Frequently Asked Questions

Everything people actually ask us, answered properly.

If your question isn't here, email [support@shattak.com] and we'll answer it. If enough people ask the same thing, it ends up on this page.

Start here

What is Shattak?

A learning platform where every course is free to enroll in, and you decide what to pay after you've finished.

We cover technology, programming, product, marketing, and business, alongside creative skills like guitar, music, and comedy, and academic subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Thermodynamics, Engineering, Humanities, and Political Science.

Every course is built around an outcome. You don't just watch lessons. You build something, submit it, and get certified for the work.

What's the catch?

There isn't one, but that's exactly what someone with a catch would say, so here's the full picture instead.

You enroll free. You learn free. You submit an assignment, get it reviewed, and receive a certificate. Free.

Then you're shown a payment screen where you type any number you want. ₹0 is genuinely allowed and nothing bad happens if you use it.

The only rule: before starting a new course, you have to close out your previous one by submitting the payment step. That amount can also be ₹0. It's a checkout click, not a paywall.

That's the entire model. No credit card at signup. No trial that converts. No locked "premium tier" waiting three modules in.

Is this actually free, or free-with-an-asterisk?

Actually free. You can complete courses on Shattak, receive certificates, and pay nothing, forever.

We think most people who get real value will pay something. Some won't. We built the model knowing that.

Why would anyone build this?

Because we think people learn by doing, not by watching, and because the price tag on good education keeps most people from ever starting.

The honest version is on our [Why Shattak] page. Short form: we don't think governments will fix this, we're not interested in waiting, and charging ₹4,999 upfront to someone who doesn't yet know if a subject is for them is a bad way to teach anyone anything.

The money questions

So how much should I pay?

Whatever the course was worth to you. There's no suggested amount, no default number pre-filled in the box, and nobody will follow up to negotiate.

Some people pay ₹50. Some pay ₹2,000. Some pay nothing. All three are fine.

What if I genuinely can't pay?

Then pay ₹0 and keep learning. That's not a loophole, it's the design.

The whole point is that money shouldn't be the reason you don't start.

Will anyone know if I pay ₹0?

No. Your payment amount isn't visible to mentors, to other students, or to anyone in your community group. It doesn't affect your certificate, your access, or how you're treated.

We deliberately built it that way, because a "voluntary" payment that everyone can see isn't voluntary.

When do I pay?

After you've finished the course, submitted the assignment, and got your certificate. Not before.

You can pay right then, or next month, or six months later after the skill has actually paid off for you. There's no deadline.

Why do I have to pay before starting a new course?

Because the loop needs to close somewhere, and because it tells us a course is genuinely finished rather than abandoned.

But since the amount can be ₹0, it costs you a click, not money. Nobody is ever blocked from learning for lack of funds.

Can I pay upfront if I want to?

Not currently. The payment step unlocks at the end.

If you're keen to support Shattak before then, email us and we'll figure something out.

Do you take international payments?

[Yes / Not yet — CONFIRM]. Payments are processed in Indian Rupees. If your bank converts currency, their exchange rate applies.

Can I get a refund?

If money moved by mistake, yes, always. Duplicate charges, wrong amounts typed, unauthorised transactions, technical failures.

If you simply changed your mind about the amount after paying, generally no, since you chose it yourself after receiving the full course. Full detail is on our [Refund Policy] page.

Courses

How long is a course?

Most run around 6 to 7 modules, with roughly 6 to 9 lessons in each. It varies by subject.

They're built to be compact. We're not padding a course to 40 hours so it looks like better value.

How do I actually enroll?

1. Browse courses on the homepage
2. Open the course you want and read the curriculum
3. Click Enroll
4. Join the course's WhatsApp mentorship group
5. Find the access key in the group description
6. Enter it on the platform to unlock the content

That's it. No payment details at any point.

Why do I need an access key from a WhatsApp group?

So that every student is connected to their mentor and their batch before they start.

Learning alone is where most people quit. Being in a group where you can ask a stupid question at 11pm changes the odds.

Do I have to join WhatsApp?

We'd strongly prefer you did, but no. Email [support@shattak.com] and we'll get you the access key another way.

Worth knowing: joining a group makes your phone number visible to everyone else in it. If that's a problem for you, use a secondary number or take the email route. Our [Privacy Policy] covers this properly.

Some lessons are just YouTube videos. Why am I paying for that?

Fair question, and here's the straight answer.

Shattak currently runs a curation model. Where an excellent free explanation of a topic already exists, we link to it rather than filming a worse version to look more legitimate. The original creator keeps their views and their credit.

What we build is everything around it: the curriculum and sequencing, the written explanations, the assignments and projects, the mentor access, the community, the review, and the certificate.

You're not paying for video files. You're paying for the structure that turns scattered content into an actual path with an outcome at the end. And you're paying afterwards, once you've seen whether that was worth anything.

