Beginners Guide to Microsoft Excel for Senior Citizens: The Ultimate Users Guide to Mastering the Fundamentals of Microsoft Excel

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Beginners Guide to Microsoft Excel for Senior Citizens: The Ultimate Users Guide to Mastering the Fundamentals of Microsoft Excel

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Beginners Guide to

MICROSOFT EXCEL For Senior Citizens The Ultimate Users Guide to Mastering the Fundamentals of Microsoft Excel

ERIC GALE 1

Copyright All rights reserved. No part of this publication EXCEL MADE EASY FOR BEGINNERS may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, and scanning without permission in writing by the author.

Printed in the United States of America © 2020 by Eric Gale

Dorween Publishing House USA | UK | CANADA

2

About the Author

Eric Gale is a seasoned ICT consultant with over 27 years of experience in the ICT industry. He has a compelling passion for teaching, writing, and imparting knowledge through books, lectures, interviews, and podcasts. He enjoys figuring out how to break down complex problems into easy to understand formats. Eric holds a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree in Computer Science

and

Information

Communication

Technolo gy,

respectively, from University of California, Berkeley.

3

Table of Contents Copyright............................................................. 2 CHAPTER 1 .................................................... 12 Common Uses of Excel ..................... 12 First things to do as you open Excel ........ 13 How to Use Built-In Excel Templates ...... 15 Exploring the Excel Interface ............... 16 Basic Excel Terminologies .................. 18 The Quick Access Tool Bar ................. 22 The Clipboard ............................... 27 4

Saving and Sharing Your Workbooks ...... 28 How to Use Save As to Make a Copy ...... 31 How to Use AutoRecover ................... 32 How to Export Workbooks .................. 33 CHAPTER 2 .................................................... 37 THE CELL BASICS ........................ 37 Understanding Cells ......................... 37 Cell Structures ............................... 37 How to Name a Cell ......................... 37 Spreadsheet .................................. 39  How to Delete a Spreadsheet ............ 40  How to Name a Spreadsheet ............. 40  Rearranging Spreadsheets................ 41

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 How to add a Color to a Spreadsheet Tab 41  Protecting a Spreadsheet ................. 41  Move or Copy a Spreadsheet ............ 41 Columns, Rows, and Cells in Excel......... 42 How To Select An Entire Column Or Row . 42 How to Select a Group of Columns, Rows, Or Cells .......................................... 44 How to Select Scattered Columns, Rows, or Cells .......................................... 46 How to Select Adjacent Columns, Rows, or Cells .......................................... 46 How to Move a Cell, Column, or Row ..... 47 How to Insert/ Delete a Cell, Column, or Row ............................................... 48 6

How to Adjust the Size of a Cell, Column or Row .......................................... 50 How to Adjust the Size to Fit Your Data ... 52 Fill Handle ................................... 53 CHAPTER 3 .................................................... 57 BASIC FORMATTING ............................. 57 Formatting Colors, Fonts, and Shading ..... 57 How to Add Dates, Currency, Percentage and Decimals ..................................... 68 Formatting Cells and Conditional Formatting ............................................... 74 Format Table................................. 74 Conditional Formatting ...................... 75 CHAPTER 4 .................................................... 77

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COMMON EXCEL FORMULAS YOU MUST KNOW ................................................ 77  SUM ...................................... 77  COUNT................................... 78  COUNT A ................................ 78  LEN ....................................... 78  VLOOKUP ............................... 79  IF STATEMENTS ....................... 80 HOW TO APPLY SIMPLE FORMULAS . 81 Building an Equation ........................ 82 The AutoSum Tool .......................... 85 Finding the Maximum Value................ 93 Finding the Minimum Value of a Set of Numbers ..................................... 95 8

Finding the average value of a Set of Numbers ............................................... 96 Counting a Set of Values .................... 96 Subtraction, Multiplication and Division in Excel ......................................... 97 Multiplication ................................ 99 Division .................................... 100 Analyze Data Using Quick Analysis Tool 101 Data Filtering and Sorting ................. 102 Freezing Panes ............................. 106 Types of Cell References in Excel ........ 107  Relative References .................... 107  Absolute References ................... 109 CHAPTER 5 ................................................. 116 CHARTS................................... 116 9

Types Of Charts In Excel ................. 116 How to Create Charts in Excel ............ 117 CHAPTER 6 ................................................. 124 PIVOT TABLE BASICS ........................ 124 Pivot Table Requirements ................. 124 Creating a Pivot Table ..................... 125 Chapter 7 ....................................................... 127 PRINTING IN EXCEL ........................... 127 Tools for Printing in Excel ................ 127 Shortcut For Print Preview ................ 130 Page Layout................................ 132 Margins .................................... 132 Setting Custom Margins ................... 133 How to Change Margins by Dragging .... 134 10

Center on a Page, Paper Orientation and Size of Paper .................................... 135 Setting up the Print Area .................. 137 Inserting/Removing Page Breaks ......... 138 Setting a Background ...................... 139 Setting Rows as Repeating Print Titles ... 139 Printing Gridlines and Headings .......... 141 CHAPTER 8 ................................................. 143 PROTECTING YOUR WORK BOOK WITH A PASSWORD IN EXCEL. ... 143 CHAPTER 9 ................................................. 146 COMMONLY USED EXCEL SHORTCUTS YOU SHOULD KNOW........................... 146 CONCLUSION ........................................... 153

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CHAPTER 1 Common Uses of Excel Let us begin by looking at different areas where Excel can be used to achieve great results. There are several areas you can use Excel. The most common ones are:  Financial calculations  Students schedule  Expense report  Calendars and planners  Invoices and receipts  Balance a checkbook  Project tracking  Budgets 12

First things to do as you open Excel. Open Recently Used Files As you open up your Microsoft Excel, you might have some recent files which you have opened before. Those files appear under “Recent”. There is also an Open Other Workbooks feature that allows you to open oth er files or workbooks on

Excel.

