1

Excel Training
Topics Covered
2

• What is Excel?

• Cell referencing

• Data validation

• Frequently used functions:

• Lookup functions
• Math functions
• Logical functions
• Date & Time functions
• Other functions

• Pivot Table & Charts

• Shortcuts, tips & tricks

What is Excel?
3
• A type of application program which manipulates numerical and string data in
rows and columns of cells
• The value in a cell can be calculated from a formula which can involve other cells
• Different cells may be displayed with different formats
• It has 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns and has following main elements:
1. File Tab
2. The Ribbon Bar
3. The Quick Access Bar
4. The Status Bar

3
1
• The Quick Access toolbar (3) 2
can be customized by
pressing the button from
it’s end and go to “More
commands…”

• The Status bar (4) can be

customized what to contain
by right-clicking on it
4
Cell reference
4
• Each cell is identified by its reference, the column letter and row number that
intersect at the cell's location (e.g. a cell in column D and row 5 is cell D5)

• There are two types of references:

• Relative Reference – cell reference changes when a formula is copied to
another cell (this is by default in Excel)
• Absolute Reference – remains constant, no matter where it is copied;
“blocking” a cell in the formula is done by using the $ sign

$A$2 The row and column do not change when copied

A$2 The row does not change when copied
$A2 The column does not change when copied
Data validation

• Data validation is a feature available in Excel which allows you to set up certain rules 5
that define what can be entered into a cell
• It also allows creating an error alert if the value entered in the cell does not match
the selected conditions
• In order to set this go to Data Tab -> Data Validation button and a new window will
appear

Options to create the rules:

• Any value – this removes the
data validation
• Whole number – can be
between 2 values set
• Decimal – can be between 2
values set
• List – will create a drop down
list with the options from the
selection in source field
• Date – can be between 2
values set
• Time – can be between 2
values set
• Text length – length of text to
between 2 values set
• Custom – based on a formula
that returns TRUE or FALSE
Data validation

• Input Message tab – gives the option to set a message (title and body) that will be 6
displayed when the respective cell is selected
• Error Alert tab – there are 3 options what to do when a value that does not match
the rule is entered:
• Stop – it will not allow a value that does not match the rule
• Warning – it will warn that the value entered is not matching the rule and it will
ask for confirmation
• Information - it will inform that the value entered is not matching the rule but it
will allow it
In each of the 3 cases above, the message window popped-up can be
customized (title and body)
Data validation -> Dependent Lists

• We can limit the choices in a Excel drop down list using the INDIRECT function 7
Example:
Assuming we have table as below in columns A & B, in cell F2 we want to have the
options AA, BB & CC and in cell H2 we want to have limited options depending on
what was selected in cell F2 (all A… options if we have AA in F2, B… options if in cell F2
we have BB, etc.)
• Create a separate list (column D) having unique values from column A (for
creating Lis1 and not having duplicates) – left picture
• Define name for each range from column B as follows : A1->A3 into AA, B1->B3
into BB and C1->C3 into CC (select the range, right-click and choose Define
Name) – right picture
Data validation -> Dependent Lists
Example
Example: 8
• Create the 1st List: select cell F2 -> go to Data Tab -> Data Validation -> pick the List
option in Allow field and in Source field select D2:D4 and press “OK”– left picture
• You will have a dropdown when you select cell F2 with available options “AA”, “BB” and
“CC”
• By default Excel has the Stop option selected in Error Alert tab (meaning it will allow to enter
only values from the list
• Create the 2nd list: select cell G2-> go to Data Tab -> Data Validation -> pick the List
option in Allow field and in Source write the following “=INDIRECT(F2)” and the
INDIRECT function will “bring” the values from the ranges with the same name as
the value entered in cell F2 (for AA will bring A1, A2 and A3, etc.) – right picture
Frequently used LOOKUP functions – INDEX & MATCH
INDEX: 9
• Returns a value or reference of a
cell at the intersection of a row
with column, in a given range
• Has the following arguments:
• array / reference
• row_num
• [column_num]
• [area_num]

MATCH:

