Topics for Custom Excel Class

For private classes and one-on-one sessions we can customize the curriculum to emphasize the topics of greatest interest to you. Here are some suggested Excel topics.

Interface and Navigation

Topic	Description
Overview	Overview of Excel ribbons and features, navigating the worksheet and tabs, entering and editing data.
Mouse Shortcuts	Using the mouse to move and copy data (drag and drop), using the mouse to enter a series automatically (autofill), creating a custom autofill series.
Navigation	Arranging multiple windows, opening multiple windows for same workbook, freezing panes.
Customizing Ribbons	Customizing existing ribbons and creating your own, adding groups and buttons to the ribbon.

Formatting

Topic	Description
Worksheet Formatting	Formatting rows and columns, formatting cells and their content, adding borders and shading, formatting numbers, alignment, text wrap and text rotation, fonts.
Cell Styles	Creating and defining a cell style, choosing which attributes the style governs, applying styles to cells, modifying cell styles, transferring styles from one workbook to another.
Conditional Formatting	Defining conditional formatting, using Excel’s built-in conditions, defining custom conditions, formatting one cell based on entries in another, defining custom number formats.
Print Formatting	Designating rows and columns to repeat, defining a print area, setting margins, creating and formatting custom headers and footers, specifying page alignment, output scaling, printing grid lines and row and column headings.

Formulas and Functions

Topic	Description
Formulas	Formula basics, entering and editing a formula, how to autofill formulas and when it is appropriate, absolute cell references.
Date Calculations	How dates are recorded in Excel, how date calculations work, making simple date calculations (time between dates). using date functions such as TODAY, MONTH, DAY, YEAR and NETWORKDAYS.
Time Calculations	How time is recorded in Excel, how time calculations work, making simple time calculations (duration, elapsed time), using time functions such as NOW, SECOND, MINUTE and HOUR.
Text Calculations	Working with text in formulas, combining text entries, using text formulas such as LEFT, RIGHT, UPPER, TRIM, DOLLAR and FIXED.
Linking	Writing formulas that reference cells in other workbooks (external cell reference), updating links, tips to avoid breaking links.
Functions Overview	Difference between functions and formulas, function syntax, using the Function wizard
Function Details	Using specific functions, such as SUM, COUNT, VLOOKUP and IF. Can cover Financial, Date and Time, Statistical, Logical, Text and Lookup functions depending on your needs.
Error Checking	Using Excel's formula auditing features to locate errors in formulas.

Data Manipulation

Topic	Description
Overview	How data must be organized for the data features to work.
Sorting & Filtering	Turning on autofilter, using autofilter and custom number and date filters, sorting with autofilter, using the sort command (multi-level sort).
Advanced Filter	Using advanced filter to copy specified data to a new cell range, setting up the advanced filter, rules for specifying criteria.
Remove Duplicates	How to decide what fields to specify when using the remove duplicates command, which records are retained after removal.
Tables	Defining a table, table options, formatting the table, using tables for data manipulation.

Charts and Graphs

Topic	Description
Essentials	Structuring data to facilitate charting, choosing the correct chart type, creating a chart, changing chart type, specifying series and categories, formatting chart elements, adding labels.
Advanced	Creating overlay charts, creating a chart template, moving chart to a different sheet, linking chart labels to worksheet cells.

Pivot Tables

Topic	Description
Essentials	How data must be organized to use as data source for Pivot Table, creating a pivot table, specifying row and column headings and calculations, types of calculations a pivot table can make, options for displaying calculated results, refreshing data.
Advanced	Pivot table option settings, moving pivot table to a different sheet, pivot charts, using Slicers, creating calculated Pivot Table fields, changing data source.

Macros and VBA

Topic	Description
Recording & Editing	Recording macros, how to decide what the macro should do, reading a macro’s VBA code, editing a macro, difference between absolute and relative cell references, specifying whether recording should use relative or absolute cell references, security settings.
Macro Authoring	VBA syntax, declaring procedures, variables and constants, using IF and other conditional statements to control program flow, creating loops.

Miscellaneous

Topic	Description
Named Ranges	Defining and updating range names, using names for worksheet navigation, writing formulas with names, defining names from selection, benefits of using names.

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