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Comparing Copilot course options
Copilot courses
Copilot courses range from Microsoft's own free learning material to online platform courses and instructor-led team training.
This guide compares them, so individuals and employers can pick the option that matches their licence, their apps and the work they need to do.
Choose between free, online and team Copilot courses based on your licence, apps and goals.
BBC reporting describes the UK rollout of workplace AI courses. BBC: workplace AI training ↗
Microsoft describes how Copilot Chat and the licensed Copilot experience differ in data grounding and licensing. Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365 Copilot overview ↗
New to the topic? Read the background on artificial intelligence.
Comparing Copilot course options
which Copilot courses are available?
Microsoft's free material, online platform courses and instructor-led training.
Microsoft publishes free tutorials, learning paths and documentation for Copilot users and administrators.
Online learning platforms offer self-paced Copilot courses, often organised by Microsoft 365 app.
Instructor-led training, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot training, works through your own documents and permissions with a group.
Free Microsoft material.
Self-paced platform courses.
Instructor-led team training.
Comparing Copilot course options
are free Copilot courses enough?
For learning features, often yes; for consistent team use, usually not.
Free material explains what Copilot does in each app and is a good starting point.
It cannot teach your organisation's data rules, review expectations or the documents your team actually handles.
Use free material for individual familiarity, and team training for shared habits; our list of Copilot training resources collects the free options.
Comparing Copilot course options
which Copilot course suits which user?
Copilot courses should match the user's licence and role.
Users with Copilot Chat but no Microsoft 365 Copilot licence need a course on Copilot Chat, which Microsoft distinguishes from the licensed experience.
Licensed users benefit from app-by-app courses on Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.
Administrators need courses on deployment, permissions and data protection rather than end-user features.
Teams building agents need a separate technical course on Copilot Studio.
| Check | What to establish |
|---|---|
| 1 | Copilot Chat users. |
| 2 | Licensed app users. |
| 3 | Administrators and builders. |
Comparing Copilot course options
what should a good Copilot course include?
Good Copilot courses include practice, output checking and data awareness.
Look for hands-on exercises rather than only demonstrations.
Every exercise should include checking the output, because Copilot can be wrong.
A good course explains that Copilot follows the signed-in user's permissions, so overshared content can appear in answers.
A good course also explains your own data protection rules, which in the UK should reflect the ICO guidance on AI and data protection.
Comparing Copilot course options
how do employers choose Copilot courses for staff?
Decide whether you need individual familiarity or shared team practice.
For a handful of users, free and online courses may be enough.
For a rollout across departments, team training creates consistent habits and lets you cover your own rules.
The wider programme is described on Microsoft Copilot training, and you can contact predeploy to plan a team course.
Few users: online courses.
Rollout: team training.
Cover your own rules.
Comparing Copilot course options
how long do Copilot courses take?
From a short introduction to a series of role-based sessions.
A first introduction to Copilot Chat can be covered in a single short session.
App-by-app courses for licensed users usually run across several sessions, so people can practise between them.
Administrator and Copilot Studio courses need more time because they cover configuration, permissions and building agents.
Spreading learning over a few weeks helps people bring real questions back from their work.
Short introduction.
Several app sessions.
Longer technical courses.
Make the decision concrete
What does the current task cost in time?
Choose a task connected to copilot courses and enter its current workload. This gives you a baseline to discuss before buying training or commissioning a build.
A baseline is useful even if you decide to keep the process manual. Measure the work that matters, then compare quality and review effort as well as time.
Assess the workflow before changing it, or plan business AI training if the gap is how people use existing tools.
Your current workload
Estimate how much time the existing task takes before discussing copilot courses.
16 hours per week
People × minutes × weekly tasks ÷ 60. A workload baseline from your inputs, not a prediction of AI time savings. Include review and support time when comparing a proposed workflow.
A useful AI investment leaves your team able to do the work and judge the result.
Continue with the right question
Where should you go next?
Use the overview for context, then follow the pages that match your delivery decision.
See our ai training service or read the ai training for business overview.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Evidence and further reading
Which sources support the guidance?
Source links support the specific background described here. The practical checklists and illustrative examples are predeploy’s guidance.
BBC reporting describes the UK rollout of workplace AI courses. BBC: workplace AI training ↗
Microsoft describes how Copilot Chat and the licensed Copilot experience differ in data grounding and licensing. Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365 Copilot overview ↗
Microsoft states that Copilot data access is scoped to the signed-in user's permissions. Microsoft Learn: Microsoft 365 Copilot architecture ↗
ICO guidance covers AI accountability, transparency and fairness; the guidance is currently under review. ICO: AI and data protection guidance ↗
Background reading on the broader field of artificial intelligence. Wikipedia: artificial intelligence ↗
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