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Microsoft Project 2021 for Beginners: Learn the Fundamentals

Name: Microsoft Project 2021 for Beginners: Learn the Fundamentals
Rating: 4.6 (1313 reviews)

Conquer your projects and deliver on time and on budget by mastering Microsoft Project 2021.

Created bySimon Sez IT

Last updated 12/2025

English

German [Auto],English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Explain the differences between Project plans and Project versions
Explore the Project interface with confidence and quickly find commands
Work with keyboard shortcuts
Switch between views and tables
Understand the difference between automatically vs. manually scheduled tasks
Setup Project calendars and define exceptions
Create milestone tasks
Link tasks and add dependencies
Set task deadlines and constraints
Deal with resource overallocations
Understand effort vs. non-effort driven scheduling
Set a baseline to measure progress
Work with the timeline view
Track and manage task and project progress
Create and format basic reports
Save a Project file as a template
Export a Project file to a PDF and Excel workbook

Course content

14 sections • 76 lectures • 5h 42m total length

Course Introduction1:58
WATCH ME: Essential Information for a Successful Training Experience2:11
DOWNLOAD ME: Course Exercise Files0:23
DOWNLOAD ME: Course Demo Files0:23
Downloadable Course Transcript0:19
Project Plans Explained4:11
Explore cloud-based and on-premises project options, from project plan one to five (renamed to E1, E3, and E5), and compare Project for the Web, Project Online, and Project Professional 2021.
What's New in Project 2021?3:50
Exercise 010:51
Section Quiz
Free Keyboard Shortcut Guides0:18

The Project 2021 Interface6:31
Explore the Microsoft Project 2021 interface, including the title bar, ribbons, backstage area, contextual ribbons, timeline and Gantt chart views.
Work with the Project Ribbon and Commands8:14
Customise the Quick Access Toolbar6:57
Customize the Quick Access Toolbar in Microsoft Project 2021 to place frequently used commands, add from ribbons or all commands, and show labels for clarity.
Work Quickly with Keyboard Shortcuts and Key Tips4:07
Switch Views3:45
Learn to switch between Microsoft Project 2021 views, including the default gantt with timeline, task usage, and details pane, using the view tab, dropdown, and status bar.
Switch Between Tables2:46
Explore how tables work in Microsoft Project, switching between entry, summary, and other tables to view task details, costs, and work hours.
Exercise 022:47
Practice creating a new blank project, explore ribbons, use keyboard shortcuts to switch views and tables and the Gantt chart, and add commands to the Quick access toolbar.
Section Quiz

Set Project Plan Options6:45
Create, Save, Open and Close a Project5:56
Learn how to create and save new projects from templates or blank files, set start dates and calendars, and close, reopen, and manage project files with common shortcuts.
Setup Your Project Calendar6:10
Learn to set up and customize project calendars in Microsoft Project 2021, including editing the default Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. workweek, creating new calendars, and adding exceptions.
Define Exceptions4:39
Sync Project Calendar Options with Project Calendar3:10
Exercise 033:19
Set the standard calendar to 9:00 am–1:00 pm and 2:00 pm–6:00 pm, create a part-time calendar for Monday–Friday 9:00 am–1:00 pm, and synchronize these settings with project options.
Section Quiz

Automatic vs Manually Scheduled Tasks8:06
Create an Auto-Scheduled Task4:07
Discover how to create an auto scheduled task, enter durations, and link tasks so finish dates propagate automatically through predecessors in Microsoft Project 2021.
Create a Manually Scheduled Task3:18
Explore manual scheduling in Microsoft Project 2021 by setting exact start and finish dates without predecessors, contrasted with automatic scheduling that uses predecessors to determine timing.
Create a Milestone Task3:40
Add milestone tasks to mark key points with zero duration, connect them as predecessors to schedule automatically, while noting manual approval waits and milestones do not affect duration.
Create Summary and Subtasks6:36
Import Task Information from Word6:47
Learn how to import tasks from a Word document into a Microsoft Project 2021 plan, preserving summary and subtasks, and convert milestones by setting durations to zero.
Reorganize the Structure3:09
Delete Tasks4:01
Use Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Codes5:20
Exercise 046:14
Section Quiz

Link Tasks and Add Dependencies7:34
Learn to create task dependencies in Microsoft Project 2021 by linking tasks and defining predecessors, with finish-to-start as the common type, using the link button, predecessors column, or Create Link.
Add Lag or Lead Time4:35
Deadlines and Constraints6:56
View Task and Deadlines4:47
Learn to view tasks and links in Microsoft Project 2021 by using the predecessors column, task path highlights, and adaptable time scales to reveal driving predecessors and reduce clutter.
Exercise 052:38
Section Quiz

