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    Learn Excel: Free Course from Beginner to Expert

    Four levels take you from your first workbook to building models other people rely on. Every tutorial is written step by step, and many have a practice sheet right on the page where you type real formulas.

    4 levels · 48 tutorials · about 10 hours

    Where should you start?

    If this sounds like youStart at
    You're new to Excel, or you can type data in but formulas, sorting and charts still feel shaky.Excel Basics
    You use SUM and basic formatting, but absolute references, VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP and PivotTables are new.Intermediate Excel
    You use lookups and PivotTables regularly and want dynamic arrays, Power Query, the Data Model and dashboards.Advanced Excel
    You build workbooks other people depend on and want LAMBDA, DAX, VBA or Office Scripts, testing and security.Expert Excel

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    Excel Basics: Workbooks, Cells and Ranges

    The four levels

    1. Excel BasicsBeginner12 tutorials · about 2 hoursStart from a blank workbook and finish able to enter and format data, write formulas with the everyday functions, sort and filter lists, build tables and charts, and work quickly with the keyboard.Ends with: Excel Navigation and Keyboard Shortcuts
    2. Intermediate ExcelIntermediate12 tutorials · about 3 hoursClean and structure real data, lock references, combine logic and lookup functions, highlight what matters with conditional formatting, and summarize data with PivotTables and simple dashboards.Ends with: Productivity and Formula Auditing in Excel
    3. Advanced ExcelAdvanced12 tutorials · about 3 hoursDesign workbooks that hold up: dynamic arrays and LET, advanced lookups and PivotTables, Power Query and the Data Model, what-if analysis, dashboards, error controls, performance and recorded macros.Ends with: How to Record a Macro in Excel
    4. Expert ExcelExpert12 tutorials · about 3 hoursPlan and build complete Excel solutions: LAMBDA, engineered Power Query, DAX measures, VBA and Office Scripts, Solver and forecasting, interactive dashboards, testing, scale, security and a capstone project.Ends with: Excel Capstone Project: Build a Complete Solution

    Full syllabus

    Tick a tutorial when you've finished it. Your ticks stay in this browser only, and nothing is sent anywhere.

