Excel Basics for Beginners: Workbooks, Formatting, Charts and Core Skills
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Excel Basics for Beginners: Workbooks, Formatting, Charts and Core Skills
This course is part of Excel to Power BI: Data Analysis & Business Intelligence Specialization
Instructor: Keith Gibson
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There are 3 modules in this course
Unlock the power of Excel—your gateway to smarter data management and analysis.
• Microsoft Excel is the world’s most widely used spreadsheet tool, relied on by over 750 million users globally. Whether you're managing budgets, tracking inventory, or preparing reports, Excel is a must-have skill across industries. • Excel proficiency is one of the top 5 most requested skills in job postings across business, finance, and operations roles. Learning Excel basics boosts productivity and opens doors to data-driven decision-making. We help you get started quickly. Career Impact • Around 82% of business analyst roles require Excel • Entry-level professionals with Excel skills on average can earn up to 15% more (according to launch • Excel is foundational for careers in data, finance, and admin What You’ll Learn • Navigate the Excel interface and create workbooks • Organize, sort, and filter data using tables and formulas • Apply formatting and build charts to visualize insights What Makes This Course Unique ✅ Designed for true beginners—no prior Excel experience needed ✅ Bite-sized lessons with hands-on practice using real datasets ✅ Learn in just 90 minutes with focused, interactive modules ✅ Builds a foundation for advanced Excel and Power BI courses ✅ Includes downloadable practice files and auto-graded assignments Who Should Take This Course • Students and recent graduates building job-ready skills • Business professionals across roles in operations, sales, and support • Small business owners and retail managers • Anyone ready to start working with data confidently This course is intended as the first in a specialization of three courses—beginning with building basic data literacy skills in Excel and culminating with building data literacy in Power BI through our course "From Excel to Power BI." Start your Excel journey today and transform how you work with data—one cell at a time. *Please note: A Microsoft 365 subscription is required to access all features used in this course.*
Ready to unlock the power of Excel? Start by building your first workbook and discover how easy it is to organize, format, and analyze data like a pro. Learn the essential techniques that transform numbers into clear, compelling insights, then bring your data to life with tables, charts, and visual cues. Through short videos and hands-on activities, it’s simple, fast, and fun to master the basics.
What's included
9 videos2 assignments
9 videos•Total 11 minutes
- Intro: Get Started with Workbook Basics•2 minutes
- Navigate the Excel Application Interface•2 minutes
- Open a New Blank Workbook•1 minute
- Enter Data in a Cell•1 minute
- Save a New File•1 minute
- Change the Number Format•1 minute
- Format the Text as Bold, Italic, or Underlined•1 minute
- Sort Data•1 minute
- Filter Data•1 minute
2 assignments•Total 11 minutes
- Check-In: Review Excel and Workbook Basics•4 minutes
- Give It a Try: Enter and Format Data in a Workbook•7 minutes
Ready to work smarter with your data? Learn how to use Excel formulas and functions to calculate, organize, and analyze information quickly and accurately. From basic arithmetic to conditional logic and advanced counting techniques, you’ll discover practical tools that make data easier to understand and use. With short videos, clear examples, and hands-on activities, building confidence with Excel formulas is simple and effective.
What's included
12 videos2 readings4 assignments
12 videos•Total 18 minutes
- Intro: Work with Data Using Formulas, Functions, and Tables•3 minutes
- Create a Formula•1 minute
- Add Cell Values Instantly with AutoSum•1 minute
- Use the COUNT Function in Excel•1 minute
- Calculate Numerical Averages in Excel •1 minute
- Use the MAX Function in Excel•1 minute
- Use the MIN Function in Excel•1 minute
- Use the IF Function •2 minutes
- Add the Numbers Based on One Condition•1 minute
- Count Cells with Specific Criteria Using COUNTIF•1 minute
- Use the SUMIFS Function•2 minutes
- Use the COUNTIFS Function •2 minutes
2 readings•Total 7 minutes
- Reading: Common Formula Errors and What They Mean•5 minutes
- Reading: Excel Operators Guide•2 minutes
4 assignments•Total 21 minutes
- Check-In: Review Working with Data Using Basic Formulas and Functions•4 minutes
- Give It a Try: Work with Statistical Functions•5 minutes
- Give It a Try: Work with Conditional Functions•8 minutes
- Check-In: Review Working with Counting Functions•4 minutes
Discover simple ways to make your data clear and easy to understand. Learn techniques to organize information and use visual elements that bring your data to life. With quick videos and hands-on practice, presenting data effectively becomes simple and engaging.
What's included
8 videos3 assignments
8 videos•Total 7 minutes
- Intro: Make Data Presentable with Charts and Formatting•2 minutes
- Remove Duplicate Values•1 minute
- Freeze the Panes to Lock Specific Rows or Columns•1 minute
- Split Panes in a Worksheet•1 minute
- Create a Table •1 minute
- Create a Chart•1 minute
- Apply Conditional Formatting to Cells•1 minute
- Format the Cells by Using a Two-Color Scale•1 minute
3 assignments•Total 14 minutes
- Check-In: Review Data Visualization Basics•3 minutes
- Give It a Try: Streamline Your Dataset•5 minutes
- Give It a Try: Highlight Important Data in Your Workbook •6 minutes
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Reviewed on Oct 6, 2025
Excellent Course. Thank you Knowledge Accelerators for this learning opportunity.
Reviewed on Apr 30, 2026
This course is amazing and well structured, thoroughly enjoyed it!
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