Project management · Free online course
Microsoft Project for Planning Engineers
Plan and control a construction, MEP or plant project in Microsoft Project desktop: calendars and WBS, task types and effort-driven scheduling, dependencies, constraints and the critical path, resources and levelling, baselines and progress, earned value in cost units, views, custom fields and reports, and handing a schedule to Primavera P6 users with ProjectLibre as the free option.
- 15 modules
- 7h 55m of video
- Beginner
- English
- ₹0, free
₹0Free for good
Worth ₹4,999 by length and depth against classroom training. It has always been free; that is not a former price.
No card. Checkout takes a minute and gives you a receipt.
Certificate ₹499, optional. The course is free either way.
Overview
About Microsoft Project for Planning Engineers
Build, track and hand over a construction or plant schedule in Microsoft Project, from calendars to earned value.
Microsoft Project for Planning Engineers is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for site, planning, MEP and civil engineers, project coordinators and graduates who must build or read a construction or plant programme. It has 15 modules and 7h 55m of video lessons by Simon Sez IT, Skills Factory, TechnoCivil and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
Who it is for: Site, planning, MEP and civil engineers, project coordinators and graduates who must build or read a construction or plant programme
This course includes
- 7h 55m of video lessons
- 15 modules with written notes and diagrams
- One final assessment: 15 questions, pass mark 60%
- Ask-an-engineer support from practising engineers
- Lifetime access, the course does not expire
- Optional verifiable certificate when you finish
- Step 1 of 3
Learn the 15 modules
7h 55m of video lessons, written notes and a practice task per module, at your own pace.
- Step 2 of 3
Pass the final assessment
15 questions drawn from every module, pass mark 60%, 3 attempts.
- Step 3 of 3
Take the certificate, if you want it
Optional, paid once, only if you choose it. The course stays free either way.
See the certificate and its price
A look inside
From the lessons
Start here: the Project workspace, project information, calendars and options
by Simon Sez IT
Durations, task types and effort-driven scheduling
by TechnoCivil
Constraints and deadlines
by CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
A construction schedule from scratch: the warehouse fit-out
by Engineering Academy
Overallocation and resource levelling
by PM Expert
Cost units and earned value in Project
by Prime Project Control
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits and are shown from YouTube.
What you learn
What you will be able to do
By the end you will be able to:
- Set up a plan with calendars and a work breakdown structure
- Link tasks and find the critical path and slack
- Assign resources and level an overloaded crew
- Baseline a plan and track progress to a status date
- Report earned value and hand a schedule to Primavera P6 users
How it works
How this course works
Watch the lessons
Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.
Read the notes
Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.
Check yourself
Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.
Final assessment
Pass the final once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptional
Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.
Syllabus
Course content, module by module
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- Modules
- 15
- Video lessons
- 34
- Of video
- 7h 55m
- Final questions
- 15
- 01
Start here: the Project workspace, project information, calendars and options
2 lessons · 30m - 02
Work breakdown structure: summary tasks, outline levels and milestones
3 lessons · 33m - 03
Durations, task types and effort-driven scheduling
2 lessons · 26m - 04
Dependencies: finish-to-start, lags, leads and the logic of a schedule
2 lessons · 26m - 05
Constraints and deadlines
2 lessons · 23m - 06
The critical path, total slack and free slack
2 lessons · 16m - 07
A construction schedule from scratch: the warehouse fit-out
2 lessons · 1h 42m - 08
Resources and assignments: work, material and cost resources
1 lesson · 12m Final assessment · 15 questions, pass mark 60%
Project
The course project
Optional practice that ends in the kind of job the course prepares you for, with the documents that go with it.
About 8 hours
Baseline, track and hand over the programme for a warehouse fit-out: logic, critical path, resources, earned value and XML handover
Act as the planning engineer for a 14-task warehouse fit-out. Build the plan in Microsoft Project, find the critical path, load the crews, save a baseline, update progress at week 4, report earned value in cost units and hand the schedule to a Primavera P6 team as XML. The sample pack shows each document filled in.
- 5documents in the pack
- 7steps to follow
- 5things to hand in
- 8 hof work, at your pace
Sample document pack, 5 documents, filled in for the scenario
- PlanProgramme basis: Dockline warehouse fit-out
- RegisterBaseline task register
- RegisterStatus register at the end of week 4
- ReportProgress report, week 4
- ProcedureHandover note for the Primavera P6 team
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Tools
Software, hardware and lessons
Software
Microsoft Project desktop for Windows, as in a Planner and Project Plan 3 or Plan 5 subscription or the Project 2024 one-time edition; the scheduling steps are the same from Project 2019 on. Microsoft offers no trial of the one-time editions: the supported way to try Project before buying is a trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, whose terms Microsoft sets and changes. ProjectLibre is a free open-source option that opens .mpp files, and the notes show every step that works in it. Project for Mac does not exist; Mac users need ProjectLibre or a Windows machine. Project Online was announced to retire on 30 September 2026 and is not used.
