Which Microsoft Project Training Course is right for you?

A guide for complex project delivery

You use Microsoft Project because your work has real dependencies, fixed milestones, shared resources - and delivery consequences. 

PRINCE2, APM and Agile tell you how to manage your projects. Microsoft Project is the heavyweight tool that helps you run the plan: dependencies, timelines, resources, tracking and reporting.

Many teams have good methods but weak tooling habits, and that gap shows up as inconsistent plans and unreliable reporting. Skilltec’s MS Project training is designed to close that gap.

This guide is not about “getting better at planning”. It is about choosing the right level of Microsoft Project training so you can build schedules that behave under complexity, change and resource pressure.

 

 

Start here: what do you need your schedule to do?

We are here to help you to book the level of training that matches your need. We offer a clear pathway, with levels 1-4 and you can book a bundle with a 30% saving to ensure that you progress faster. 

Choose the statement that matches the problem you are trying to solve. 

“My plan looks fine until something slips, then everything becomes manual.” 

You need Level 1

 

“I can build a plan, but tracking progress and explaining variance is messy.”

You need Level 2.

 

“Shared resources and overallocation are driving our slippage.” 

You need Level 3.

 

“We need standard templates and reporting that makes plans comparable.”

You need Level 4. 

If you are still not sure, keep reading. The sections below explain what each level unlocks in real delivery terms.

Level 1: Build a schedule you can defend

Best for: PMs, project controllers, planners and schedulers who need a solid scheduling foundation (or who are self-taught).

Choose Level 1 if:

  • you find yourself dragging bars to “make dates fit”

  • dependencies are inconsistent or unclear

  • you use constraints as a fix rather than a last resort

  • a small change causes unpredictable knock on effects

What Level 1 helps you do (in reality):

  • structure a plan properly using tasks, milestones and summary tasks

  • build dependency logic that drives dates reliably

  • use calendars and scheduling settings in a way that stops surprises

  • work confidently with the key views (Gantt, tracking, resources)

Outcome: you leave with the ability to produce a schedule that behaves. Not a timeline that looks good until the first change.

 

Level 3: Resource reality for shared teams and multiple projects

Best for: PMs and PMOs managing shared specialists, constrained teams, or multiple concurrent projects.

Choose Level 3 if:

  • you are constantly fighting overallocation

  • you have “resource optimism” in the plan (it assumes people are free when they are not)

  • the schedule says you can deliver, you know you can't

  • you need to understand the delivery impact of capacity constraints

What Level 3 helps you do (in reality):

  • manage resource pools and shared resources

  • identify and resolve overallocation

  • use resource levelling to turn capacity constraints into an achievable plan

  • manage costs and advanced updating for more realistic forecasting

Outcome: your schedule starts reflecting capacity, which is where many complex projects succeed or fail.

  

Level 2: Control change with baselines and tracking

Best for: people who can already build a schedule, but need it to become a control tool.

Choose Level 2 if:

  • progress updates feel like an admin chore rather than insight

  • stakeholders ask “what’s changed & why?” and you can't answer quickly

  • reporting is manual because plan doesn't provide clean variance data

  • you are constantly reforecasting without a clear baseline story

What Level 2 helps you do (in reality):

  • set baselines properly so variance is visible and explainable

  • track progress cleanly (without breaking schedule logic)

  • analyse delays and conflicts and recover the plan with discipline

  • export and share information without rebuilding it elsewhere

Outcome: your updates become credible, your variance becomes clear, and your plan starts to support decision making, not just reporting.

 

Level 4: PMO consistency & reporting


Best for: advanced users and PMO leads who need standardisation, comparability and repeatable reporting.

Choose Level 4 if:

  • different PMs build plans differently and portfolio reporting is painful

  • you need standard fields, tables, filters and views across projects

  • you want templates that enforce consistent structure and data quality

  • you need reporting foundations that scale


What Level 4 helps you do (in reality):

  • build and manage custom fields, tables and filters

  • standardise views and reporting outputs

  • use organiser tools and templates to create consistency

  • understand reporting options and how Project data can support wider reporting

Outcome: a more standard, comparable planning environment that supports portfolio visibility.

 The fastest route to progress (and the common mistake to avoid)

Common mistake: jumping to advanced topics without fixing fundamentals.  If your dependency logic and constraints are shaky, advanced reporting and resourcing will not behave properly.  If you are levelling up, the bundle offer is designed for exactly this: any two Microsoft Project courses for £595 until 31.03.26.

Pathways

  • Level 1 + Level 2 if you want reliable schedules plus control and variance
  • Level 2 + Level 3 if you already schedule but need tracking discipline plus resource realism
  • Level 3 + Level 4 if you are operating at PMO scale and need standardisation 

Next step

If you are delivering dependency-heavy work and want your schedule to hold up under change, choose the level that matches your current pain point.  If you want the quickest progression, take the bundle and book two levels now.