We talk a lot about how Thea helps students learn. This series is where we show you the receipts.
For our first Case Study Highlight, we're looking at a US workforce training program that brought Thea into its certification courses and, in a single semester, saw results its own staff described as unlike anything they'd seen before.
The situation: a pipeline that was leaking
This program prepares students for two industry certifications: CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+. Together, they open the door to IT careers, and earning both can make a serious difference in what someone takes home over the next five years.
Before Thea, the numbers looked like this: 62% of students passed the A+. Of that smaller group, only 46% went on to pass the Network+. Fewer students were making it through each stage, and very few were finishing with both certifications.
There was another challenge. The students in this program are working adults. They aren't studying at a desk from nine to five. They're studying between shifts, on their phones, late at night. Whatever tool they used had to meet them there.
What changed
Faculty uploaded their exact program materials into Thea. That meant students weren't practicing with a generic question bank. They were answering questions built from the same content they'd be tested on.
From there, Thea did what it does best. Smart Study adapted to each student in real time, asking more questions in the areas where they were weakest until they genuinely mastered the concepts. And because Thea works on any device, students could fit in a study session wherever their day allowed.
Nothing else changed. Same curriculum, same instruction, same exams.
The results
- CompTIA A+ pass rate: 62% → 94% (up 32 percentage points)
- Network+ pass rate: 46% → 100% (up 54 percentage points)
- 3× more students sat for the Network+ exam
- Dual-certification completion: 10% → 50%
- More than $5 million in estimated additional earnings potential over five years for the cohort
That last number deserves a closer look. Across roughly 120 students, earning both A+ and Network+ is estimated to increase five-year earnings by over $100,000 per student who achieves dual certification. Multiply that across everyone who made it through, and you get more than $5 million in earning potential from a single cohort.
"We went from a 46% Network+ pass rate to 100% in one semester. I've never seen anything like it."
— Grants Coordinator, Workforce Certification Program
Why it worked
Three things came together here:
- Course-aligned practice. Questions came directly from the program's own materials, so every minute of studying mapped to what students would actually see on the exam.
- Adaptive questioning. Instead of drilling what students already knew, Thea kept pushing on their weak spots until those weren't weak anymore.
- Access that fit real life. Phone, laptop, 11pm after a shift. Students could study when they actually had time, not when a lab was open.
What this means if you're a student
You don't need to be in a certification program to study this way. The same approach works for any class: upload your own notes, slides, or readings, let Thea build questions from them, and focus your time on what you don't know yet. It's the same tool these students used, and it's free.
A quick note on how we measured this
These results compare cohort pass rates before and after Thea was introduced at the same institution. No changes were made to curriculum, instruction, or exam structure during that period. The earnings estimate is based on published CompTIA salary data for professionals with both A+ and Network+ certifications compared to non-certified peers over a five-year horizon.
This is one of several case studies we've published, including a four-year university where Thea spread from 9 courses to departments across campus. You can read them all on our case studies page.
Educator or program leader? Talk to our team about bringing Thea to your students. Student? Start studying for free.