• Returns position of an item in an

array
• Has the following arguments:
• lookup_value
• lookup_array
• [match_type]
Frequently used LOOKUP functions – VLOOKUP & HLOOKUP
VLOOKUP: 10
• Looks for a value in the leftmost
column of a table and then returns
a value in the same row from a
column you specify
• Has the following arguments:
• lookup_value
• table_array
• col_index_num
• [range_lookup] – 0=exact
match or 1=approx. match

HLOOKUP:
• Looks in the top row of an array
and returns the value in the same
column from a row you specify
• Has the following arguments:
• lookup_value
• table_array
• row_index_num
• [range_lookup] – FALSE (0) or
TRUE (1)
Frequently used MATH functions – SUM & SUBTOTAL
SUM: 11
• Adds its arguments
• Has the following arguments:
• number1
• [number2],…
• Can be used for adding the values
from an column, row, array or the
values to be added can be written
manually inside the function
separated by comma

SUBTOTAL:

• Returns a subtotal (average, count,

max, min, sum,…) in a list or
database
• Has the following arguments:
• function_num
• ref1,…
• It is very useful for big amount of
data with filters
• The example is with
function_num=9 -> SUM
Frequently used MATH functions – COUNT & COUNTA & COUNTBLANK

COUNT: 12
• Counts how many numbers are in
the list of arguments
• Has arguments: value1,value2,…

COUNTA:

• Counts how many values are in the

list of arguments
• Has arguments: value1,value2,…

COUNTBLANK:

• Counts the number of blank cells

within a range
• Has one argument: range
Frequently used MATH func. – INT & ROUND & ROUNDUP & ROUNDDOWN
INT: 13
• Rounds a number down to the
nearest integer
• Has one argument: number

ROUND:
• Rounds a number to a specified
number of digits
• Has arguments: number, num_digits

ROUNDUP:
• Rounds a number up to a specified
number of digits
• Has arguments: number, num_digits

ROUNDDOWN:

• Rounds a number down to a

specified number of digits
• Has arguments: number, num_digits
Frequently used MATH functions – SUMIF & COUNTIF
14
SUMIF:
• Adds the cells specified by a given
criteria
• Has the following arguments:
• range
• criteria
• [sum_range]

COUNTIF:

• Counts the number of cells within a

range that meet the given criteria
• Has the following arguments:
• range
• criteria
Frequently used LOGICAL functions – IF & IFERROR
15
IF:

• Specifies a logical test to perform

• Has the following arguments:
• logical_test
• [value_if_true]
• [value_if_false]

IFERROR:
• Returns a value you specify if a
formula evaluates to an error;
otherwise, returns the result of the
formula
• Has the following arguments:
• Value
• value_if_error: #N/A, #VALUE!,
#REF!, #DIV/0!, #NUM!,
#NAME?, or #NULL!.
Frequently used LOGICAL functions – AND & OR

AND: 16
• Returns TRUE if all of its arguments
are TRUE and FALSE if any of the
arguments is FALSE
• Has the following arguments:
• logical1
• [logical2],…

OR:

• Returns TRUE if any of its arguments

are TRUE and FALSE only if all its
arguments are FALSE
• Has the following arguments:
• logical1
• [logical2],…
Frequently used DATE & TIME functions – DATE & TIME
General info: 17
• Excel stores all dates into serial numbers, meaning that each date has behind a number: Jan 1st 1900 is
number 1, Jan 2nd 1900 is number 2, …, Jun 10th 2016 is number 42529 (all for hour 00:00:00)
• If the number has decimals it means that the integer is the day and the decimals are for the hours
• This helps in doing different math operations with the dates (adding a number of days / hours to a specific
date, etc.)

DATE:

• Returns the serial number of a

particular date
• Has the following arguments:
• year
• month
• day

TIME:
• Converts hours, minutes, seconds
given as numbers to a serial number
with a time format
• Has the following arguments:
• year
• month
• day
Frequently used DATE & TIME functions – DAY / MONTH / YEAR &
HOUR / MINUTE / SECOND
18
DAY / MONTH / YEAR:
• Returns the day / month / year from
a date (serial number)
• All have one argument:
• serial_number

HOUR / MINUTE / SECOND:

• Returns the hour / minute / second

from a date (serial number)
• All have one argument:
• serial_number
Frequently used DATE & TIME functions – NOW / TODAY &
DATEVALUE / TIMEVALUE
NOW: 19
• Returns the current date & time
• Has no arguments
• Formula is =NOW()

