# The CompTIA Self-Paced eReader — user reviews > 40 indexed App Store user reviews of The CompTIA Self by THE COMPUTING TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, INC, rated 4.67/5 from 48 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-comptia-self-paced-ereader/id1538217809/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-comptia-self-paced-ereader/id1538217809.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 39 · 4★ 3 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 1 ## Newest reviews (14 of 40) ### 2/5 — Great Potential, Needs Offline Mode *2023-08-30, version 1.6* I've been using this app on my iPad Wi-Fi model during my commute, and I'm quite impressed with its performance when connected to Wi-Fi. However, I've encountered a significant drawback that prevents me from using it effectively in non-Wi-Fi areas. Whenever I try to use the app without an active Wi-Fi connection, I consistently encounter the following error message: "Session Timed Out - Your session has expired. Please reconnect to the service." This error has been a major obstacle, as it hinders my ability to access content and continue using the app during my commute. Given that the app works flawlessly in Wi-Fi areas, it would be immensely valuable to have an "Offline Mode" feature. This mode could allow users to pre-download content or access previously viewed content without needing an active internet connection. ### 3/5 — Buggy and annoying *2023-07-17* Why do I get randomly logged out whilst reading? Worse, when you have no signal and think “great time to have a study” do you have to login again?!? If you have a one year licence like I do, why not build this into the timeline for re authentication?! Don’t turn it into landscape mode so the er because it just goes blank and you to kill it and start again! Any highlighted material can be displayed easily, as long as you don’t mind the formatting being utterly unreadable. This could be a really useful app if the devs sorted out some pretty basic issues. Not one I would pay for. ### 2/5 — Nice but cuts off the bottom text *2023-04-28, version 1.6* The text at the bottom of the page is not visible. I started using the desktop version on the mobile due to that. ### 1/5 — Does not work *2023-04-24, version 1.6* You cannot even login to read anymore as it cannot find your account. Web version works. You are better off bookmarking the site and saving it to home. Good thing we have spent hundreds on a non-functional service they advertise…. ### 1/5 — Seems like a scam app *2023-01-24, version 1.5* Do not download this. For some reason Comptia has two “eReaders” I downloaded both, and one of them showed my materials and the other one (this one) does absolutely nothing. This one even asks you to login with your comptia information and the proceeds to not sync anything. When you try to delete the account, nothing happens. Beware. ### 1/5 — Repetitive Logouts *2022-09-07, version 1.5* This app consistently logs me out and then makes me redownload the book. It just happens again - while I was in the middle of reading the book, while switching back from another app. I've been using this app for nearly a year now and while OK when it works, it's rare that it doesn't log you off. Also, a few months ago, it Defaults to a different login page, which makes the Apple password software think I'm logging into a different website than the one for the "webreader". ### 2/5 — At least make a competent e-reader if you can’t make a pdf available… *2022-08-23, version 1.5* No two-page view support and no split-window support on my iPad so note-taking is significantly more inconvenient. There’s occasional crashes of the application, and it sometimes becomes unresponsive. I get that the use of this e-reader is most likely used to deter unauthorized widespread distribution of its materials, but I did pay a lot of money for the study guide. The least you guys can do is make the platform you distribute it on easy to use with quality of life features. There’s free e-readers on this app store that put this one to shame in terms of convenience and functionality. ### 1/5 — No point *2022-05-19, version 1.4* What’s the point of logging in, neither of my books showed up ### 1/5 — Ok at first *2022-05-19, version 1.4* My first use was ok. My purchased study guide showed up. Subsequent uses will not let me log in. Stuck with a “CONNECT WITH MYCOMPTIAPORTAL” spinner and cannot log in. ### 1/5 — studying guides are not showing up in the portal *2022-05-02, version 1.4* Purchase the CompTIA A+ 1101 study guide. And when trying to access the study guide it does not show up and the portal contacted CompTIA and they told me it’s out of there tier 1 customer service support control ### 1/5 — My study guys ain’t showing up *2022-04-30, version 1.4* I bought a bundle in the Comptia A+ website and it comes with a self study guide. I redeem it and it’s not even showing up on the app spend all this money for it not to show up and I can’t open it with out the app probably will get a refund ### 1/5 — Does not work *2022-03-03, version 1.3* This application will not allow users login. CompTIA, however, will not allow users to read eBooks from an iPad without utilizing this application (even when requesting desktop website format). It is apparent that CompTIA teaches IT but doesn’t practice IT…. ### 1/5 — No functionality *2021-12-17, version 1.3* This app doesn’t allow me to sign in ### 1/5 — Buggy? Can’t Sign In *2021-11-26, version 1.3* I tried signing in and registering. Sign in didn’t work, and when I tried to register the register button wouldn’t let me activate, even after filling out all the fields and checking the policy agreements. It might be a bug, but I’m unable to get access. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Constant Login Issues *2024-10-05, version 1.9* The app seems to work fine at first, but it’ll sometimes just start logging you out in the middle of reading, boot you to the main menu, and making you log in again. Sometimes you can go for hours without issues, sometimes your login lasts for 5 minutes at a time. It’s insanely disruptive. Other than that, the app is okay. Reading content is right-justified for some reason, but that’s not the end of the world. Everything else works fine as far as I can tell. ### 1/5 — Completely useless *2024-05-04, version 1.9* Want to take notes and use the app on your iPad? Too bad. Makes no sense at all. ### 1/5 — Can’t read a full page *2024-02-21, version 1.8* This app is the worst reader tool that I have used so far. It does not let me read the complete page. The scroller ends after 3 paragraphs. It does not matter if the screen orientation is vertical or horizontal. And the most annoying part is, I cannot even use my browser to read the study