Excel Made Easier: Smarter Skills for Everyday Tasks
Build your Microsoft Excel skills with this practical four-part learning series presented by Mark Ashton. Discover how to calculate spending using SUMIFS and Conditional Formatting, use XLOOKUP and AI to help write formulas, transform spreadsheet data into interactive dashboards, and avoid common data-entry mistakes. Whether you're looking to work more efficiently with spreadsheets or develop your confidence using Excel, these short tutorials offer practical techniques you can put into action straight away.
18 mins
Created by Mark Ashton
What you’ll take away
- Use SUMIFS to calculate totals based on specific criteria.
- Apply Conditional Formatting to highlight important figures.
- Understand how XLOOKUP works and how AI can assist with writing Excel formulas.
- Explore PivotTables, slicers and charts to create interactive dashboards.
- Use Ctrl + T and Data Validation to organise spreadsheets and reduce data-entry errors.
- Recognise practical ways to improve accuracy and efficiency when working with Excel.
Learning outline
Complete the episodes in order to unlock the next one.
Let Excel Calculate Your Spending – SUMIFS and Conditional Formatting
Discover how Excel can take the effort out of tracking spending. Learn how SUMIFS calculates totals using specific conditions and how Conditional Formatting highlights figures that need attention. This practical tutorial introduces two useful features for organising financial information, spotting patterns and making everyday spreadsheet tasks more manageable.
Video episode
Created by Mark Ashton
XLOOKUP Let AI Write Your Excel Formulas
Learn how XLOOKUP helps you find information within Excel spreadsheets and explore how AI can assist with writing formulas. This episode introduces practical ways to get started, understand formula results and check that calculations are working correctly. Ideal for anyone looking to work more confidently with Excel's lookup features.
Video episode
Created by Mark Ashton
Turn Excel Data into an Interactive Dashboard – PivotTables, slicers and charts
Turn rows of spreadsheet data into an interactive dashboard that's easier to explore and understand. Discover how PivotTables, slicers and charts work together to summarise information and present it visually. This episode introduces a practical approach to making Excel data more accessible, useful and easier to interpret.
Video episode
Created by Mark Ashton
Stop Making These Excel Data Mistakes – Ctrl + T and Data Validation
Small spreadsheet mistakes can lead to bigger problems. Learn how Ctrl + T converts data into an Excel Table and how Data Validation helps control what can be entered into cells. This episode explores simple techniques for keeping information organised, improving consistency and reducing avoidable data entry errors.
Video episode
Created by Mark Ashton
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