If there’s a worksheet you would like to always position at the top, perhaps, you open the worksheet most times, click on the pin as 13

indicated by the arrow in the picture below, to move t he worksheet to the top, where you can easily find it each time you open Excel.

Starting With an Excel Template Microsoft Excel has a variety of templates that spreads across different categories. You can also search online for more templates if you ar e not satisfied with the existing ones on Excel. Using a template can make your work much easier than when you are starting with a blank workbook. However, an excellent way to start learning Excel 14

is, to begin with, blank spreadsheets then progress to using templates.

How to Use Built-In Excel Templates There are built -in templates in Microsoft Excel for everyday use. The integrated models range from planners, calendars, students' schedules, project planners, balance sheets, elaborate financial reports, and lots more. To your right, you will find several categories of templates. Let us say you want to create a family budget, rather than starting from scratch; you could search for a budget template under the template categories and choose the one that sui ts your need. To view the available built-in options in Excel, click on

File> New. The built -in 15

templates will appear with the various categories, then select one that suits your purpose.

Click File

Click New, then select any template that suits your need. Exploring the Excel Interface Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application that helps you to create reports that need charts, formulas, pivot tables, and graphs. It has columns 16

and rows, which makes up cells that can be used to organize data and also perform calculations. Let us explore the Excel interface and find out the different features and their uses.

1) Workbook title 2) Ribbon 3) Name box(left)- formula box(right) 4) Cell 5) Worksheet tabs 17

6) Status bar Basic Excel Terminologies 

Workbook

and

Spreadsheets:

A

workbook is an Excel file, which contains spreadsheets. You can open as many spreadsheets

as

you

want

within

a

workbook, and move within the opened sheets with the tabs located at the bottom of your workbook. 

Cell:

A spreadsheet is composed of

rectangular blocks, which are called cells. Any data you enter in a workbook is contained in cells. A cell is referred to as an Active Cell when you click on it. 

Functions and Formulas: Formulas are calculations or equations. You can either create your formulas or use the built-in ones 18

in Excel. These formulas enable us to carry out calculations quickly. You can also use it to display the minimum or a maximum number of a group of cells, as well as counting the number of items contained in a column. 

Excel Tabs and Ribbons: Microsoft Excel ribbon toolbar enables you to modify your documents. A Ribbon is broken into tabs, which include- File, Home, Insert, Page layout e.t.c. The tab is further split into groups, which include - Clipboard, Font, Alignment, Number, e.t.c. Each of the listed tabs performs different functions to aid what you work.

Let us take a quick look at some of the features of the Ribbon 19



File: From File, you can create a

new

workbook, open an existing one, print , and also share books and sheets. 

Home:

This

is

where

you

control

the clipboard, font, alignment, numbers, style, cells, and editing. 

Insert:

This is where you can insert

your tables, charts, illustrations, filters, and links. 

Draw: This shows the different drawing tools, which include lasso selection, eraser, pen, and highlighter.



Page Layout: From the Page layout, you can adjust the spreadsheet theme, Page setup, scale-to-fit, and sheet options.

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Formulas: From Formula tab, you can pick a formula , function from the library , and perform formula auditing.



Data:

From the data tab, you can get

and transform data, view queries and connections, sort filter, and use data tools. 

Review: From the review tab, you find the tools

for

proofreading,

accessibility,

language, and comments. 

View: The view tab is where you change the workbook view, items to show, zoom in, zoom out, and work with windows.

There is also a box with Tell me what you want to do.

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This box is useful to search for more information about a feature and to get whatever help youneed when working on a workbook. When you type in and enter your keywords, you will get results automatically. You may not know the location of a particular tool or feature, but with the Tell me what you want to do search option, you can effortlessly search and find what you want in Excel. The Quick Access Tool Bar You can find the quick access toolbar at the top left of the Microsoft Excel window. It is the toolbar that enables you to save your file and also undo or redo an action.

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The Undo Button: The undo button is useful when you make a mistake and feel the need to return to the previous action before the error was made. When you click on Undo once, it will undo your last action. If you want to undo several actions, keep clicking on the undo button.

You

can also click on the arrow next to the undo button and highlight all the actions you wish to cancel.

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The Redo Button: The redo button becomes clickable anytime you have used the undo button. The undo is the opposite to redo. When you click on redo once, it brings back the last action you undid, but when you click on redo more than once, it brings back the steps you’ve undone based on the number of clicks.

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The Save Button: The Save button on the Quick Access Tool Bar enables you to save the current file you are working on with any file name you wish.

25

The Status Bar: The status bar in Microsoft Excel has different modes, and its mode depends on what you are currently doing.

The various modes for the status bar are:  Enter Mode: You find Enter on the status bar when you are typing in the contents.  Ready Mode: The Ready mode appears when no action is being carried out on the spread sheet.  Point Mode: When Point appears on the status bar, it means a cell address is being 26

linked within a formula or from Excel dialog window.  Edit Mode: The Edit mode appears when you edit the contents of a cell. For this mode to appear, double click on a cell with data, or click inside the formula bar.

The Clipboard The clipboard in Microsoft Excel has the following features built into windows. They are Cut, Copy, and Paste. Excel clipboard is a place where pictures and data are stored temporarily. The clipboard for windows can store only one item at a time. However, the clipboard for Microsoft office can retain 24 details on its multi-clipboard. 27

Cut: This copies your selection to the clipboard and waits until you paste it, before deleting the original cell. Copy: Copies what you select to the keyboard. Paste: The most recent data you have cut or copy gets retrieved and displayed.

Saving and Sharing Your Workbooks You can save your workbook for later use or share it with others. There are two ways to save and

share

your

Excel

workbooks,

which

are: Save and Save as. 

Save:

Each time you edit an existing

workbook or create a new one, use the Save command to save your work. To save a file properly for the first time, you will have to name the file and choose the 28

location where it will be found on your computer. When next you open the file, all you

have

to

do

is

to

click

the Save command. It automatically saves the file with the same name and location. 

