Last Updated: January 25, 2024
MS Project Mastery Journey
Purchase the “MS Project Master Class Book” from Amazon and register for the Master Class. Registration provides access to the download page, online exams, and notifications when passwords change. The password for this registration page is located in the “How to Take this MS Project Master Class” chapter in the Amazon book.
After registering for the Master Class, you must decide how to take this MS Project Master Class.
There are several ways to take this class. For instance, this Master Class might extend the training you just attended or the college class you are currently taking.
Or, like many people, you purchased the MS Project Master Class Book on Amazon and intend to work through each chapter of the book at your speed and convenience.
Because this is a Mastery class, none of the journeys you might select are short and fast. All take considerable time, effort, and commitment.
However, if you need to start using Microsoft Project immediately, we have a streamlined Up and Running with Microsoft Project mini-class to get you started. This mini-class will take about eight hours of reading and doing the exercises. This class presents 15 Activities (such as Activity 6—Enter Estimates) across a traditional project life cycle and then provides an overview, in one-page diagrams, of how Microsoft Project is used.
This Up and Running with Microsoft Project mini-class can be downloaded by clicking the next button, Upd and Running with Microsoft Project.
Select Your Journey Mastery Journey
After purchasing the MS Project Master Class Book and registering for the Master Class, choose one of two journeys.
Journey 1: A Completely Self-Directed Master Class Experience. Systematically work through the Master Class Book and complete all fifteen Activities (chapters) in the Master Class Book or those directly related to Microsoft Project. This Journey can be completed for just the cost of the Amazon MS Project Master Class Book. It's an incredible value.
Journey 2: Self-Directed Master Class with a Coach. Many people greatly benefit from working with a coach across various life and business activities. We have Master Class Coaches available to help you proceed through this MS Project Master Class. Contact us, and we will connect you.
Define Your Objectives and Constraints
Before starting this Master Class, define your objectives and constraints so that you set off on your journey well-prepared.
These are some suggested questions to ask as you define your objectives and constraints:
How fast do you want to complete the MS Project Master Class?
What content do you want to master?
Do you want to work through the Master Class independently, or would you like to hire a coach?
Do you want to earn any of the available certificates?
What are your constraints?
Do you have any other objectives for tasking this class?
When defining your objectives and constraints, there are several things to consider related to timing and costs.
First, let’s consider the structure of this MS Project Master Class.
There are 15 Activities (or chapters) in this comprehensive MS Project Master Class that cover 95% of the features and techniques in Microsoft Project, along with additional tools and techniques for Initiating and Closing a project. In addition, these 15 Activities are presented in the context of a standard project planning life cycle, as shown in the figure below.
Illustrated in the figure below, this project management life cycle is the outline for the MS Project Master Class. Each Activity (chapter) has a corresponding page on this site with Online Applications containing additional information and exercises.
Traditional project management theory emphasizes the importance of detailed planning, documentation, and control in managing projects. It involves breaking down a project into smaller, more manageable tasks and using tools such as Gantt charts and critical path analysis to schedule and track progress. In contrast, in Agile project management theory, an emphasis is placed on flexibility, collaboration, and iterative development in managing projects. It involves working in short cycles, adapting to changing requirements and feedback, and prioritizing customer satisfaction.
Even though Microsoft Project has a few Agile-like features, we assume that if you use Agile methodology, you have selected more appropriate software tools. Thus, the Agile features of the software are not addressed in this class.
This Master Class uses traditional project management theory. In this traditional theory, a project life cycle refers to a project's phases, from initiation to completion. It typically includes several phases or stages to ensure the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.
We have graphically displayed this traditional project management theory in our outline for this MS Project Master Class. We call this outline Project MAP.
Click the Project MAP button to learn more about the MS Project Master Class outline.
The next part of selecting your journey is to decide what content to cover. There are three approaches to select from, and you could think of these as three different classes.
Approach 1. This approach covers all the content in the MS Project. All 15 Activities (chapters) are covered. Earned certificates available.
Approach 2. This option does not cover topics not directly related to Microsoft Project features. Nine Activities are covered. Earned certificates available.
Approach 3. Microsoft Project does not contain features that automate all aspects of a traditional project life cycle. Sections of eight Activities are covered.
Tip
Think of these three different approaches as three different classes. For instance, you could use these descriptions for each class or approach:
Comprehensive Project Management with Microsoft Project (Approach 1)
Advanced Microsoft Project (Approach 2)
Introduction to Microsoft Project in Two Days (Approach 3)
Then of course there is the one day mini-class mentioned above, called Up and Running with Microsoft Project.
Depending on the approach you take, there are several certificates that you can earn.
MS Project Master Class Certificate of Completion. Complete the Activities in the MS Project Master Class Book and Online Applications directly related to Microsoft Project’s core functionality. Approach 2 is described above. This involves studying over 2,000 pages of content, reviewing over 80 charts, posters, worksheets, and documents, and completing over 60 Microsoft Project exercises. Ten exams are taken with scores of 70% or higher.
MS Project/PM Master Class Certificate of Completion. Complete all the Activities in the MS Project Master Class Book and Online Applications. Microsoft functionality and features are covered in all Activities (chapters) in the Master Class Book, but these additional Activities round out the Initiating, Planning, Executing, and Closing project management phases. Approach 1 is described above. This involves studying over 2,500 pages of content, reviewing over 100 charts, posters, worksheets, and documents, and completing over 80 Microsoft Project exercises. Fifteen exams are taken with scores 70% or higher.
MS Project Certificate of Mastery (MSPCOM). Complete all the Activities in the MS Project Master Class Book and Online Applications. This involves studying over 2,500 pages of content, reviewing over 100 charts, posters, worksheets, and documents, and completing over 80 Microsoft Project exercises. This also involves:
Taking 15 exams with scores 80% or higher.
Submitting the Master Project developed during the Master Project for critical assessment.
The candidate successfully builds and defends their Master Project before a review committee.
Note
Certificates come with additional costs. If you are working with a certified Master Class Coach, there is a nominal cost associated with each certificate. If you are not working with a certified Coach, you can have your work and exams examined by a Certified Master Class reviewer.
The MSPCOM certificate may have additional costs associated with reviewing your Master Project and evaluating your defense.
These are the expected costs associated with earning one of these three certificates:
Less than $100. The “MS Project Master Class Book” can be purchased on Amazon for $68. This Master Class can be self-directed, so the total cost of taking this class is extremely low, even for those students in developing countries. Confidently, you can master Microsoft Project for as little as $68 in a few weeks. At the end of this MS Project Master Class, you will know Microsoft Project better than 95% of the 30+ million users worldwide.
$1,000 to $3,300. Many people find that having a Master Class Coach to review their work and meet with them periodically can keep them on track and help them speed through the more challenging features and concepts in MS Project. There are various coaching options but expect to pay between $1,000 and $3,300 for a certified coach who works with you throughout your Mastery Journey.
$450 to $900. If you are not working with a certified Master Coach, you must contract with a certified Master Class Reviewer (this reviewer could be your coach) to review your exercises and exams. This review costs between $450 and $900, depending on your approach, as reviewed above. This cost can be bundled with coaching if you are using a coach.
$450 to $1,200. If you would like to obtain an “MS Project Certificate of Mastery (MSPCOM)” certificate in addition to your “MS Master Class Certificate of Completion,” expect to pay an additional $300 for a Certified Reviewer to work with you to meet the requirements. Again, if you have been working with a certified Master Coach, these fees have already been covered with your coaching fees.
To help you decide which approach you want to take in your journey or the content you want to cover, every section of the MS Project Master Class Book and the Online Applications have estimates for how long they are likely to take to complete.
Start the Journey
Once you have selected your Mastery Journey and the approach you want to take and have defined your objectives and constraints, you are ready to start your journey.
If you have selected the first approach, start with Activity 1 - Clarify Objectives. If you have selected the second or third approach, start with Activity 4 – Set Performance Constraints.
Begin reading and following along with the suggested files open and then when directed in the chapter, complete the Online Application described in the next step.
Read a section in the Master Class Book and then Complete an Online Application
After finishing a section in the MS Master Class Book, you will be directed to finish an Online Application. This is how the Online Applications works:
Activity Pages. There is one online Activity Page for each Activity in the MS Project Master Class Book.
Activity Page Outline. Each Activity Page is organized the same way.
Applications. There are four to eight applications for each Activity Page.
A Particular Application. An application will provide more information on a topic and could have one or more exercises. Each application is completed by journaling one or more questions.
The Page Outline for Activity 3 – Initiate Project Charter is shown in the figure below. Each outline starts out with the Activity Workflow, and the last Application follows this same structure:
Review of Best Practices for that Activity.
Review the Microsoft Project features and concepts covered.
A check to make sure your Master Project is up to date.
A review of the completed application files that you might send to your coach or submit for review if you would like to earn one of the certificates.
An evaluation of the learning objectives for the Activity.
Take Activity Exam
There is an online exam for each Activity. The exams are for you to evaluate or test your understanding of the content of an Activity and the features and concepts covered in Microsoft Project.
A passing or honor-level score is also required to earn one of the certificates.
Here are some essential guidelines for taking the exam:
Approach the exam as a closed-book assessment, relying solely on your memory and grasp of the subject matter.
Always select the most appropriate answer.
Keep in mind that answers carry different weights.
Feel free to attempt the exam multiple times to refine your understanding.
To attain the MS Project Master Class Certificate of Completion or the MS Project/PM Master Class Certificate of Completion, achieve a final score of 70% or higher.
For the MS Project Certificate of Mastery (MSPCOM), a final score of 80% or above is requisite.
Repeat Steps 4, 5, and 6 above until all of the Activities in your MS Project Master Class are completed.
Closeout the MS Project Master Class
Finally, complete the Microsoft Project Post-test and evaluate what you learned about Microsoft Project. Compare your final score with your pre-test score.
In addition, meet any remaining requirements for one of the certificates you might want to earn.