E-learning build time estimator
Planning a launch date for a new course? Tell us how long it is, how interactive it should be, the media and the languages you need, and see a realistic timeline in weeks, plus the factors that stretch it. Arabic versions and right to left layouts are counted as a step of their own, because they take real time to do well.
Describe your course
Six quick choices. The estimate updates as you go, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere: it is all worked out in your browser.
Your estimate appears here
Turn on JavaScript to see the estimate. The factors behind it are explained below.
Six things that decide how long a course takes
Most delays are not in the build itself. They come from content that is still changing, extra review rounds and language versions that were not planned from the start.
Learning time
Build effort grows with every minute of finished learning. Several modules can run side by side, so ten modules rarely take ten times as long as one.
Interactivity
A branching scenario can take several times the effort of a screen people simply read. Use rich interaction where decisions matter, and keep the rest light.
Media
Voiceover needs a locked script before recording. Video and custom animation add planning, production and editing time of their own.
Arabic and right to left
An Arabic version is more than translated text. Layouts, navigation, icons and images are mirrored, Arabic fonts are checked on small screens, and a native speaker reviews the result.
Review rounds
Each round means time for your reviewers to comment and time for us to make the changes. One combined set of comments per round keeps things moving.
Source material
Approved, final content is the single biggest time saver. When content is still being written or agreed, the design stage takes longer.
How the estimate is worked out. Build effort uses the published ranges from the Chapman Alliance study (2010) of development hours per hour of finished e-learning, for each level of interactivity. We convert effort into weeks for a small dedicated production team, then add time for preparation, media, each language version and each review round. It is a planning guide, not a quote.
Have a launch date in mind?
Tell us the date and what the course needs to cover. We will show you what scope fits the time you have, and build a free demo so you can see the quality first.
Build time questions
How accurate is this estimate?
It is a planning range based on published development benchmarks and the way real projects run. Your own timeline depends on how quickly content is approved and how many people review it. For a firm timeline, talk to us and we will plan it with you.
Why does an Arabic version add so much time?
Arabic reads right to left, so layouts, menus, progress bars, icons and some images are mirrored, not just translated. Arabic fonts need checking on phones, mixed Arabic and English terms need care, and a native speaker should review every screen. Voiceover is recorded again in Arabic too.
Can we build the course in Arabic first?
Yes. Untick English and tick Arabic, and the estimator treats Arabic as the first language. Building natively in right to left from the start is usually quicker than converting an English course later.
What is the quickest way to shorten the timeline?
Give us approved content, agree who signs off before work starts, send one combined set of comments per review round, and decide on voiceover and video early. Those four steps save more time than anything else.
Do ten modules take ten times as long as one?
No. Once the design is agreed, modules can be built in parallel and reviewed in batches, so a programme grows more slowly than the number of modules. Review and approval capacity on your side is often the real limit.
Is my information stored anywhere?
No. The estimate is worked out in your browser and nothing you choose is sent to us or stored. If you copy a link to your estimate, your choices are saved in that link only.
Official Articulate 360 partner in the Middle East.
Capytech is a Dubai-registered e-learning provider with offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, building training for organisations across the GCC and around the world, in any language.