Major Features of SWAYAM include:

• Course type and duration: There are two types of courses offered through SWAYAM – Credit and Non-Credit. Credit course is a course taught for at least one semester as part of a subject. Non-credit courses include courses such as awareness programme and specific skill-set training, which are not part of any set curriculum. Such courses can be of shorter duration, usually ranging from two to four months.
• Course components: Courses hosted on SWAYAM are available for students in four components: video lectures, downloadable/printable reading material, self-assessment tests through quizzes and tests, and an online discussion forum for clearing doubts.
• Eligibility: Online education courses offered through the portal of SWAYAM (swayam.gov.in) can be accessed by anyone, anywhere, any time.
• Course fee: Courses offered via SWAYAM are free of cost for residents of India. However, in order to obtain certificate for a particular course students need to pay a nominal fee.
• Certification: Students who wish to obtain certificates for their courses need to get themselves registered on SWAYAM portal. Also, certificates are awarded to students only after successful completion of the course.
• Credits: At the end of each course, students will be assessed through a proctored exam. Marks/grades secured by students in the exam can be transferred to their academic records. To implement the same, UGC has issued UGC (Credit Framework for online learning courses through SWAYAM) Regulation 2016 recommending universities to identify courses in which credits can be transferred to students’ academic records.