    Excel BasicsBeginner12 tutorials · about 2 hours
    1. 1. Excel Basics: Workbooks, Cells and RangesLearn what workbooks, worksheets, cells and ranges are, then select, enter, edit and save data with confidence.10 min
    2. 2. How to Format Cells in ExcelMake a plain table easy to read with bold headings, fill colors, borders, alignment, wrapped text and the right column widths.10 min
    3. 3. Number and Date Formats in ExcelShow prices as currency, discounts as percentages and dates as real dates, and control decimal places without changing the stored values.9 min
    4. 4. How to Write Basic Formulas in ExcelAdd, subtract, multiply and divide with formulas that use cell references, so your results update by themselves when the numbers change.10 min
    5. 5. Essential Excel Functions: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN and MAXSummarize any column of numbers with five functions: total it, average it, count it and find its lowest and highest values.10 min
    6. 6. Copying Formulas and Cell References in ExcelWrite a formula once and copy it down a whole column with the fill handle, and understand how Excel adjusts each copy's cell references.9 min
    7. 7. How to Sort and Filter Data in ExcelPut a list in order by one or more columns, and show only the rows you need with text and number filters.9 min
    8. 8. How to Use Excel TablesTurn a plain range into an Excel table with Ctrl+T, then let it filter, band, total and extend formulas to new rows for you.9 min
    9. 9. How to Create a Chart in ExcelTurn a column of numbers into a column, line or pie chart, add a clear title and axis titles, and pick the right chart for your question.9 min
    10. 10. How to Write IF Statements in ExcelTurn a comparison into a clear answer with IF, then count and total the rows that meet a condition with COUNTIF and SUMIF.11 min
    11. 11. How to Clean Up Data in ExcelFix a messy list: trim stray spaces, swap values with Find and Replace, split names into columns, remove duplicate rows and find blank cells.12 min
    12. 12. Excel Navigation and Keyboard ShortcutsJump to the edges of your data, select whole columns of numbers, insert totals and run everyday commands from the keyboard.10 min
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    Intermediate ExcelIntermediate12 tutorials · about 3 hours
    1. 1. Turn Messy Data into a Clean Excel TableGet a range table-ready, convert it to a named Excel Table, add a calculated column and switch on a Total Row.12 min
    2. 2. Relative, Absolute and Mixed References in ExcelControl what changes when you copy a formula: keep row references moving, lock a shared rate with $, and build a grid with mixed references.12 min
    3. 3. Logic Formulas in Excel: IF with AND, OR and IFSTurn business rules into formulas: sort values into tiers with IFS, test several conditions with AND and OR, and catch errors with IFERROR.13 min
    4. 4. Lookup Formulas in Excel: XLOOKUP, VLOOKUP and INDEX/MATCHPull a price or category from a reference table with XLOOKUP, read and write VLOOKUP and INDEX/MATCH, and handle values that aren't in the list.14 min
    5. 5. Text and Date Functions in ExcelClean up names with TRIM, pull parts out of codes, join values into labels, and count the working days left before a deadline.14 min
    6. 6. How to Use Conditional Formatting in ExcelColor cells automatically by rule: flag values over a limit, catch duplicates, highlight top values, add data bars and write your own formula rules.13 min
    7. 7. How to Use Data Validation in ExcelAdd drop-down lists, number and date rules, input messages and error alerts, then protect formula cells so only the inputs can change.13 min
    8. 8. How to Create a PivotTable in ExcelSummarize a list by category, month or region in a few clicks with a PivotTable, then change the calculation, format the numbers and refresh it.13 min
    9. 9. PivotCharts, Slicers and Simple Dashboards in ExcelTurn a PivotTable into a PivotChart, add slicers and a timeline anyone can click to filter, and arrange them into a clean one-page dashboard.13 min
    10. 10. Importing and Cleaning Data in ExcelImport a CSV file without losing data, check that numbers are really numbers, then split, fill, standardize and de-duplicate an export.13 min
    11. 11. Organize and Protect an Excel WorkbookGive each sheet a clear job, freeze headers, name ranges, add notes and comments, and protect formulas while inputs stay editable.12 min
    12. 12. Productivity and Formula Auditing in ExcelSelect blanks and formulas in one step, paste values and formats, copy styles, and trace and evaluate formulas to find out why a number is wrong.13 min
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    Advanced ExcelAdvanced12 tutorials · about 3 hours
    1. 1. Workbook Architecture: Structuring Excel ModelsSplit a workbook into input, data, calculation and output sheets, name your assumption cells and document it so someone else can run it.11 min