Hardware
A Windows computer for Project desktop, or any computer that runs ProjectLibre.
Who it is for
Beginner to intermediate. For site and planning engineers, project coordinators, MEP and civil engineers and students who must read or build a programme. No scheduling experience is needed.
Video lessons by
- Simon Sez IT
- Skills Factory
- TechnoCivil
- ITsEasyTraining1st
- CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
- Dale Howard Microsoft Project MVP
- Engineering Academy
- Indigo Software
- PM Expert
- Tom Stephenson
- Alvin the PM - Become a Certified Project Manager
- Project-O-Metric
- Prime Project Control
- EasyMSProject
- Performance with Project
- NextGen Learning
- Project Management Solutions
- ACM - Administrative Controls Management, Inc
Independent creators, credited in full under Credits.
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Nothing is required to read the lessons
To practise, use Microsoft Project desktop (Microsoft offers a trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, not of the one-time editions) or the free ProjectLibre, which opens .mpp files. A spreadsheet helps for the hand checks.
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 01Free
ProjectLibre Desktop
ProjectLibre
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS and Linux
- Account
- None needed
ProjectLibre Desktop is free and open-source project scheduling software with no subscription. It opens Microsoft Project .mpp files and can import Primavera P6 files. The separate ProjectLibre Cloud product for teams is paid.
Steps
- 1.Open the ProjectLibre Desktop page.
- 2.Select Download ProjectLibre Free; the file downloads from ProjectLibre's SourceForge project.
- 3.Run the installer for your operating system.
- 4.Start ProjectLibre and create a new project, or open the course's .mpp file.
- 5.Build the task list, links and resources, then view the Gantt chart and critical path.
- Use it to practise the scheduling ideas from Microsoft Project or Primavera P6 lessons; menus and some features differ.
Official download pageprojectlibre.com - 02Free
LibreOffice
The Document Foundation
- Runs on
- Windows 10 or 11, macOS 11 or newer (Intel or Apple silicon), Linux
- Account
- None needed
- Size
- up to 1.5 GB of disk space on Windows
LibreOffice is free, open-source software under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, for any use including business. Calc is its spreadsheet.
Steps
- 1.Open the LibreOffice download page.
- 2.Check the page has picked your operating system, then select Download.
- 3.Run the installer (administrator rights are needed on Windows).
- 4.Start LibreOffice Calc for spreadsheet work.
- 5.Save as .xlsx if you need to share files with Excel users.
- Choose the latest main version unless your organisation asks for the older, more conservative release.
Official download pagelibreoffice.org
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for Microsoft Project for Planning Engineers
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.
Issued by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales, company no. 15262249) through the EDWartens training portal, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold in India by Wartens Automation Private Limited. It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
Why learn with EDWartens
What you get with this course.
- Free from the first lesson to the final assessment.
- Video lessons with written notes and a project.
- An optional certificate that anyone can verify online.
FAQ
Common questions
What is the Microsoft Project for Planning Engineers course?
It is a free-to-learn course that teaches the Microsoft Project desktop workflow used by planning engineers on construction, MEP and plant projects: calendars, the work breakdown structure, task types, dependencies, constraints, the critical path, resources, baselines, progress, earned value in cost units, reports and handing a schedule to Primavera P6 users. You learn from curated video lessons by named creators plus EDWartens notes, worked problems and an optional project.
Who is this Microsoft Project course for?
It is for site, planning, MEP and civil engineers, project coordinators and graduates who must build or read a project programme. No scheduling experience is needed. You should be able to use a Windows computer and a spreadsheet.
Which version of Microsoft Project does the course use?
It uses Microsoft Project desktop for Windows, as in a Planner and Project Plan 3 or Plan 5 subscription or the Project 2024 one-time edition. The scheduling steps are the same from Project 2019 on. Project Online was announced to retire on 30 September 2026 and is not used; Microsoft's pages were checked on 1 November 2026.
Can I learn Microsoft Project for free, and is there a trial?
The lessons, notes and practice are free to learn on EDWartens. The software is Microsoft's: it offers no trial of the one-time editions, and its supported way to try Project is a trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, whose terms Microsoft sets and can change. ProjectLibre is a free open-source program that opens .mpp files, and the notes show the steps that work in it.
