a registered account in order to access the different tasks within these lessons. For those looking to eventually commit to this course, I strongly recommend registering for an account as this is free of charge and ensures lesson progress will definitely be saved.

Codegym refund

There doesn’t seem to be much mention about Codegym’s refund policy on their website however, as it is a subscription based service, you can always cancel the subscription after trying it out if you decide that it’s not for you. To begin with, you may even want to browse the website for free to see if it’s something you’d be interested in. 

What a lesson is like

codegym lessons

Overall, lesson content within Codegym is 20% theory and 80% practical exercises. Lesson content can range from written content or video lectures and practice tasks include: 

  • Copying code exactly as written
  • Writing a programme (list of commands)
  • Creating a mini project (ie. game) – this is only available once you’ve reached a certain level 
  • Nerd Break – watching a video etc

Within this, lessons are somewhat customisable as you can decide to do tasks whilst reading the lesson to follow along with instructions or after the lesson to test your retention of the knowledge. 

Lessons are structured sequentially so you can only unlock content in order (ie. can only unlock level 56 after completing level 55) – however, once a lesson is unlocked, you can always refer back to it. 

Codegym for business

Currently, Codegym has an education plan which allows schools to set up free access for all students. However, the platform does not seem to offer such a plan for businesses. 

Codegym subscriptions are purchased on a user by user basis and can be useful for businesses looking to train their employees. It could be a great platform for onboarding new hires or for allowing existing staff to brush up on their skills/ learn a new coding language – however, it may not be useful for senior developers with an already robust knowledge of Java. 

Who are the instructors?

As the platform takes on a game format, there isn’t a direct instructor who will be teaching content in each level. However, it is still noteworthy to consider the credentials of the people behind the creation for the platform and its content.

Dymtro Vezhnin is one of two co-founders of the company and had gained a Masters in Computer Science and worked as a Java Developer before founding the company. Vasyl Malik, the head of Content Development (the person responsible for developing the content of the course) has worked as a Senior Java Developer for at least 6 years. 

For beginners just starting out with Coding, it’s clear that the team behind the platform have combined years of expertise between them to create the lesson content. 

What I liked about Codegym 

How I reviewed Codegym

I spent a week completing levels one and two of Codegym. I also explored the Codegym website itself and online forums. 

Gets you coding straight away

Codegym is an attractive platform to learn coding as it understands that simply reading theory won’t get you far in your programming journey. Instead, it offers an abundance of practical exercises so you can start coding straight away and put your knowledge to the test. As mentioned above, there are over 1200 tasks which equate to 300 – 500 hours of practice. 

Wide range of tasks makes learning fun

The assortment of tasks allows for variety in your learning journey and ensures you don’t get bored of repeating the same task over and over again. Nerd breaks (such as watching a video) allow you to learn in a more relaxed manner whilst mini projects allow you to create something using your newfound skills, which can be extremely motivating. Additional resources such as Codegym Articles are also linked at the end of each level for those who want to learn more. 

Format of the course is motivating 

The game format of the course makes learning more fun and motivating. Within the platform, Codegym allows users to complete Personal Achievements (ie. complete 2 tasks in one day, complete one tasks per day for 5 days in a row etc) which makes learning feel more personal and motivates you to continue with lessons. 

At the moment, it seems as though there are only 16 personal achievements which can be completed but it’s a feature I’d love to see more of –  having personal achievements to unlock along the way could make the platform a lot more fun and interesting!

What could be improved

Course structure could be improved 

At the end of levels 1 and 2,  there are lessons which take on a much more article based format with fewer practice tasks (ie. Java Compiler or Memory Addressing). In my opinion, these would be better placed at the start of each level as this would help students form a better understanding early on and know what to expect before diving straight into technical content. 

Written format not ideal 

Whilst the course provides little nuggets of information here and there, I sometimes found the content hard to pick up overall. Given the nature of coding, I would have personally preferred information to be explained over a video format as the written text could be too wordy in some areas. 

