We do not offer courses like Basic, Intermediate and Advanced - that is so 'old school'. We offer short courses which combine the features in all 'levels' into one course. This is a more natural and logical way of grouping Excel skills. Download Short Courses HERE
Additionally, you may be adept in Excel skills BUT because the feature you wish to learn is in the 'basic' course, you are put in that course with other staff members who do not have your skills/knowledge - just to learn that skill because somebody decided to put that skill in the 'basic' course manual outline.
Our Short Courses remedy that - you learn without having a tag like 'basic' or 'intermediate'. We acknowledge your current level and simply extend your knowledge in that area.
Data Management
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3 Hours
This course covers essential techniques for handling and managing Excel data efficiently.
Topics include:
Filter a data table to see only specific data.
Select "SA" from a 'State' column to show only clients in South Australia.
You can layer filters — for example, filter for "SA" and turnover greater than $20,000.
This creates a highly targeted list based on multiple criteria.
Unlike Auto Filter, Advanced Filters can use OR logic.
Filter for clients who live in SA OR have turnover > $20,000.
Sort a single column — for example, alphabetically by State.
Reverse order sorting is also available.
This occurs when you wish to sort more than one column at a time.
Explanation:
You wish to sort the State columns in reverse alphabetic order (explained elsewhere) and the Turnover column from highest to lowest.
That is a Complex Sort.
Sort non-alphabetically — e.g., by weekday order (Mon, Tue, Wed...).
Freeze panes to keep headers visible while scrolling.
Named ranges are generally used in formulas and functions (see elsewhere). However, they can be used to navigate large worksheets
Explanation:
You can 'name' a cell or a group of cells (a range) and by selecting that name from the 'name box' you can be taken immediately there. This avoids you having navigate from one worksheet to another (using the sheet tabs) and then scrolling to the desired location
Reference data between sheets or workbooks using 3D links.
You can link cells from one sheet to another. You can add them using formulas or the SUM Function.
Combine data from multiple worksheets and summarise using SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, etc.
Create automatic subtotals grouped by values like region.
Restrict input to specified formats — e.g., whole numbers or predefined dropdown lists.
Use drag-and-drop tools to analyse and summarise large data sets instantly.
Charts - From Start to Finish
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2 Hours
This course explores Excel's powerful charting features to help visualise data effectively.
Topics include:
Column charts are the most popular charts for displaying data.
This is a Column Chart created from the table above:
Bar charts display data horizontally and are often used when there are many categories.
Line charts show data trends over time or categories.
Pie charts are useful for showing proportional data.
Composite charts combine two types, such as a column and a line chart.
Trend lines show the overall direction or trend of data.
Templates save your custom chart formats for reuse.
Modify your charts to change layout, colours, and data display.
Charts can be copied or linked to Word and PowerPoint for reporting.
Printing – All You Ever Need to Know
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1 Hour
This session covers all the essentials of printing in Excel, from layout to page settings and visual clarity.
Topics include:
Use Print Preview to inspect your worksheet layout before printing.
Preview Result:
Force Excel to scale your worksheet to fit a specific number of pages.
Fitted Output:
Choose from supported printer sizes such as A4, A3, or custom formats depending on your needs.
Center your content vertically, horizontally, or both to ensure balanced printed pages.
Add logos, page numbers, file paths, and dates to headers or footers on each printed page.
Ensure column headings repeat at the top of each printed page for clarity.
Worksheet & Workbook Protection
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1 Hour
Topics include:
Prevent users from mistakenly altering formulas, functions, or layout elements.
You can limit where on the worksheet a user can enter data. For example, protect formula cells and only allow editing in specific input areas.
Prevent users from changing sheet visibility, structure, or view.
Use this to hide worksheets, freeze sheet order, or prevent deletion/renaming of sheets.
Prevent users from opening the workbook or modifying the workbook.
Explanation:
Confidential files, if they are not restricted by your IT department's file system (or server) access rights can be set up to be opened only by password.
Or, maybe you do not mind someone opening your workbook BUT they are not allowed to modify it without a password.
Both of these features can be controlled by Restricting Workbook Access.
Formulas & Functions - Introduction
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3 Hours
Topics include:
Formulas are user-initiated. They are used to add, subtract, multiply, or divide the contents of cells.
Explanation:
This section also covers the precedence of operations and how to copy formulas from one cell to another. You'll also learn how to handle common errors like #REF!, #VALUE!, #DIV/0!, and #NAME?.
Excel uses two referencing systems when creating formulas and functions.
Relative Cell Referencing:
Often used when each formula in a column refers to its adjacent cells.
Absolute Cell Referencing:
Used when a single cell (e.g., GST) must be referenced by multiple formulas (e.g., multiplying each COST value).
The following functions are introduced and explained:
Note: A range is a group of adjacent cells, often written like A1:A10.