    2. 2. Dynamic Array Formulas in Excel: FILTER, SORT and UNIQUEWrite one formula that spills a whole list: unique values, sorted results, filtered rows, numbered sequences and top-N lists that update with the data.14 min
    3. 3. Cleaner Formulas with LET in ExcelName the pieces of a long formula with LET so each is calculated once, the formula reads like a sentence, and errors are caught on purpose with IFNA.12 min
    4. 4. Advanced Lookups in Excel: Multiple Criteria and Approximate MatchLook up a value that depends on two columns, read a row-and-column grid, and place numbers into tiers with approximate match.16 min
    5. 5. Advanced PivotTables in ExcelGroup dates into quarters, show values as a percent of the total, add calculated fields, filter to the top N and keep a PivotTable's cache up to date.13 min
    6. 6. Power Query Basics: Combine and Clean Data in ExcelImport a folder of monthly files with Power Query, clean them with applied steps, and refresh the result whenever a new file arrives.15 min
    7. 7. Excel Data Model and Power Pivot BasicsRelate a sales table to a product table in the Data Model, build one PivotTable from both, and write your first DAX measures.14 min
    8. 8. What-If Analysis in Excel: Goal Seek, Scenarios and Data TablesWork backward from a target with Goal Seek, save best and worst cases with Scenario Manager, and compare many inputs at once with data tables.15 min
    9. 9. Designing an Excel DashboardPlan a dashboard around one audience and one decision, pick three to five KPIs, match each chart to its question and remove everything that doesn't help.13 min
    10. 10. Error Checking and Controls in ExcelTrace and evaluate suspicious formulas, add reconciliation checks and an error summary, handle filtered rows correctly and protect a report before you send it.14 min
    11. 11. Making Excel Workbooks Faster and Easier to MaintainFind what makes a workbook slow, replace volatile functions and oversized ranges, use manual calculation safely and leave notes so the next person can maintain it.13 min
    12. 12. How to Record a Macro in ExcelRecord a repeated formatting job as a macro, read the VBA Excel writes, choose relative or absolute references and save and open macro files safely.13 min
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    Expert ExcelExpert12 tutorials · about 3 hours
    1. 1. Planning an Excel Solution: Requirements and DesignTurn a vague request into a design brief: the decision, the refresh cadence, a workbook map, an assumptions register, an owner and testable acceptance criteria.13 min
    2. 2. Reusable Formulas with LAMBDA and Dynamic ArraysWrite a rule once as a named LAMBDA, apply it to a whole column with MAP, fold values with SCAN and REDUCE, and test it before you rely on it.17 min
    3. 3. Power Query Engineering: Parameters, Staging and RefreshBuild a folder import that survives change: a path parameter, a custom function, a connection-only staging query, a Rejected Rows table and checks you run after every refresh.18 min
    4. 4. Data Modeling and DAX Measures in ExcelDesign a star schema in the Data Model, keep measures in their own table, and write DAX with CALCULATE, DIVIDE and SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR.17 min
    5. 5. Automating Excel with VBAWrite VBA macros by hand: loop over ranges without Select, handle errors, respond to events, and log every run.20 min
    6. 6. Office Scripts and Power Automate for ExcelRecord and write Office Scripts, run them on a schedule with Power Automate, and choose the simplest automation that solves the job.16 min
    7. 7. Solver, Forecasting and Statistics Tools in ExcelFind the best product mix with Solver, test how sensitive it is, project a time series with Forecast Sheet and handle outliers in a trend honestly.18 min
    8. 8. Building Interactive Dashboards in ExcelBuild one dashboard with an executive view and an analyst view, clear controls, exceptions first, drill paths and a clean print layout.14 min
    9. 9. Testing Excel Models and Keeping Audit TrailsAdd a QA sheet that proves no rows were lost, totals tie back to the source and problems are listed, and keep a change log for every release.15 min
    10. 10. Excel Performance at ScaleFind out why a large workbook is slow, fix the costliest causes first, and recognize when the job has outgrown Excel.16 min
    11. 11. Securing and Deploying Excel WorkbooksProtect formulas while inputs stay open, know what Excel passwords really protect, handle macros and external links safely, and release each version with a checklist and a rollback plan.14 min
    12. 12. Excel Capstone Project: Build a Complete SolutionA guided project brief: build a refreshable operations model from five sources, with queries, a star schema, measures, a two-audience dashboard, QA checks, automation and a handoff.15 min
    Open this path →