Save As: In Excel, we use the Save As command to make a new copy of a workbook, while keeping the original version. The copy generated will be saved with a new

name and location that is

different from the original version. Follow the steps below to save a workbook 

Click the Save button on the Quick Access Tool Bar

Next, a Save As window will appear, if you are saving the file for the first time. 29



Choose where you want to save the file on your computer and the name for the file. If you're going to save the workbook to your computer, click Computer>Browse. Alter natively, click OneDrive/SkyDrive to save the file to your OneDrive/SkyDrive.



Now, In the Save dialog box, select the location where you want your workbook to be saved. 30



Next, Enter the file name

for your

workbook, and Click Save How to Use Save As to Make a Copy If, after you have saved a workbook, you want to save a different version of the workbook, that is, with a different name, while keeping the original, you can do so easily by creating a copy. For example, you have a workbook file named "Students' Scores," you want a copy of this file, with the name "Students' Scores 2," so that you can edit it while keeping the original version for reference purpose. To achieve this: 

Click Save As command in the Save As Window



Choose where you want your file to be saved and also give the file a name. 31

How to Use AutoRecover Excel may sometimes crash while you are working on an Excel workbook; if this happens, you need not be afraid of losing your work entirely.

You

can

restore

your

file

using AutoRecover. To use AutoRecover, take the following steps: 

First,

Open

Excel.

The

Document

Recovery window will appear if any auto saved versions of files are found. 

To recover your file, click on any of the Available Files

displayed in the

Document Recovery window. Alternatively, 

Click the File Tab.



Next, click Manage Versions.



Choose Recover Unsaved Workbooks. 32

Note: Excel basically AutoSaves your work in intervals of 10 minutes, by default. How to Export Workbooks Although workbooks in Excel are saved in the .xlsx file type, by default, you can, however, change this, and save in another file type. Oth er file

types

include

PDF,

CSV(Comma

delimited), Formatted Text, XPS Document, etc. PDF files are commonly used for exporting documents, especially when you are sharing with someone that does not have Excel. The recipient will be able to view the contentof your workbook but will be unable to edit it. To export your workbook as a PDF file, follow the steps below: 

First, click File Tab 33



Next,

click

Export,

and

select

Create PDF/XPS

 Next, in your Save As dialog box, select the location where you want to export the book.  Enter a File name.  Click Publish. Note: Excel will only export your Active Worksheet, by default. However, if you need to 34

save more than one worksheet in the same PDF file, take the following steps:  In your Save As dialogue box, clickOptions  Next, in the Options window, select Entire workbook  Finally, click OK.

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CHAPTER 2 THE CELL BASICS Understanding Cells In Excel, a cell is where you input your data. A cell is an essential building block of a worksheet. The intersection of a row and a column is what makes up a cell. There are thousands of cells in a spreadsheet. Cell Structures How to Name a Cell : The rows are represented with numbers, while the columns are represented with letters. A cell gets its name from the intersection of a column letter and row number. A typical example is shown below, where the cell is named “b3.” 37

Cell name is B3

Arrow pointing at cell A1. 38

A cell is named with respect to its columns and rows. From the picture above, the cell will be named A1, because it intersects row 1and column A.

Spreadsheet Let us take a brief look at the available options for spreadsheets  How to Add a Spreadsheet: You can add a spreadsheet by clicking on the plus button located at the bottom of your spreadsheet, next to your last sheet.

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Click the + button to add a new worksheet 

How to Delete a Spreadsheet: You can delete a spreadsheet by right-clicking on the sheet tab and clicking on delete.



How to Name a Spreadsheet : By default the sheets are named “Sheet 1”, Sheet 2, Sheet 3, etc., to rename the sheets, for quick identification, Double-click the sheet tab, and type in the name of your choice, or, 40

right-click on the sheet tab and select “Rename” on the drop-down list of options 

Rearranging Spreadsheets: To rearrange the sheet tabs, hold the sheet, and drag to a new spot your workbook.



How to add a Color to a Spreadsheet Tab:

Right-click the sheet tab and

select Tab Color. Click on it to choose a new color. 

Protecting a Spreadsheet: To protect your spreadsheet, right -click on the sheet ta and select Protect Sheet, add a password, and then select your options.



Move or Copy a Spreadsheet: To move or copy a sheet from one spot to another within a workbook or a different workbook

41

entirely, right-click on the sheet tab and select Move or Copy.

Columns, Rows, and Cells in Excel In this section, we shall be looking at how to delete, insert, and select columns, rows, and cells in Excel.

How To Select An Entire Column Or Row The rows are represented with numbers which run vertically on the left side of the sheet, while the columns are represented with letters, and they run horizontally on top of the sheet. When you move your mouse over the columns or rows, you will notice an arrow, to select or highlight an entire 42

column or row, click on the arrow. Selecting an entire column or row can be used for applying a fu nction, sorting, or even formatting.

Rows identified with the numbers across the left side of the sheet.

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Columns

represented

with

letters

running

horizontally on top of the sheet. How to Select a Group of Columns, Rows, Or Cells The selected cells are known as Range.

44

Range C4 to K17. A group of columns and rows or selected cells is called Range. Sometimes, you may find the need to select columns, rows, or cells that are not next to each other (scattered); at other times, they may be adjacent (next to each other). To select a group of columns, rows, or cells can be achieved in different ways.

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How to Select Scattered Columns, Rows, or Cells To select columns, rows, or cells that are scattered,  Click on the first row, column, or cells.  Hold down the Ctrl key  Start clicking on the other ones you want to select.  When you are done, release the Ctrl key.

How to Select Adjacent Columns, Rows, or Cells When the cells, columns or rows you want to select are next to each other  Select the first cell, column or row 46

 Hold your mouse button and drag it through the area you want to select.  When you are done dragging through the area, release the mouse button. How to Move a Cell, Column, or Row To move your cell, column, or row from one point to another on your spreadsheet, first,  Select the cell, column, or row you intend to move  Place your mouse over one of the edges and ensure an arrow with four sides is revealed.  Hold down your mouse and drag the arrow to its new location  Release the mouse.

47

How to Insert/ Delete a Cell, Column, or Row  The cells in Excel appear in a grid format, which is formed by the intersection of rows and columns. There are many cells in Excel. We have about 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns in 2007 and later versions of Microsoft Excel.  To insert or delete a column or row, place your mouse over the column or row and right-click, a context menu will appear, then select either Insert or Delete, as the case may be.

48

Highlight a row and right -click to get the drop down option to Insert or Delete a row To delete or insert a cell, is pretty much the same as you would, a column or row, but the only difference is that an Insert pop-up window will be displayed, prompting you to choose whether you would like to shift your cells right or down, orthe entire columns or rows. Choose your preferred option and click OK. 49

Alternatively, you can insert or delete cells from the Home tab. Go to theCells group on the Home Tab and select Insert or Delete.

How to Adjust the Size of a Cell, Column or Row You can adjust the width or height of all the columns and rows on your Excel spreadsheet to 50

be of the same or a specific size, irrespective of the data they hold. To achieve this, 

First, select and right -click the column or row you want to adjust.



Next, in the context menu that appears, click on

either

Column

Width

or

Row

Height, depending on the one you want to adjust. 

Next, input the number you want in the popup window that appears.



Click OK.

Alternatively, first, select the column or row you want to adjust. Next, move your mouse to the border until you see a two -sided arrow appear. Next, hold down your mouse and drag it until you reach an adequate size. 51

How to Adjust the Size to Fit Your Data If you want to adjust the size of your cells, columns, or row to fit your data, first select the entire spreadsheet by clicking on the triangle on the top right corner between A and 1. Next step, move your mouse between two columns until you 52

find a two -sided arrow, then double click on it and repeat the same s teps for the rows. It will automatically adjust for the cell with the most extended volume of data.

Fill Handle

The fill handle is the small box in the bottom right corner of a selected cell. You will observe that whenever you place your mouse on the little box, 53

it changes from a white cross to a thin black cross. Ensure the black cross has no arrows, then drag the cell in a single direction, which can be either, left, right, down, or up to fill its contents. It is important to note that in Microsoft E

xcel

when you pull down a single number with theFill Handle, it will copy the number. It also applies to plain texts. However, when you use the

Fill

Handle to pull down dates, weekdays, years, data with numbers or month, the area covered will be copied in series. To achieve this: First, select the content you want to copy in sequence, then drag down with the Fill Handle. Another quick and easy way to fill in series is first to select the content, then click on the small box at the bottom right corner of the selected content. Next,

click,

Fill

series. 54

Your

content

automatically gets filled in series. The steps are illustrated with pictures below:

Click on the small box below the selected content as indicated by the mouse’ arrow

Select Fill Series 55

Showing content filled in series

The same number copied multiple times

Copied in series

56

CHAPTER 3 BASIC FORMATTING In this chapter, we are going to learn how to use the basic formatting features in Excel. It is necessary to use the formatting features to save you time and make your data more presentable. Formatting in Microsoft Excel can be classified into Basic and Advanced format. In this chapter, we shall be looking at how to carry out the basic formatting in Microsoft Excel. Formatting Colors, Fonts, and Shading Proper formatting of cells, columns, and rows can have a significant effect on the appearance of your work. To adjust your Font size and type, change the colors, or add shading to your 57

data,

click on the Home tab, you will find Font under one of the groups in the ribbon. To have access to all the options for formatting, click on the small arrow button at the end of the Format, Alignment and Number

groups.

Alternatively, you can right -click and choose Format Cells from the shortcut menu or use the keyboard shortcut, which is Ctrl-1. Font Group Anything related to the Font can be found in the Font group under the Home tab

Font group 58

Font features From the picture above, we have the

following

features: 1) Bold: Click on it to make all your selected cells bold 2) Italic: Makes all the selected cells appear italicized 3) Underline: This is where you click to get your selected cells underlined. 4) Borders: Here, you can add or remove borders from the cells you have selected.

59

5) Fill Color: This is where the background of the selected color gets changed. There are a variety of colors to choose from. 6) Font Color: This is where you choose a color for the cells you selected 7) More Options: This small button enables you to access the Format Cells dialog window. 8) Decrease Font: Another way to decrease your font size. 9) Increase Font: Another way to increase your font size. 10)

Font Size: This is where you can adjust

the size of your font. You can either increase or decrease the size. 11)

Font: This is where you select how

your letters will appear in the cells. You will 60

find a variety of ways to show the same letter. Alignment Group Anything that relates to arrangement can be found in the Alignment group, under the Home Tab

Alignment group

61

Alignment features From the picture above, we have the following features: 1) Align Text Left: This enables you to horizontally align your contents to the left side of the column(s). 2) Center: This allows you to horizontally position your content to the center of the column.

62

3) Align Text Right: This enables you to horizontally align your contents to the right side of the cell(s). 4) Decrease Indent: This enables you to decrease the space between the cell border and your data. 5) Increase Indent: This enables you to increase the space between the cell border and your data. 6) Merge and Center: The Merge and Center option allows you to join your selected cells, bringing them into one cell and centralizing the result. Microsoft Excel only keeps the result from the upper left cell, when you have data in more than one cell.

63

Select the group of cells you want to Merge & Center your data

Click on the Merge & Center button. 7) More Options: This option allows you to access the Format Cells dialog window for the Alignment Tab. 8) Wrap Text: The wrap text is a feature that displays the full content of a cell, even if it exceeds the cell’s boundary. It basically helps you wrap your text around a cell. 64

9) Orientation: The orientation feature in Microsoft excel enables you to rotate the contents of a cell. Rotation can be done in a variety of ways. 10)

Bottom Align: This feature allows you

to align the bottom of a cell vertically. 11)

Middle Align: In Microsoft Excel, the

Middle Align feature enables you to align the middle of a cell 12)

Top Align: This feature enables you to

align the top of your cell vertically. Number Group Anything that relates to numbers, can be found in the Number group under the Home Tab

65

Number group

Number features 1) Currency

Style:

You

can

convert

currencies in Excel. When you select your content, and click on the Currency Style, the dollar sign will appear on the left side of the cell, while the number will appear on the 66

right side. There is also a drop down arrow beside the Currency Style button t hat enables you to access other currency formats. 2) Percent Style: This allows you to use percentage in your data. It basically converts your selected content to Percent Style and it has zero decimal places. 3) Comma Style: This basically inserts a comma in your selected cells. By default, it inserts a comma for every thousand and two decimal places. 4) Increase Decimal: You use this when you want to increase the number of decimal places to the right of the decimal.

