Microsoft Project 2021 Beginner to Advanced Course Bundle

Explore the Microsoft Project 2021 interface, including ribbons, backstage and contextual ribbons, the gantt chart and timeline views, and the tell me box for help.

Explore the project ribbon and its task, resource, report, and file tabs to manage tasks, resources, views, Gantt chart and timeline view, and the backstage area, including collapse ribbons.

Learn to customize the quick access toolbar in Microsoft Project 2021 by adding frequently used commands, arranging items, adding separators, and toggling labels to balance clarity and space.

Increase efficiency in Microsoft Project 2021 by using keyboard shortcuts, including familiar Excel shortcuts, and learn to access key tips via the Alt key and ribbon.

Switch between built-in project views such as the Gantt chart, timeline, task usage, and team planner to tailor the primary window and details pane for task insights.

Master switching between project tables in Microsoft Project 2021, from entry to summary, costs, and work tables, using load, hover, and right-click actions to view costs, baseline, and variance.

Open a new blank project, explore ribbons, and practice keyboard shortcuts; add commands to the quick access toolbar and switch views like Gantt chart and resource sheet.

Open file options and set the default view to Gantt with timeline. Enable auto scheduled and effort-driven tasks, disable auto link, and enable save prompts for legacy formats.

Create, save, and close a project file in Microsoft Project 2021. Choose templates or a blank project, then save as to name and store it.

Set up and customize project calendars in Microsoft Project 2021, including the default Monday to Friday 8 am–5 pm with lunch, and create night shift, part-time calendars, and work weeks.

Define exceptions in a project calendar by adding non-working days such as bank holidays and office renovations, and set recurring patterns like monthly meetings.

Set the project calendar to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with an 8-hour day and a 40-hour week. Apply these calendar options to all new projects.

Open the product launch map, set standard calendar to 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and 2 p.m.–6 p.m., create a part-time calendar for staff Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–1 p.m., and sync calendar options.

Learn the difference between automatic and manually scheduled tasks in Microsoft Project 2021, including how auto scheduling updates dates and durations and how to set defaults.

Create an auto scheduled task by entering a name and duration; the project automatically sets start and finish dates and updates the timeline, with planning wizard linking for predecessors.

Discover how manually scheduled tasks differ from automatic tasks in Microsoft Project 2021, set exact dates and durations, and manage predecessors and constraints with teal bars and a pushpin.

Create milestone tasks in a Microsoft Project plan to mark key points and decisions; set predecessors, use zero duration, and visualize milestones with a diamond icon.

Organize a Microsoft Project 2021 plan by creating summary tasks with subtasks, including collapsible groups and phases like preparation, recording, documentation, and go live, with durations driven by subtasks.

Organize projects by creating summary and sub tasks, using indent and outdent in the Gantt chart, and importing tasks from Word via copy-paste; set milestones and durations.

Reorganize your project structure by indenting and outdenting tasks to create summary tasks and sub tasks, and move sections using cut and paste for efficient planning.

Delete tasks in Microsoft Project 2021 by selecting the item and using delete or the contextual menu, noting that deleting a summary also removes its subtasks via the planning wizard.

Learn to create WBS codes, a unique identifier for each task, especially when tasks share the same name, by adding a WBS column and defining a multi-level code mask.

Open the new business plan Excel file as the project basis, create a blank project, set the start date, add tasks and milestones, and build top-level summaries with sub tasks.

Learn to link tasks and dependencies to define the correct sequence using finish to start links. Explore viewing, editing, and managing predecessors via the details pane and quick methods.

Add lag time and lead time to a project schedule in Microsoft Project 2021 to reflect delays and overlaps between tasks, and review finish-to-start dependencies.

Learn how deadlines and task constraints govern scheduling in Microsoft Project 2021, including the default start as soon as possible and start no earlier than September 25, 2023.

Explore how to view task links and predecessors in Microsoft Project, use the predecessors column, highlight driving predecessors with Task Path, adjust the time scale, and toggle gridlines for clarity.

Create task dependencies using the predecessors column to link tasks, add lag and lead time to adjust timing, and practice filtering to display milestone tasks.

Manage three resource types—work, material, and cost—to affect schedule and cost, using time-based calendars for work resources and quantity-based materials, and cost resources for travel.

Create a work resource using the resource sheet, specify name, initials, group, and code, and configure availability with a calendar and max units for scheduling.

Material resources are tangible items consumed by a project, not time-based like work resources. Learn to set standard rates, labels, and quantities for lunch and pens.

Set and calculate costs for work and material resources in Microsoft Project 2021, using standard and overtime rates and per-use charges. Assign resources to tasks and review accrual options.

Create a cost resource for non time based costs like flights and accommodation, set accrual to start, and view total project spend using a cost column in resource usage.

Sort and manage resources in Microsoft Project 2021 by type and name, control renumbering, prevent duplicates, and use the resource pool to ensure accurate resource assignments.

Learn to assign work, material, and cost resources to tasks in the Gantt chart and entry table using dropdowns, copy down, and the assign resources dialog.

Use team planner to assign resources, manage unscheduled and unassigned tasks, and reassign with right-click to prevent over allocation. Identify swim lanes, weekly timescale, and red indicators of over allocated.

Learn to identify and resolve resource overallocations using team planner, Gantt chart indicators, and resource usage view, including filtering over allocated resources and rescheduling to balance workloads.

Explore how effort driven scheduling affects task duration when adding or removing resources, handle resource over allocations in the Gantt chart, and balance work and duration in Microsoft Project 2021.

Practice adding resources from the resource sheet and the resource underscore table one tab, then assign resources to tasks using multiple methods and resolve overallocations by rescheduling or task inspector.

Learn to switch between Gantt chart and summary table views, add and rearrange columns, and save modified layouts as new tables for project tracking.

Customize table columns to display task progress with percentage complete and ticks, and adjust column width, wrap text, alignment, and fonts to highlight key data.

Turn on timeline view to get a high level overview of your project. Add tasks and milestones to the timeline and switch between timeline and Gantt views.

Learn to create a secondary timeline in Microsoft Project 2021, set a custom date range, and add tasks and milestones as bars or callouts with drag-and-drop updates.

Learn to sort, group, and filter tasks and resources in Microsoft Project 2021. Discover how to hide summary tasks, sort by id or duration, create sorts on multiple columns, and build custom groups and filters to manage large, complex projects.

Add cost column and the percentage work complete column to Gantt view grid, move the cost column between finish and predecessors, and sort, group, and filter tasks on timeline view.

Identify the critical path as the longest task sequence that delays the project finish date. View it in red on the Gantt chart.

Set and clear baselines in Microsoft Project 2021 to snapshot the project plan, record start and finish dates, durations, work and cost estimates, and compare planned versus actual using variances.

View the critical path tasks in the Gantt chart, filter to show only critical tasks, then snapshot the project to baseline and clear the baseline for practice.

Use the task inspector in Microsoft Project 2021 to identify issues like over allocated resources and scheduling conflicts, and fix them by moving tasks to the next available date.

Delay a task to resolve resource overallocations by using leveling delay in a Gantt view. The example delays task 11 after task 10 using an elapsed delay.

Learn to manage inactive tasks in Microsoft Project 2021 by viewing the summary table, inactivating tasks to reduce cost and duration, and reactivating when needed.

Add notes to tasks and resources to communicate details, warnings, or comments using the notes tab and notes field, with formatting options and hover previews.

Practice adding a five day delay using the leveling Gantt and leveling delay (elapsed days), then inactivate and reactivate tasks, and add formatted notes (italic, dark blue) to tasks.

Configure project options to track progress in Microsoft Project, enable split in progress tasks, and adjust calculation options, then use the tracking table to monitor remaining work and incomplete tasks.

Set the project status date to report progress, then mark tasks on track and update actual start, finish, duration, and percent complete to align with baselines.

Set a status date for the project, mark tasks on track with that date, and update task details such as percentage complete, actual duration, and actual start date.