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⇱ Excel and Copilot Fundamentals | Coursera


Excel and Copilot Fundamentals

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Excel and Copilot Fundamentals

This course is part of multiple programs.

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.3

385 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
2 weeks at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace
94%
Most learners liked this course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.3

385 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
2 weeks at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace
94%
Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

  • Activate and effectively use Excel Copilot for basic tasks and queries.

  • Navigate the Excel interface and utilize basic features efficiently.

  • Apply fundamental Excel formulas and functions to perform calculations and data manipulation.

  • Develop basic prompt engineering skills for Copilot in Excel.

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Assessments

20 assignmentsΒΉ

AI Graded see disclaimer
Taught in English

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There are 5 modules in this course

This course introduces you to the basics of Microsoft Excel and its powerful Copilot feature, equipping you with essential skills for efficient data handling and analysis. You will learn to navigate Excel’s interface, apply fundamental formulas and functions, and develop prompt engineering techniques to leverage Excel Copilot for various tasks. By the end of this course, you will have a strong foundation in Excel, enabling you to perform basic data manipulations and utilize Copilot to streamline your workflow.

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to: - Activate and effectively use Excel Copilot for basic tasks and queries. - Navigate the Excel interface and utilize basic features efficiently. - Apply fundamental Excel formulas and functions to perform calculations and data manipulation. - Develop basic prompt engineering skills for Excel Copilot. Tools you’ll use: - Microsoft Excel - Copilot in Excel Required Course Materials: A Copilot license is required to complete this course. If you don’t have a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family license, you can start a free 30-day trial using the link provided in the course.

This module covers the activation and basic usage of Copilot in Excel, helping you understand its environments and how to effectively utilize it for various tasks.

What's included

12 videos11 readings4 assignments

12 videosβ€’Total 81 minutes
  • Activating Excel Copilotβ€’7 minutes
  • Performing basic tasks with Copilotβ€’7 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Activating Copilotβ€’8 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Create a travel budgetβ€’4 minutes
  • Optimizing workflows with Excel Copilot Part 1 of 2β€’5 minutes
  • Optimizing workflows with Excel Copilot Part 2 of 2β€’7 minutes
  • Using conditional formatting with Copilotβ€’6 minutes
  • Enhancing data presentation with Excel Copilotβ€’5 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Optimize workflows with Copilotβ€’7 minutes
  • Evaluating Copilot performanceβ€’7 minutes
  • Improving Copilot performance through customizationβ€’8 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Evaluating Copilot performanceβ€’9 minutes
11 readingsβ€’Total 127 minutes
  • Welcome to Excel and Copilot fundamentalsβ€’10 minutes
  • Introduction to the Coursera Communityβ€’10 minutes
  • Getting started with Copilot in Excel β€’2 minutes
  • How to Get Started with Microsoft Copilotβ€’10 minutes
  • Guide to performing basic tasks using Copilot in Excelβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Activating Copilotβ€’20 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Create a travel budgetβ€’5 minutes
  • Using Excel add-ins to extend functionalityβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Optimize workflows with Copilot β€’20 minutes
  • Copilot performance metricsβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Evaluating Copilot performanceβ€’20 minutes
4 assignmentsβ€’Total 63 minutes
  • Quiz: Introduction to Copilot in Excel and activationβ€’30 minutes
  • Quiz: Performing basic tasks using Copilot in Excelβ€’12 minutes
  • Quiz: Optimizing workflows with Copilotβ€’12 minutes
  • Quiz: Copilot performance β€’9 minutes

This module introduces the Excel interface and its basic features. You will become familiar with the layout, essential elements, and basic functionalities to use Excel efficiently and be able to compare these functionalities to the abilities of Copilot.