Should I learn Microsoft Project or Primavera P6?
Many planning jobs ask for both, and one does not replace the other. This course teaches Microsoft Project and shows how to hand a schedule to P6 users as XML, and the separate Primavera P6 course on this site teaches P6. If you must choose first, read the job advert you want and learn the tool it names.
What certificate do I get, and is it a Microsoft certification?
You get a verifiable certificate of completion from EDWartens, issued when you finish the modules and pass the 15-question final at 60 percent. It has a unique certificate number, a QR code and a public verification page that shows the course, the modules and your final score. It is not a Microsoft certification, and EDWartens is not affiliated with Microsoft.
How long does the Microsoft Project for Planning Engineers course take?
About 8 hours of video and around 12 hours in total with the notes, worked problems and practice tasks, at your own pace. There are 14 study modules and a final. The first module is about 40 minutes.
What jobs does Microsoft Project knowledge lead to?
It is a core skill for planning engineer, scheduler, project coordinator, project controls and construction manager roles, which are advertised in many regions, including the Gulf. The course covers the knowledge used in that work. It does not promise a job.
Is the Microsoft Project for Planning Engineers course free in India, and what does the certificate cost?
Yes. Learning costs ₹0 in India: every module, the written notes, the practice tasks and the final assessment, with no card and no trial period. The only paid item is the optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹499 including GST for this beginner course, paid in rupees through Razorpay, and only if you want it after passing the final assessment.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- ₹0, free for good. No trial, no card. Comparable classroom training of this length costs about ₹4,999.
- Who it is for
- Site, planning, MEP and civil engineers, project coordinators and graduates who must build or read a construction or plant programme
- Format
- 15 self-paced modules, 7h 55m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. For site and planning engineers, project coordinators, MEP and civil engineers and students who must read or build a programme. No scheduling experience is needed.
- Brand
- Vendor-neutral
- Software
- Microsoft Project desktop for Windows, as in a Planner and Project Plan 3 or Plan 5 subscription or the Project 2024 one-time edition; the scheduling steps are the same from Project 2019 on. Microsoft offers no trial of the one-time editions: the supported way to try Project before buying is a trial of Planner and Project Plan 3, whose terms Microsoft sets and changes. ProjectLibre is a free open-source option that opens .mpp files, and the notes show every step that works in it. Project for Mac does not exist; Mac users need ProjectLibre or a Windows machine. Project Online was announced to retire on 30 September 2026 and is not used.
- Hardware
- A Windows computer for Project desktop, or any computer that runs ProjectLibre.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, ₹499 inclusive of GST for learners in India, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- Simon Sez IT, Skills Factory, TechnoCivil, ITsEasyTraining1st, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, Dale Howard Microsoft Project MVP, Engineering Academy, Indigo Software, PM Expert, Tom Stephenson, Alvin the PM - Become a Certified Project Manager, Project-O-Metric, Prime Project Control, EasyMSProject, Performance with Project, NextGen Learning, Project Management Solutions, ACM - Administrative Controls Management, Inc (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
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Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- Simon Sez ITthe Project 2019 workspace tour, summary tasks, dependencies, critical paths, constraints and deadlines, resource sharing and the report lessons
- Skills Factorya 14-minute run through a first plan, used as the order-of-work overview
- TechnoCivilthe worked examples of fixed units, fixed duration and fixed work task types
- ITsEasyTraining1stwhat the effort-driven setting does when a resource is added
- CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENTsetting constraints and deadlines, and the short automatic levelling demonstration
- Dale Howard Microsoft Project MVPnegative slack and what causes it
- Engineering Academythe 90-minute step-by-step construction schedule build
- Indigo Softwarea Project 2024 start-to-finish plan showing the current screen
- PM Expertresource levelling step by step, and the custom fields, tables, filters and groups tour
- Tom Stephensona second explanation of resource levelling and the order Project uses
- Alvin the PM - Become a Certified Project Managersaving a baseline and updating progress
- Project-O-Metrictracking the schedule, and planned and actual percent complete
- Prime Project Controlearned value management in Project, and the Project to Primavera P6 conversion
- EasyMSProjectfinding cost and schedule variance in the Project columns
- Performance with Projectcustom fields with drop-down lists
- NextGen Learningcreating a custom filter
- Project Management Solutionsconverting a Project file for Primavera P6
- ACM - Administrative Controls Management, Incmoving files in both directions between P6 and Project
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.