67

5) Decrease Decimal: You use this when you want to decrease the number of decimal places to the right of the decimal. 6) More Options: This small button allows you access the Format Cells dialog window for the Number Tab. 7) Number Format: You use the Number Format to change the display of numbers on your spread sheet. There is a drop down arrow that allows you have access to a variety of options to choose from. How to Add Dates, Currency, Percentage and Decimals Dates You can add automatically formatted dates, currency, and decimals if you are creating a 68

tracking spreadsheet. To enter date automatically on your spreadsheet,  Select the cell, row or column where you want the date to appear  Next, look under Number on your ribbon and click the arrow in General  Next, from the dropdown box, select either Short date or Long date. Currency There are two easy methods for applying the currency format when you are preparing an invoice, a budget, or price list on Microsoft Excel. First method  Select the cells, columns, or row you intend to add a currency. 69

 Next, go to Number on your ribbon and click the arrow in General.  Next, from the drop down menu box, select Currency. Second Method  First, select the cell, column, or row you intend to place the currency.  Next, go to Number on your ribbon and click the arrow next to Currency.  Finally, select your preferred currency.

70

Select/Highlight the cells you want to add a currency symbol

71

Click on either of the arrows(1 or 2) to select your preferred currency Percentage To add percentage to your data is super easy. Simply click on the percentage symbol (%) on the Number group in your ribbon. Also, you can click on the small button beside General and select Percentage. 72

Decimals

Increase or Decrease decimal

To add decimals to your data,  First select the cell, row or column you intend to place the number.  Next, go to Number on your ribbon, click on Either decrease or Increase decimal. 73

Formatting Cells and Conditional Formatting You can format your cell using the

Cell Styles

Feature on Your Home Tab. The Cell Style basically changes how the cells on your worksheet appears. Select the cells you want to change their styles and click on

Cell Styles on

your Home Tab to get a variety of options.

Click on Cell Styles to mak e your cells more presentable Format Table You can also format your cells to appear in a more presentable table format. Select the area you want to format. Next, click on 74

Format as

Table on your Home Tab and select any table of your choice and click OK.

Conditional Formatting Conditional formatting highlights the important values in your data. It spots trends and patterns in your data and makes them easily noticeable. An interesting feature about conditional formatting is that you can create your own rules.

75

Click on Conditional Formatting on the Home Tab

76

CHAPTER 4 COMMON EXCEL FORMULAS YOU MUST KNOW We will start this section by taking a brief look at some of the most common formulas used in Excel, and then elaborate on the basic ones for beginners’ level.  SUM: The sum formula basically enables you add numbers together and get a result. In Excel, you can carry out an addition by using the cell references. Example: =SUM(2,2)

or

=SUM(B1:C1)

=SUM(B1,C1). We shall be looking at practical examples later in this chapter. 77

or

 COUNT: This will enable you to quickly count the number of cells in a particular range. It will only give results for cells with numbers in them. Example: =COUNT(B1:B7)  COUNT A: You use this function to count cells in a range that have number and/or any other characters in them.

It counts the

number of the cells that are not empty, no matter the data type. Example: =COUNTA(B1:B7)  LEN: You use this function to count the number of characters you have in a cell. It also includes spaces in your data. Example: 78

=LEN(B1)  VLOOKUP: When you want to search for a specific information in your sprea dsheet, use the VLOOKUP. For example, if you have a spreadsheet containing the names of students and their respective scores, you can easily search for the score of a particular student, using VLOOKUP. Example: =VLOOKUP(look_value,

table_array,

col_index_num, range_lookup) It is important to always have in mind that the VLOOKUP function searches the first column in a range. Always ensure that you position your columns such that the first one contains the correct data.

79

Now, the column index number in the VLOOKUP formula, counts the first column in a range as 1, while it counts the second column in a range as 2, etc. Also note that the VLOOKUP formula will search for approximate matches , which will give you a result of either TRUE or False.  IF STATEMENTS : The IF statements in excel is interesting. It allows you to determine if certain conditions are met. If the conditions are actually met, it returns a TRUE result, but if the conditions are not met, it returns a FALSE result. It can also be referred to as a logical formula. If statements basically follows the IF, then, else logic to produce results.

80

Example: If he is above 20 years old, then this is what you should do, else, do that instead. Formula for if statement: =IF(logic_test,value_IF

true,

value_IF_false).

HOW TO APPLY SIMPLE FORMULAS In this section, we shall be looking at how to build and apply common basic formulas in Excel. You will learn the different interesting ways to apply the formulas and get accurate results in Excel, which will enable you save time and boost your confidence.

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Building an Equation All the formulas in Excel starts with an equal = sign, followed by the Function. There are several hundreds of powerful Functions in Excel. Example: =SUM

Where SUM represents the Function, and it basically gives a sum or adds up your selected data, and the “=” sign indicates that you are writing a formula. The third part of an equation is the Range. The range is typically expressed by the cell address or the reference to it. 82

Example: =SUM(E6:E14) Where the Range is from the cells

E6 through

E14 and covered in parenthesis. You can have your calculations in any available cell, as long as it contains the specific formula, you will certainly get the correct results.

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In building up a formula, it is ne cessary to know the range of rows and columns that will give you your required result. In the illustration below, we used the formula =SUM(C6:E6), to obtain the result for Training expenses, from January-March. Note that the training expenses for January falls under the row “C”, and column “6”, while that of March falls under row “E” and column “6”, hence the formula =SUM(C6:E6).