Requesting a hint would simply give away the answer rather than offer additional guidance.  

Certification not provided 

Whilst Codegym is correct that practical experience is extremely important for gaining employment, it couldn’t hurt for certification to also be provided at the end of the course. Arguably, it would be a simple process for the platform to offer an online certificate and this would benefit students as it can be added to their CV’s or Linkedin Profiles to enhance credibility. 

The ReCheck function is great – but could be more accessible

The ReCheck function on Codegym is a great feature to have – it allows students to experiment with code and evaluate their work after completing a task. 

However, it’s only available on the Premium Pro membership which can be quite expensive for some students on a budget. On top of this, completed tasks can only remain open to re visit for three days. With many people being time poor, 3 days isn’t a lot of time for students to ReCheck their work. 

Perhaps making the 3 day option part of the Premium Subscription and allowing a longer time period under the Premium Pro subscription would give students more flexibility and still allow the company to keep their current subscription structure in place. 

Who Codegym is for

Codegym is primarily targeted towards beginners to coding. However, those with some understanding of the basics can still learn from the course, refresh their knowledge and be challenged in later levels. 

In my opinion, Codegym is also well suited to: 

  • Those who want to learn coding in a fun and relaxed manner (the game format of the course ensures that it is not boring or serious like other formal courses)
  • Those who prefer a practical approach to learning 
  • Those who are serious and dedicated about learning Java (the course can be quite lengthy and includes many hours of practice but this is perfect for those wanting to achieve results)

Can I buy Codegym as a gift?

Yes, you can absolutely buy Codegym as a gift! The best way to give Codegym as a gift would probably be to make an account and then gift the login details to the recipient. It would make the perfect gift for someone who is looking to get started with coding but perhaps have found the process too daunting or didn’t know where to start. 

Tips to finding great courses on Codegym

Unlike other learning platforms, Codegym does not have individual courses for students to pick and choose from. Instead, the platform takes on a chronological approach with different levels for students to progress through.

As these levels need to be completed in order, students aren’t able to skip to later levels until they’ve completed the former ones; but this can be helpful to ensure students learn in an organised manner. 

Is Codegym legit?

Oftentimes, things may seem too good to be true and whilst it may be debatable whether Codegym’s claim of helping students find employment truly applies to everyone, the platform itself is perfectly legitimate. 

Codegym was founded on July 8 2018 by the company HiTech Rush Inc and it currently has 2 offices in the US and Ukraine. Currently, there are over 961,995 registered users on the platform and the company’s origins are explained in more detail within their about us page. 

Codegym alternatives

A possible alternative to Codegym is Codcademy. You can access around 60 courses for free. Its paid version, Codecademy Pro, provides you with a wider learning library as well as the chance for step-by-step guidance. Currency there are 12 programming languages available on the site, including Python, Java and Go. You can also pursue particular courses with the aim of gaining specific skills or careers in data science.  

Pluralsight is another coding course platform. It is built for individuals and teams and offers a wide range of courses. However, the abundance of courses available as well as the lack of sequential structure makes it harder to browse and find the course that is best suited to you. 

You could also try Datacamp which offers 350+ courses dedicated to data science including coding with Python and R, skills and career tracks where you can hone in on your learning priorities and workspace areas where you can practice writing code. So if you are more interested in a general site and not specifically focussed on Java, then Datacamp might be worth a look.

Finally, there is MOOC.fi which is a series of free open courses hosted by the University of Helsinki. As there are a range of courses on this platform, there are also a wider range of coding languages covered from Python, Java and even non coding tech sectors such as AI. It has a more formal teaching approach compared to Codegym’s game format. However, others may see this as too serious and come to appreciate the storyline and graphics used in Codegym’s platform. 

Codegym: What others have said

As with all things in life, you can’t please everyone. As such, the reviews about Codegym are a mixed bag. I’ve browsed online forums such as Reddit as well as the Codegym website itself (which does not remove negative reviews) to get a general sense of how others perceive the platform. 

