How to Change Calendar in Microsoft Project

Updated on:

May 13, 2026

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Use this interactive demo to learn how to switch the working calendar in Microsoft Project.

Quick summary

Changing the calendar in Microsoft Project lets you define custom working time and schedules for your project. Use the Change Working Time dialog to select and apply a different project calendar in just a few clicks.

Steps

Go to the Project tab in the Microsoft Project ribbon.
Select Change Working Time from the Project tab menu.
Go to the For Calendar option and click the arrow to open the calendar selector.
In the For Calendar dropdown, select your preferred project calendar.
Click OK to save and apply the new calendar.

📌 Why this matters

Knowing how to change the calendar in Microsoft Project is essential for accurate project scheduling and resource planning. The built-in Change Working Time feature allows project managers to assign the correct working hours, holidays, and shift patterns to their project, ensuring task durations and deadlines reflect real-world availability. Misconfigured calendars can cause incorrect finish dates and resource conflicts, making this a critical setup step for any new or ongoing project. Mastering this setting helps teams maintain schedule integrity and deliver projects on time.

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