Office productivity · Beginner

Microsoft Excel for Beginners

A practical introduction to Excel covering workbooks, data entry, formulas, functions, tables, sorting, filtering, charts and basic reporting.

minutes · Self-paced

Course overview

Build confidence using Excel for school, personal planning and small-business tasks. Learn cells, worksheets, clean data entry, formulas, functions, cell references, sorting, filtering, tables, validation and charts. Finish by building a practical tracker and summary report while checking calculations and avoiding common spreadsheet errors.

What you will learn

  • Navigate workbooks, worksheets, cells and ranges
  • Enter and organise consistent tabular data
  • Write formulas using cell references and operators
  • Use SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX and conditional functions
  • Sort, filter, format and validate data
  • Create readable charts and summary reports
  • Check spreadsheet accuracy and prepare files for sharing

Skills covered

  • Data entry
  • Spreadsheet organisation
  • Formulas and functions
  • Cell references
  • Sorting and filtering
  • Data validation
  • Charts
  • Reporting

Prerequisites

No previous Excel experience is required. Microsoft Excel or Excel for the web is recommended.

Course modules

Understand workbooks, worksheets and cells

In this module: A workbook can contain several worksheets, each made of rows, columns and cells. A cell reference identifies a location such as B4. Keep related data in a clear table with one row per record and one column per field.

min

Enter, clean and structure data

In this module: A spreadsheet is easier to analyse when each column stores one type of information and each row represents one record. Avoid merged cells inside data tables, inconsistent date formats and blank rows that interrupt sorting.

min

Write formulas and use cell references

In this module: A formula begins with an equals sign. Cell references let calculations update when source values change. Relative references adjust when copied; absolute references keep a chosen row or column fixed.

min

Use essential functions

In this module: SUM adds values, AVERAGE finds a mean, MIN and MAX find extremes, and COUNT counts numeric entries. Check the range included so a heading or unrelated value is not accidentally included.

min

Use IF and conditional calculations

In this module: IF tests a condition and returns one result when true and another when false. COUNTIF and SUMIF calculate using a condition. These functions are useful for attendance status, sales categories and budget tracking.

min

Format cells and validate data

In this module: Number formats change how values are displayed without changing the underlying value. Use currency, percentage and date formats appropriately. Data validation can restrict entries to a list or range.

min

Sort, filter and work with tables

In this module: Sorting changes record order, while filtering temporarily displays rows that match chosen criteria. Excel Tables make structured data easier to manage because headings, filters and formulas can expand with new records.

min

Create charts that explain the data

In this module: Column charts compare categories, line charts show change over time, and pie charts can show a small number of parts of a whole. Choose a chart based on the question, not appearance.

min

Build a tracker and summary report

In this module: A useful workbook answers a real question. Separate source records from summaries, make assumptions visible and use formulas consistently. Reconcile totals against a manual check and label the reporting period.

min