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Free tool

Seat Time Calculator

Estimate learner completion time from word count, slides, video, and interactions. Useful for project scoping conversations with stakeholders.

Runs in your browser — no data leaves your device
Total reading text across the course (slides, narration scripts, downloadable PDFs).
Click-through screens with no narration. Count separately from video.
Total runtime of all videos in the course.
Quizzes, drag-and-drops, scenarios, hotspots, branching choices.
Tunes the per-bucket time assumptions. Standard matches typical ATD / Chapman benchmarks.
Pacing assumptions
Reading rate
200 words / min
Per slide
60 sec
Video buffer
×1.10
Per interaction
60 sec

Your estimate will land here

Enter at least one input on the left. Numbers update live — no submit button, no signup, no AI cost.

How the numbers are calculated

The calculator uses well-established instructional-design benchmarks (Chapman, ATD, e-Learning Guild surveys). Each input bucket has its own assumption, controlled by the pacing preset:

  • Reading. Words divided by reading rate. Standard reading rate is 200 words per minute — Quick assumes a fluent reader at 250 wpm, Thorough assumes denser content at 150 wpm.
  • Slides. Click-through, no-narration screens. Allow time to read, scan visuals, and click forward. Standard pacing budgets one minute per slide.
  • Video. Runtime ×1.1 (Standard) to account for the fact that learners often pause and rewind. Quick uses ×1.0, Thorough ×1.2.
  • Interactions. Quizzes, scenarios, drag-and-drops. Standard pacing budgets one minute each — bump to 90s+ if your interactions are scenario-based with branching.

The total comes back as a midpoint number plus a ±20% range. Real completion times always vary by learner experience and content density; treat the range as the honest version of the answer.

What this calculator does not account for: downloadable resources, practice exercises outside the course, simulation labs, or any pre-/post-work. Add those manually to your scope estimate.