Excel for Beginners from edX

If you’re seeking to grow your knowledge of spreadsheets from zero to basic comfort and competence in Excel, then this is a perfect course for you.

The goal of this course is to provide you with a foundation on which you can build more advanced skills in the future. In this online course you will learn foundational Microsoft Excel (also applicable to Google Sheets) knowledge including spreadsheet and workbook anatomy, data entry, summary, and manipulation, plotting and visualization, and powerful tools such as functions, conditional formatting, vlookup, mathematical formulas, graphs, macros, keyboard shortcuts, cell references, filters, sorts, and pivot tables.

Not only will this Excel tutorial provide you with a step-by-step training to obtain strong skills in Excel basics, but you will also find several pathways to continue learning the skills you need after the course. Basic Excel skills are required for many jobs, but more advanced skills are often learned on the job. This course can help you quickly get to the point of being able to learn more advanced skills on your own or on the job.

The approach of this course will be different from a typical software course. Rather than focusing on moving through as many tools and skills as quickly as possible, this course will emphasize gaining comfort and familiarity with some of the most useful and foundational skills, the skills that will be key to your success in using Excel now and in the future. You will have the opportunity to practice these skills and identify general principles of successfully working with spreadsheets to be more efficient, reliable, and effective in your work.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Confidence with spreadsheet layout, anatomy, and terminology
Good practices for data entry, storage, and manipulation in spreadsheets

Common methods of data manipulation and summary such as sorting, filtering, writing simple equations, and using pivot tables
Common methods of data visualization using charts

Confidence with spreadsheet layout, anatomy, and terminology
Good practices for data entry, storage, and manipulation in spreadsheets
Common methods of data manipulation and summary such as sorting, filtering, writing simple equations, and using pivot tables
Common methods of data visualization using charts

Syllabus

Week 1: Getting to Know Excel & Entering Data

Excel Orientation and Spreadsheet Basics

Excel Data Types

Entering Data

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Builds a strong foundation for beginners in spreadsheet and workbook anatomy

Introduces foundational knowledge including data entry, summary, manipulation, plotting, and visualization

Covers powerful tools such as functions, conditional formatting, vlookup, and macros

Provides a step-by-step approach to obtain strong skills in Excel basics

Offers several pathways to continue learning Excel skills after the course

Reviews summary

Foundational excel skills for beginners

According to learners, this course is an excellent starting point for anyone new to Microsoft Excel. Students consistently highlight the instructor's clear explanations and the well-paced approach that makes complex topics accessible. The course provides a strong foundation in essential Excel functions, with many appreciating the practical, hands-on exercises and real-world examples that lead to immediate application. While it is ideal for absolute beginners, some learners with prior basic knowledge found the pace occasionally slow or overly simplistic, indicating its dedicated focus on novice users. Overall, it's highly recommended for building confidence and practical skills for both professional and personal use.

Recent reviews indicate the course maintains high quality and relevance.

"This course was absolutely fantastic for a complete beginner like me. ... publishedAt: 2023-10-26"

"Excellent course! I needed to brush up on Excel for a new role, and this course delivered. ... publishedAt: 2023-08-01"

"A really solid introduction to Excel. It covers all the basics you need. ... publishedAt: 2023-09-15"

Perfectly structured for those starting with no prior Excel knowledge.

"This course was absolutely fantastic for a complete beginner like me."

"A really solid introduction to Excel... for someone truly starting from zero, it's perfect."

"If you have any prior experience with spreadsheets, even minimal, you might find yourself skipping through sections. It's truly for 'beginners'."

Focuses on practical skills with useful exercises and a final project.

"The hands-on exercises were incredibly helpful. I feel so much more confident using Excel for my job now."

"The pace was just right, and the practical examples made learning easy. Highly recommend for anyone looking to get comfortable with spreadsheets for professional use."

"The final project really consolidated my learning. I now use Excel confidently for my small business. Amazing!"

The instructor effectively explains complex Excel concepts with patience.

"The instructor explained everything clearly and the hands-on exercises were incredibly helpful."

"As a complete novice to Excel, this course was a lifesaver. The instructor is patient and walks you through each step."

"Very clear and concise. The instructor made complex topics like pivot tables understandable."

Offers foundational skills but does not delve into advanced Excel.

"Good for absolute beginners but I was hoping for a bit more depth in certain areas, like advanced formulas."

"The course felt a bit too slow for me, and I found some of the explanations overly simplistic."

"It's a good starting point but not a deep dive into advanced Excel."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Excel for Beginners with these activities:

Create a budget using Excel

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Creating a budget using Excel will help you learn how to use Excel to manage your finances.

Browse courses on Microsoft Excel

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Gather your financial information
Create an Excel workbook
Enter your income and expenses
Create a budget
Track your progress

Review 'Microsoft Excel Bible' by John Walkenbach

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Reviewing this book will help you with Excel data types, entering data, spreadsheet setup, and more.

View Excel 2019 Bible on Amazon

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Purchase and read the book
Create an Excel workbook and follow along with the examples in the book

Review 'Excel for Dummies' by Greg Harvey

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Reviewing this book will help you with Excel data types, entering data, spreadsheet setup, and more.

View Excel Workbook For Dummies on Amazon

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Purchase and read the book
Create an Excel workbook and follow along with the examples in the book

Six other activities

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Create a cheat sheet of Excel formulas

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Creating a cheat sheet of Excel formulas will help you quickly reference the formulas you need when working with Excel.

Browse courses on Microsoft Excel

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Gather a list of the Excel formulas you use most often
Create a cheat sheet that includes the formula, its description, and an example of how to use it

Practice using Excel formulas

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Practicing using Excel formulas will help you become more proficient in using them.

Browse courses on Microsoft Excel

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Find a set of practice problems
Solve the problems using Excel formulas
Check your answers

Attend an Excel meetup

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Attending an Excel meetup will allow you to network with other Excel users and learn about new tips and tricks.

Browse courses on Microsoft Excel

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Find an Excel meetup in your area
Attend the meetup
Network with other attendees

Create a presentation on Excel for a group of colleagues or friends

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Creating a presentation on Excel will help you solidify your understanding of the software and how to use it effectively.

Browse courses on Microsoft Excel

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Choose a topic for your presentation
Research your topic
Create your presentation
Practice your presentation
Deliver your presentation

Complete the Microsoft Excel Tutorial on edX

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This tutorial will introduce you to the basics of Microsoft Excel, including how to enter data, create charts, and use formulas.

Browse courses on Microsoft Excel

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Sign up for the Microsoft Excel Tutorial on edX
Complete the tutorial modules
Practice using Excel on your own

Contribute to an open-source Excel project

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Contributing to an open-source Excel project will allow you to learn from other Excel users and contribute to the Excel community.

Browse courses on Microsoft Excel

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Find an open-source Excel project to contribute to
Read the project documentation
Make a contribution to the project
Submit a pull request

Career center

Learners who complete Excel for Beginners will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Data Analyst

Data Analysts are responsible for collecting, cleaning, and analyzing data to help businesses make informed decisions. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is a key tool for data analysis. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate data analysis tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Financial Analyst

Financial Analysts use Excel to analyze financial data and make investment recommendations. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize financial data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate financial analysis tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Market Researcher

Market Researchers use Excel to collect, analyze, and interpret data about consumer behavior. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate market research tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Researcher

Operations Research Analyst

Operations Research Analysts use Excel to solve complex business problems. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate operations research tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Research Analyst

Quantitative Analyst

Quantitative Analysts use Excel to develop and implement mathematical models to solve financial problems. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate quantitative analysis tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quantitative Analyst

Actuary

Actuaries use Excel to assess risk and calculate premiums for insurance policies. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate actuarial tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Actuary

Budget Analyst

Budget Analysts use Excel to create and manage budgets for organizations. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate budgeting tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Budget Analyst

Auditor

Auditors use Excel to examine financial records and ensure that they are accurate and compliant with regulations. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate auditing tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Auditor

Tax Accountant

Tax Accountants use Excel to prepare tax returns and advise clients on tax matters. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate tax accounting tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Tax Accountant

Management Consultant

Management Consultants use Excel to analyze data and make recommendations to improve business performance. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate management consulting tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Business Analyst

Business Analysts use Excel to analyze data and make recommendations to improve business processes. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate business analysis tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Project Manager

Project Managers use Excel to plan and track projects. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate project management tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Data Entry Clerk

Data Entry Clerks use Excel to enter data into computer systems. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate data entry tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Entry Clerk

Office Administrator

Office Administrators use Excel to perform a variety of tasks, such as creating presentations, managing budgets, and scheduling appointments. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate office administration tasks.

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Customer Service Representative

Customer Service Representatives use Excel to track customer interactions and resolve customer issues. This course will help you build a strong foundation in Excel, which is essential for success in this field. You will learn how to enter, manipulate, and summarize data, as well as how to create charts and graphs to visualize your findings. This course will also introduce you to more advanced Excel features, such as pivot tables and macros, which can be used to automate customer service tasks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Customer Service Representative