Excel Basics

The purpose of this activity is to practice some basic Excel skills and provide you with some help to get you started if you are unfamiliar with Excel. This is just a beginning; other Excel tutorials and exercises can be found in the Resource Center to help you learn more about Excel as you need it.

Note about Google Sheets: While all of the materials in the Resource Center refer to Microsoft Excel, The Excel functions are very similar, if not identical, to the functions in Google Sheets. You may complete nearly all of the exercises in these lessons using Google Sheets. If you have questions about completing a function in Google Sheets, there are many free resources online. Simply perform an online search like "How do I create a pie chart in Google Sheets?

Instructions: Practice Excel

Make sure that Excel is working on your computer and that you are comfortable performing the following steps. In this activity, you will walk through a few simple steps that will familiarize you with this program. This is a supplemental activity for those unfamiliar with Excel; therefore, you are not required to complete it. However, if you are unfamiliar with Excel, it is recommended that you complete this activity.

Additional help on certain steps is available by clicking on the question mark button (question mark icon) to the right of that step.

  1. Open Excel and create a blank workbook.question mark icon
  2. Type your first and last name in cell A1 (top left-hand cell).question mark icon
  3. Wrap the text in cell A1 so your first name appears above your last name.question mark icon
  4. Save and close the file.question mark icon
  5. Reopen the file and make sure you see the file with your name in the first cell.question mark icon

View the following Excel image to see an example of what your Excel sheet should look like. If you are having trouble with any of these steps, including downloading Excel, please contact your Instructor.

This image shows the Excel sheet that has a name, Jonathan Doe, in Cell A1.

Additional Resources

If you feel that you need additional training on Excel, refer to these helpful resources on the Microsoft Office Support site: