Frequently asked questions.
Everything about how GroupStudy works — small 6–8 person study groups, certification cohorts, pricing, and privacy. Can't find your answer? Create a free account and ask your group.
Getting started
New to GroupStudy? Start here.
can i switch cohorts after joining?
Yes you can switch cohort.
What is GroupStudy?
GroupStudy is a collaborative learning platform built around small study groups of 6–8 people. You join a group focused on the same certification or subject you're preparing for, then study together with live video, chat, shared notes, a collaborative code editor, and a whiteboard. It's tech-first by design but open to learners in every field.
Who is GroupStudy for?
GroupStudy is for anyone who learns better with peers than alone. It's tuned for engineers, cloud and DevOps practitioners, and IT professionals preparing for certifications, but the platform is open to every field — from healthcare (NCLEX) to finance (CFA) to project management (PMP).
Is GroupStudy free?
Yes — joining a study group or certification cohort and using the core study tools is free. A paid Premium plan unlocks creating and leading your own groups and cohorts. You can study productively without ever paying.
How do I join a study group?
Sign up for a free account, tell us which certification or subject you're studying and your target date, and GroupStudy matches you with a forming group of peers — or you browse open cohorts and join one directly. You can sign up with GitHub in a single click.
Study groups & cohorts
How groups are sized and how cohorts are organized.
How many people are in a study group?
Every GroupStudy group is capped at 6–8 people. The limit is deliberate and enforced: small groups mean everyone gets airtime, accountability is real, and scheduling across a handful of people actually works. Premium accounts do not bypass the cap.
What's the difference between a study group and a cohort?
A cohort is a certification-focused group organized around a specific exam and target date, with a weekly syllabus and shared milestones. A study group is the more general form — same small size and same tools, but organized around any subject you choose. Both are capped at 6–8 people.
What is a certification cohort?
A certification cohort is a small group of 6–8 people all preparing for the same certification exam in the same window. It comes with a weekly study plan, AI-generated group mock exams, and a Study Buddy that helps the group stay on pace toward the exam date.
What is the Study Buddy?
The Study Buddy is an AI study assistant inside your cohort. It helps keep the group on pace with the syllabus and supports your prep between live sessions. It participates as a helper and never takes one of your group's 6–8 human seats.
Can I create my own group or cohort?
Yes — creating and leading your own study group or certification cohort is a Premium feature. On Premium you can spin up a group, set the subject or cert and the schedule, and invite peers up to the 6–8 cap.
Certifications
What we help you prepare for.
Which certifications does GroupStudy support?
GroupStudy has structured cohorts for a broad catalog of certifications, including Kubernetes (CKA, CKAD, CKS), AWS (Solutions Architect, SysOps, Developer, and Professional), Microsoft Azure (AZ-104, AZ-305), Google Cloud (ACE), HashiCorp Terraform, and CompTIA (Security+, Network+), plus non-tech certs such as NCLEX-RN, CFA Level 1, and PMP. Browse the full list on the certifications page.
Does GroupStudy provide the certification exam?
No. GroupStudy helps you prepare for certification exams with peers, a study plan, and practice mock exams — but you register for and sit the official exam through the certifying body (for example the Linux Foundation, AWS, or Microsoft). We're your prep, not the exam vendor.
Do you offer practice or mock exams?
Yes. Cohorts include AI-generated group mock exams tailored to the certification you're preparing for, so your group can test readiness together and see where to focus before the real exam.
Features & tools
What you get inside a group.
What is watch-together?
Watch-together lets your group study video content in sync — everyone's playback position stays aligned so you can pause, discuss, and resume as a group. GroupStudy syncs timestamps only; it does not host or rebroadcast paid third-party course content.
What collaboration tools are included?
Each group gets live video rooms, real-time chat and direct messages, a collaborative code editor for pair-programming, a shared whiteboard, and shared notes. A Files area collects every document shared in the group in one organized place.
Can we share and organize documents?
Anything shared in group chat — PDFs, Word or Excel files, images, and more — is collected in the group's Files tab, where you can sort files into folders, tag them, and open or download them. You can also upload documents directly to the group's library.
Does GroupStudy have live video?
Yes — groups have real live video rooms for study sessions, so you can meet face-to-face, share screens, and work through material together in real time.
Pricing & Premium
What's free and what Premium adds.
How much does GroupStudy cost?
Joining a group and studying with the core tools is free. Premium is a paid plan that unlocks creating your own groups and cohorts plus additional capabilities. See the pricing page for the current plans and prices.
What does Premium include?
Premium unlocks creating and leading your own study groups and certification cohorts, along with additional capabilities beyond the free tier. The pricing page has the full, up-to-date feature comparison.
Can I gift Premium to someone?
Yes — you can buy Premium as a gift for another learner from the gift page. The purchase is always made by you and applied to the recipient's account.
How do I pay?
Payments are processed securely through Stripe. You check out from the pricing page, and GroupStudy never handles your raw card details.
Privacy & your data
How we handle your information.
How does GroupStudy handle my privacy?
GroupStudy asks for granular, opt-in consent at sign-up — you choose exactly what you agree to, and each choice is recorded. You can review and change your visibility and privacy preferences from your account settings at any time.
Is my information shared with other members?
The public certifications catalog shows only catalog facts — no member data. Inside a group, members see what's needed to study together, and you control your profile visibility through your privacy settings. GroupStudy is built privacy-first.
Can I export or delete my data?
Yes. GroupStudy is built with GDPR data rights in mind. You can manage your consent and privacy from account settings, and you can request an export or deletion of your data — reach out through the app if you need help with a data request.
Study with peers who are on the same path.
Join a forming cohort for your certification, or browse the full catalog. Free to join; groups are capped at 8 so every voice counts.