Excel essentials
Learn the screen, create your first workbook, and build confidence working with cells and data.
What Is Microsoft Excel and What Is It Used For?
Microsoft Excel is one of the most popular computer programs in the world. It is used in offices, schools, businesses, banks, shops, hospitals, and even at home.…
Open lesson →Understanding the Excel Screen: Workbook, Worksheet, Rows, Columns, and Cells
When you open Microsoft Excel for the first time, the screen can look confusing. You may see many boxes, letters, numbers, buttons, menus, and tabs. But once…
Open lesson →How to Create, Save, Open, and Rename an Excel File
Learning how to create, save, open, and rename an Excel file is one of the first things every beginner should know. Before you start using formulas, charts,…
Open lesson →How to Type Data in Excel Cells
Typing data in Excel cells is one of the first skills every beginner needs to learn. Before you can use formulas, create charts, build reports, or analyze…
Open lesson →How to Select Cells, Rows, and Columns in Excel
Selecting cells, rows, and columns is one of the most basic skills you need when learning Microsoft Excel. Before you can format data, copy information, delete entries,…
Open lesson →Excel Formulas for Beginners: Build and Check Your First Calculations
Build your first Excel formulas with a small sales sheet. Learn cell references, arithmetic order, fill-down and simple checks that catch mistakes.
Open lesson →Relative and Absolute References in Excel: When to Use the Dollar Sign
Understand relative and absolute Excel references with a discount example. Learn when to use $B$1, mixed references and reliable copy-down checks.
Open lesson →Excel SUM, AVERAGE and COUNT: Summarise Numbers Correctly
Use Excel SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX and COUNT with clear examples. Understand blanks, zeros and text so your summaries answer the right question.
Open lesson →Excel IF Function for Beginners: Turn a Rule into a Formula
Learn the Excel IF function with a stock reorder sheet. Write logical tests, handle exact boundaries and keep missing values visible.
Open lesson →Excel SUMIF and COUNTIF: Summarise Records That Match a Rule
Use Excel SUMIF and COUNTIF with a small sales table. Match text, compare numbers and check conditional totals without mixing up ranges.
Open lesson →Excel Tables for Beginners: Make Lists Easier to Maintain
Turn a plain Excel list into a Table. Learn headers, calculated columns, structured references and checks that keep expanding data organised.
Open lesson →Sort and Filter in Excel Without Mixing Up Your Rows
Learn to sort and filter Excel lists safely. Keep records together, use multiple sort levels and distinguish hidden rows from deleted records.
Open lesson →Excel Dates for Beginners: Calculate Days and Handle Deadlines
Understand Excel dates with deadline examples. Use DATE, subtract dates, extract months and avoid ambiguous entries and hidden time values.
Open lesson →Excel VLOOKUP Exact Match: Find a Price Without Guessing
Learn exact-match VLOOKUP with a product price list. Fix the lookup range, understand FALSE and investigate missing or inconsistent product codes.
Open lesson →Make Your First Excel Chart: Choose a Clear Story and Check the Numbers
Create a clear first Excel chart from monthly data. Choose a suitable chart, label units, avoid misleading scales and verify the source range.
Open lesson →Clean Text in Excel with TRIM, CLEAN and SUBSTITUTE
Clean spreadsheet text while preserving original values. Inspect spaces, normalise labels and verify the effect on category summaries.
Open lesson →Create an Excel Drop-Down List with Data Validation
Create a data-validation drop-down for consistent statuses. Test invalid entries, define blank behaviour and review existing records.
Open lesson →Use Conditional Formatting in Excel Without Hiding the Meaning
Highlight stock conditions with Excel conditional formatting. Test boundaries, align relative references and use text labels alongside colour.
Open lesson →Excel SUMIFS and COUNTIFS: Combine More Than One Condition
Combine conditions with SUMIFS and COUNTIFS. Align ranges, use criteria cells and reconcile a small regional sales summary.
Open lesson →Handle Excel Errors with IFERROR and IFNA Without Hiding Problems
Diagnose Excel errors before using IFERROR or IFNA. Preserve the difference between a valid zero, a missing match and an invalid calculation.
Open lesson →Round Numbers in Excel: Stored Values Versus What You See
Distinguish Excel number formatting from ROUND. Compare rounding each line with rounding a final total and document the calculation rule.
Open lesson →Excel INDEX and MATCH: Look Up Values with a Flexible Layout
Use exact-match INDEX and MATCH to return a price from a flexible layout. Keep lookup and return ranges aligned and check missing keys.
Open lesson →Build Your First Excel PivotTable and Reconcile the Totals
Build a PivotTable from a small sales list. Choose SUM versus COUNT, reconcile totals and refresh after a source change.
Open lesson →Calculate Percentage Change in Excel and Label It Clearly
Calculate percentage changes with explicit baselines. Distinguish percentage points, test increases and declines, and handle a zero starting value.
Open lesson →Excel Sales Report Project: Build, Check and Explain a Small Workbook
Build a beginner sales workbook with a Table, calculated totals, category summary and chart. Reconcile results and document the limits.
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