Live training with Eithne Dolan

Microsoft Excel Introduction

A clear, confident foundation

I’ll help you build the confidence and practical skills to create, edit, calculate, organise and present information in Excel: clear, accurate worksheets for everyday workplace tasks.

View Course Outline Download PDF

Course outline: PDF, 3 pages

Who it’s for: New and occasional Excel users; No previous formula experience needed
Format: Practical, hands-on exercises; Not just a tour of the Excel screen
Duration: 6 hours; One 6-hour session or two 3-hour sessions

Is this course for you?

Does any of this sound familiar?

Excel is used in workplaces of every size to organise information, perform calculations and create reports. But if you are new to Excel, even simple tasks can feel confusing or take longer than they should. Do you...

Feel unsure where to begin when you open Excel?
Enter information into spreadsheets but worry about changing or deleting something by mistake?
Find it difficult to move around larger worksheets?
Manually calculate totals because you are unsure how formulas work?
Want to understand the difference between a formula and a function?
Need to sort or filter lists but are not confident doing it?
Spend time adjusting columns, rows and formatting to make a worksheet readable?
Want to create a simple chart but are unsure which data to select?
Need to print or share an Excel worksheet but struggle to make it fit properly?
Want to build confidence before progressing to an Intermediate Excel course?

If any of the above resonates, this course is for you.

What you’ll be able to do

Navigate the Excel interface and move confidently through a workbook.
Enter, edit, copy and organise text, numbers and dates.
Format worksheets clearly and apply appropriate number formats.
Create basic formulas and use essential functions.
Turn a list into an Excel Table and sort and filter its contents.
Control simple data entry and highlight important values.
Create a basic chart and prepare a worksheet for printing or PDF sharing.
Save, retrieve and manage workbooks safely.

Your course outline

Fifteen topics. Real-world application.

From your first workbook to a worksheet ready to print or share, I’ll guide you step by step through the essential Excel skills.

01Understand the Excel environment

What a spreadsheet is and when Excel is useful
Workbooks, worksheets, rows, columns, cells and ranges
Ribbon, tabs, commands, Formula Bar, Name Box and Status Bar
File/Backstage view and Quick Access Toolbar
Use Excel Help and ScreenTips

02Create and manage files

Create, open, save and close a workbook
Use Save and Save As
Choose a sensible file name and location
Understand common Excel file types
Recover an unsaved or previous version where available

03Work with cells and ranges

Select cells, ranges, rows and columns
Enter and edit text, numbers and dates
Clear contents compared with deleting cells
Insert and delete rows and columns
Copy, cut, paste and move data
Use Undo and Redo

04Navigate efficiently

Move to the edge of a data region
Use keyboard and mouse navigation
Use the Name Box and Go To
Find and Replace
Freeze the top row or first column
Use Zoom and worksheet views

05Speed up data entry

Use AutoFill and the Fill Handle
Create a simple series
Use AutoComplete
Use Flash Fill
Understand when Flash Fill results should be checked

06Build basic formulas

Understand that formulas begin with =
Use plus, minus, multiply and divide
Use cell references rather than typing values into formulas
Understand calculation order and brackets
Copy formulas with the Fill Handle
Introduction to relative and absolute references

07Use essential functions

Use AutoSum and SUM
Calculate AVERAGE, MIN and MAX
Count numeric and completed cells with COUNT and COUNTA
Insert TODAY and NOW
Use the function AutoComplete list and Function Arguments dialog

08Recognise formula problems

Understand #### display issues
Recognise #DIV/0!, #VALUE!, #REF! and #NAME?
Check formula ranges and references

09Sort and filter

Sort text, numbers and dates
Sort using more than one level
Apply, clear and reapply filters
Search within a filter
Filter by value or simple criteria

10Excel Tables

Convert a list into an Excel Table
Choose a Table style
Understand automatic expansion and header filters
Use a Total Row
Rename a Table
Convert a Table back to a range

11Simple Data Validation

Create a basic drop-down list
Restrict entries to whole numbers or dates
Add an input message and error alert

12Conditional Formatting

Use Highlight Cells rules
Identify duplicate values
Apply Top/Bottom rules
Use Data Bars, Colour Scales and Icon Sets
Clear Conditional Formatting

13Create a basic chart

Choose suitable source data
Create a column, bar or line chart
Add and edit a chart title
Move and resize a chart
Change a simple chart style
Understand when a chart may be misleading

14Manage worksheets

Insert, rename, move, copy and delete worksheets
Change worksheet tab colour
Enter a simple formula that refers to another worksheet

15Prepare output

Use Print Preview
Set orientation, margins and scaling
Set a Print Area
Repeat headings on printed pages
Add basic headers, footers and page numbers
Export or save a worksheet as PDF
Check the workbook before sharing

Essential starter functions

You’ll use some of Excel’s most useful starter functions and learn how to check a formula is using the correct cells.

SUM to add a range of values
AVERAGE to calculate an average
MIN to return the lowest value
MAX to return the highest value
COUNT to count cells containing numbers
COUNTA to count non-blank cells
TODAY and NOW to insert the current date or date and time

Learn by doing

This isn’t just a tour of the Excel screen. You’ll work through practical exercises and learn the essential skills needed to create and manage everyday spreadsheets.

Your next step

Build a clear, confident foundation before progressing to an Intermediate Excel course.

Let’s make Excel work for you

Book a free 20-minute consultation with me to discuss your team, your Excel experience and your training goals.

Book a Free Consultation