    Focused paths

    Short paths built around one goal. They reuse tutorials from the levels above, so ticks carry over.

    The 20 Most-Used Excel FunctionsBeginner20 tutorials · about 4 hours
    1. 1. How to Use the SUM Function in ExcelAdd up a column, a row or scattered cells with SUM, and get a total in one keystroke with AutoSum.11 min
    2. 2. How to Use the AVERAGE Function in ExcelFind the average of a column, a row or several ranges with AVERAGE, and know how it treats blank cells, zeros and text.12 min
    3. 3. COUNT and COUNTA in Excel: Count Numbers and Non-Blank CellsCount the cells that hold numbers with COUNT, count every filled cell with COUNTA, and know which one to use.12 min
    4. 4. How to Use MIN and MAX in ExcelFind the smallest and largest numbers in a range with MIN and MAX, within a group with MINIFS and MAXIFS, and use them to cap a value.13 min
    5. 5. How to Round Numbers in Excel: ROUND, ROUNDUP and ROUNDDOWNRound prices to the cent, sales to the nearest thousand and box counts up to whole numbers with ROUND, ROUNDUP and ROUNDDOWN.11 min
    6. 6. How to Use SUMIF and SUMIFS in ExcelAdd up only the numbers that meet a condition with SUMIF, or several conditions at once with SUMIFS.14 min
    7. 7. How to Use COUNTIF and COUNTIFS in ExcelCount the cells that meet a condition with COUNTIF, or several conditions at once with COUNTIFS, using operators, cell references and wildcards.14 min
    8. 8. How to Use AVERAGEIF and AVERAGEIFS in ExcelAverage only the numbers that meet a condition with AVERAGEIF, or several conditions at once with AVERAGEIFS, including date ranges and wildcards.12 min
    9. 9. How to Use the IF Function in ExcelMake a formula return one result when a condition is true and another when it's false, with text, numbers or calculations.13 min
    10. 10. How to Use AND and OR in ExcelTest several conditions at once with AND and OR, reverse a test with NOT, and use them inside IF to label, flag and calculate rows.12 min
    11. 11. How to Use the IFS Function in ExcelSort values into grades, tiers and price bands with IFS instead of nested IFs, and know when SWITCH or a lookup table is the better choice.13 min
    12. 12. How to Use IFERROR in ExcelReplace error values such as #DIV/0! and #N/A with a value or message of your own using IFERROR and IFNA, without hiding real mistakes.14 min
    13. 13. How to Use VLOOKUP in ExcelLook up a value in a table and return a matching value from the same row with VLOOKUP, and fix the #N/A and #REF! errors it can return.15 min
    14. 14. How to Use XLOOKUP in ExcelFind a value in one column and return the matching value from another with XLOOKUP, including a fallback for missing values, nearest matches and wildcards.15 min
    15. 15. How to Use INDEX and MATCH in ExcelCombine INDEX and MATCH to look up a value in any column, including one to the left, and to find the value where a row and a column meet.13 min
    16. 16. How to Join Text in Excel: CONCAT, TEXTJOIN and &Combine names, codes and lists into one cell with the & operator, CONCAT and TEXTJOIN, with spaces, separators, line breaks and number formats where you want them.11 min
    17. 17. How to Use LEFT, RIGHT and MID in ExcelPull characters from the start, end or middle of a code, ID or email address with LEFT, RIGHT and MID, and handle parts of varying length with FIND and LEN.11 min
    18. 18. How to Use the TRIM Function in ExcelRemove the extra spaces that break lookups and counts with TRIM, and clean up non-breaking spaces and line breaks from web and exported data.10 min
    19. 19. How to Use the TEXT Function in ExcelUse TEXT to format numbers, percentages and dates inside a formula, so they read properly when you join them into labels and sentences.11 min
    20. 20. How to Use TODAY and NOW in ExcelUse TODAY and NOW to count days to a deadline, flag overdue items, work out ages and years of service, and enter dates that don't change.11 min
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    Everyday Excel SkillsBeginner14 tutorials · about 2 hours
    1. 1. How to Save, AutoSave and Undo in ExcelSave a workbook, let AutoSave keep cloud files up to date, undo and redo mistakes, and get back work after Excel closes unexpectedly.9 min
    2. 2. How to Use AutoFill and the Fill Handle in ExcelFill days, months, numbers, dates and numbered labels by dragging the fill handle, and control the result with Auto Fill Options and the Series dialog.9 min
    3. 3. How to Use Flash Fill in ExcelSplit, combine and reformat text by typing one example and letting Flash Fill complete the column, and know when a formula is the better choice.9 min
    4. 4. Paste Special in Excel: Paste Values, Transpose and MorePaste only the part of a copy you need: values instead of formulas, formats, a transposed copy, or a calculation applied to a whole range.10 min
    5. 5. How to Use Find and Replace in ExcelFind any value on a sheet or in a whole workbook, change every copy of it at once, and use options and wildcards so you replace only what you mean to.9 min
    6. 6. Quick Totals from the Excel Status BarGet the sum, average, count, minimum and maximum of any selection from the status bar, without writing a formula, and copy the result in one click.7 min
    7. 7. How to Freeze Panes in ExcelKeep headings and labels on screen while you scroll: freeze the top row, the first column, or any rows and columns, and unfreeze them again.8 min
    8. 8. How to Hide and Unhide Rows, Columns and Sheets in ExcelHide rows, columns and sheets you don't need to see, bring them back, and know how hidden cells affect formulas, copying and charts.8 min
    9. 9. How to Use Format Painter in ExcelCopy the look of one cell to other cells with Format Painter: number formats, fonts, fills, borders and highlight rules, once or many times.8 min
    10. 10. How to Split Data with Text to Columns in ExcelSplit one column into several at a comma, a dash or a fixed position, keep leading zeros, and turn text dates into real dates with Text to Columns.9 min
    11. 11. How to Remove Duplicates in ExcelDelete repeated rows from a list with Remove Duplicates, choose which columns decide what counts as a duplicate, and check for duplicates before you delete.8 min
    12. 12. Comments and Notes in ExcelAsk questions with threaded comments, mention and reply to colleagues, resolve finished threads, and explain cells with notes.9 min
    13. 13. How to Print in Excel: Print Area, Titles and Fit to PagePrint exactly the cells you want, repeat the heading row on every page, fit a sheet to one page wide, and add page numbers.11 min
    14. 14. How to Save Excel as PDF or CSVTurn a sheet into a PDF that looks right for anyone, or a CSV file that other apps can import, and know what each format keeps and loses.10 min
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    Frequently asked questions

    Is this Excel course really free?

    Yes. Every tutorial and learning path is free to read, with no account, subscription or trial.

    How long does it take?

    The four levels add up to about 10 hours of reading, plus time for practice. At 30 minutes a day, most people finish a level in one to two weeks.

    Which version of Excel do I need?

    The tutorials are written for Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2021 or later, on Windows and Mac. Most steps also work in Excel for the web.

    Can I practice without installing Excel?

    Yes, for many lessons. Many tutorials include a practice sheet on the page where you type real formulas and see the result. For the rest, Excel for the web works.

    Can I skip a level?

    Yes. Use the table at the top of this page to pick a starting level, and skim the earlier paths if you hit something unfamiliar.

    Do I get a certificate?

    No. ArumSoft doesn't issue certificates. If you need a credential, Microsoft offers the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exams.