Formulas & Functions – Advanced
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3 Hours
Topics include:
Advanced formulas make use of mathematical operators like +, –, ×, ÷ along with functions to manage potential errors.
Explanation: You’ll learn to manage errors like #DIV/0 when cells lack values and handle more complex expressions with brackets.
Excel uses two referencing systems to record your formula.
Relative Cell Referencing:
Used when each formula refers to nearby cells in the same structure.
Absolute Cell Referencing:
Used when a single reference (e.g., GST value) is required across multiple cells.
Explore these powerful Excel functions:
IF#DIV/0 or #N/A
Formatting - Including Conditional Formatting
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2 Hours
Topics include:
Covers formatting cells including:
Formatting changes the visual presentation of your spreadsheet without affecting the actual data.
Format numeric and date values to improve readability and clarity. Examples:
Enhance how users interpret your data while preserving core values.
Copy formatting from one cell and apply it to others with a single click. Saves time, especially when reformatting inherited spreadsheets.
This is one of the most powerful formatting features of Excel. It allows you to set 'triggers' which automatically change the underlying format of cells.
Explanation:
This can be used for comapring 'Budgetted Expenses' against 'Actual Expenses'. If the actual expense is higher than the budgetted, the actual expense could be turned RED (or any combination of colours you choose).
This also is especially useful in highlighting dates. For example, you may be in charge of equipment (which needs to be inspected regularly) or in charge of the staffs' certificate registry (which needs to ensure that staff always have a current certificate). Excel's conditional formatting can be set to show if a certificate has expired or is coming up to be renewed in the next week, fortnight or month etc.
There are FAR more features to Conditional Formatting which will make your data become visually 'alive'.
Convert data into smart tables for automatic formatting. Benefits include:
It’s one of Excel’s most user-friendly features for improving table usability and appearance.
An Introduction to Macros (VBA Programming)
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3 Hours
Topics include:
Macros are written in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) and help with tasks that are:
Well-written code can automate these tasks with a single button press.
You can record simple macros without writing code—just record your actions in Excel. Then play them back as needed, or assign them to buttons or keyboard shortcuts.
Run macros via:
Once you have recorded a macro, you can edit it in the VBA Editor.
With practice, you will be able to read the code and make minor changes to it so that it does excactly what you want.
It can take some time to become proficient at editing macros and understanding but it is not all that hard with some easy to understand tips.
You might even record yourself performing other tasks which when combined with your original macro, make it more useful. Often, you can simply record yourself mulitple times completing the various steps of the task you wish to automate and then arranged the code in a sequence which then runs as a complete unit.
You probably remember variables from high school algebra. VBA variables are far simpler than that.
Variables are used to store values (text, numbers, dates - anything) for use later on in the code. VBA remembers these variables and so can be used repeatedly if needed.
VBA code allows you to ask the user questions. The answer to these questions are stored in variables (see elsewhere for a description of these).
The input could be something simple like the user's name or it could be the name of a workbook which you need to access. The input could also be the number of lines the user wishes to insert or a start date. In fact, you can get almost any type of data from a user and then use that in the code.
Use If/Then/Else to create decision branches. Use loops like Do While or For/Next to repeat actions a set number of times or while a condition is met.
Debugging helps you step through your code to find issues. You’ll inspect values and follow code execution to resolve problems effectively.
During training, we’ll share practical insights from years of VBA coding experience—such as online help resources, best practices, and productivity boosters.
Power BI
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30 Hours approx.
Topics include:
Module 1: Introduction to Power BI (2 Hours)
Module 2: Working with Power BI Desktop (1.5 hours)
Module 3: Cleaning and Preparing Data (3 hours)
Module 4: Creating Simple Visuals (3.5 hours)
Module 1: Organizing and Modelling Data (3.5 hours)
Module 2: Calculations with DAX (2.5 hours)
Module 3: Building Interactive Dashboards (2.5 hours)
Module 4: Simple Dashboard Insights (2 hours)
Module 1: More Useful DAX (3 hours)
Module 2: More Visual Options (3 hours)
Module 3: Connecting to Live Data (2.5 hours)
Module 4: Sharing and Exporting Reports (1.5 hours)
You can create your own day long courses by selecting any of the above courses to add up to 6 hours. By doing this, you can SAVE 10% on the normal course fees. Of course, breaks will not be included in the 6 hours. Breaks will occur after 90 minutes in the 3 hour short courses. And you can negotiate a lunch break of 30 - 60 minutes halfway through the 6 hours if the same person/crew is undertaking the full day's training.
However, you may also have different people attending different sessions during the day, if that is desired. Therefore, the lunch break would not need to be so long. We are VERY flexible and will endeavour to suit your training needs.
Examples of day long course combinations:
Your selection can combine:
