Excel courses online. Excel - free online training

Anyone who uses a computer in their daily work has, in one way or another, encountered the Excel office application, which is part of the standard Microsoft Office package. It is available in any version of the package. And quite often, when starting to get acquainted with the program, many users wonder whether they can use Excel on their own?

What is Excel?

First, let's define what Excel is and what this application is needed for. Probably, many have heard that the program is a spreadsheet editor, but the principles of its operation are fundamentally different from the same tables created in Word.

If in Word a table is more of an element in which a text or table is displayed, then a sheet with an Excel table is, in fact, a unified mathematical machine that is capable of performing a wide variety of calculations based on specified data types and formulas by which this or that mathematical or algebraic operation.

How to learn to work in Excel on your own and is it possible to do it?

As the heroine of the film “Office Romance” said, you can teach a hare to smoke. In principle, nothing is impossible. Let's try to understand the basic principles of the application's functioning and focus on understanding its main capabilities.

Of course, reviews from people who understand the specifics of the application say that you can, say, download some tutorial on how to work in Excel, however, as practice shows, and especially the comments of novice users, such materials are very often presented in a too abstruse form, and It can be quite difficult to figure out.

It seems that the best training option would be to study the basic capabilities of the program, and then apply them, so to speak, “by scientific poking.” It goes without saying that you first need to consider the basic functional elements of Microsoft Excel (the program lessons indicate exactly this) in order to get a complete picture of the principles of operation.

Key elements to pay attention to

The very first thing the user pays attention to when launching the application is a sheet in the form of a table, in which cells are located, numbered in different ways, depending on the version of the application itself. In earlier versions, columns were designated by letters, and rows by numbers and numbers. In other releases, all markings are presented exclusively in digital form.

What is this for? Yes, only so that it is always possible to determine the cell number for specifying a certain calculation operation, similar to how coordinates are specified in a two-dimensional system for a point. Later it will be clear how to work with them.

Another important component is the formula bar - a special field with an “f x” icon on the left. This is where all operations are specified. At the same time, the mathematical operations themselves are designated in exactly the same way as is customary in the international classification (equal sign “=”, multiplication “*” division “/”, etc.). Trigonometric quantities also correspond to international notations (sin, cos, tg, etc.). But this is the simplest thing. More complex operations will have to be mastered with the help of the help system or specific examples, since some formulas may look quite specific (exponential, logarithmic, tensor, matrix, etc.).

At the top, as in other office programs, there is the main panel and the main menu sections with the main operation items and quick access buttons to a particular function.

and simple operations with them

Consideration of the question is impossible without a key understanding of the types of data entered in table cells. Let us immediately note that after entering some information, you can press the enter button, the Esc key, or simply move the rectangle from the desired cell to another - the data will be saved. Editing a cell is done by double-clicking or pressing the F2 key, and upon completion of data entry, saving occurs only by pressing the Enter key.

Now a few words about what can be entered in each cell. The format menu is called up by right-clicking on the active cell. On the left there is a special column indicating the data type (general, numeric, text, percentage, date, etc.). If the general format is selected, the program, roughly speaking, itself determines what exactly the entered value looks like (for example, if you enter 01/01/16, the date January 1, 2016 will be recognized).

When entering a number, you can also use an indication of the number of decimal places (by default, one character is displayed, although when entering two, the program simply rounds the visible value, although the true value does not change).

When using, say, a text data type, whatever the user types will be displayed exactly as typed on the keyboard, without modification.

Here's what's interesting: if you hover the cursor over the selected cell, a cross will appear in the lower right corner, by pulling it while holding down the left mouse button, you can copy the data to the cells following the desired one in order. But the data will change. If we take the same date example, the next value would be January 2, and so on. This type of copying can be useful when specifying the same formula for different cells (sometimes even with cross calculations).

When it comes to formulas, for the simplest operations you can use a two-pronged approach. For example, for the sum of cells A1 and B1, which must be calculated in cell C1, you need to place the rectangle in the C1 field and specify the calculation using the formula “=A1+B1”. You can do it differently by setting the equality “=SUM(A1:B1)” (this method is more used for large gaps between cells, although you can use the automatic sum function, as well as the English version of the SUM command).

