Excel course: from zero to useful in 5 short lessons
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A short, practical Excel course for job seekers and office workers. Five lessons of 3-4 minutes, each with exact formulas, a small example table and exercises where you type the formula yourself. Works in Excel and Google Sheets. Lesson 1 is free; the full course with final test, cheat sheet and practice certificate is $9.99, one time.
- Lesson 1 free
- 5 lessons of 3-4 minutes
- 15 type-the-formula exercises
- Final test + practice certificate
- Cheat sheet: 25 formulas
What you learn in 5 short lessons
- Cells, rows, columns and AutoFill (free): enter data, fill a series, format numbers and freeze the header row.
- First formulas: = + - * /, SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX and COUNT.
- $ references, percentages and ROUND: copy formulas without breaking them, work out tax and percentage change.
- IF, COUNTIF and SUMIF, plus sorting and filtering a table.
- XLOOKUP and VLOOKUP, a simple chart and tips for an Excel test in a job application.
Each lesson takes 3-4 minutes: short explanations with exact formulas, a small example table and 3 exercises where you type the formula and see right away if it is correct.
Excel test for a job: what it usually checks
Employers for office, admin, finance and data jobs often use a short Excel skills test. The tasks are practical: total a column, work out a percentage, copy a formula with a fixed cell, flag rows with IF, count or add by category, look up a value and make a chart.
| Task in the test | Lesson |
|---|---|
| Enter and format data, AutoFill | 1 |
| SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT | 2 |
| $ references, percentages, ROUND | 3 |
| IF, COUNTIF, SUMIF, sort and filter | 4 |
| XLOOKUP or VLOOKUP, charts | 5 |
Tip: testers often check the formula, not only the number. Always point to cells instead of typing the result.
Excel certificate or Excel certification?
When you pass the final test (9 of 12 correct) you can download a MyLevel practice certificate (PDF) with your score. It shows you finished the course and passed its test.
It is not an official Microsoft certification. Microsoft's own Excel certification is the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) exam, taken through Certiport (for Microsoft 365: exam MO-210). This course covers the basics to know before you aim for that.
Price and how it works
- Lesson 1 is free, with its 3 exercises.
- $9.99, one time, unlocks lessons 2-5 with 12 more exercises, the 12-question final test with explanations, the cheat sheet with the 25 most useful formulas and your practice certificate.
- No subscription and nothing to install: use Excel or free Google Sheets in your browser.
MyLevel practice certificate, not a Microsoft certification; not affiliated with Microsoft. Excel is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation; Google Sheets is a trademark of Google LLC.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. Pass the final test with 9 or more of 12 correct and you can download a MyLevel practice certificate (PDF) with your score. It is a personal record of your practice, not a Microsoft certification.
Does it work with Google Sheets?
Yes. Every formula in the course works in Google Sheets too, and where the menus differ both are given, for example Data > Filter in Excel and Data > Create a filter in Sheets. XLOOKUP works in Google Sheets and in Excel 2021 or Microsoft 365; with an older Excel use VLOOKUP, which is also taught.
Is this Excel course for complete beginners?
Yes. Lesson 1 starts at zero: what cells, rows and columns are and how to enter data. By lesson 5 you use IF, SUMIF, XLOOKUP and a chart.
How long does the course take?
Each lesson takes 3-4 minutes plus its 3 exercises. The five lessons and the final test take about 30-40 minutes in total.
Will it help me pass an Excel test for a job?
It covers the basics that job tests usually check: SUM and AVERAGE, $ references, percentages, IF, COUNTIF, SUMIF, sorting, filtering, VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP and charts. Lesson 5 ends with tips for the test itself.
What do I get for $9.99?
Lessons 2-5 with 12 more type-the-formula exercises, the 12-question final test with explanations, a cheat sheet of the 25 most useful formulas and a practice certificate (PDF). It is a one-time payment, no subscription.
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