As we grow, more original material gets made. In the early stage we'd rather put limited resources into curriculum and mentorship than into re-recording something that's already good.

Do courses get updated?

Yes. Curriculum changes based on industry shifts, student feedback, and what's actually working. A course you took last year may look different now.

Can I do more than one course at a time?

You finish and close out one before starting the next. Closing out can be ₹0.

We do it this way because the biggest problem in online learning isn't access, it's people enrolling in six courses and finishing none.

What if I start a course and don't finish it?

Nothing happens. You paid nothing, you owe nothing.

Come back whenever. Your progress is saved.

Are courses live or self-paced?

Mostly self-paced, with live sessions and Q&A run by mentors depending on the course and demand. Recordings unlock alongside your assignment.

Assignments and certificates

Do I get a certificate just for finishing the lessons?

No, and this is the part that makes Shattak different from most platforms.

Watching every video gets you nothing. The assignment section unlocks once you've completed the content, and the certificate unlocks once your assignment is submitted and accepted.

You get certified for doing the work, not for pressing play.

What kind of assignment?

Depends on the course outcome. A working project, a portfolio piece, a solved problem set, an exam-prep assessment.

Whatever the course promised you'd be able to do, the assignment is you doing it.

What happens after I submit?

Your work is reviewed. Once it's accepted, you fill in a short feedback form, and then the certificate is yours to download.

The feedback form is a real requirement, not a formality. It's how courses get better.

Is the certificate recognised?

It's a Shattak certificate, not a university degree or a government-accredited qualification, and we won't pretend otherwise.

What it says is specific and true: you completed this course and delivered the required outcome. Since we only issue it after real work, it means more than a completion certificate from a platform that hands them out for watching videos.

The project you built is usually worth more in an interview than the certificate anyway. That's rather the point.

Can my certificate be taken away?

Only if the work wasn't yours. Plagiarism, bought work, or a submission generated wholesale by someone or something else.

We're strict here because the certificate only means something if it means something.

If I get a refund, do I lose my certificate?

No. You earned it by completing the work, not by paying. A refund doesn't touch it.

Mentorship and community

Who are the mentors?

Working professionals. Typically people with 5+ years in their field, strong career track records, or proven results in competitive exams, freelancing, or building companies.

We care less about years served and more about whether someone has actually done the thing and can explain how.

What do mentors do?

Depending on the course and demand: one on one sessions, live classes, Q&A and doubt-solving, and guidance inside the community group.

Mentors also help design the courses. They define what's worth learning, in what order, and what you should build to prove you've learned it.

Is mentorship free too?

Community access and group Q&A come with the course. Extended one on one mentorship may be paid, and where it is, the price is shown before you book.

What's the community actually like?

WhatsApp groups, one per course, with students and mentors in them. People ask questions, share resources and opportunities, and help each other through the parts everyone gets stuck on.

Rules are simple: no spam, no self-promotion, no harassment, no sharing access keys or paid material. Break them and you're removed.

Will you always use WhatsApp?

Probably not. It's what students already use and it costs us nothing to run, which matters at our size.

Longer term we may move to Telegram or build community directly into the platform. We'll tell you before we do.

Practical stuff

Do I need to pay to create an account?

No. Signup is free and doesn't ask for payment details.

Can I use Shattak if I'm under 18?

[CONFIRM — currently: a parent or guardian needs to agree to our Terms and take responsibility for the account.]

What if I need help mid-course?

Ask in your course's WhatsApp group first, since that's usually the fastest answer. For anything platform-related, email [support@shattak.com].

Can I download the course material?

You can access it any time while enrolled. Downloading, re-uploading, or redistributing it isn't allowed, and neither is sharing your access key. Details are in our [Terms & Conditions].

Can I delete my account?

Yes. Email [support@shattak.com] and we'll close it. Certificates you've already earned stay valid.

Do you guarantee a job?

No, and be careful with anyone who does.

We guarantee the course, the mentor access, the assignment review, and the certificate. What happens in your career after that depends on a great many things outside our control.

What we can say is that finishing a real project beats collecting course certificates, which is why we built it this way.

For mentors and partners

I want to mentor on Shattak. How?

Email [mentors@shattak.com] with what you've done and what you'd want to teach. We're particularly interested in people who've built things, cracked hard exams, or grown fast in their field.

Can my company work with Shattak?

Yes. See our [For Companies] page, or email [partnerships@shattak.com].

I'm a creator and one of my videos is used in a course

Email [support@shattak.com]. We embed from the original platform so you keep your views and credit, but if you'd like it removed or handled differently, tell us and we'll sort it out.

Still stuck?

Email: [support@shattak.com] Response time: we aim to reply within [2] working days

Ask us anything. Including the awkward questions. We'd rather answer those than have you wondering.