What are Resources?4:26
Create a Work Resource7:52
Create a Material Resource3:25
Set Costs for Resources9:09
set the standard rate for work resources, including hourly rates and monthly wages, assign material costs, and review the cost table with accrual options like prorated, start, or end.
Create a Cost Resource3:29
Manage Resources5:29
Learn how to manage resources in Microsoft Project by sorting by type and name, controlling permanent numbering, and preventing duplicates by turning off automatic resource creation.
Assign Resources to Tasks5:20
Use Team Planner to Assign Resources4:32
Learn to use the team planner in Microsoft Project 2021 to assign resources, manage unscheduled and unassigned tasks, and spot over allocations using a swim-lane layout.
Resource Overallocations6:13
Effort Driven Scheduling5:49
Exercise 063:37
Section Quiz

Customize Table Columns: Part 15:02
Customize Table Columns: Part 24:33
Customize table columns in Microsoft Project 2021 by adjusting width, wrapping text, and applying field settings, then track progress by marking tasks complete and using best fit to align data.
Work with Timeline View5:05
Enable timeline view in Microsoft Project 2021 to visualize key tasks and milestones, add items to the timeline, switch between bar and callout displays, and track progress with completion percentages.
Add Another Timeline3:08
Sort, Group and Filter Tasks and Resources6:48
Master sorting, grouping, and filtering tasks and resources in the Gantt chart view to organize milestones, resources, and durations, including custom groups and sorting by multiple columns.
Exercise 073:40
Section Quiz

Use Task Inspector to Identify Issues3:24
Identify and resolve scheduling conflicts with the task inspector, which flags over allocated resources and offers options to move tasks to the next available date or adjust assignments.
Delay a Task4:15
Learn to manage resource over allocations by delaying a task using leveling delay in a leveling Gantt view. Account for e days that include weekends and align tasks with predecessors.
Inactive Tasks3:39
View the summary table to see inactive tasks and the project summary task with dates, costs, and work hours. Inactivate tasks to adjust totals, and reactivate them later without deleting.
Add Notes to Tasks or Resources3:37
Add notes to tasks or resources to communicate information or warnings, using the notes tab to format text and view a sticky-note indicator in the schedule.
Exercise 093:14
Practice adding a five day leveling delay in the leveling Gantt, inactivating and reactivating a task, and adding formatted notes to a task, while observing cost impact.
Section Quiz

Requirements

Microsoft Project 2021 downloaded and installed on your machine (ideal but not essential)
No prior experience needed, the course is for complete beginners.

Description

**This course includes downloadable instructor files and exercise files to work with and follow along.**

Are you a Project Manager or a PMO looking to take your project management skills to the next level? Have you been using Project 2019 or older, but you want to upgrade to the latest and greatest offering from Microsoft? Maybe you are an ‘accidental’ project manager who needs to upgrade their skills in Project. If so, then this course is for you.

Project 2021 is the latest on-premises release from Microsoft and the newest addition to the Project family of applications.

Project 2021 is a full life-cycle project management tool that makes managing small to large complex projects easy. Enter tasks and edit the information. Add structure to a list by adding summaries and subtasks, create task dependencies, set constraints, manage resources, costs, and budgets, track progress, and so much more.

In this introduction to Project 2021, we will run through the core functionality of Project and have you up and running in no time. There are no prerequisites, however, having a project management background or some experience using older versions of Project will be an advantage.

In this course, students will learn how to:

Explain the differences between Project plans and Project versions
Explore the Project interface with confidence and quickly find commands
Work with keyboard shortcuts
Switch between views and tables
Create, save, open, and close Project files
Setup Project calendars and define exceptions
Manually enter tasks
Understand the difference between automatically vs. manually scheduled tasks
Create milestone tasks
Add structure with summary and subtasks
Create a work breakdown structure
Link tasks and add dependencies
Assign lag or lead time
Set task deadlines and constraints
Assign resources to tasks
Deal with resource overallocations
Understand effort vs. non-effort driven scheduling
Customize table columns
Work with the timeline view
Sort, filter, and group tasks
Identify the critical path
Set a baseline to measure progress
Identify and fix issues
Delay tasks
Make tasks inactive
Add notes to tasks and resources
Track and manage task and project progress
Create and format basic reports
Print views, notes, and reports
Save a Project file as a template
Export a Project file to a PDF and Excel workbook
Password-protect Project files.

This course includes:

5+ hours of video tutorials
69 individual video lectures
Course and exercise files to follow along
Certificate of completion

Who this course is for:

Users new to Microsoft Project 2021 and those upgrading from previous MS Project versions
Anyone new to the Project Management role
Non project managers who have been asked to manage a large project
Beginner Project 2021 users who want to explore the software's functionalities

Microsoft Project 2021 for Beginners: Learn the Fundamentals

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction9 lectures • 14min

Get Familiar with Project7 lectures • 35min

Set Up Project Files6 lectures • 30min

Entering Tasks10 lectures • 51min

Dependencies and Constraints5 lectures • 27min

Resources11 lectures • 59min

Work with Project Views and Tables6 lectures • 28min

Baselines and Critical Path3 lectures • 13min

Manage the Project Schedule5 lectures • 18min

Track Project Progress3 lectures • 12min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: