A new session of each course opens each month, allowing you to enroll whenever your busy schedule permits!
How does it work? Once a session starts, two lessons will be released each week, for the six-week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends.
Keep in mind that the interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes 2 weeks after each lesson is released, so you’re encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.
The Final Exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the Final Exam has been released, you will have 2 weeks plus 10 days to complete the Final and finish any remaining lessons in your course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.
Week One
Lesson 01 - Customizing Excel
Wednesday
To kick things off, this lesson explains different ways you can modify Excel to streamline processes and make your work easier. You will use the Excel Options dialog box to customize some of Excel's behind-the-scenes behavior and set up your Quick Access Toolbar.
Lesson 02 - Table Management
Friday
This lesson explores Excel's table management features, using data forms with Excel databases, and alternative database techniques. You'll be glad to know that formatting and working with tables has become much easier in this latest version of Excel.
Week Two
Lesson 03 - Data Validation
Wednesday
In this lesson, you will tackle data validation techniques—your first line of defense against incorrect or missing data and the logical next step after data forms. You will practice using whole number, decimal, date, time, list, and other forms of validation.
Lesson 04 - Custom Controls
Friday
This lesson will introduce you to custom controls—graphical objects that help facilitate data input and are sure to impress users. You will learn how to create standard and drop-down list boxes, check boxes, option buttons, and group boxes.
Week Three
Lesson 05 - Conditional Formatting
Wednesday
This lesson will teach you how to use conditional formatting. You will learn how to use conditional formatting to hide errors, to highlight records based on multiple criteria, to track and alert you about due dates, to find the differences between two lists, to shade every other row, and more.
Lesson 06 - Consolidating and Outlining
Friday
In this lesson, you will learn how to use Excel's consolidation function to efficiently summarize data from multiple sources. Many Excel users do this the hard way, but with Excel's automatic consolidation feature, you will no longer need to develop a web of formula links to multiple sources.
Week Four
Lesson 07 - Excel Functions and Nesting
Wednesday
Excel's functions are too numerous to cover in just one lesson, so this lesson focuses on a few important ones spanning four categories: Logical, Database, Math & Trig, and Lookup & Reference.
Lesson 08 - Import External Data
Friday
This lesson focuses on importing external data. You will learn how to use the built-in Query Editor using Excel's powerful Power Query tool and import external database that combines two database tables into a single import.
Week Five
Lesson 09 - Data Tables
Wednesday
Data tables are very powerful what-if analysis tools that are great for analyzing potential outcomes of personal or business financial decisions. In this lesson, you will learn how to use two different types of data tables.
Lesson 10 - What-If Analysis Tools
Friday
This lesson explores three more of Excel's what-if analysis tools: Goal Seek, Scenario Manager, and Solver.
Week Six
Lesson 11 - Advanced PivotTables
Wednesday
In this lesson, you will discover how to use PivotTables, which are excellent for summarizing massive amounts of data and viewing different cuts of the information quickly. There are two methods for creating PivotTables, and you will practice using both.
Lesson 12 - Analysis ToolPak, Advanced Filter, Array Formulas, and More!
Friday
Your final lesson with a look at the functions available in the Analysis ToolPak, including Moving Average and Sampling tools. You will learn how to use the View Side by Side tool and how to use the Watch Window to keep tabs on your data when you're updating a workbook.