Microsoft Project Course

Lesson 1 • Navigating the Project Interface

Introduces the ribbon, views, and status bar so students can move confidently through the application. Directly supports all hands-on exercises that follow.

Lesson 2 • Working with Project Calendars

Explains standard, night-shift, and 24-hour calendars and how to create custom working-time rules. Calendar accuracy is essential before tasks are entered.

Lesson 3 • Understanding Project Management Basics

Covers key PM concepts—scope, schedule, resources, and baselines—that underpin every Project feature. Establishes shared vocabulary used throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Setting Task Durations and Types

Explains fixed-duration, fixed-units, and fixed-work task types and their effect on scheduling. Choosing the correct type prevents unintended recalculations.

Lesson 2 • Organising Tasks with Deadlines and Notes

Adds deadlines, task notes, and hyperlinks to enrich the task list without constraining the schedule. These fields improve communication with stakeholders.

Lesson 3 • Entering and Editing Tasks

Covers manual entry, importing from Excel, and editing task fields in the Gantt Chart view. Accurate task entry is the foundation of every schedule.

Lesson 1 • Linking and Unlinking Tasks

Demonstrates multiple methods to create and remove links: toolbar, keyboard, and Task Information dialog. Efficient linking speeds schedule construction.

Lesson 2 • Analysing the Network Diagram View

Introduces the Network Diagram to visualise task flow and verify dependency logic. This view complements the Gantt Chart for schedule validation.

Lesson 3 • Using Task Constraints Wisely

Covers the eight constraint types and when each is appropriate versus when dependencies should be used instead. Misused constraints are a leading cause of schedule errors.

Lesson 4 • Understanding Task Dependencies

Defines finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish, and start-to-finish relationships. Understanding dependency logic is prerequisite to all scheduling calculations.

Lesson 1 • Assigning Resources to Tasks

Demonstrates the Assign Resources dialog, units field, and Task Form for precise assignments. Correct assignments drive accurate cost and workload calculations.

Lesson 2 • Resolving Resource Overallocations

Covers manual levelling, automatic levelling settings, and splitting tasks to fix overallocations. Students leave with a feasible, conflict-free resource plan.

Lesson 3 • Understanding Resource-Driven Scheduling

Explains how assignment units and task type interact to recalculate duration or work. This knowledge prevents accidental schedule changes during assignment edits.

Lesson 4 • Building the Resource Sheet

Covers work, material, and cost resource types, plus fields for rate, availability, and calendar. A complete resource sheet is required before any assignment can be made.

Lesson 1 • Applying Cost Variance Analysis

Uses the Cost table and variance fields to compare planned versus actual costs. Variance analysis drives corrective action before overruns become critical.

Lesson 2 • Configuring Cost Fields and Rates

Sets up standard rates, overtime rates, cost-per-use, and rate tables for resources. Accurate rate configuration is the prerequisite for all cost calculations.

Lesson 3 • Reviewing Automatic Cost Calculations

Explains how Project calculates task cost from assignments and how summary costs roll up. Understanding rollup logic prevents misreading budget totals.

Lesson 1 • Analysing Schedule Variance

Introduces variance fields—SV, CV, SPI, CPI—and the Variance table for earned value analysis. These metrics quantify schedule and cost health objectively.

Lesson 2 • Applying the Update Project Feature

Uses the Update Project dialog to mark tasks complete through a status date efficiently. This bulk-update method is essential for large projects with many tasks.

Lesson 3 • Entering Actual Progress Data

Demonstrates entering percent complete, actual duration, actual work, and remaining work. Accurate actuals are required for meaningful variance and forecast data.

Lesson 4 • Saving and Managing Baselines

Covers saving up to eleven baselines, clearing baselines, and rolling up baseline data. A saved baseline is the reference point for all variance calculations.

Lesson 1 • Generating and Customising Reports

Uses the built-in Report tab to create dashboard, resource, cost, and progress reports. Custom reports replace manual status documents with live project data.

Lesson 2 • Mastering Built-In Views

Surveys all major views—Gantt, Task Usage, Resource Sheet, Calendar, and Timeline. Knowing when to use each view accelerates analysis and communication.

Lesson 3 • Building the Timeline View

Configures the Timeline to display key milestones and phases for executive audiences. The Timeline exports directly to PowerPoint and email for rapid communication.

Lesson 4 • Creating and Modifying Tables

Shows how to add, remove, and reorder columns and save custom tables for reuse. Custom tables expose exactly the fields stakeholders need without clutter.

Lesson 1 • Critical Path Method Analysis

Identifies the critical path, total float, and free float to pinpoint schedule-driving tasks. CPM analysis is the primary tool for compressing or protecting the schedule.

Lesson 2 • Using What-If Scenarios and Interim Plans

Creates copies and interim baselines to model alternative scenarios without losing the original plan. Scenario comparison supports data-driven decision-making.

Lesson 3 • Optimising with Macros and Custom Fields

Records and edits VBA macros and creates custom fields with formulas and graphical indicators. Automation reduces repetitive tasks and enforces reporting standards.

Lesson 4 • Managing Master Projects and Subprojects

Inserts subproject files into a master project to manage cross-project dependencies and resources. This structure scales Microsoft Project to programme-level planning.