Best Excel Courses for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide
Learning Microsoft Excel can be a daunting task, but with the right resources, anyone can become proficient. Here are the top Excel courses for beginners, covering both free and paid options, to help you master the basics and beyond.
Top Excel Courses for Beginners
1. Excel Skills for Business (Macquarie University)
Provider: Coursera
Instructors: Prashan S. M. Karunaratne, Nicky Bull, Yvonne Breyer
Level: Beginner
Workload: 26 hours
Enrollments: 934K
Rating: 4.9/5.0 (48K)
Certificate: Paid
This free-to-audit course is a top-tier offering from Macquarie University, specifically tailored for beginners. It covers the core components of the Excel interface, essential terminology, data selection, navigation, and basic data entry. The course also delves into formulas and functions, formatting, data management, printing, and visualization. With a pedagogical approach that includes videos, practice exercises, and weekly challenges, this course is ideal for those new to Excel.
2. Excel: Fundamentos y Herramientas (Universitat Politècnica de València)
Provider: edX
Instructors: Victor Braquehais Acero, Jaime Busquets Mataix
Level: Beginner
Workload: 24 – 32 hours
Enrollments: 438K
Rating: 4.7/5.0 (608)
Certificate: Paid
This course is recognized for its comprehensive coverage of Excel basics, including data types, formatting, formulas, and data handling. It is ideal for those unfamiliar with Excel or looking to deepen their knowledge. The course blends videos, readings, and exercises, with hands-on quizzes and graded assignments to solidify understanding.
3. Excel for Everyone: Core Foundations (University of British Columbia)
Provider: edX
Instructor: Ricardo Rosado Trujeque
Level: Beginner
Workload: 24 – 36 hours
Enrollments: 185K
Rating: 4.6/5.0 (43)
Certificate: Paid
This free-to-audit course by the University of British Columbia is designed to equip you with essential Excel skills, from basic operations to advanced techniques. It focuses on business data analysis, particularly finance, making it valuable for any organization. The course includes bite-sized, interactive videos and real-world problems to apply your learning.
4. Excel Basics for Data Analysis (IBM)
Provider: Coursera
Instructors: Sandip Saha Joy, Steve Ryan
Level: Beginner
Workload: 12 hours
Enrollments: 361K
Rating: 4.8/5.0 (8.1K)
Certificate: Paid
IBM’s free-to-audit course offers a concise and clear approach to grasping Excel essentials. It includes hands-on labs where students engage in real-world Excel scenarios, covering spreadsheet basics, data entry techniques, and advanced topics like data quality and pivot tables. The course emphasizes practical problem-solving with AI-generated voice guidance.
Additional Resources
1. Hands-On Excel Tutorial Beginner to Pro Course
Provider: YouTube
Duration: Full course
This hands-on tutorial is designed to take you from beginner to pro in Excel. It covers the basics, advanced features, and tips and tricks to transform you into an Excel pro. The course includes topics like Excel basics, formula usage, Power Query, and Excel dashboard design.
2. GoSkills & HubSpot Academy Excel for Marketers Course
Provider: GoSkills and HubSpot Academy
Duration: Under 2 hours
This free course is perfect for marketers and professionals who need a refresher in Excel fundamentals. It covers common formulas, functions, and shortcuts, providing time-saving hacks and a certificate of achievement.
3. Microsoft’s Excel for Windows Training
Provider: Microsoft
Microsoft’s training resource hub offers a comprehensive set of free tutorials covering the latest version of Excel. The videos are broken down into short topics and modules, making it practical and easy to understand.
4. The Spreadsheet Page
Provider: The Spreadsheet Page
This resource provides professionally designed Excel templates that can be downloaded and customized for personal, business, and educational purposes. It includes 16 easy-to-digest tutorial videos, downloadable exercise files, and a certificate of completion.
Tips for Learning Excel
- Create a Learning Plan: Focus on the fundamentals first, then move on to more advanced topics. Allocate time for practice and real-world applications.
- Take Online Courses: DataCamp offers beginner-friendly Excel courses that start with the basics and gradually introduce more advanced concepts. Consider courses like Introduction to Excel, Data Analysis in Excel, and Data Visualization in Excel.
- Apply Excel to Real Projects: Use Excel to solve real problems. Start with simple projects like building a monthly budget, analyzing sales data, or creating a project management tool. This will help you practice organizing data and applying new skills to practical scenarios.
- Practice Regularly: Regular practice is key to mastering Excel. Use downloadable practice worksheets and exercise files to reinforce your learning.
Expand Your Excel Knowledge
By following these tips and utilizing the best Excel courses for beginners, you can quickly become proficient in Microsoft Excel and unlock its full potential for data analysis and visualization. If you wish to deepen your understanding of Excel beyond the basics, consider checking out our Comprehensive Excel Course.
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Next Steps
- Enroll in a Course: Start your Excel journey by signing up for one of the top courses outlined in this article, such as the Excel Skills for Business (Macquarie University) on Coursera, or the Excel: Fundamentos y Herramientas (Universitat Politècnica de València) on edX.
- Watch Video Tutorials: Check out the free Hands-On Excel Tutorial on YouTube to supplement your learning with visual content and real-time examples.
- Practice Regularly: Download our free Excel practice worksheets available on Excel Foundations to hone your skills as you go through your chosen course.
- Explore Additional Resources: Enhance your learning experience by visiting Microsoft’s official Excel Training Page for further tutorials and resources.
- Join Online Communities: Participate in Excel forums and communities, such as Reddit’s r/excel, to ask questions, share knowledge, and learn from other Excel users.