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The formula =SUM(C6:E6) gives us an accurate result of $700.00.

The AutoSum Tool The AutoSum tool feature is one of the most common and easy to use tool in Excel. It helps you save time and reduces calculation errors, if compared to manual calculations. The AutoSum feature can be used to count numbers, find the minimum or maximum value for a group of cells, columns or rows and it can also be used to find the average of a set of values. 85

The AutoSum button is located to the right of your Home tab ribbon by default, under the Editing group. It can also be found in the Formulas tab.

AutoSum feature can be accessed from theHome Tab ribbon

AutoSum feature can also be accessed from the Formulas tab ribbon

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To quickly carry out a sum function using the AutoSum feature on a column of numbers,  First click on where you would like the total sum to appear.  Next, go to the ribbon and click on the AutoSum button. The numbers you want to sum up will be highlighted, and the formula used will appear on the formula bar. When the total sum appears,  press the Enter key.

87

Arrow showing where the result will appear

Click on the AutoSum tool and select Sum 88

The right formula will be displayed after you click on the AutoSum tool. Next, click Enter

The correct answer gets displayed 89

It is important to always double -check your answers to v erify the correct cells were referenced in the formula. Click on the specific cell that has an answer and check the formula on the formula bar.

To get other options within AutoSum, like Average,

Count

Numbers,

Maximum,

Minimum, etc., click the arrow under the AutoSum button. 90

Available options from the AutoSum feature You can also use to

AutoFill feature to make

your calculations faster. Instead of you having to copy and go through each of the cells, you can copy and replicate the formula used for all cells that requires similar formula

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the

AutoFill Handle

Drag the AutoFill Handle

After dragging the AutoFill handle, it looks something like this above 92

Your answers get filled following the formula for the cell that was first selected. Remember this method works the same way for anything in sequence, such as, dates, months of the year, numbers, etc. Finding the Maximum Value In Microsoft Excel, you can use a formula to quickly and accurately determine the maximum value of a set of numbers. 93

To determine the maximum value:  Click on the Formula Tab  Next, click on fx Insert Function  Next, type Max in the Insert Function window and click Go  Select Max and click OK  Click Help on this function to get more information on what you want to do.

Alternatively, you can get the maximum value by typing in the formula: 94

=MAX( select the range) After selecting the range of cells click Enter

Finding the Minimum Value

of a Set of

Numbers: The minimum value is the lowest number of a set of values. 95

To determine the minimum number use the formula: =MIN(select the range of cells) Click Enter. Finding the average value of a Set of Numbers: You can derive the average value of a set of numbers using the formula: =Average(select the range of cells) Click Enter Counting a Set of Values: You can quickly count the number of items in Excel by using the formula: =Count(select the range of cells) Click Enter

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Subtraction, Multiplication and Division in Excel No matter the work environment you find yourself, understandi ng how to carry out basic arithmetic calculations in Excel will certainly be useful.

Subtraction 97

To arrive at the Net Pay in the example above, the Total Deductions is subtracted from the Monthly Gross Pay. Since this is a basic operation, we

will not be

needing to input a function in the formula. The formula applied for the subtraction was: =b6-e6 Next, click Enter. That will give you the correct answer below. To derive the Net pay for others, drag down the 98

AutoFill h andle. This will give you the correct value for other cells below.

Multiplication To carry out multiplication in Excel is pretty easy. Example: Multiply 2 by 2 Excel formula for multiplication: =2*2 Next, hit the Enter Key.

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Remember to always make reference to the cell you are picking your data from. Example:

=b6*e6.

This

means

you

are

multiplying the data in cell b6 with that of cell e6. Division You can carry out division in Excel. Example: divide 20 by 4 Excel formula for multiplication: =20/4 To make your calculations easier when working on Microsoft Excel, make sure you reference the cells that you are picking your data from.

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Analyze Data Using Quick Analysis Tool The quick analysis tool helps you to quickly and easily analyze your data with tools such as charts, formulas and color coding. To access the quick analysis tool  Select the entire table on the left  The quick analysis button appears to the bottom right of your selection.  Click on it and explore any of the options

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Quick Analysis Tool

Data Filtering and Sorting Sorting & Filtering is one of the key features of Excel. You can sort your data by arranging them in ascending or descending order. To sort a data, all you have to do is to click on anywhere within the column or field you want to sort. Next, go under Sort & Filter and click on Sort Newest to 102

Oldest or Sort Oldest to Newest. You can use the Sort feature to properly arrange your data, such as dates, numbers, and lots more.

Sort & Filter button You can filter your data, by making it display a specific information. There are few easy steps to filter your data. First, click anywhere in your data. Next, click on the Sort & Filter button on your Home tab. That enables the Filter drop down buttons on your data. Click on the drop down and select the specific data you want d isplayed. You can remove any of your Filtered data by clicking on the filter drop down menu and unchecking the specific data. 103

Select Filter

Arrows showing the Filter drop down buttons

You can filter by multiple items or multiple functions. This can be achieved by clicking on the Filter drop down button on each field and selecting the specific information you want to 104

see. You can also filter by a specific value when you have numbers. You can filter your data to derive equal numbers, unequal numbers, greater than or equal, average numbers and lots more.

Number Filter options

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Freezing Panes Freeze Panes is a handy feature in Excel. It makes it easy for you to view your data for comparing and contrasting purposes. To access the Freeze Pane feature:  Click on the View tab  Next, click on Freeze Panes.

Freeze Panes You have the options to:  Freeze Panes: This makes your row and column visible and fixed, while you scroll through other areas in the worksheet.

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 Freeze Top Row: This freezes the top row, while you scroll through to view other areas of your worksheet  Freeze Top Column : This freezes the top column, while you scroll through other areas in your work sheet. Types of Cell References in Excel In this section, we will look at the different types of cell references in Excel. They serve as a foundation for learning Excel and utilizing data in Excel spreadsheet. The types of references are:  Relative

References:

In

the

relative

reference, the formula keeps changing with respect to the first formula used as you drag

107

the AutoFill handle either to the right or down.

