After a few energetic sessions of breaking work down into bite-sized pieces (tasks), you’re ready to add those puppies to your Project file. Read on to build a project task list and nail Project certification exam questions at the same time.

Project Start Date

Before you start creating tasks, set the project start date in your Project file. That way, your tasks automatically line up on the first day of the project. Later on, when you create dependencies (also known as links) between tasks, the tasks jockey into their appropriate positions in the schedule.

Project start dates might change; for example, they could be delayed until funding comes through or moved up when priorities change. The Start Date box in Project’s Project Information dialog box is the best way (which is what you want for exam answers) to change a project’s start date. In Project, open the file and then choose Project | Project Information. In the Start Date box, choose the first date for the project. (If you choose a weekend day or other non-work day, Project adjusts the start date to the next business day.)

In the Project Information dialog box, you’ll also see that Project sets the Schedule From box to Project Start Date, which is what you want. Scheduling from the start date tells Project to use dependencies, resources, and the rest of your schedule information to calculate the finish date. As you update the file, the program recalculates the new finish date.

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