Excel program: how to work with Excel sheets

When working with sheets, you can perform many actions: add sheets, change their name, delete unnecessary ones, etc. But the most important thing is that any cells located on different sheets can be interconnected by certain formulas (especially when large amounts of information of different types are entered).

How to learn to work in Excel on your own in terms of use and calculations? It's not that simple here. As reviews from users who have mastered this spreadsheet editor show, it will be quite difficult to do this without outside help. You should at least read the help system of the program itself. The simplest way is to enter cells in the same formula by selecting them (this can be done both on one sheet and on different ones. Again, if you enter the sum of several fields, you can enter “=SUM”, and then simply select one by one while holding down the Ctrl key the necessary cells. But this is the most primitive example.

Additional features

But in the program you can not only create tables with various types of data. Based on them, in a couple of seconds you can build all kinds of graphs and diagrams by specifying either a selected range of cells for automatic construction, or specifying it manually when entering the corresponding menu.

In addition, the program has the ability to use special add-ons and executable scripts based on Visual Basic. You can insert any objects in the form of graphics, video, audio or anything else. In general, there are enough opportunities. And here only a small fraction of everything that this unique program is capable of is touched upon.

What can I say, with the right approach, it can calculate matrices, solve all kinds of equations of any complexity, find, create databases and connect them with other applications like Microsoft Access and much more - you just can’t list it all.

Bottom line

Now, it’s probably already clear that the question of how to learn to work in Excel on your own is not so easy to consider. Of course, if you master the basic principles of working in the editor, setting the simplest operations will not be difficult. User reviews indicate that you can learn this in a maximum of a week. But if you need to use more complex calculations, and even more so, work with reference to databases, no matter how much anyone wants it, you simply cannot do without special literature or courses. Moreover, it is very likely that you will even have to improve your knowledge of algebra and geometry from the school course. Without this, you can’t even dream of fully using the spreadsheet editor.

There are some things that you can completely live without. For example, an electric can opener, or a sausage cutter. This list could be continued indefinitely, however, the meaning is probably already clear. In ordinary life they are simply not needed. Of course, there is some probability that someday they will also find use.

For example, you are expecting a large number of guests and you need to open 10 cans of green peas, and then cut 20 loaves of sausage into thin slices. Of course, under such circumstances, the above things will be very useful. But these are special cases. In everyday life, it is easier for us to open a can of canned food in the usual way, as well as to cut off a couple of slices of sausage for a sandwich.

It's the same with computer programs. Studying them simply for general development, in the hope that one day they will be needed, would be a waste of time. Of course, during your training you will in any case improve your general computer skills. For example, you hold the mouse more confidently, you begin to type text faster and faster, you become more fluent in unfamiliar interfaces... However, first of all, it is worth mastering programs that will really help you in your work or personal life.

MS Excel program is a universal tool and is suitable for almost any person who, as part of their job, has to calculate something, maintain databases, build diagrams, and the like. Moreover, the word “calculate” often scares ordinary people. Something like matrix transposition or differential equations immediately appears.

In fact, even in everyday life there is a place for calculations. Let's look at some simple examples.

The first is the most banal: you need to keep a table of expenses and income. If you are not lazy and write down at least large expenses there, you will be able to draw conclusions about the structure of expenses and adjust them.

Second: you need to make a diagram using the existing table. In Excel, this can be done in just a few minutes (of course, if you know how).

Fourth: you need to maintain a small database of the company’s clients.

All these and many other tasks become easily solvable if you use Microsoft Excel.

Due to the nature of my work, I constantly have to analyze digital data. Previously, this took a lot of time because I preferred to work with a regular calculator. However, when the boss once again hinted at the presence of constant errors in the calculations and asked to speed up the provision of reports with the results of business trips, “bad” thoughts began to creep into my head that it was time to shake off the old days and start training.

How to learn Excel

Everyone comes to Excel differently. However, few people manage to master the program on their own, using textbooks. The fact is that, as a rule, there is absolutely no time for this. The bosses don't really care that you need to learn something. He needs results.

Therefore, we have to do it in fits and starts. In my free time. Buying books at your own expense.

There is another tactic: you can endlessly terrorize your colleagues by asking them question after question, asking them to show how this or that operation is done. Colleagues are different. Some people try to help you at first. Others immediately come up with a way to make you “get rid of” yourself. For example, giving advice in a deliberately dismissive tone, showing with all your appearance that you are an impenetrable idiot, and without a single hope of correction.

