Compare · Job simulations
Job simulation alternatives for engineers
A fair comparison of the options for engineering roles, with the limits of each stated plainly, including ours.
A job simulation is a structured set of tasks at a company, real or imagined, that lets you try a role. Large platforms are strong on employer names and breadth. Engineering, and electrical, controls and automation in particular, is thinly covered, which is the gap the EDWartens simulations aim at. All of them are training, not employment.
Checked 19 October 2026. Other providers change dates, content and prices, so check their pages too.
Comparison
Options side by side
How each option presents itself in October 2026, from provider and university pages. Where a cell says “mostly” or “varies”, we could not confirm a single rule for every programme and have not guessed.
| Option | Length | Marking | Engineering depth | Certificate | Price (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large free simulation platforms, for example Forage | A few hours per programme, self-paced | Mostly self-checked against model answers | A small number of engineering programmes; most content is finance, software, law, data and security | Completion certificate, as described on the provider's pages | Free to take |
| Bright Network, UK graduate platform | Short virtual internship programmes, a few days | Varies by programme | Graduate generalist; engineering roles are few | Certificate; check the current offer | Check each programme |
| Springpod, offered through UCAS | Self-paced programmes, no fixed deadline on many | Light touch | Sector introductions for school and college students, some engineering | Certificate you can reference | Free through UCAS; check terms |
| AICTE virtual internships with IBM SkillsBuild and similar, India | Weeks, set by each programme | Set by each programme | Strong in AI, data and networking; less in electrical and controls | Programme certificate | Free for eligible students; dates change |
| EDWartens job simulations | A free week of five working days, self-paced; Premium is longer | Every task checked as you hand it in, with model answers and feedback | PLC, commissioning, electrical design, maintenance, solar and EV, data centre, data and AI; a 3D lab for hands-on tasks | Optional graded certificate with a public verification page | Free to start; certificate and Premium optional, price shown in your currency before you pay |
Fair is fair
Where the others are better
Pick by what you need. These are real advantages we do not have.
Famous employer names
Large platforms offer programmes designed with well-known employers. Our companies are simulated, so a name you recognise on a CV is something they can give you and we cannot.
A bigger catalogue outside engineering
If you want finance, law, marketing or software, the large platforms have many programmes. We cover engineering, data and AI roles only.
Employer sessions and live events
Some graduate programmes include live sessions with employers. Ours is self-paced with a ticket system, not live.
Real placements
A real placement or a supervised internship gives you people, tools and consequences that no simulation can. If you can get one, take it.
EDWartens
Where ours is built differently
Each simulation is one role at a simulated company, worked day by day with project documents, emails and tickets. Every task is checked as you hand it in, with model answers and feedback, and hands-on tasks run in a 3D lab. The first week is free; a graded, verifiable certificate is optional. A finished simulation shows on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation.
PLC Programmer
Write the I/O list, program the line, run the FAT and handle a change request.
See the simulationCommissioning Engineer
Loop checks, I/O checkout, SAT and a punch list on a plant that is nearly ready.
See the simulationMaintenance Electrical Engineer
Work orders, safe isolation, fault finding and a root-cause report.
See the simulationElectrical Design Engineer
Load list, single-line diagram, cable sizing and a late design change.
See the simulationSolar PV and EV Charging Engineer
Size a PV array, test it to IEC 62446 and fit EV chargers on a limited supply.
See the simulationData Centre Critical Facilities Engineer
MOPs, change control and a UPS event in a live data hall.
See the simulationAI and LLM Application Engineer
Build and evaluate an LLM assistant, then handle a prompt-injection incident.
See the simulationChoosing
How to choose
- Is it close to the job you want? A polished simulation for a role you will never apply for is a poor use of a weekend.
- Does anyone or anything check your work? Self-checking is fine for a first look. For evidence you can discuss, you want marking or a model answer with feedback.
- Can a stranger verify the certificate? A public verification page is worth more than a PDF.
- What is free and what is optional? Read the page, not the headline.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a job simulation?
A job simulation is a structured set of tasks in an imagined or real company, where you work with documents and compare your answers with a model. It is training. It is not employment, an internship with a supervisor or a qualification.
Is Forage good for engineers?
It is a real platform with free programmes designed with employers, and its few engineering programmes are worth a look. Its filters, as we saw them in October 2026, lead with finance, software, law, data, security and AI, so there is no section for electrical, controls or automation work. Check the live catalogue.
Are free job simulations worth doing?
They are worth doing when they are close to the role you want, when something checks your work and when the record can be verified. Do one properly rather than several quickly, and word it honestly on a CV.
Do job simulations count as work experience?
No. They are training, and many university career services tell students to list them under Projects, Certifications or Professional development. On the EDWartens profile a finished simulation shows under Work experience, marked as a job simulation, with the hours logged. On a CV, use honest wording.
Which job simulation suits a PLC or electrical career?
Look for real documents, a practice environment and checked tasks. Ours include a PLC programmer, a commissioning engineer, an electrical design engineer and a maintenance electrical engineer simulation, with hands-on tasks in a 3D lab.
How much do the EDWartens job simulations cost?
The first week is free. A graded, verifiable certificate is optional, and the longer Premium simulation is paid. Prices appear in your own currency before you pay, and nothing is sold inside the work.
Keep reading
A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens.