Beginner Excel Course

Lesson 1 • Navigating Cells and Ranges

Teaches keyboard and mouse techniques for moving through a spreadsheet efficiently. Directly supports faster data entry covered in the next section.

Lesson 2 • Customising the Excel Environment

Covers view settings, zoom, and basic option adjustments to suit individual workflows. Reduces friction for beginners adapting to the tool.

Lesson 3 • Workbooks, Worksheets, and Files

Explains the relationship between workbooks and worksheets and covers core file operations. Ensures learners can manage files before entering data.

Lesson 1 • Entering Data Efficiently

Covers AutoFill, Flash Fill, and drop-down lists to speed up repetitive entry. Builds habits that scale to larger datasets in later chapters.

Lesson 2 • Managing Rows, Columns, and Sheets

Explains inserting, deleting, hiding, and resizing rows and columns, plus renaming sheets. Provides structural control before data grows complex.

Lesson 3 • Editing and Correcting Data

Teaches in-cell editing, Find and Replace, and undo/redo workflows. Ensures learners can correct mistakes without disrupting surrounding data.

Lesson 1 • Borders, Shading, and Cell Styles

Uses borders, background shading, and built-in cell styles to structure visual layout. Reinforces readability principles introduced in font formatting.

Lesson 2 • Number Formatting

Applies built-in and custom number formats to display values as currency, percentages, or dates. Correct display prevents misreading of numeric data.

Lesson 3 • Font and Alignment Formatting

Covers font style, size, colour, bold, italic, and cell alignment options. These basics form the visual foundation for all formatted output.

Lesson 4 • Conditional Formatting Basics

Introduces rules that automatically change cell appearance based on value. Connects formatting skills to data analysis introduced in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • How Formulas Work

Explains formula syntax, the equals sign, operators, and calculation order. Establishes the logic framework required for every formula in the course.

Lesson 2 • Cell References in Formulas

Distinguishes relative, absolute, and mixed references and shows when to use each. Mastery here prevents the most common beginner formula errors.

Lesson 3 • Understanding Formula Errors

Identifies common error types such as #DIV/0!, #VALUE!, and #REF! and explains their causes. Error literacy reduces debugging time in complex workbooks.

Lesson 1 • Statistical and Math Functions

Covers SUMIF, COUNTIF, AVERAGEIF, and ABS for conditional aggregation. Bridges basic math functions to the data analysis techniques in later chapters.

Lesson 2 • Lookup Functions: VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP

Introduces VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP to retrieve data from reference tables. These functions are prerequisites for the advanced lookup chapter ahead.

Lesson 3 • Logical Functions

Covers IF, AND, OR, and NOT to build decision-based formulas. Logical functions unlock conditional calculations used throughout business reporting.

Lesson 4 • Text Functions

Uses CONCATENATE, LEFT, RIGHT, MID, LEN, and TRIM to manipulate string data. Prepares learners to clean and restructure imported text datasets.

Lesson 1 • Filtering Data with AutoFilter

Uses AutoFilter drop-downs, text filters, number filters, and date filters to isolate records. Filtering complements sorting for targeted data review.

Lesson 2 • Using the Total Row and Slicers

Adds a Total Row for quick aggregations and Slicers for visual filtering of Tables. These tools make interactive dashboards accessible to beginners.

Lesson 3 • Advanced Filter Techniques

Applies criteria ranges and unique-record extraction using Advanced Filter. Extends filtering capability beyond what AutoFilter menus provide.

Lesson 4 • Sorting Data

Applies single-level and multi-level sorts by value, colour, or custom list. Sorting is the first step in making raw data interpretable.

Lesson 1 • Choosing the Right Chart Type

Compares column, bar, line, pie, and scatter charts and their appropriate use cases. Correct chart selection prevents misleading data visualisation.

Lesson 2 • Formatting Chart Elements

Customises titles, axis labels, gridlines, colours, and data labels for clarity. Formatting transforms a default chart into a polished deliverable.

Lesson 3 • Chart Fundamentals

Explains chart components: data series, axes, legend, title, and plot area. Understanding structure is required before customisation is meaningful.

Lesson 1 • Formatting and Refreshing PivotTables

Applies PivotTable styles, number formats, and refresh settings to maintain accuracy. Polished, up-to-date PivotTables are essential for reporting.

Lesson 2 • Building and Arranging PivotTables

Drags fields into Rows, Columns, Values, and Filters areas to shape summaries. Hands-on arrangement builds intuition for data structure.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to PivotTables

Explains PivotTable purpose, source data requirements, and the field list interface. Sets expectations before learners build their first PivotTable.

Lesson 4 • Grouping and Calculated Fields

Groups dates by month or quarter and creates calculated fields for custom metrics. Extends PivotTable analysis beyond raw source data.