Unfortunately, self-learning is usually slow. Sometimes a person simply falls into a stupor, because he is firmly up against an insurmountable obstacle. Day after day nothing works out, and there is no one to ask. Colleagues, seeing you approaching their table, immediately take on such a puzzled look that they simply don’t dare ask them questions.

What to do, you think, and decide to look for some MS Excel courses.

MS Excel courses

Here, as they say, depending on your luck. If you are lucky enough to find a good teacher who actually works with the program in practice, and did not study it from books a month before the start of your courses, consider that half the battle is done.

If your boss agrees to let you study during working hours, it will be even better. And if he also deigns to pay for your tuition, then you can consider yourself a real darling of fate.

What if everything turns out the other way around?

You will go to the training center after work, when your head is already boiling from production tasks. You will pay a considerable amount of money out of your own pocket for the Excel course. And with all this, you will come across a teacher who can only talk about the program within the framework of the book “Excel for Dummies”. Any question “aside” from the general line will baffle him.

As a result, after completing the training you will be completely convinced that Excel is one of the most complex programs in the world, and you yourself are one of the most stupid students, a disgrace to the training center that graduated you and the teacher personally. How can you not return to the good old calculator, causing the wrath of your superiors and the smirks of your more advanced colleagues.

Even if this sad “second option” does not happen to you, you still have to travel halfway across the city to classes at the end of the working day, waste time in traffic jams, sit in a stuffy classroom under flickering neon lights, adjust to the speed of work of the slowest student in the group - is it really Is this how learning should take place in the 21st century?

Online MS Excel lessons

Of course not! I immediately dismissed the in-person courses and started looking for online learning options. In general, there are a lot of completely free ones on the Internet. materials for mastering Excel. At first I was happy and started to look through them, but over time it became clear that the free lessons were very scattered, it was difficult to find a continuation, etc.

Sometimes the quality of information delivery left much to be desired.

However, at some point I discovered two courses that seemed good to me. Alas, one of them was not complete enough and contained only the most. This was only suitable for the most novice users. The second course was thorough and serious. What was most captivating was that the analysis of the program’s functions was not carried out with a simple abstract enumeration, but with specific examples.

Even though these were examples not entirely from my field, they helped me master the capabilities of the program, get better at it, and absorb working techniques. All this made it possible to take subsequent independent steps, acting by analogy.

Online learning versus classic courses

There are disciplines where online learning is powerless. Everything there is built on live interaction between mentor and student. However, if we are talking about mastering a new computer program, then a video lesson will work more successfully than a regular one, when both the teacher and the student are in the classroom at the same time.

If we work with video lessons, then we are not tied to a specific time and place of study. You can study when you have time. The main thing is not to give up. This rule is very important! Many people who criticize distance learning turn out to be undisciplined slobs. Having paid for the course, they believe that they will learn in any case and are very surprised when month after month passes, and somehow their knowledge does not increase at all.

Nothing surprising. On weekdays they usually have no time to study - work, fatigue, TV. And when they sit down to study on the weekend, what they mastered a week ago is almost forgotten. You have to endlessly go back and re-watch already completed video lessons. And not just watch, but do all the actions yourself. And then there are tasks for independent work.

Another problem is passively watching video tutorials without any attempts to complete the proposed exercises with your own hands. Indeed, why carry them out when everything is already clear. Let's move on...

As a result, without gaining practical skills day after day, simply watching lessons during a lunch break with a cup of coffee in hand, a person does not study, but wastes time. It is not surprising that some people have a strong antipathy towards distance learning.

Yes, it is not for slobs. If you want to learn something, watch and learn.

Excel lessons by Andrey Sukhov

As I said, I liked the course. All topics are discussed using specific examples, which are much better remembered. I liked the fact that the author did not record one large video lesson covering an entire section of the course, but divided it into several short videos.

Watching a short video covering a specific situation and its solution is much more convenient. It's very easy to rewind the video if you've missed something. It is constantly suggested that you perform this or that action yourself. So not only the head, but also the hands remember the sequence of operations.