For example: The formula =SUM(C6:E6) changes automatically to =SUM(C7:E7) when you drag down the AutoFill handle down the other columns. As this happens, we say that the cells are relatively referenced to each other.

Relative reference 1 108

Relative reference 2

 Absolute References: Some calculations require that all references are made to a specific cell. For example: If we have a budget of $20,000 and a decrease in the budget by 5%. What would be the difference for Training, Office 109

supplies, Computer expenses, Advertising, New Tech, and Travel?

Calculate the Difference

If we input the basic formula of multiplying the 5% by each of the items on the budget, and dragging down the AutoFill button to automatically provide answers for the other columns, we will arrive at wrong answers. 110

Use the formula: =B6*B8 Training= $200.00 Drag down your AutoFill handle to fill the cells below, you will realize that the answers are wrong. This is where the Absolute Reference comes to play.

Wrong answers using Relative Reference

111

Absolute reference can help solve the problem

automatically.

We

tell

the

computer not to shift a particular valueto the left or right, in this example our 5% will remain constant. We can achieve this by placing the dollar sign in the cells you want to reference. Our formula for cell B8 now becomes: B8*$B$6

112

Correct answers using Absolute Reference

 Mixed referenc es: In mixed references, we want the column to change, but not the row number. A good example of using the mixed reference is the multiplication table. The illustrations below shows how we used the mixed reference formula to quickly come up with a multiplication table.

113

The arrows indicate the cells that multiply each other

Shows the formula for arriving at the values

114

Note the difference between the first formula and the second formula

Note as the formula changes as you drag across the columns and rows with the AutoFill handle.

Drag the AutoFill handle and fill up the spaces completely 115

CHAPTER 5 CHARTS Types Of Charts In Excel There are different types of Charts in Excel that you can choose from. You can select any chart from the list of options that is suitable for your data. Outlined below (in no particular order) are the different charts you will find in Excel.  Pivot chart  Bar Chart  Pie Chart  Line Chart  Radar Chart  Stock Chart  Combo Chart 116

 Bubble Chart  XY(Scatter) Chart  Column Chart  Surface Chart  Area Chart  Doughnut Chart

How to Create Charts in Excel The concepts of creating Charts in Excel is simple.  First, select the data that needs a chart  Click on the Quick Analysis tool  Next, click on your preferred chart option.

117

118

Arrow showing the Quick Analysis tool

Double click on the Quick Analysis tool

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Select Charts Alternatively,  Select your data  Click on Insert Tab  Next, click on your preferred chart option.

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Ensure you always use the right chart for your data representation. Typically, if you are dealing with percentages, you should use a pie chart. If you are dealing with a lot of values, you should use a line chart. There is an option for

Recommended Charts.

Recommended Charts are the different types of charts that Excel recommends that you use for your data. To use recommended charts:  Select your data.  Go to the Insert Tab and click on Recommended Charts.  Click on your preferred chart from the options available.  Click on OK.

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You can also add charts to your data by using the shortcut key Alt+F1 Change Chart Type You can change your chart type to a different one in quick and easy steps. To do so:  Select the chart you want to change  On the Design tab, click

Change Chart

Type o  On the Change Chart Type window, click on Column.  Next, click OK

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CHAPTER 6 PIVOT TABLE BASICS A pivot table is one of the powerful features in Excel that enables you to present a large quantity of data in a summarized, well -sorted, organized, and interactive form. With the Pivot

table, you

can transform the columns in your data into rows and rows into columns. Pivot tables are easy to use, as they do not require any complicated formulas. Just drag and drop. Pivot Table Requirements The requirements for Pivot tables include:  The first row should contain the field names  Records or individual transactions should be in rows 124

 No blank rows, columns, or field names in the data set.  Data must be surrounded by blank columns and rows. Creating a Pivot Table  Click on any cell in your source table.

 Next, click the Insert Tab on your ribbon.  Now, on your

Tables group , click on

Recommended Pivot Tables.

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 On your Recommended Pivot Tables Window, choose the layout you prefer.

 Click OK.

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Chapter 7 PRINTING IN EXCEL In this chapter, we will be looking at how to print effectively on Excel. You should begin to see printing as a process, not just a single step or an event. Tools for Printing in Excel One place where you will find the print tools in Excel is the File Tab.  To print out your documents in Excel, click File

127

 Next, click Print. You will see a preview of your document on the right side of your screen. It shows how your documents will appear when printed. You can always go back to your main document to format properly until you are satisfied with the print preview.

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129

Also note, the Page Set Up button, which enables you to properly set up your page for printing. Below you have an image showing the number of pages contained in your document.

Shortcut For Print Preview The shortcut for print preview is Ctrl+F2

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Exit print preview To exit print preview,  Click on the arrow at the top left of the Page Preview

 Alternatively, press the Esc key on your keyboard.

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Page Layout You use your Page Layout to control how your spreadsheet will appear after printing. We shall be looking at the different page layout commands and their applications. Margins There are three built-in margins in Excel that you can choose from. They are: Normal, Narrow and wide. To get to Margins:  Click on the Page Layout Tab  Next, click on Margins.

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Setting Custom Margins Custom Margins allows you to adjust your Margins to your exact requirement. To set up custom Margins,  Click on the small arrow to the bottom right of the Page Setup group

 Next, a Page Setup box appears, where you will be able to make all the necessary adjustments to your Margins.

