UK options for learning Siemens TIA Portal fall into five groups: Siemens SITRAIN courses, short courses from industry bodies such as Make UK, evening college programmes, private online classes and free self-study. Prices run from nothing to a few thousand pounds for a five-day course, and Siemens quotes SITRAIN prices on request. Choose by what you need to be able to do afterwards, which software version you will meet at work, and whether you want physical hardware or simulation.
What are the main ways to learn TIA Portal in the UK?
There are five, and each suits a different learner. The table compares the options we could verify from provider pages in October 2026.
| Option | Format and length | Listed price | Credential and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siemens SITRAIN UK | Five-day courses, classroom or online | Price by personalised quotation on the SITRAIN site | Official Siemens training; TIA Portal Programming 1 runs as a five-day classroom course, and as a five-day online course over Microsoft Teams with a cloud virtual lab (S7-1500, ET 200SP, TP700 panel, G120 drive) |
| Make UK | Three days in person, Aston, Birmingham | £995 + VAT (£840 + VAT for members) | Certificate of attendance; the course outline refers to STEP 7 V11.0, so ask which version the training room actually runs |
| Dudley College, PLCs 1 (Level 4) | Eight weeks, Wednesday evenings | Free if eligible (age, area and employment conditions apply) | Competency certificate; Siemens S7-1200 with TIA Portal, a simulator and Festo conveyor and sorting rigs; next listed run begins 3 March 2027 |
| EDWartens Professional Module | Five days live online plus self-paced Basic Engineering | £2,140 + VAT = £2,568 | CPD-accredited certificate (80 credits), TIA Portal V17 on the certificate; PLCSIM and Factory I/O simulation |
| Free courses and simulators | Self-paced | £0 | No assessed credential from the free courses; good for testing the water |
Prices change, and several listings do not state VAT clearly, so check each page before you budget. We have not included providers whose pricing we could not confirm.
Which version of TIA Portal should a course teach?
For learning, version matters less than people fear, but it is worth asking. Siemens released TIA Portal V20 in November 2024, and V21 followed in November 2025. V20 added new S7-1500 controllers, readable code that works with Git, and integration of the Siemens Industrial Copilot. V21 added a new export format for version control, redundant servers for WinCC Unified SCADA and a central data archive.
Our certificate states TIA Portal V17. That is not the latest release, and we say so plainly. The fundamentals you learn on V17 carry across versions: project structure, hardware configuration, tags, ladder logic, data blocks, HMI screens and WinCC SCADA concepts. What differs is newer functionality and file compatibility. If you will work on a plant running a specific version, ask your future employer which one, and check that your practice software can open their projects.
Ask any provider three version questions:
- Which TIA Portal version do you teach on, and which PLC family (S7-1200 or S7-1500)?
- Is the HMI and SCADA content on the classic WinCC platform or WinCC Unified?
- Will I get time on the software outside class hours?
What does a good TIA Portal course teach?
A solid five-day course should take you from a blank project to a working PLC-plus-HMI system you can explain. The topics to look for are:
- Environment and hardware: creating a project, adding a CPU and I/O modules, addressing, and the online and offline workflow.
- Programming: ladder logic first, with timers, counters, comparisons and data blocks. Structured Text and function blocks are a bonus.
- Simulation and testing: running code in PLCSIM, monitoring and forcing tags, and finding faults.
- HMI: screens, navigation, alarms and PLC-HMI integration.
- SCADA: tags, graphics, alarms, trends and historical data in WinCC.
At EDWartens, days 1 and 2 cover the TIA Portal environment, S7 PLC hardware, ladder logic and simulation. Day 3 covers HMI projects, screens, navigation and PLC-HMI integration. Days 4 and 5 cover WinCC SCADA: tags, graphics, animation, alarms and events, trending and historical data, and a project review. For other options, our comparison of PLC training costs in the UK lays out a broader field.
Is a physical rig or simulation better for learning TIA Portal?