What's included

11 videos8 readings4 assignments

11 videosβ€’Total 82 minutes
  • Introduction to Excel: Basic navigationβ€’6 minutes
  • Introduction to Excel: Backstage view and shortcutsβ€’7 minutes
  • Creating and managing Excel workbooksβ€’7 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Navigating and using basic featuresβ€’14 minutes
  • Introduction to data typesβ€’5 minutes
  • Converting data typesβ€’6 minutes
  • Working with data typesβ€’7 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Understanding data types β€’9 minutes
  • Creating lists β€’6 minutes
  • Creating tablesβ€’7 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Creating lists and tablesβ€’8 minutes
8 readingsβ€’Total 105 minutes
  • Basic features in Excelβ€’10 minutes
  • Using Excel templates for efficiencyβ€’5 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Navigating and using basic featuresβ€’20 minutes
  • Mastering data types in Excel: Tips and tricks for effective data managementβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Understanding data types β€’20 minutes
  • Guide to Excel tables and best practiceβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Creating lists and tablesβ€’20 minutes
  • Discussion: Customizing the Excel interfaceβ€’10 minutes
4 assignmentsβ€’Total 84 minutes
  • Quiz: Excel interface and basic featuresβ€’30 minutes
  • Quiz: Excel interface customizationβ€’18 minutes
  • Quiz: Data types β€’18 minutes
  • Quiz: Lists and tables β€’18 minutes

This module focuses on Excel formulas and how to do this with Copilot as well as functions, covering essential arithmetic operations and key functions to manipulate and analyze data effectively.

What's included

9 videos10 readings4 assignments

9 videosβ€’Total 69 minutes
  • Using basic arithmetic in Excelβ€’7 minutes
  • Applying mathematical functions in Excelβ€’7 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing arithmetic functionsβ€’8 minutes
  • Applying logical functions in Excelβ€’7 minutes
  • Combining logical and LOOKUP functions for advanced data analysisβ€’7 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing logical and LOOKUP functionsβ€’8 minutes
  • Using conditional, date, and time functions with Copilotβ€’7 minutes
  • Using nested functions for complex calculations in Excelβ€’8 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing conditional, date, and time functions β€’10 minutes
10 readingsβ€’Total 130 minutes
  • Applying BODMASβ€’10 minutes
  • Understanding cell references (relative, absolute, and mixed)β€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Practicing arithmetic functionsβ€’20 minutes
  • Using LOOKUP functions overviewβ€’10 minutes
  • Creating and managing named rangesβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Practicing logical and LOOKUP functionsβ€’20 minutes
  • Applying the date and time functions overviewβ€’10 minutes
  • Understanding Excel's error messages and troubleshooting techniquesβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Practicing conditional, date, and time functions β€’20 minutes
  • Discussion: Optimizing patient data analysis with Excelβ€’10 minutes
4 assignmentsβ€’Total 84 minutes
  • Quiz: Excel formulas and functionsβ€’30 minutes
  • Quiz: Arithmetic functions β€’18 minutes
  • Quiz: Logical and LOOKUP functionsβ€’18 minutes
  • Quiz: Conditional, date, and time functions β€’18 minutes

This module focuses on basic data entry and formatting tasks using Excel Copilot, ensuring you can enter, edit, and format data efficiently.

What's included

9 videos5 readings4 assignments

9 videosβ€’Total 70 minutes
  • Data entry techniquesβ€’7 minutes
  • Using data validation for accurate data entryβ€’7 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing data entry techniquesβ€’7 minutes
  • Formatting data in Excelβ€’7 minutes
  • Creating custom styles and templates in Excelβ€’8 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Formatting techniques practice β€’8 minutes
  • Enhancing data presentationβ€’8 minutes
  • Creating basic pivots in Excelβ€’8 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Advanced formatting practice β€’11 minutes
5 readingsβ€’Total 80 minutes
  • Overview of shortcutsβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Practicing data entry techniquesβ€’20 minutes
  • Formatting best practicesβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Formatting techniques practice β€’20 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Advanced formatting practice β€’20 minutes
4 assignmentsβ€’Total 66 minutes
  • Quiz: Basic data entry and formatting with Copilotβ€’30 minutes
  • Quiz: Data entry techniques β€’12 minutes
  • Quiz: Formatting techniques β€’12 minutes
  • Quiz: Advanced formatting β€’12 minutes

This module introduces prompt engineering techniques to effectively use Excel Copilot for various advanced tasks.

