If you’ve just started learning Excel or you’re brushing up your skills for work, you’re in the right place. Microsoft Excel might look like just a bunch of boxes at first, but it’s a powerhouse for organizing data, analysing numbers, and simplifying tasks.

When you’re just starting, Excel could seem quite daunting. The good news? A few advice and techniques under your belt can help you to accelerate your learning and begin to feel confident almost immediately. Here are practical and beginner-friendly tips to help you excel (pun intended!) in your Excel training journey:

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1. Start with the Basics

Knowing the fundamentals builds a strong basis, it’s easy to dive straight into the elegant things like pivot tables and macros. Familiarise yourself with the Excel interface: understand where the formula bar is, how cells operate, and how to format data. Early on, learn how to apply IF(), AVERAGE(), and SUM() among other methods. Later, these will be your closest buddies.

2. Practice as You Learn

Watching tutorials is great, but doing it is even better. As you learn a new function or tool, open Excel and try it out right away. Even better? Apply what you’ve learned to real-life scenarios — maybe track your expenses, plan your schedule, or create a mini project tracker. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes.

3. Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Save Time

Speed and efficiency matter in Excel. Learn a few useful shortcuts and you’ll be flying through tasks. For example:

  • Ctrl + Arrow Keys: Jump to the end of data ranges
  • Ctrl + Shift + L: Turn filters on/off
  • Ctrl + T: Create a table from selected data

Start with just a few, and add more to your toolkit over time.

4. Learn One New Function a Day

Excel has hundreds of built-in functions, and you don’t need to memorise them all. But learning one new function per day can make a big difference over time. Today it’s VLOOKUP(), tomorrow it’s CONCAT(), and maybe next week you’ll dive into INDEX MATCH. Keep a running list of functions you’ve learned so you can refer back when needed.

5. Join Online Communities and Forums

You’re not alone in this journey! Sites like Reddit’s r/excel, Stack Overflow, and even YouTube comment sections can be goldmines of tips and solutions. If you’re stuck on a problem, chances are someone else has been too. Don’t hesitate to ask questions — Excel folks love sharing what they know.

6. Make Mistakes Then Fix Them

Don’t be afraid to break things. Seriously. Mistakes are a natural part of learning, and in Excel, they teach you a lot. Whether it’s a formula error or a formatting fail, fixing it will help you understand how Excel works on a deeper level. The “Undo” button is always there for a reason!

7. Use Free Courses and Templates

There’s no need to spend a fortune to become good at Excel. Platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, and YouTube offer great free (or low-cost) training. Bonus tip: Look for downloadable templates that you can reverse-engineer. Seeing how formulas and formatting are used in real templates can give you a big “aha!” moment.

Excel Is a Skill Worth Mastering

Whether you’re using it to get ahead at work, run your side hustle more efficiently, or just stay more organised, Excel is a skill that pays off — big time. The key is to be patient with yourself, keep practising regularly, and stay curious.
So, if you’re ready to upskill, take Microsoft Excel Training Courses today. You don’t need to master everything overnight. Just take it one function, one shortcut, one spreadsheet at a time. And before you know it, you’ll be the go-to Excel guru in your circle.