Comprehensive Guide to Microsoft Excel Online Training Courses

Microsoft Excel is a versatile and powerful tool that is essential for data entry, analysis, budgeting, project management, and more. Whether you’re a marketer, freelancer, entrepreneur, or business owner, mastering Excel can significantly enhance your productivity and decision-making capabilities. Here’s a detailed guide to the best online training courses for learning Microsoft Excel, both free and paid.

Free Resources

• GoSkills & HubSpot Academy Excel for Marketers Course

  This free course is designed to help you quickly get up to speed with Excel’s most common formulas, functions, and shortcuts. It’s perfect for marketers and business owners who need a refresher in Excel fundamentals.

  Key Features: Time-saving hacks, step-by-step instruction, exercise files, and a certificate of achievement.

  Duration: Approximately 2 hours.

• Microsoft’s Excel for Windows Training

  Microsoft offers a comprehensive training resource hub for all Microsoft Office applications, including Excel. The training includes free tutorials that cover the latest version of Excel, organized into functional learning modules.

  Key Features: Practical, straightforward, and easy-to-understand videos broken down into short topics.

  Duration: Self-paced.

• The Spreadsheet Page

  This resource provides professionally designed Excel templates that you can download and customize for personal, business, or educational purposes. It also offers step-by-step instructions for performing data validation, adding filters, and conditional formatting.

  Key Features: Hundreds of downloadable spreadsheets, expert guidance from Debra Dalgleish (Microsoft Excel MVP).

  Duration: Self-paced.

• Chandoo.org

  Chandoo.org offers 16 easy-to-digest Excel tutorial videos, downloadable exercise files, and unlimited quiz attempts. It’s designed to help beginners quickly learn common formulas, functions, and tools.

  Key Features: Certificate of completion, real-world application worksheets.

  Duration: Self-paced.

• Trump Excel

  This site, created by Sumit Bansal (Microsoft Excel MVP), offers a vast number of free Excel tutorials and videos. It covers topics like Excel functions, VBA tips, charting, dashboards, and templates.

  Key Features: Comprehensive tutorials, downloadable resources, and a free 51 Excel tips eBook.

  Duration: Self-paced.

• Introduction to MS Excel (Simplilearn)

  This free training from Simplilearn includes seven hours of self-paced video lessons, covering essential spreadsheet features, data analysis, and real-world tasks.

  Key Features: Designed for beginners, shareable certificate upon completion.

  Duration: 7 hours.

• Microsoft Excel – Improve Your Skills Quickly (Udemy)

  This course covers formatting, filters, conditional formatting, creating tables, PivotTables, Charts, and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).

  Key Features: Practical activities for hands-on experience, suitable for both new and older versions of Excel.

  Duration: Self-paced.

Paid Resources

• GoSkills

  GoSkills offers a range of Excel certification courses for all skill levels. The most popular course is Excel – Basic & Advanced, which teaches essential real-world skills.

  Key Features: Bite-sized lessons (3-7 minutes), video tutorials, practical exercises, quizzes, transcripts, and quick reference guides.

  Price: $39/month (billed monthly) or $20.75/month (billed yearly).

• Excel Everest

  This training resource offers hundreds of exercises with video tutorials embedded directly in a sample Excel spreadsheet. It’s designed to help learners apply concepts in real-world scenarios.

  Key Features: Comprehensive exercises, practical application.

  Price: $159.

• LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)

  LinkedIn Learning offers over 7,000 Excel courses from various subject matter experts. Courses include exercise files, assessments, and video transcripts.

  Key Features: High-quality resources, flexible subscription options (premium subscriptions provide unlimited access).

  Price: Premium subscriptions offer a one-month free trial.

• eLearnExcel

  eLearnExcel provides eight Excel training courses, seven of which offer relevant Excel certifications. Completing all courses and quizzes awards the Excel Master Diploma.

  Key Features: Comprehensive training, certification options.

  Price: Membership plans available, no specific pricing mentioned.

Advanced Courses

For those looking to advance their Excel skills, particularly in areas like pivots, dashboards, and Power Query, consider the following resources:

• Coursera

  Coursera offers a variety of Microsoft Excel courses, including intermediate and advanced topics like data analysis, pivot tables, and charts.

  Key Features: Guided projects, professional certificates, flexible duration options.

  Popular Courses:

  • Getting Started with Microsoft Excel
  • Work Smarter with Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Excel: Professional Certificate
  • Using Basic Formulas and Functions in Microsoft Excel
  • Introduction to Data Analysis using Microsoft Excel
  • Create Charts and Dashboards Using Microsoft Excel
  • Business Analytics with Excel: Elementary to Advanced
  • Excel Basics for Data Analysis
  • Preparing Data for Analysis with Microsoft Excel

Conclusion

Mastering Microsoft Excel is a valuable skill that can significantly enhance your professional capabilities. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to advance your skills, there are numerous online training courses available, both free and paid. From foundational courses like GoSkills & HubSpot Academy’s Excel for Marketers to advanced courses on Coursera, there’s something for everyone. By leveraging these resources, you can efficiently learn and apply Microsoft Excel in your daily work, making you more productive and effective in your role.

Additional Tips for Learning Microsoft Excel

• Practice Regularly: Consistent practice is key to mastering Excel. Start with simple exercises and gradually move to more complex tasks.
• Use Real-World Scenarios: Apply what you learn to real-world scenarios to make the concepts more meaningful and memorable.
• Join Online Communities: Participate in online forums like Mr. Excel or Reddit’s r/excel community to get tips, ask questions, and learn from others.
• Take Advantage of Free Resources: Utilize free resources like The Spreadsheet Page and Chandoo.org to get started without spending a dime.
• Consider Certification: If you’re serious about your career, consider taking certification courses like those offered by GoSkills or eLearnExcel to demonstrate your expertise.

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Next Steps

1. Choose a Course: Start your Excel learning journey by selecting a suitable training course. Consider the GoSkills Excel for Marketers Course for a free introduction or explore comprehensive options on Coursera for advanced training.
2. Practice with Real Data: Utilize resources like The Spreadsheet Page to download Excel templates and practice real-world scenarios, applying the skills you learn from your courses.
3. Join Online Communities: Engage with fellow learners by joining forums such as Reddit’s r/excel or the Mr. Excel forum to ask questions and gain insights from experienced users.
4. Track Your Progress: Monitor your learning and ensure you complete exercises and projects in your chosen courses to reinforce what you’ve learned. Consider earning a certificate to validate your skills, such as the ones offered by eLearnExcel.
5. Explore Advanced Topics: Once you’re comfortable with the basics, dive into specialized topics like dashboards and data analysis through the Excel Essentials Series for an in-depth understanding.