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Excel Skills Summary

Cell referencing allows Excel users to enter different types of data and formulas into cells. The fill handle tool, located in the bottom right corner of cells, can be used to quickly copy cell contents or formulas across multiple cells. Absolute cell referencing, denoted with a dollar sign ($), makes a cell reference constant when using the fill handle to copy formulas. Common Excel functions like autosum and renaming worksheets help automate tasks. Formatting options such as borders, fill colors, and simple charts can be applied to cells and ranges to visualize data.

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49 views3 pages

Excel Skills Summary

Cell referencing allows Excel users to enter different types of data and formulas into cells. The fill handle tool, located in the bottom right corner of cells, can be used to quickly copy cell contents or formulas across multiple cells. Absolute cell referencing, denoted with a dollar sign ($), makes a cell reference constant when using the fill handle to copy formulas. Common Excel functions like autosum and renaming worksheets help automate tasks. Formatting options such as borders, fill colors, and simple charts can be applied to cells and ranges to visualize data.

Uploaded by

mario2200bv
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Excel skills summary

Cell referencing
Every Excel cell has an address.

We can enter a variety of data into a cell;

Numerical data 6, 1.7, £4.60, 3.8% etc


Text “hello”
Numerical Formula (no cell referencing) 3*7, 6+6, etc
Cell referencing =B3, =A1, etc
Formula with cell referencing =A1*B3, =D3/A4, etc

When we use cell referencing, we reference the cell address.

The cell contents are not always the same as the cell value

Fill Handle Tool


On the bottom right corner af any Excel cell, you will see a large square. This is
the fill handle tool.

When you hover your cursor right over the square, the cursor changes into a bold + mark.

When you see the bold + mark, left click and drag horizontally or vertically to fill in the data.

The content of the first cell will determine what will be filled across the other cells.

If you have a single piece of content use the fill handle on the first cell and it will copy it
across all cells.

If you start with a date, month or day of the week, use the Excel fill handle to fill in remaining months.
If you have several cells in a row with related data (in a
sequence), highlight all the cells and use fill handle to fill
in the remaining cells in the same sequence.

Use the fill handle to copy formula

IMPORTANT: When using the fill handle on formula, cell references change in the direction of the copy

Absolute Cell referencing


When using the fill handle on formula, we have seen that cell references change in direction of the copy.

Sometimes, however, we do not want cell references to change in the direction of the copy, instead we
want to use a constant variable in our formula, eg pay rise percentage.

We need to make the cell reference a constant reference point by using the $ symbol. This

If we want to make cell B2 a constant cell in a calculation, we would use $B$2 in the formula.
We can quickly add the $ symbol by pressing function key F4 after entering the cell reference.

Using a constant cell with $ symbols is called absolute cell referencing.

The employees get a 3% pay increase. The 3% is a constant cell, so $ symbol must be used.

$B$7 is used in the formula


This makes cell B7 a constant

Cell B7 is a constant in the


formula

Cell D2 was not a constant


and has changed in the
direction of the copy

All the gross pay figures have been increased by 3% as we made cell B7 a constant in the formula.
Autosum
Use autosum to quickly add up a column of numbers. Click on HOME from the top bar and then
the autosum symbol Σ.
Excel will predict what you want to add up. If correct, press enter, if not highlight the cells you do
want to add up.

Renaming a worksheet
Right click on worksheet name bottom left, and type new name

Using functions, fx
Click on fx, choose the function you want to use, then highlight the cells you want to use the function on.

Highlighting, borders and fill cell

To highlight a range of cells, click on first cell,

then left click and drag over the range of cells.

Highlight cells then right click and borders arrow down

Choose a border, eg all borders

or top and bottom

Highlight cells then right click and fill arrow down

Choose a highlight colour.

Simple charts
Highlight first range of cells.
To then highlight a second range of cells, press and hold Ctrl
button as you highlight the second range of cells.

Left click ‘insert’ from top menu, and left click on the chart
option of your choice, and your chart will appear.

To rename chart, left click on ‘Chart Title’.

To change chart type, left click on graph to highlight it, then right click to bring up menu, then left click on
‘change chart type’.
Chose a different chart type.

Please also refer to Excel Exercise 3 – Charts for more advanced charts.

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