Excel for Beginners

Learning Excel will depend on your current knowledge and learning style. Here are some steps that can help you learn Excel for Beginners:

You can familiarise yourself with the software and teach yourself basic functions, such as SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, and MAX/MIN. The more you practice using Excel, the faster you will learn. There are many online resources that can help you learn Excel. However, it will take some time and commitment and often time is what we don’t have. 

Luckily, there is also an easier way for you: you can take an online course. If you want someone to teach you how to use Excel in an efficient and systematic way, this is the best and quickest way for you to learn Excel for Beginners.

Creating an Excel spreadsheet can seem daunting for beginners, but it’s actually quite simple. Here are the basic steps to create an Excel spreadsheet:

1. Open Excel: Open Microsoft Excel on your computer. You can do this by clicking on the Excel icon on your desktop or searching for it in your programs menu.

2. Choose a template: Excel offers a variety of pre-made templates for different tasks such as budgets, calendars, and invoices. You can choose one of these templates or start with a blank workbook by clicking “Blank workbook” on the opening screen.

3. Create column headings: Think about the information you want to include in your spreadsheet and create column headings for each piece of information. For example, if you’re creating a budget spreadsheet, you might have headings such as “Category,” “Budgeted Amount,” and “Actual Amount.”

4. Enter data: Start entering your data into the appropriate cells under each column heading. You can move between cells using the arrow keys on your keyboard or by clicking on the cell with your mouse.

5. Format your data: Once you’ve entered your data, you can format it to make it more visually appealing or easier to read. For example, you can change the font size or color, adjust the cell width or height, or apply borders to your data.

6. Use formulas: To perform calculations on your data, you can use formulas such as SUM or AVERAGE. To do this, select the cell where you want the result to appear, type the equal sign (=), and then type the formula you want to use.

7. Save your spreadsheet: Once you’re done creating your spreadsheet, be sure to save it. Click “File” and then “Save” or “Save As” to give your spreadsheet a name and choose a location to save it on your computer.

That’s it! With these basic steps, you can create your own Excel spreadsheet as a beginner.

If you want to know more about how to create a spreadsheet in Excel, book our Excel Beginners Course.

There are many basic Excel skills that can be useful for beginners, but here are five of the most important ones:

1. Navigating the Excel interface: This includes understanding the basic layout of the Excel window, such as the ribbon, the formula bar, and the worksheet area.

2. Formatting cells: Knowing how to format cells is important because it allows you to change the appearance of the data in your spreadsheets. This includes changing the font, color, alignment, and borders of cells.

3. Using basic formulas and functions: Basic formulas and functions are essential in Excel for Beginners because they allow you to perform calculations on your data. This includes functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, and COUNT.

4. Creating and editing charts: Charts are a powerful way to visualize data in Excel. Knowing how to create and edit charts is an essential skill for presenting data in a clear and concise way.

5. Sorting and filtering data: Excel allows you to sort and filter data to quickly find and analyse specific information. This includes sorting data by columns and using filters to view specific subsets of data.

It is definitely possible to teach yourself how to use Excel. Here are 3 steps you can follow to learn Excel for Beginners:

1. Start with the basics: Begin by learning the basics of Excel, such as how to enter data, format cells, and use basic functions. 

2. Practice: Once you have learned the basics, practice using Excel by creating simple spreadsheets and experimenting with different features.

3. Take an online course: There are many online courses available that cover Excel in-depth. In our Excel beginners course you will learn the basics of Excel and understand how you can use Excel to be more successful at your job.

There are many formulas available in Excel, but here are seven of the most basic ones that are commonly used:

1. SUM: This formula adds up the values in a selected range of cells. For example, =SUM(A1:A5) will add the values in cells A1 through A5.

2. AVERAGE: This formula calculates the average of the values in a selected range of cells. For example, =AVERAGE(A1:A5) will calculate the average of the values in cells A1 through A5.

3. MIN: This formula returns the smallest value in a selected range of cells. For example, =MIN(A1:A5) will return the smallest value in cells A1 through A5.

4. MAX: This formula returns the largest value in a selected range of cells. For example, =MAX(A1:A5) will return the largest value in cells A1 through A5.

5. COUNT: This formula counts the number of cells in a selected range that contain a value. For example, =COUNT(A1:A5) will count the number of cells in cells A1 through A5 that contain a value.

6. IF: This formula allows you to test a condition and return one value if the condition is true, and another value if it is false. For example, =IF(A1>10,”Yes”,”No”) will return “Yes” if the value in cell A1 is greater than 10, and “No” if it is not.

7. VLOOKUP: This formula allows you to search for a value in a table and return a corresponding value from another column in the same row. For example, =VLOOKUP(A1,B1:C5,2,FALSE) will search for the value in cell A1 in the first column of the range B1:C5, and return the corresponding value from the second column of that range.

8. Do you want to learn how to do formulas in Excel? Come join us for our Excel for Beginners Course.

The amount of time it takes to learn Excel depends on various factors such as your existing familiarity with spreadsheets, the complexity of the tasks you need to perform, and the level of proficiency you want to achieve.

If you are completely new to Excel and want to learn the basics, you can expect to spend a few days to a week to become comfortable with the essential functions and formulas.

It’s important to note that learning Excel is an ongoing process, and there is always something new to learn. To become a true expert, you’ll need to continuously learn and practice.

Our Excel beginners course takes 3 hours in which you will learn all the basics in Excel, that will help you navigate the software confidently.

If you are new to Excel, our Excel course for Beginners is the perfect way to get to know the program.