What's included

10 videos8 readings4 assignments1 peer review

10 videosβ€’Total 79 minutes
  • Engineering prompts for Excel Copilotβ€’8 minutes
  • Advanced prompt engineering techniquesβ€’7 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Writing basic promptsβ€’7 minutes
  • Writing effective promptsβ€’8 minutes
  • Improving your prompts β€’6 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing effective promptsβ€’10 minutes
  • Evaluating prompt performanceβ€’7 minutes
  • Optimizing prompts for better resultsβ€’7 minutes
  • Hands-on activity debrief: Evaluating prompt performanceβ€’9 minutes
  • Cumulative project debrief: Attendance tracker β€’9 minutes
8 readingsβ€’Total 105 minutes
  • List of Copilot tasks available and starter promptsβ€’10 minutes
  • Understanding natural language processing (NLP) basicsβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Writing basic promptsβ€’20 minutes
  • Techniques for effective promptsβ€’5 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Practicing effective promptsβ€’20 minutes
  • Metrics for prompt performanceβ€’10 minutes
  • Hands-on activity: Developing effective promptsβ€’20 minutes
  • Cumulative project: Discussionβ€’10 minutes
4 assignmentsβ€’Total 57 minutes
  • Quiz: Introduction to prompt engineering for Excel Copilotβ€’30 minutes
  • Quiz: Prompt engineering basics β€’9 minutes
  • Quiz: Effective prompts β€’9 minutes
  • Quiz: Prompt performance β€’9 minutes
1 peer reviewβ€’Total 35 minutes
  • Cumulative project: Attendance tracker β€’35 minutes

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343 Coursesβ€’2,617,428 learners

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Learner reviews

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  • 4 stars

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  • 2 stars

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Showing 3 of 385

AM
Β·

Reviewed on Apr 15, 2026

I learned a lot from this course, techniques to master the Excel

MM
Β·

Reviewed on Feb 17, 2025

Excellent Skills and knowledge for Microsoft Excel and Copilot Fundamentals

AH
Β·

Reviewed on May 26, 2025

Some of the instructions were unclear and the reading sections were somewhat vague at times. Otherwise, the course was informative and a good introduction to using Copilot.

Frequently asked questions

You'll learn how to use Excel for everyday data work and how to bring Copilot into that workflow in a useful way. It starts with navigation, data entry, tables, and basic formulas, then moves into formatting, simple analysis, prompt writing, and checking Copilot's output. You'll apply that in guided tasks like cleaning a dataset, creating a travel budget, and building an attendance tracker.

No, you don't need prior Excel experience to begin. It's a beginner course that starts with the interface, basic features, and simple formulas before moving into Copilot prompts and workflow tasks. You do need a Copilot license to complete the course, and the course provides a link to a free 30-day trial if you don't already have a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family license.

Yes, it's beginner-friendly if you're new to Excel or new to Copilot in Excel. The lessons start with core spreadsheet basics and build gradually into formulas, formatting, and prompt writing, with guided practice along the way. If you already work with advanced Excel analysis regularly, it may feel more introductory than deep.

Plan on about 22 hours in total. At around 10 hours a week, that's roughly two to three weeks of work, with a mix of lessons, readings, guided activities, quizzes, and a final peer-reviewed project. It's a manageable pace if you want to build skill steadily while practicing as you go.

Yes, there is plenty of hands-on work, but it's mostly guided rather than open-ended. You'll complete practice activities such as activating Copilot, cleaning and sorting data, creating a travel budget, and working toward an attendance tracker project. That format helps you apply each new skill right after you learn it.

It covers the core Excel skills many beginners use most, along with the basics of working well with Copilot. You'll practice data entry, formatting, lists and tables, and formulas and functions, then use Copilot to clean data, summarize information, and support simple reporting and visualization. It also teaches prompt engineering, so you're learning both how to do the work in Excel and how to ask Copilot for useful help.

After finishing, you should be able to handle common spreadsheet tasks more confidently and use Copilot to speed up simple analysis and organization work. For example, you could take a basic dataset, remove duplicates, sort and format it, apply functions like SUM or COUNTIF, and ask Copilot for a summary or chart. The scope stays beginner-level, so the focus is everyday Excel use rather than advanced modeling.

It's more hands-on than theoretical, though the practice is guided rather than open-ended. Most topics move quickly from short explanations into activities where you use Excel features and Copilot on realistic datasets, then finish with an attendance tracker project.

This course is a strong choice if you want Excel basics and Copilot skills taught together instead of as separate topics. The learning flow is clear: you start with core spreadsheet use, then move into formulas, formatting, prompt writing, and evaluating how well Copilot helps with the work. If you're looking for a beginner path that keeps AI tied to everyday Excel tasks, this course is a better fit than one that focuses only on classic Excel features or only on prompting.

Financial aid available,

ΒΉ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.