Comparing Cognito and MyEdSpace

Cognito and MyEdSpace both help students prepare for GCSE Maths and Science - but in very different ways.

While Cognito is a self-study revision platform built around pre-recorded videos, quizzes and flashcards, MyEdSpace employs the UK's top human teachers to deliver interactive, live lessons - people with years of experience and a proven track record of improving student outcomes.

To help you compare the two and decide which would work best for you or your family, here's a side-by-side look at what each offers.

Cognito vs MyEdSpace

Now, let’s look at both in more detail…

What is Cognito?

Cognito is a self-study revision platform, originally built around a popular YouTube channel, that provides video lessons, topic-specific questions, past exam papers, quizzes and flashcards for 15 subjects.

The platform supports the main UK exam boards and adapts content to whether students are sitting triple or combined science, and in a foundation or higher tier.

Students work through lessons at their own pace, watching a video and then answering follow-up questions to check their understanding and automatically track their progress.

Cognito was entirely free prior to September 2022, at which point it switched to a ‘freemium’ model. Video lessons and past papers all remain free, but the quiz and flashcard sections - useful for revision - are locked behind a Cognito Pro subscription.

What is MyEdSpace?

MyEdSpace offers two live lessons per subject, per week, delivered by the UK's top English, Maths and Science teachers - with daytime and evening timetables catering for home-educated and school-educated children alike.

We offer courses covering the full UK curriculum from Year 5, all the way through to Year 13, including the 11+, SATs, GCSEs and A-levels. Plus, we offer expert-led preparatory courses dedicated to the 11+ exam, GCSE Exam Masterclasses, A-level Exam Masterclasses and the UCAT. Live teaching is also available during school holidays through our Summer Schools and Easter Revision Courses.

MyEdSpace lessons are all live and take place online, accessed from a bespoke student dashboard. Students don't use cameras or microphones, creating the best possible learning environment - one that's focused, distraction-free and free from judgement. Learning alongside peers also encourages more questions and collaboration, boosting confidence, engagement and energy levels.

All MyEdSpace content is created by expert teachers and former examiners - not algorithms. And all live lessons are recorded and made available to re-watch at any time, so students never miss out and can go back to any topic whenever they want.

Finally, MyEdSpace's comprehensive library of exam-board specific resources - study notes, step-by-step explanation videos and practice questions across GCSEs and A-levels - is completely free.

Which is better; Cognito or MyEdSpace?

We can’t make that decision for parents, and each student may benefit from a different approach.

Cognito and MyEdSpace are designed to do different things. Cognito offers a self-directed GCSE-specific revision tool that students dip into at their own pace. MyEdSpace offers structured, curriculum-led teaching from real experts - from Year 5 right through to GCSE and A-levels - with the live lessons, guidance and accountability that come with a genuine classroom environment.

Every student is different, and what works best for one may not be the best for another. Parents and carers are best placed to decide which approach suits their family's needs.