guide. The browser directs to the app, or asks me to download the app. Please fix this. This is not friendly, this is not good at all! ### 1/5 — PHONE USE *2024-02-12, version 1.8* Why can I not see the whole page when I’m trying to read the study guide on the app . Why make an app if you won’t fix this issue it’s been like this since 2022 . You cannot see the entire page when you are reading the self paced study guide how has this not been fixed yet . ### 1/5 — Don’t waste your time with this app *2024-01-22, version 1.8* Like others have said, this reader cuts of portions of text—totally unusable. This is joke considering how much money these certifications cost. ### 1/5 — Incredibly bad *2023-12-18, version 1.8* This is one of the worst apps I’ve ever attempted to use. The words are cut off, there is no two page support, and it is extremely buggy. For the amount of money these certs cost, you would think they could spend a small amount on a functional app. ### 1/5 — Navigation bar hides part of the page *2023-11-21, version 1.6* The navigation scroll bar at the bottom of the page covers up the last paragraph, so if you read on this app you’re going to miss the last paragraph of each page. In other words, this app is ABSOLUTELY USELESS! Don’t even bother downloading this app, you’re not going to be able to use it to study. Just open the Desktop version of comptia’s website and it will let you read the e book on your phone, although it’s not ideal. Comptia should at least make sure the e reader app they force you to use actually works, but for now the desktop site workaround is the best solution. This app’s developer should be fired and they should hire someone decent. ### 1/5 — The Worse App I have ever seen from a large company *2023-07-23, version 1.6* After purchasing the bundle I thought they would send me a book by mail. That never happened, I have this instead and it is the worse. ### 1/5 — Cut Off *2023-05-30* The title of the pages are cut off. You cannot resize the content or make it readable ### 1/5 — Awful Reader - Designed for iOS not macOS *2023-05-29, version 1.6* Want to resize the screen? You can't. You can only have the app in landscape, portriat, or fullscreen. Awful never ending loop bug when you try to fullscreen ocassionally. It'll full screen then minimize and then repeat. You have to close the app and relaunch it to get out of the loop. Want to copy paste a link to your browser? Nope that's restricted probably as a copyright deterent. Want to high light something? Sure maybe when you right click a highlighted portion of the text youll get a context window that has that as an action. Want to remove that highlight? Good luck; it was a dice roll to even high light it to begin with. Want to view your book offline on a flight? Nope can't do that either. The application will first try to authenticate your account if you're already connected to a limited-access WiFi network. Once it fails to authenticate you can't access the book you downloaded to make available offline. Even when you arent connected to a WiFi network, its a dice roll on wether or not the app will try to authenticate with a server before allowing access to the content. Want to see the title of the page you're reading? Well you can't. There's a banner at the top and bottom of the app that gives you navigational control in the app. In iOS you'd just tap the content of the page to get the navigational banners to hide. On the macOS version of the app they stay there until you magically guess the right combination of touchpad zooming and touching to hide the banners. If you are so lucky to hide the banners then you won't be able to get them back without closing the application and re-opening it. ALL AROUND AWFUL macOS app. They spent minimal effort developing this. I came here to learn. Not to be distracted. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — It reads to you *2025-04-05, version 1.12* When I can look in my laptop and my phone app reads it to me I get it faster. ### 5/5 — iPadにてスプリットビューができない *2025-02-22, version 1.11* タイトルの通りです ### 5/5 — Great app *2024-02-14, version 1.8* After realizing taping the screen with my finger the page scroll bar at the bottom disappears. App is usable and useful. ### 5/5 — Changed my review *2023-12-13, version 1.6* Discovered by accident that if I tapped the screen the scroll bar at the bottom disappears. If I want it back so I can see what page I’m on, I tap the screen again. I’m sufficiently satisfied with this app now, thank you. Initial review: I’m using this on an iPhone 15 pro. The scrolling bar at the bottom conceals some lines of text, no idea how many. I scroll down as far as I can go, and there are lines of text missing, concealed. ### 5/5 — Better than browser, includes text to speech too! *2022-06-12, version 1.4* Functions exactly like the browser based PC version. Includes text to speech read aloud function, which is incredibly appreciated! Highlighting in different colours is present, though it would be great to have the colour options pop up automatically when selecting a highlight, as they do on the browser version. It’s simply another tap, though, which is fine. All in all it runs well even on my long suffering iPhone 6 (max iOS for that model is 12.5). I actually prefer this to the browser client but I am happy both are an option. ### 5/5 — Butt *2021-09-16, version 1.2* Ohh it’s ok ### 5/5 — App is working fine *2021-06-03, version 1.2* While I do prefer a standalone PDF, this app by CompTIA seems to work well on my iPadOS 7th gen device. It works in landscape mode which many cheaply rushed educational apps do not. The text and graphics are sharp and clear. Loading pages is not an issue. The app itself I think is well done, and I am pretty critical on expectations. Thank you ### 4/5 — Can confirm not a fake app *2021-05-12, version 1.2* This app is legitimate, used my sign in and gave me instant access to my ebook. The other reviewer possibly used a wrong sign in or messed up when activating their ebook. ### 4/5 — It’s not a fake app. 🙄 *2021-03-30, version 1.1* It did take some figuring out to get into it. The instructions weren’t completely clear on how to get a ebook activated through the app. There should be a way to activate access keys through the app and not have to depend on a desktop class web browser. ### 3/5 — Not so good TTS *2025-02-25, version 1.11* For reading the text the app works great. Personally I like to read and hear the text together. There is a TTS and wide range of languages but the voices and lack of Inference while reading the text make it not plausible. It’s a little on the nose, but the voices are too robotic. So right now I have to use my computer and Edge browser to read and listen together. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-09.*