online Learning is enacted as an effort to prevent the spread of covid-19. Various limitations and obstacles encountered during the process of online learning in the pandemic demanded adaptation better than educators and learners. Students need to do self-adjustment in learning and are expected to have the self efficacy to master and complete a task in online learning. Educators need to do the management of cognitive load in learning. The purpose of the study to determine the effect of self efficacy against the cognitive load in online learning in the pandemic covid-19. Quantitative research methods are correlational, involving 316 respondents. The process of data collection is done online. The results of the univariate analysis showed the majority of respondents have the level of self efficacy is high enough (27,2%), cognitive load category (73,1%). Most of the respondents have ICL the moderate category (66,8%), the ECL moderate category (71,8%) and all respondents have a GCL category (100%). Bivariate analysis using the correlation provided by kendall's tau-b shows there is significant influence the level of self efficacy of respondents to rate the cognitive load of the respondents where the value of Sig. (2-tailed) is 0.048% ownership of < 0.05, with the degree of influence of level of self efficacy of the respondents on the level of cognitive load that is very strong (of 0.96). Based on the results of the study, it is expected that lecturers can optimize the ability of students and develop values/character that support to increase self efficacy of students and make improvements learning strategies to reduce cognitive load of students.