133

 When you are done adjusting the Margins, click OK. How to Change Margins by Dragging To adjust Margins by dragging,  Click on View Tab 134

 On your Workbook Views group, clickPage Layout  Grab the Margins with your mouse and move to where you want. Center on a Page, Paper Orientation and Size of Paper Excel usually prints on the top left corner of the page by default. However, you can make it print elsewhere. Here, we shall be looking at how to center it on the page.  Click on your Page Layout Tab  Next, click on the small arrow to the bottom right of the Page Setup group.  To the lower left of thePage Setup window, you have the options to either center horizontally or vertically. 135

136

Setting up the Print Area By default, Excel will print all of the data in a worksheet. However, you can change the settings to make Excel print only the area you want to print. To achieve this:  Select the area you want to print  Click on the Page Layout  Next, click Print Area  Click Set Print Area

137

Inserting/Removing Page Breaks The paper size you have selected determines the Page Break Excel will create for you. However, you can set your own Page Breaks. To do so:  Click on your Page Layout Tab  Next, click Breaks  Choose Insert Page Break from the drop down menu. From here, you can also Remove Page Break and Reset All Page Breaks

138

Setting a Background You can make your worksheet look better by inserting a background. The background is white by default and it is the area behind your worksheet.

You

can

choose

to

insert

a

photograph, logo, name, or any graphics at the background. To set up your background:  Click Page Layout  Choose Background in the Page Set up group. Setting Rows as Repeating Print Titles You may experience some difficulty in making your column headings appear on all pages when you print on long spreadsheets. This difficulty

139

often arises because Excel prints column headings only on the first page, by default. To ensure that your column headings appear on all pages of your worksheet, follow the following steps:  Click Page Layout Tab  Next, click Print Titles.

140

 In Rows to repeat at the top,

choose the

number of rows you want. Printing Gridlines and Headings Gridlines can make your work easier to read, especially when the amount of data is large. Grids appear on your worksheet, but do not appear on 141

your printed out copy, except you have changed the settings. To make grids appear in your work:  Click the Page Layout Tab  On your Sheet Options group, click on Print and View under Gridlines.

142

CHAPTER 8 PROTECTING YOUR WORK BOOK WITH A PASSWORD IN EXCEL. In this section we will look at how to secure your document with a password, before sharing it with others. If you encrypt your worksheet with a password, you will always need to input or tell the recipient your password before anyone can have access to the content of the workbook. To encrypt your document with a passwor d, follow this simple steps  Click File Tab  Next, Click Protect Workbook  In the pop up menu options, click, Encrypt with Password 143

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online search box where you can search for more specific templates. When you find any template that tickles your fancy, click on it to read the description and the download size in the pop -up window that appears. To use the template, click on Create.

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CHAPTER 9 COMMONLY USED EXCEL SHORTCUTS YOU SHOULD KNOW In this section, we will be looking at some of the universal shortcuts in Excel that you should know.  To Add/Remove Filter: Click anywhere inside your data and use

Ctrl+Shift+L to

add or remove filter.  Create Table: click anywhere inside the data set and use Ctrl+T. In the Create Table window that pops up, click OK. This activates the Design Tab where you can choose any table you want.  Move To The Edge Of Data:To jump from one side of your data set to the Bottom, use 146

Ctrl +

. To jump to the Right of your data,

use Ctrl+ Ctrl+

. To jump to the Left, use

. To jump to the Top, use Ctrl+ . .It

is much faster to use these shortcuts, than using the scroll bar.  Extend Selection Of Cells: If you want to jump to the bottom of your data and highlight

everything

in

between,

use

Ctrl+Shift+ . To highlight your data to the right, use Ctrl+Shift+  Format Cells: To format your cells, use Ctrl+Shift+ to highlight the data. Next, use Ctrl+1 which takes you to the Format cell options.  Automatic Sum: If you are not using an Excel table and you want to add a sum to your data, click on the cell where you want 147

the sum to appear and use Alt+ = this automatically inputs the sum function for you.  Paste As Values: If you want to copy and paste your formula but you want to have it appear as values, without the formula appearing, use

Ctrl+C to copy and then

Alt+E+S+V to bring up the paste dialogue box and press Enter.  Add A New Line In A Cell: To add a new line inside a cell, use Alt+Enter.  Select Data In Current Region: To select the entire data in the current region, click inside your data set and press Ctrl+A.  Insert Chart on Same Sheet:

Once your

data set is highli ghted, to insert a default chart, click on Alt+F1 148

 Flash Fill: Flash fill tries to figure out the correct pattern, based on the pattern you gave it first. Let’s say you have a list of names and surnames and you want to create an e -mail list based on the nam es and surnames, once you type the first E-mail address and highlight the area you want the other names to appear, use

Ctrl+E to

experience the magic of Flash fill. It detects the

pattern

of

the

first

name

and

automatically fills in the rest.  Select an Ent ire Row: To select an entire row, use Shift+Space  Select an Entire Column: To select an entire column, use Ctrl+Space  Insert a New Row or Column: To insert a new row or column, use Ctrl + +. This 149

brings up the insert dialog box where you can select Entire row or Entire column.  Delete Entire Row Or Column:To remove an entire row or column, use Ctrl+  Move One Row between Others:

If you

want to drag an entire row and drop it somewhere else, First, highlight the entire row. Next drag the row while holding down the Shift key and release it where you want to place it.  Hide a Column: To hide an entire column, use Ctrl+0  Hide a Row: To hide an entire row, use Ctrl+9  Select Visible Cells: Whenever you receive a workbook from someone else, check if anything has been hidden. The short cut key 150

is Alt+; this highlights the visible cells only. If nothing comes up it indicates no rows or columns have been hidden.  Date/Time Stamp: To add a time st amp to your data use Ctrl+; to add time to it, use Ctrl+:  Highlight Number Constants : Whenever you receive a workbook and you want to check all the constants in the data, that is, those that have formulas behind them, use, F5 Alt+SOX+ENTER I recommend that you practice these shortcuts as many as times as possible when next you work on an Excel file.

151

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CONCLUSION Excel

remains

a

powerful

tool

that

has

contributed a great deal in revolutionizing the way businesses are run all over the world today. Professionals and business owners will continue to adopt Excel in their respective fields, making it an essential skill for career advancement and growth. An investment in acquiring the knowledge of Excel will not only save you time and money but will also give you the confidence to get ahead in your career and business.

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