It is valuable that the author offers to watch the first, introductory part of the course without setting any conditions. It covers the most basic information and skills, which are nevertheless sufficient to solve simple, non-specialized problems.

At the same time, you have the opportunity to listen to how the author teaches lessons. Are there any problems with diction, is the pace of presentation of the material normal, are the examples clear, etc.

At one time, I also first signed up for the first free part, and then paid for the full course. It cost 1800 rubles. On the one hand, it seems expensive. On the other hand, full-time courses are much more expensive. If you buy a textbook, the savings will be very doubtful. Indeed, there are inexpensive books, but the training takes a lot of time.

Result of training and implementation of Excel

Now the bosses are quite happy with me. I have fewer mistakes and I submit reports on time. What about the bosses! I myself am completely delighted. After all, as soon as I created and debugged the table once, all the work then consisted only of adding fresh, relevant numbers to several cells. The program instantly performed calculations and produced ready-made numbers.

If earlier drawing up a damned report was real hard labor, now it has turned into a holiday. Everything works out quickly and without errors. Almost "itself" :)

Who said the phrase: “Manual labor on the shoulders of machines?” This is exactly what happened in my case. The time spent learning has paid off handsomely. Thanks to Microsoft for such a useful program and to Andrey Sukhov for an understandable and useful .

Excel is one of the most powerful applications in the entire Office suite. It is used not only by accountants and economists, but also by ordinary people. The program is designed to work with numbers and tables, making it possible to present information in the most convenient form for perception: as charts and graphs. Here you can carry out complex calculations and perform various mathematical operations. In addition, the user does not need special knowledge; it is enough to learn how to work in Excel.

What is this office application?

Excel works with files that form a kind of book consisting of separate sheets. Letters, symbols and numbers are entered into table cells. They can be copied, moved or deleted. If necessary, various operations are carried out with them: text, mathematical, logical and others. Beginners who are just learning how to work in Excel should know that any information can be displayed on the screen in the form of graphs or charts.

How to create a file?

First of all, you need to open the document. To create it, you need to click on the program shortcut or go to the application through “Start”.

By default, the name is “Book 1,” but you can enter any name in the “File name” line. While working, you should periodically save data to avoid loss of information in the event of a computer crash or freeze.

You can easily switch between sheets by clicking on the corresponding inscription at the bottom of the page. If there are a lot of tabs, it is better to use the arrows on the keyboard. To insert a sheet, you need to find the “Insert” item in the “Home” menu. It will display all the possible actions that apply to the sheets, such as adding or deleting. Tabs can also be moved.

"Face" of the program

Before you figure out how to work in Excel, it’s worth studying the interface. The tools are located at the top and bottom of the window, and the rest of the area is occupied by rectangles, which are cells. The peculiarity of spreadsheets is that actions can be performed in some cells, and the result can be displayed in others.

Each table has columns that are designated by letters of the English alphabet. Lines are numbered on the left. Thus, any cell has its own coordinates. You can enter both data and formulas in each cell. Before entering the latter, you must put the “=” symbol.

Each cell has its own characteristic

To understand how to learn to work in Excel correctly, the user must know that before entering values, it is necessary to set the dimension of the column or cell. It will depend on how the data is measured. To do this, right-click on the selected range and select “Format Cells” in the dialog box.

If the entered number is greater than 999, you must set the division by digits. You should not enter spaces yourself.

To display data correctly, you cannot enter more than one individual value in one cell. Also, do not enter enumerations separated by commas or other characters. Each value must have its own cell.

How to enter data?

Users who know will have no problem entering data. To do this, you need to click on the cell and type letters or numbers on the keyboard. To continue working, you must press “Enter” or TAB. Line breaks are performed using the ALT + “ENTER” combination.

When entering a month or number in order, just enter the value in the initial cells, and then drag the marker to the required range.

Wrap text

Most often, users are interested in learning how to work with text in Excel. If necessary, it can be word-hyphenated. To do this, you need to select certain cells and in the “Home” tab you need to find the “Alignment” option, and then select “Text Wrap”.

If you want to automatically change the width and height of a cell according to the entered text, you should do the following: go to the “Home” tab and select “Format” in the “Cells” group. Next you need to select the appropriate action.

Formatting

To format numbers, you need to select the cell and find the “Number” group in the “Home” tab. After clicking on the arrow next to the “General” item, you can select the required format.