Hardware helps you feel wiring, LEDs and downloads. Simulation helps you practise more, more cheaply. SITRAIN's TIA Portal Programming 1 course is described as using a physical TIA system model, and Dudley College's course uses S7-1200 hardware, which is a real advantage if hands-on wiring and commissioning is your priority.
Online courses, including ours, rely on PLCSIM and Factory I/O. That teaches logic, tags, HMI and SCADA well. It does not teach you to wire a terminal or diagnose a loose connector. Our honest advice is to treat simulation as the way to get fluent, and to seek real-hardware time through work, a college lab or a starter kit afterwards. We compare the options in PLC training kit vs simulator.
Can you learn Siemens TIA Portal for free?
Yes, to a useful level. Free resources worth using:
- The free Siemens TIA Portal course, a three-hour introduction, and courses on HMI and WinCC Basic/Comfort and WinCC SCADA.
- The free browser PLC simulator for logic practice with nothing to install.
- Siemens' own Automation Cooperates with Education (SCE) programme, which offers learning and training modules covering TIA Portal, HMI, PLC programming and SCADA for self-study. Check each resource's terms on the Siemens site.
- Video tutorials, such as the PLC-Coach beginner walkthrough below.
Free learning has limits: no feedback from an instructor, no certificate and little accountability. Many learners use it to decide whether PLC work suits them before paying for a course.
What should you be able to do after a five-day TIA Portal course?
You should be able to create a project from scratch, configure a CPU, write and test basic logic and put a simple screen on it. That is a realistic target for a first course. A practical self-test after any course:
- Create a new project, add a CPU and signal modules and set IP addresses correctly.
- Declare PLC tags and write a motor start-stop with latching and an emergency stop.
- Use timers and counters and show them working in simulation.
- Add an HMI screen with a button, an indicator and an alarm, and link them to PLC tags.
- Go online in simulation, monitor values and find a deliberately introduced fault.
- Explain what you built to someone who has never seen TIA Portal.
If you cannot do these, keep practising rather than moving to advanced courses. Five days gives you the foundation, and fluency comes from repetition.
What common mistakes do learners make with TIA Portal training?
Most problems are avoidable, and they usually come from mismatched expectations rather than poor teaching:
- Assuming one version equals all. Projects generally upgrade forward to newer TIA Portal versions but not back, so check Siemens' compatibility notes before sharing files with an employer or college.
- Skipping the install early. Installing TIA Portal and the simulator takes time and disk space, so complete the install guide before the course begins.
- Learning only ladder logic. Ladder logic is the right start, but many roles also use Structured Text, function blocks and HMI work.
- Confusing classroom practice with commissioning. Simulation and training rigs are tidy. Live plants have older equipment, undocumented changes and safety rules, which is why adverts stress fault-finding.
- Ignoring the electrical side. Control panels and wiring are in most trainee adverts. Our free electrical fundamentals for technicians course helps fill that gap.
How do you choose between TIA Portal courses?
Match the course to your constraint. Use this checklist:
- Budget: under £1,000, look at free routes, Make UK or an eligible evening college place. Above that, compare SITRAIN and private providers.
- Time: evenings over eight weeks, three days in person, or five days live online. Pick what your life allows.
- Credential: a regulated qualification is not the same as a CPD certificate or a certificate of attendance. See CPD vs City & Guilds vs Siemens certification.
- Platform: Siemens is common in UK industry, but not universal. Our Siemens vs Allen-Bradley article helps decide.
- SCADA: if HMI and SCADA matter, read WinCC vs Ignition.
- Hardware: decide whether you need a physical rig on day one.
How EDWartens can help
The Professional Module is a five-day live online, instructor-led class on Siemens TIA Portal (certificate states V17), with a maximum of 10 learners per cohort and a new cohort every Monday. It includes 68 self-paced Basic Engineering modules, a one-to-one resume session and a CPD certificate with 80 credits from The CPD Group, verifiable at our verify page. It costs £2,140 + VAT = £2,568, or reserve a seat with a £100 deposit. It is Siemens-focused and online, and CPD is not a regulated qualification. Sign up when ready.