TODAY:
• Returns the current date (time 0:00)
• Has no arguments
• Formula is =TODAY()

DATEVALUE:

• Converts a text date to a serial

number
• Has one arguments: date_text

TIMEVALUE:

• Converts a text time to a serial

number
• Has one argument: time_text
Frequently used DATE & TIME functions – WEEKDAY & TEXT

WEEKDAY: 20
• Converts a serial number / date to a day of the week
• Has two arguments:
• serial_number
• [return_type]
• Can be used together with TEXT formula to return the name of the weekday
Frequently used DATE & TIME functions – WEEKNUM

WEEKNUM:
21
• Converts a serial number to a number representing the week number in a year
• Has two arguments:
• serial_number
• [return_type]
Frequently used OTHER functions – TRIM & VALUE

TRIM: 22
• Removes spaces from text /
Converts values into text
• Has one argument: text

VALUE:

• Converts a text argument to a

number
• Has one argument: text

SUBSTITUTE:

• Replaces existing text with a new

text in a text string
• Has following arguments:
• text
• old_text
• new_text
• [instance_num] – if old text
appears more than once, where
the replacement should be done
Frequently used OTHER functions – LEFT & RIGHT & MID

LEFT: 23
• Returns the leftmost characters from
a text value
• Has arguments:
• text
• [num_chars]

RIGHT:
• Returns the rightmost characters
from a text value
• Has arguments:
• text
• [num_chars]

MID:
• Returns a specific number of
characters from a text string starting
at the position you specify
• Has arguments:
• text
• start_num
• num_chars
Frequently used OTHER functions – CONCATENATE / FIND & SEARCH
CONCATENATE: 24
• Joins several text items into one text
item
• Has arguments:
• text
• [text2], …
• “&” can be used to concatenate
FIND:
• Finds one text value within another
(case-sensitive)
• Has arguments:
• find_text
• within_text
• [start_num]
SEARCH:
• Finds one text value within another
(not case-sensitive)
• Has arguments:
• find_text
• within_text
• [start_num]
Pivot Table

When you have large amount of

data (large tables with lots of
columns and lines) the easiest
way to have a good overview is
to create a Pivot Table

In order to create a Pivot Table

do the following:
• In order to have dynamic raw
data for the pivot transform it
into “table” -> go to Insert tab
-> press Table button
• Select all table -> go to Insert
tab -> press Pivot Table;
• Choose if the pivot should be
in a new worksheet or existing
one and press ok
• Drag and drop different
columns depending on what
you want to see in the Pivot
Table

25
Pivot Table

When the Pivot Table is selected 2 new menus appear:

• ANALYZE menu :
• Allows to change the name of the pivot
• Allows to change settings of the fields
• If any updates are done on the raw data on which the pivot is based,
press Refresh button (Refresh All will refresh all pivot tables)
• Data source of the pivot can be changed / updated
• The 3 buttons from the right (“Show “area) allow you to see or not the
Field list (from the right), the +/- Buttons and the Field Headers
• In the “Filter” area Insert Slicer & Insert Timeline buttons allow to create
“external” filters; if there are more pivots based on the same raw data,
the Slicer / Timeline can be linked to all of them, so they can be
filtered in the same time (by right click -> Report connections)
• Create Pivot Charts – these are same with the usual charts but they
are “dynamic” as they are linked to the dynamic Pivot Table
• DESIGN menu – allows to format the Pivot Table:
• Show Subtotals or not and where
• Show Grand Total or not and where
• How to arrange the fields (Compact, Outline and Tabular form under
Report Layout), repeat all itmes or not (for the Tabular format)
• Choose the design

26
Pivot Charts

In order to create a Pivot chart click somewhere in the Pivot table -> go to ANALYZE tab
27
and press Pivot Charts button -> choose the format and press OK
Pivot Table and Charts - example
28
Tips and Tricks - Basics
When you press Alt key, letters / numbers will appear on the Ribbon Bar giving hints for 29
each tab

When H (for Home tab) is pressed (for example) letters / numbers will appear for each
button

Depending on what letter / number is pressed the respective button / option will be
activated

Other keyboard Shortcuts will be listed in the Excel file with all examples