How to Teach Yourself Excel (2024)

Learning how to use Excel’s many business-related features and functions is beneficial to your business operations as it offers or supports most features needed to run a micro business. You can teach yourself everything from the most basic Excel functions to complex programming using readily available or free online resources. You can take online university courses in Excel or take advantage of the many online tutorials and downloadable course guides. You can also learn by experimenting with the application.

Microsoft Training

  1. Microsoft Office has several Excel tutorials available on its website. It offers step-by-step tutorials with pictures for most common tasks and videos for more complex tasks. The website is searchable and is divided into either separate tutorials for each version of Excel or separate sections in one tutorial for similar versions. Microsoft also offers offline self-paced training courses for its applications, which you can purchase and follow at your leisure. You have the option of taking exams at the end of each course to gain professional qualifications.

Online Training

  1. Several websites offer free online Excel courses for levels ranging from beginner to advanced. Search for Excel training courses and browse through the offerings to find a course whose style appeals to you. Some of these courses are linked to paid offers and offline classes, while others are free. The quality and content of these online courses varies widely, so you might need to use several different sources to gain proficiency in Excel.

Video Tutorials

  1. Some people learn more quickly from video tutorials, as they combine the convenience of a classroom-type experience with visual demonstrations that are usually easier to grasp and follow than text-based instructions. There are Excel video tutorials available on sites such as YouTube and Vimeo as well as the official Excel video tutorials available from the Microsoft Office Excel website. You can use these in combination with an online tutorial for effective results.

University Courses

  1. Several universities offer comprehensive Excel training courses online. These are geared toward an academic audience and the quality of the course material is guaranteed. Some universities offer downloadable course material, CD-ROM guides, exams to test your skill level and links to resources to bolster the training. You can access some of these courses free. You might be required to pay for the course if you want university credits or to sit examinations. Search online to find the available courses.

How to Teach Yourself Excel (2024)

FAQs

How can I learn Excel by myself? ›

How to master Excel quickly in 12 steps
  1. Get comfortable navigating the interface. ...
  2. Learn some useful shortcuts. ...
  3. Freeze panes. ...
  4. Understand Excel formulas. ...
  5. Learn how to create a simple drop-down list. ...
  6. Visualize key data with conditional formatting. ...
  7. Get things done faster with Flash Fill.

What is the fastest way to learn Excel? ›

You can brush up on your Excel knowledge through an online course or boot camp that teaches both fundamental and advanced skills. For someone new to Excel, a boot camp offers learners a flexible educational experience to learn Excel as part of their coursework in as short as a few months.

Can I learn Excel in 3 days? ›

It takes most Excel users approximately 18-20 hours to fully learn this spreadsheet application. However, this number depends on several factors. Keep reading to learn about how you can study Excel and find resources to help speed the process along.

How can I practice Excel skills at home? ›

Tools
  1. Filtering in Excel – Learn how to filter your data using Excel's Filter Tool.
  2. Excel Sort – Learn how to sort your data in Excel.
  3. Flash Fill – Excel's hidden gem for auto-completing data based on a pattern.
  4. Remove Duplicates – Remove duplicate values in a single column or multiple columns!

Is Excel difficult to learn? ›

Excel as a program can be challenging to learn and master for beginners who have had no prior experience when it comes to managing data or spreadsheets. However, understanding the basics is a straightforward first step. Online courses give employees comprehensive insights into Excel basics in as little as a few hours.

What is the hardest thing to learn in Excel? ›

What is the hardest thing to learn in Excel? VBA is Excel's most difficult area. Most people indicate they have difficulty writing macros, automating parts of their work, comprehending VBA, and designing Excel apps.

What is the best Excel course for beginners? ›

Best Excel courses for 2024
RankTitle LinkLevel
1Excel Skills for Business SpecializationBeginner
2Excel for Everyone Professional CertificateBeginner
3Microsoft Excel - Excel from Beginner to AdvancedBeginner
4Excel Basics Free CourseBeginner
3 more rows

What is the first step to learning Excel? ›

Create a simple formula

Try some simple formulas to add, subtract, multiply, or divide your numbers. Pick a cell, and then type an equal sign (=). That tells Excel that this cell will contain a formula.

Is there a free Excel course? ›

Alison offers free online Excel courses on its platform. There is a wide range of courses for everyone - from beginners or intermediate users, core Excel skills for accounts, or most useful formulas to master the tool.

How can I improve myself in Excel? ›

  1. 1 Learn the basics. Before you dive into the advanced aspects of Excel, you need to master the basics. ...
  2. 2 Explore the functions. ...
  3. 3 Use the features. ...
  4. 4 Customize the settings. ...
  5. 5 Practice and challenge yourself. ...
  6. 6 Keep updated. ...
  7. 7 Here's what else to consider.
Dec 27, 2023

What are the basic to learn in Excel? ›

Here are five basic Excel skills that you could benefit from including in your CV.
  • The SUM Formula. The SUM function in Excel allows you to easily find the total of any number of values that you've selected. ...
  • The AVERAGE Formula. ...
  • Charts and Graphs. ...
  • Sorting Data. ...
  • Find and Replace. ...
  • VLOOKUP. ...
  • Pivot Tables. ...
  • Conditional Formatting.
Dec 21, 2022

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