← Learn
Learn · Spreadsheets

Excel formulas

Ten short lessons, from your first = to lookups and summary tables. Each one ends with small practice grids: type the formula, and the grid checks it, copied down every row.

  1. Cells and formulas

    Cell addresses, typing a formula, and doing sums with other cells.

    5 grids

  2. Brackets, copying and $

    Which part of a formula goes first, and how references move when you copy a formula down.

    4 grids

  3. SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX

    Your first functions: totals, averages, the biggest and smallest, and counting.

    4 grids

  4. IF and comparisons

    Let a formula decide: pass or fail, discount or not, free shipping or a fee.

    4 grids

  5. AND, OR and more than two choices

    Tests with several conditions, and grades with an IF inside an IF.

    3 grids

  6. COUNTIF and SUMIF

    Count or add up only the rows that match: one category, or values over a limit.

    4 grids

  7. Working with text

    Join names, take initials, tidy messy typing and measure length.

    5 grids

  8. XLOOKUP and VLOOKUP

    Find a row by its name or number and bring back another column from it.

    4 grids

  9. Rounding and errors

    Round to cents or whole boxes, and catch errors before they spread.

    3 grids

  10. Summary tables

    Totals, counts and averages per group: a pivot table built from formulas.

    4 grids
More info

How it works

Read the short lesson, then fill in the practice grids. Type a formula in the bar and press Enter. While you type, tap a cell to put its address in, or drag across cells for a range. A formula counts when it gives the right result in every row it’s copied to, so a missing $ shows up straight away.

Excel or Google Sheets?

Both. Everything here works the same in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc. Where they differ (XLOOKUP and IFS need Excel 2019 or later), the lesson says so.

Questions

Do I need Excel installed? No. The practice grids run in this page. Open a real spreadsheet next to it to try things on your own data.

Where is my progress saved? In this browser, like the rest of the site. Nothing to sign up for.

An unofficial course. Not made by or affiliated with Microsoft; Excel is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.