Unlock the power of Microsoft Excel with this essential 30-minute beginner's course. Excel is a powerful tool for storing, organising, and making sense of data sets, and this training will guide you through the core skills you need to get started. We will take you from the very beginning—opening your first spreadsheet—through entering and manipulating data, using essential formulas, and applying powerful tricks to analyse information efficiently.

You will learn to navigate the Excel interface, master seven basic formulas like SUM, AVERAGE, and COUNT, and discover time-saving tips such as creating Pivot Tables and using filters to simplify large data sets. The course concludes with practical company use cases, ensuring you can apply your new skills directly to your daily tasks.

Why Is This Course Important?

In today's data-driven workplace, Excel proficiency is a fundamental skill. This course demystifies the software, providing you with the confidence to manage spreadsheets for business analysis, performance reporting, and account management. By learning these basics, you can work faster, organise information more effectively, and use data to make smarter decisions in your role.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Create, open, and save Excel workbooks.

• Navigate the Excel Ribbon, manage multiple worksheets, and enter data with ease.

• Understand the difference between formulas and functions and insert them into your workflow.

• Utilise seven fundamental Excel formulas including SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, COUNTA, IF, TRIM, and MAX/MIN.

• Use advanced features like Pivot Tables to reorganise and analyse data.

• Apply filters to simplify large data sets and use the Transpose function to flip rows and columns.

Course Outline

This training is structured into four key modules:

1. Getting Started with Excel

• Navigating the Basics: Learn how to open an existing file or start a new blank workbook.

• The Excel Interface: Get comfortable with the central control panel—the Ribbon—and its tabs like Home, Formulas, and Data.

• Managing Your Workbook: Discover how to add, rename, reorder, and delete worksheets within your file.

• Data Entry: Master the core skill of entering, copying, cutting, and pasting data into cells.

2. Basic Excel Formulas

• Formulas vs. Functions: Understand the key difference between manual formulas (e.g., =A1+A2) and built-in functions (e.g., =SUM(A1:A2)).

• Seven Essential Functions: Get hands-on practice with the most important formulas for everyday tasks:

    ◦ SUM: To add up values.

    ◦ AVERAGE: To find the arithmetic mean.

    ◦ COUNT & COUNTA: To count cells with numbers or any data type.

    ◦ IF: To sort data based on logical tests.

    ◦ TRIM: To remove unwanted spaces from your data.

    ◦ MAX & MIN: To find the highest and lowest values in a range.

3. Tips and Tricks for Working Faster

• Pivot Tables: Learn to use Pivot Tables to reorganise, summarise, and compare information in your spreadsheet without changing the original data.

• Data Filtering: Discover how to use filters to trim down large data sets and view only the rows that meet specific criteria.

• Transpose Function: Save time by using the Transpose feature to instantly switch data from rows to columns, and vice versa.

4. Using Excel at Our Company

• Practical Applications: Explore use-case examples of how Excel is used for key tasks at our company, such as business analysis, performance reporting, and account management.Top of Form