The most frequent criticism centres around the depth of explanations with many users commenting that when you ask for a hint, you just get the solution. This is something I have identified myself and the authors could do with rectifying this problem.

That said, a great many users appreciate Codegym as a platform as its game style makes it motivating, engaging and fun. 

“It’s helped me more than any book as it keeps me engaged. I still have a long way to go, but i’ve enjoyed all of it (and most importantly learned) so far! I’ve even recommended it to work associates.”
CodeGym is the only learning experience that has me wanting to learn more and solve the exercises.
Fun and intuitive, as you progress the frustration is replaced with knowledge and you start thinking differently. Thoroughly enjoying everyday's learning. Keep up the good work guys!”

Overall, it seems that your experience with Codegym depends on your learning style and the method of teaching you prefer. Regardless, it seems that the main selling point of Codegym (at least for me) is its interactive experience as demonstrated by the review below: 

“ I would recommend codegym for the practice exercises. If you basically skip the ‘teaching’ and just focus on the practice problems and google your questions when you are stuck you will learn Java.”

Evaluating Codegym

  • Features: Basic content can be accessed for free. A premium subscription will get you access to all course content and tasks, the IntelliJ IDEA Plugin and task verification so you can check your answers. A Premium Pro subscription will include all the above as well as the ReCheck function and analysis of your coding style. 
  • Content quality: Taught in a game format with some written content, links to additional materials as well as an abundance of practice exercises and tasks. 
  • Content breadth: 4 quests with 10 levels in each. Each level contains a range of lessons focusing on different aspects of Java Programming. In total, 1200+ tasks and 300 – 500 hours of content for you to learn from. 
  • Teachers: No direct teachers but the team behind the lesson content have many years of experience between them within the programming and coding world.
  • Supporting materials: Video lessons, motivational lectures, links to additional resources and tips for acing job interviews. 
  • Payments & refunds: Basic content can be accessed for free or you can subscribe to one of two subscription plans, costing $29 or $99. Codegym does not seem to have a refund policy but you can always choose to cancel your subscription if you decide the platform is not for you. 
  • Support: Codegym has community forums and discussion groups to ask and answer questions. To get in touch with the company directly, you can find their contact details and social media information on the website. According to their site, they will reply within a few hours. 

How to open a Codegym account

Opening a Codegym account is easy and straightforward. All you have to do is to register on the platform with your email and password. After this, you are able to access basic content and forums for free. If you wish to access further lessons, you simply have to choose the subscription plan you wish to purchase and make payment when prompted. 

Is Codegym worth it?

Overall, Codegym seems like a great platform due to its emphasis on learning through experience. However, the lesson content itself could be better.

Codegym does still manage to stand out from the crowd due to its slightly less formal approach to teaching through its game format and graphics as well as its abundance of practical exercises.

Personally, I think Codegym would be worth it for complete beginners and those who prefer a more interactive and gamified approach to their learning. If you really appreciate a more theoretical and in depth approach, it may not be right for you.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Codegym cost?

Basic trial level content can be accessed for free on the Codegym website but for access to further levels, a subscription for Codegym can cost either $29 or $99 a month depending on the subscription package you opt for.

Does Codegym have a refund policy?

 No, it does not seem like Codegym has a refund policy; however, you can always cancel your subscription if you decide that it’s not for you. 

How many courses are there on Codegym?

Unlike other platforms, Codegym does not offer individual courses. Instead, lessons are provided in a sequential structure and you must unlock previous levels in order to progress throughout the course.

Does Codegym have a free trial?

Codegym allows free access to basic level content such as online discussion groups and level one of the course (which explains the format of Codegym lessons). To access further levels, you will need to subscribe to one of their two subscription plans. 

Does Codegym give certificates?

No Codegym does not offer certificates. Instead, it relies on practice exercises, tasks and mini projects to give you the practical experience needed to find a programming job. 

What languages is Codegym available in?

The Codegym interface is available in a few different languages such as Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Korean, Hindi  and more.

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