How to Use Excel? A Step-by-Step Guide

Worldwide users across industries, such as finance, accounting, marketing and other professions use Excel. Its robust features and intuitive interface handle tasks like simple calculations, complex data analysis, and reporting. By mastering How to Use Excel, you can streamline workflows, improve productivity, and gain valuable insights from your data. 

Hence, this step-by-step blog on How to Use Excel attempts to give you an extensive understanding of its features. It will provide you with tips, tricks, and best practices to maximise your efficiency and productivity in Excel. Without any delay, let's delve in to discover the intricacies of Excel and enhance your spreadsheet proficiency. 

Table of Contents 

1) What is Microsoft Excel?  

2) How to create an Excel spreadsheet? 

3) How to add data to your spreadsheet? 

4) What is an Excel Formula? 

5) Why Are Excel Formulas Important? 

6) Basic Excel formulas 

7) How to sort your data? 

8) How to filter your data? 

9) How to print your work? 

10) How to find and apply a template? 

11) Conclusion  

What is Microsoft Excel?  

Microsoft Excel plays a versatile role in handling data and offering users many functionalities. At its core, Microsoft Excel facilitates the creation of spreadsheets, providing users with a structured canvas to organise and store data. Beyond mere data storage, Excel boasts a rich set of features tailored for data analysis and manipulation. Whether it is numerical data, text, dates, or formulas, Excel offers a user-friendly interface for efficiently managing information.  

Moreover, Excel offers graphing tools that empower users to visualise data trends and patterns. As a whole, it facilitates deeper insights and informed decision-making.
 

How to create an Excel spreadsheet? 

Creating an Excel spreadsheet is the first step towards organising and managing your data effectively. Here's how to get started: 

a) Open Excel and click on "Blank Workbook" to initiate a new spreadsheet 

b) Personalise the layout, design, and formatting based on your preferences and needs 

How to add data to your spreadsheet? 

Adding data to an Excel spreadsheet is a fundamental aspect of using the software. Let's take a look at how to add data to your spreadsheet: 

a) Right-click on a cell and input data. 

b) Enter text, numbers, dates, or formulas into cells. 

c) Utilise the tab key to navigate to the next cell or arrow keys for movement within the spreadsheet. 

What is an Excel formula? 

An Excel formula is a mathematical expression within a spreadsheet, that enables calculations on data. It can perform various operations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and more. Formulas are used to analyse data in an Excel spreadsheet manipulate and efficiently.   

Dive into a transformative journey towards mastering Excel - join our Business Analytics With Excel Course now! 

Why are Excel formulas important? 

Excel formulas are vital tools for professionals in various industries. They facilitate intricate calculations, task automation, and comprehensive data analysis. Alongside, they enable users to manipulate, interpret, and effectively derive insights from data. Here's why Excel formulas are vital: 

a) Perform intricate calculations: Excel formulas enable users to efficiently perform complex mathematical operations, from basic arithmetic to advanced statistical analyses. 

b) Automate tasks: By utilising Excel formulas, users can automate repetitive tasks and processes, thereby saving time and improving efficiency. 

c) Comprehensive data analysis: Excel formulas allow for in-depth data analysis, facilitating the interpretation of trends, patterns, and relationships within datasets. 

d) Enhance productivity: With Excel formulas, users can streamline workflows, increase accuracy, and make informed decisions more efficiently, ultimately boosting productivity in data-driven tasks and analyses. 

Basic Excel formulas 

The basic Excel formulas act as building blocks for performing various calculations and operations within spreadsheets. Let's take a look at some of those formulas: 

SUM 

The SUM formula adds up the values in a range of cells. For example, =SUM(A1:A10) would add up the values in cells A1 through A10. 

COUNT 

The COUNT function tallies the number of cells within a specified range with numerical values. For example, =COUNT(A1:A10) calculates the number of cells within the range of A1 to A10 that hold numerical values. 

DATEDIF 

This function computes the disparity between two dates, measuring it in terms of days, months, or years. For example, =DATEDIF(A1, A2, "d") would calculate the number of days between the dates in cells A1 and A2. 

Enhance your accounting skills with our Excel for Accounting Course - register today!  

VLOOKUP & HLOOKUP 

The VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP formulas are used to look up and retrieve data from a table. VLOOKUP scans the initial column of a table to locate a specified value and retrieves a corresponding value from a different column. HLOOKUP works similarly but searches for a value in the first row of a table. 

IF 

The IF formula evaluates a logical condition and provides a specific output if the condition is met and an alternative output if it is not. For instance, if the value in cell A1 surpasses 10, the formula =IF(A1>10, "Yes", "No") will yield "Yes"; otherwise, it will produce "No". 

How to sort your data? 

Sorting data in Excel is a fundamental task that allows users to organise information systematically. Here's how to effectively sort your data: 

a) Choose the range of cells you want to sort 

b) Go to the "Data" tab in Excel 

c) Click on the "Sort" button. 

d) Choose the column you want to sort by 

e) Select whether you want to sort in ascending or descending order 

How to filter your data? 

Mastering data filtering in Excel is essential for efficient data analysis and reporting. Let's explore how to filter your data: 

a) Select the range of cells you want to filter 

b) Go to the "Data" tab in Excel 

c) Click on the "Filter" button 

d) Use the drop-down arrows next to each column heading to filter the data based on specific criteria. 

How to print your work? 

Printing your work in Excel is crucial in sharing or presenting your data. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to print your work in Excel: 

a) Go to the "File" tab in Excel 

b) Click on "Print" 

c) Make adjustments to the print settings, like the number of copies, page orientation, and print quality. 

d) Review the preview and make any necessary adjustments 

e) Click "Print" to send your spreadsheet to the printer 

Streamline your workflow with our Microsoft Excel VBA and Micro Training - book your spot now! 

How to find and apply a template? 

Discovering and utilising templates in Excel can significantly expedite your workflow and enhance the visual appeal of your spreadsheets. Let's explore how to find and apply a template: 

a) Go to the "File" tab in Excel. 

b) Click on "New". 

c) Search for templates by keyword or category. 

d) Choose a template that suits your needs. 

e) Click on "Create" to open the template in Excel. 

f) Start customising the template to your requirements. 

Conclusion  

Excel is a widely used tool that has excellent features for managing and analysing data. By mastering How to Use Excel, you can uncover its full potential and effectively streamline your workflow. Whether you're a novice or an experienced user, this extensive blog can help you harness the power of Excel to accomplish your tasks with ease and efficiency. 

Streamline your workflow with our Microsoft Excel VBA and Micro Training - book your spot now!