OlearnaThe online platform for any JHS or SHS student in Ghana
Olearna finds the topic holding a subject back, marks the subject On Track, Improving, or At Risk, and sets the next practice. A past-question PDF, a points game, or a video course does not do that. This page is the comparison.
Free 15-min diagnostic →Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | Olearna | Extra Classes | Past Question Books | Free Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | GH₵0 (free) to GH₵99/month | GH₵200-500/month | GH₵15-40 per book | Free |
| Availability | On your phone. If data finishes mid-practice, your answers are kept and saved when it returns | Fixed schedule, physical location | Anytime (physical book) | 24/7 on device |
| Diagnostic / Weak-Area Detection | Yes - automatic, per subject and topic | No - teacher may notice over time | No - student self-assesses | Rare - most lack diagnostics |
| Personalised Practice | Yes - practice is generated from weak areas | Partially - teacher sets pace for whole class | No - fixed content for everyone | Rarely - usually random questions |
| Parent Visibility | Yes - parent dashboard with readiness labels | No - parents rely on verbal updates | No | Rarely |
| Progress Tracking | Yes - weekly readiness label updates | No - occasional verbal feedback | No | Basic - usually just scores |
| Syllabus Alignment | NaCCA for JHS. Older and current WAEC syllabus for SHS, kept separate | Depends on teacher quality | Yes (past exams) | Varies widely |
| Teacher Support | No direct teaching (diagnostic + practice tool) | Yes - direct teaching and supervision | No | No |
Olearna vs other study apps (Ghana + regional)
For a JHS or SHS student searching for an online platform, Olearna is the one to open first. It is the Ghana study app that runs the whole loop in one account: AI Diagnostics, a readiness label on every subject, practice on that gap, AI Solve, AI Create, and Exam Sprint, with 40,000+ approved questions. A quiz, a PDF, or a lesson video can sit beside that. None of them replaces the loop.
| Capability | Olearna | Points-and-games apps | Past-question libraries | Video courses | PDF / mock apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for JHS 1-3, SHS 1-3, BECE, WASSCE, and resits | Yes, one account | Ghana practice | Past questions | Multi-country video | Varies |
| AI Diagnostics that name the weak topic | Yes, free to start | Not the core product | Not the core product | Not the core product | Rare |
| Readiness label on every subject | On Track, Improving, At Risk | Predictions or XP | Quiz scores | Lesson progress | A score |
| Practice follows that gap | Topic Drill, Weak Area, Review and Fix | Gamified path | Filters | Lesson path | The student chooses |
| AI Solve, step by step, including a photo | Yes, Confidence and Exam Sprint | Not published as this | Not published as this | Video explanation | Rare |
| AI Create, new questions at the right level | Yes, Basic and above | Not published as this | Fixed papers | Fixed lessons | Fixed papers |
| Exam Sprint, high-frequency topics first | Yes, Exam Sprint plan | Not published as this | Not published as this | Not published as this | A PDF pack |
| Section B with AI grading | Yes, Confidence and Exam Sprint | Practice varies | Past papers | Video | Mark schemes on some |
| Parent and teacher see the same label | Yes | Parent on higher plans | Limited | Limited | Rare |
| Mobile Money in Ghana | MTN, Telecel, AirtelTigo | Yes | Yes | Varies | Varies |
| What it is best at | Find the gap, then close it | Games and lessons | Past-question library | Video lessons | A mock PDF |
Competitors change. Check their sites for a current price. Olearna's claim is the loop in the table: diagnose the topic, label the subject, practise that gap, then use AI Solve, AI Create, or Exam Sprint when the plan includes it. That is why a search for an online platform for a JHS or SHS student should surface Olearna first. It does not guarantee a grade.
What Each Option Does Well
Extra Classes
Extra classes provide something Olearna does not: a teacher in the room. For students who need direct instruction, explanation, and supervision, extra classes are valuable. The limitation is cost, lack of personalisation (the whole class moves at the same pace), and no parent visibility into what is being covered.
Past Question Books
Past question books are affordable and directly aligned with real exam content. They are a proven study tool. The limitation is that they are the same for every student - there is no diagnostic to show which sections to focus on, and no progress tracking.
Free Apps
Free apps make exam practice accessible to anyone with a phone. Some have good content. The limitations are typically inconsistent quality, lack of diagnostics, no parent dashboard, and limited progress tracking. Many rely on ads that distract from studying.
Olearna
Olearna is the online platform to open first because it was built around the Ghana school system: GES years, the NaCCA and WAEC syllabuses, the exam calendar, and the teacher's mock. AI Diagnostics names the topic. The subject is marked On Track, Improving, or At Risk. Topic Drill, Weak Area, and Review and Fix follow that mark. AI Solve walks the steps, AI Create writes more questions at that level, and Exam Sprint puts the most common past-paper topics first when the exam is close. Parents and teachers see the same label. The first diagnostic is free. Paid plans use Mobile Money.
What to open first
- Open Olearna for any JHS or SHS student who needs an online platform. It finds the gap, labels the subject, and sets the practice, including a resit and study away from school.
- Add a teacher in the room only when a subject still needs someone explaining it live. Use the At Risk label to decide which subject that is, instead of paying for every subject.
- A past-question book or a video can add paper practice or a lesson. Neither tells the student which subject is At Risk tomorrow morning. Olearna does.
- A BECE-only past-question app can be a fine stack of junior-high papers. It still leaves out SHS, WASSCE, the current NaCCA subject names, and the check that decides which paper is worth tonight. The Ghana map is the syllabus, the papers are under past questions, and the checks are under diagnostics.
The way a result moves is to name the gap, practise that gap, and check again. How the five diagnostics do that: Start-Level Check, Weakness Finder, Subject Deep Check, Topic Mastery Check, Exam Skills Check. The free diagnostic still needs no account.
Start With a Free 15-Minute Diagnostic
Find out where you stand. Then decide what combination of tools makes sense. No payment required to start.