To change the font, you need to select a specific range and go to the “Home” menu, “Font”.

How to create a table?

Knowledge of how to work in Excel is unlikely to be useful to a user if he does not know how to create a table. The easiest way is to highlight a specific range and mark the boundaries with black lines by clicking on the corresponding icon at the top of the page. But often a non-standard table for forms or documents is required.

First of all, you need to decide what the table should look like in order to set the width and length of the cells. Having selected the range, you need to go to the “Format Cells” menu and select “Alignment”. The “Merge Cells” option will help remove unnecessary borders. Then you need to go to the “Borders” menu and set the required parameters.

Using the Format Cells menu, you can create different table options by adding or removing columns and rows, and changing borders.

Knowing how to work in an Excel table, the user will be able to create headings. To do this, in the “Table Formatting” window, you need to check the box next to the “Table with headers” item.

To add elements to a table, you must use the Design tab. There you can select the required parameters.

What are macros for?

If a user has to frequently repeat the same actions in a program, knowledge of how macros work in Excel will be useful. They are programmed to perform actions in a certain sequence. Using macros allows you to automate certain operations and alleviate monotonous work. They can be written in different programming languages, but their essence does not change.

To create a macro in this application, you need to go to the “Tools” menu, select “Macro”, and then click “Start Recording”. Next, you need to perform those actions that are often repeated, and after finishing the work, click “Stop recording”.

All these instructions will help a beginner figure out how to work in Excel: keep records, create reports and analyze numbers.

In any office, in any enterprise, such a popular program as Microsoft Excel is used. Nowadays, neither schoolchildren, nor students, nor employees of various institutions can do without it. Children today are taught to work with Microsoft Excel at school, as part of a basic computer science course. However, some people still have difficulties in this matter. An amazing opportunity can come to their aid - learning Excel online.

Proficiency in this program is a mandatory requirement for employment, so learning Excel online is a hot topic for many people. Learning Excel online is a fast, convenient and free way to master one of the most popular programs in the world. You can study at any time convenient for you - all you need is a convenient computer and Internet access.

How does the learning process work?

Excel online training can be conducted in two formats:

Watching video tutorials;
Studying the electronic tutorial.

Video courses are often considered a more convenient form of learning material. However, they lack feedback. But if online Excel training is carried out using a tutorial, it includes practical work that helps the user develop the necessary skills. Practical classes include the implementation of situational tasks - they are carried out in a semi-game form, therefore they bring a person not only benefit, but also pleasure.

Online Excel training allows a person to master the following topics for free:

Data analysis;
Using macros;
Forecasting;
Modeling;
Slices for accelerated filtration;
Data protection;
Creation of charts, various types of graphs, etc.

Benefits of online learning

Free online training in Excel has many advantages, namely:

You do not need to waste time on the road - the learning process takes place at your home;
Lack of location. Even if you need to go on a business trip or vacation, you can continue your studies by taking your tablet or laptop with you;
Free online Excel training is an accessible type of training for everyone.

What will you learn after online training?

After completing free Excel online training, the user will learn:

Perform complex calculations;
Automatically combine different types of tables into a single structured system;
Find the necessary data in systems based on various criteria;
Generate all kinds of reports of any complexity;
Conduct analysis (both statistical and financial);
Build various graphs, visual reports, diagrams, etc.

All these skills are extremely important in the work of an accountant, manager, logistician, financier, marketer or ordinary secretary. That is why online Excel training is an excellent chance for those who want to significantly improve their working skills and become a truly valuable employee for any employer.

In the playlist below you will see a detailed training course on how to work with Excel.

Proficiency in a set of office applications, especially word and excel, today is a necessary, and in some cases, mandatory skill in many professions and areas of life. Our Word and Excel training program for beginners is intended primarily for those who need to master these programs comprehensively and thoroughly, with a detailed description of all the necessary tools and settings. Word and Excel courses are the minimum, after mastering which you will be able to work independently in almost any industry, performing basic office tasks on document circulation and various types of reporting. Many people believe that learning Word and Excel for dummies is something insufficient to quickly advance in education and in the profession, but under this somewhat humorous name lies a well-developed program for learning Word and Excel, which allows you to master the subject easily and effectively, and most importantly, the Excel training program for beginners step by step allows you to clarify the direction you are mastering at each stage.

Microsoft Excel Features and Capabilities

MS Excel is a universal and multifunctional spreadsheet editor whose functions are not limited to creating and editing spreadsheets. Using this application, you can significantly increase the efficiency and speed of solving a wide range of professional tasks - from creating databases, analyzing and grouping them using filters to complex calculations with various coefficients, visualization and forecasting.

Excel skills are indispensable for specialists working in the following fields:

Financial and economic analytics;
Accounting;
Marketing and sociological research;
Scientific activity;
Banking sector and work with loans;
IT sphere, SEO optimization and promotion;
Working with databases in various fields.

In the above areas, you will need advanced Excel skills, but for managers and other office workers, in most cases, basic skills in using a spreadsheet editor are sufficient. Firstly, this will be a big advantage when finding a job, and secondly, it will really help you cope with your work easier and faster.

Demand for Word and Excel specialists

Despite the fact that you can now learn to work in Excel from scratch in almost any computer technology training center, there are not enough specialists who know these programs at the proper level. Most people who come to MS Office Excel courses and think that they can more or less work in these programs, in fact do not reach the very beginning level. But having a correct understanding of our skills allows us not only to choose the right training course, but also to be able to apply for a certain job. The demand for Word and Excel specialists is one side of the coin, the other side is their professionalism and skill. Therefore, Excel for Dummies training is necessary for everyone, at least in order to understand what level of proficiency in Word and Excel programs we are at, and whether we are doing the right thing by learning Excel from scratch or whether we need ms excel training at a higher level. And even if you have an initial level of proficiency in Excel and Word, but studied on your own, then in the courses you will be able to systematize your knowledge and find a lot of new things in seemingly clear things. Well, if you are trained in more complex levels of office software, then it is better to immediately resort to the services of specialized centers - you will save not only time and money, but also your nerves.

You will need knowledge of the following MS Excel tools:

Data storage - creating tables, databases, lists, sheets and books;
Data processing methods - searching, filtering, formatting and grouping by parameters;
Methods of calculations, analysis and forecasting based on available data;
Visualization of data in graphs and charts;
Logical, text, mathematical and statistical functions;
Formulas for fast computational operations with large data sets;
Macros, pivot tables and other tools.

Where to start learning, with Word or Excel

Traditionally, learning begins with Word; the program allows you to fundamentally master the keyboard and basic skills in working with text and information of various types. After mastering the Word program, the Excel program becomes easier to master, if only because you have confident typing skills on the keyboard. Working in Excel, training for dummies, implies computer proficiency not only at a basic level, but also at the level of confident use. If Word is a program that is necessary for almost everyone, as a tool for creating, editing, sending and receiving any document, then Excel is a specialized program that may not be necessary for everyone, but mastery of this tool, even at an elementary level, will open you up to a lot of possibilities. Therefore, in addition to Word, it is highly recommended to take Excel for Dummies training. This combination - word and excel, is very popular as a popular skill for any specialist.

How to quickly master Word and Excel

For experienced computer users, using the main components of the software package at a superficial level is not difficult. Opening a file, reading or typing text, saving a document are actions that absolutely every person who works with a computer faces. Once you master any application included in Microsoft Office, you will be able to understand the logic of the interface and menus, and basic operations will become intuitive in the future.

The situation is completely different if you are a novice PC user or you need Office tools for professional purposes. In the first case, the lack of skills in using office applications, in particular the Word text editor, is a serious obstacle to further mastering all the capabilities of a personal computer. Therefore, learning Office for beginners should be carried out on a systematic basis with a detailed mastery of basic functions, menus and toolbars.

Mastering MS Office for professional use is even more difficult - most ordinary users do not know about 95% of the capabilities of the Word text editor and Excel spreadsheet editor, unless their work requires it.

Self-study requires a lot of time, self-discipline and the ability to concentrate, so the optimal solution would be to take specialized courses dedicated to learning Word and Excel from scratch. They will help you with this Computer literacy courses (Windows, Word, Excel) And Excel courses (Excel) - basic level, which take place at the State Center for Postgraduate Education. If you want to become a professional in using a spreadsheet editor, here is your service: