Intermediate

This page introduces some more advanced Excel topics that will help you push your Excel skills even further. All the lessons are about five minutes long (or less) so it won't take long to learn more, and do more.

Excel is a powerful tool for manipulating large amounts of data. Make sure you know the rules Excel uses when setting up a data spreadsheet.

Count the number of characters in a cell in Excel

Microsoft Excel

Intermediate

Excel Formulas and Functions

This lesson introduces the LEN() function, which allows you to calculate the number of characters in a cell. This formula is useful on its own, or can be combined with other text functions such as RIGHT(), LEFT(), MID() and FIND().

Extract text from a cell in Excel

Microsoft Excel

Intermediate

This lesson shows you now to extract text from a cell in Excel. This is useful when you have a cell containing combining numbers and text, such as a part number, or several text values separated by commas. It introduces the RIGHT() and LEFT() functions, which are essential text manipulation functions in Excel.

Using the SUBTOTAL() function with the Autofilter feature

Microsoft Excel

Intermediate

Excel Formulas and Functions

If you're using the Autofilter feature, you're probably wondering how to perform calculations on only those values that are being displayed by the filter. The SUBTOTAL() function is the answer.

Use concatenation to combine text and numbers in Excel formulas

Microsoft Excel

Intermediate

If you want to combine text with the results of a formula in a cell, you can use concatenation. Suppose you have calculated the total of a range of cells using a formula in cell D2. Now, you want to have cell A2 display the text "Today's sales are $12,000", where $12,000 is the value calculated in D2. As the value in D2 changes, you want the value in A2 to update automatically.

Calculate a running total of a column of cells in Excel

Microsoft Excel

Intermediate

Excel Formulas and Functions

If you have a column of numbers and you want to calculate a running total of the numbers alongside, you can use the SUM() formula combined with a clever use of absolute and relative references.

Select all the blank cells within a range of cells

Microsoft Excel

Intermediate

Clever Excel Tricks

If you have a range of cells, of which some contain values and some are blank, and you want to select just the blank cells, there is a quick way to select those blank cells that doesn't involve manually clicking on every one.

Quickly enter a formula in multiple cells

Microsoft Excel

Intermediate

Clever Excel Tricks

Entering the same formula or value into multiple cells can be time consuming and boring. Most people, if they want to enter the same formula into a row or column of data, will enter the formula in the first cell, then copy and paste it into the rest of the cells where they need the formula. This lesson shows you an even faster way to do it.

Scale your Excel spreadsheet to fit your screen

Microsoft Excel

Intermediate

If you work with large Excel spreadsheets, you'll probably know the hassle of scrolling left and right, up and down as you try to work with all that data. You can use the Zoom feature to make the spreadsheet smaller and fit more onto the screen, but that doesn't always give you the result you want. Often, it will make your spreadsheet too small or not small enough.

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