EXCEL 365

FOR BEGINNERS 2021

AN IN-DEPTH GUIDE ON HOW TO USE EXCEL

365

RICHARD
STEVE
 COPYRIGHT
All rights reserved. No part of this publication EXCEL 365 FOR
BEGINNERS 2021 may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, scanning without permission in writing by the
author.

Printed in the United States of America

© 2021 by Richard Steve

RS Publishing House
USA | UK | CANADA
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

COPYRIGHT
INTRODUCTION
EXCEL 365 VS EXCEL 2019
GETTING STARTED
SIGNING IN/UP TO OFFICE 365
LOCATING EXCEL IN OFFICE 365
THE INTERFACE
WORKING WITH TEXT AND NUMBERS
ENTERING TEXT AND NUMBERS
DELETING TEXT AND NUMBERS
INSERTING SYMBOLS AND SPECIAL CHARACTERS
COPYING, CUTTING AND PASTING
THE AUTO-FILL HANDLE
SAVING YOUR DOCUMENT
WORKING WITH ROWS AND COLUMNS
MOVING ROWS AND COLUMNS
ADJUSTING ROWS AND COLUMNS TO FIT TEXT
ADDING AND DELETING ROWS AND COLUMNS
ADDING, DELETING AND RENAMING SPREADSHEETS
FORMATTING DATA
APPLYING FONT, FONT SIZE AND COLOR
USING BOLD, ITALICS AND UNDERLINE
USING MERGE AND CENTER
ALIGNING DATA – LEFT, RIGHT CENTER AND JUSTIFY
 ENCLOSING DATA IN BORDERS
COPYING A STYLE WITH THE FORMAT PAINTER TOOL
FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS
THE BASIC ARITHMETIC OPERATORS
APPLYING FORMULAS (ADDITION, SUBTRACTION,
MULTIPLICATION, AND DIVISION)
RULES OF BODMAS WHEN APPLYING MULTIPLE
FORMULAS
USING FUNCTIONS (SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MAX, MIN,
DATE, TIME)
LOGICAL FUNCTIONS (IF, AND, OR)
SHOWING AND COPYING FORMULAS
DATA MANIPULATION
FIND AND REPLACE
FILTERING AND SORTING
DATA VALIDATION
INSERTING PICTURES AND SHAPES
DATA REPRESENTATION
CHARTS
FREEZE PANES
MANAGING YOUR DOCUMENTS
ORGANIZING YOUR DOCUMENTS
SAVING AND PRINTING YOUR DOCUMENT
CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION
Whenever a new and updated Excel version is launched, there are always
changes and additional features. If not the most significant, one of the biggest
was the jump from Excel 2003 to Excel 2007. Some problems were caused
for active users of Excel, from the change of file types to the Ribbon
introduction, amongst other things. In the newer versions after that, the
changes were less problematic for Excel users. Since then, Microsoft has
been working towards having a subscription-based model where changes can
be made gradually, hence creating Excel 365.
Excel 365, a part of the Office 365 package, is online-based spreadsheet
software that helps you work well and accurately with data. It offers as many
features as the other versions of Excel. It has many tools for managing and
editing data, including data representation using Charts and more.
As a beginner guide, whether you intend to review or brush up on your Excel
skills or just started using Excel, you will learn the fundamentals of this
spreadsheet software, how to work with rows and columns, formatting data,
basic formulas and functions. Besides, you will learn BODMAS rules when
applying multiple arithmetic operations, data representation, and many more.
 EXCEL 365 VS EXCEL 2019
Excel 365 is the latest form of popular spreadsheet software, and it has
gained much more popularity in the past few years due to its flexibility. You
can even work with Excel without any form of installation. Excel 2019, on
the other hand, is just like the regular versions we already knew; versions like
Excel 2007, 2010, and 2016, which are all present in the Microsoft Office
Suite.
The difference between Excel 365 and Excel 2019 is not much in terms of
functionalities. The significant difference in their licensing arrangement.
Excel 365 is just the subscription-based version, while Excel 2019 is the
bought-outright, stand-alone, perpetual version of the Microsoft software.
Some may ask what the difference between a subscription-based license and
a perpetual license is. Ask no further. History has shown that Microsoft has
always used perpetual licenses purchased outright and owned by the user
forever. With the perpetual license, the owner may not receive updates on
other software until a newer version needs to be installed. Most organizations
with many users use perpetual licenses and wait for long periods for updates
before they upgrade due to the cost implications. Users who have perpetual
licenses are usually frustrated and impatient when they cannot access the
newer features they might have heard about or seen. When the more recent
updates they have waited so long for arrive, they mostly feel disappointed
because it may be more challenging to use or not what they anticipated.
With Office 365, which is subscription-based, you will always receive
regular updates and gradual changes, making users more accustomed to the
differences.
Also, you have no worries about system compatibility due to different
versions. With your Office 365 subscription, you can use Excel online on
most internet-enabled devices. It is fast and quick to access.
 GETTING STARTED
To start with, we will go through the setting up of Excel 365 on your
computer. Also, we will discuss the interface and how to navigate in Excel.

SIGNING IN/UP TO OFFICE 365

With your Microsoft account, you can easily log into Office 365.
Nevertheless, it is easy and straightforward to create a new account. To do
any of these, follow the steps below:

1. First, go to https://login.microsoftonline.com.
2. Input your email address and click “Next,” or click “Create
one!” if you do not have a Microsoft account.

3. Input your password and tick "Keep me signed in "to allow you
to log in without typing your password every time.
 4. There you have the Office 365 main page.

On this page, you can easily choose the Office 365 package you would love
to work with. You can also download the Office 365 full package on your
system by clicking the "Install Office" button and subscribe by clicking the
"Buy Office" button.

In most cases, your school, company or organization would have subscribed

on your behalf. However, you can still work with the free version for
personal use.

LOCATING EXCEL IN OFFICE 365

On the left side of the Office 365 main page is the Navigation bar. You can
choose to open any app you would love to work with on this bar. You can
also add more apps and remove an app on this bar.
To choose Excel, click the app launcher and then click the Excel icon.
You then get a new page to open a new workbook, open recent files, and use
templates.

➢ Click "New blank workbook" to open a new page in Excel.

➢ Choose a file from “Recent” to open a previously worked-on
workbook.
➢ Click “Upload and open” to open Excel’s document on your
computer.
➢ Click “More templates” to choose a template.
You should also be aware that your files are saved automatically on the
Microsoft cloud by default. However, you can always download any file on
your computer system if needed.
 THE INTERFACE
The Excel Interface is made up of ribbons, groups, menus, and the
spreadsheet itself. We will be looking into these different parts individually,
starting from the menus.

The Title
This is situated at the top of the interface. By default, when you create a new
file, it is named Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, and so on. It is advisable to rename
your file to what you can easily refer to.
To change the name of your file, click the title at the top of the Excel
interface. Input the new name and select where you want the file to be saved
on the Microsoft Cloud (OneDrive).
The Menus
The Excel worksheet menus contain most of the commands you will use
frequently. They are located at the top of the Excel interface. They are File,
Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, View, and Help.

When you press the Alt key on your keyboard, some letters show up; this
means that you can combine the Alt key with those letters as shortcuts. Listed
below are the functions of each menu and their shortcuts.

File: This is where you perform operations like opening,

closing, saving, and printing files. The keypad shortcut is Alt +
F.
Home: This is where you perform operations like formatting,
editing, cutting, copying, clearing, and selecting from your
worksheets. The keypad shortcut is Alt + H.
Insert: This is where you can perform operations like inserting
functions, pictures, tables, charts, shapes, symbols etc., into the
worksheets. The keypad shortcut is Alt + N.
Page Layout: This is where you do page setup. Here, you can
change your paper size, paper orientation, printing, and scaling.
The keypad shortcut is Alt + P.
Formulas: This is for calculations, and the shortcut is Alt + M.
 Data: Here, you get to sort out your data and select many other
options on the worksheets. The keypad shortcut is Alt + A.
Review: This is the part you cross-check what you have done so
far. You can utilize the spelling-check and workbook statistics
options. The keypad shortcut is Alt + R.
View: This is where you perform operations like viewing other
sheets, applying freeze panes, and adding headers and footers on
the workspace. The keypad shortcut is Alt + E.
Help: This is the place to look for help on Excel. You can
contact Excel support directly, send feedback, look for keyboard
shortcuts, and check for the latest update to Excel. The keypad
shortcut is Alt + E.
Moreover, some hidden bars automatically come up whenever you insert
objects like charts, shapes, pictures, and more.

Also, at the right top of the interface is the “Search” and “Editing/Viewing”
buttons.

The “Search” box, which is also the “Tell me what you want to do” box,
enables you to search for anything in Excel, while the “Editing/Viewing”
button is for switching between the Editing and Viewing modes. The Editing
mode allows you to make changes to your work or other people's work if you
are permitted to do so, while the Viewing mode is just for going through your
file without making any change to it. It is vital to put your file in the Viewing
mode while cross-checking your work to avoid entering unwanted values in
your spreadsheet by mistake.
Ribbon
This is the top space of the spreadsheet right below the menus. Once you
open an Excel spreadsheet, the Home tab is automatically selected. The
Ribbon contains tabs and icons that are necessary to accomplish all Excel
tasks. In the Ribbon, there are command buttons, groups, dialogue launchers,
and tabs.
However, you may not like the present look of your ribbon; click the little
arrow icon by the right corner to switch your ribbon.

The Home ribbon before switching

The Home ribbon after switching

The Groups
Groups are commands that are further divided into sections in the ribbons.
Almost every tab has several groups attached to them.
The Home ribbon groups

The Insert ribbon groups

The Page Layout ribbon group

The Formulas ribbon group

The Data ribbon groups

The Review ribbon groups

The View ribbon groups

The Help ribbon group

All these groups have different controls, and it takes some time and patience
to understand their specific functions fully.
The Spreadsheet
The Excel spreadsheet is a tool that organizes data into rows and columns.
These rows and columns form cells, and each of the cells contains data like
numerical value, formula, or text.

The spreadsheet can be used to perform calculations, organize data, analyze

given data, generate pivot tables, represent information or data in the form of
graphs and charts, and calculate statistics correctly. Each of the columns and
rows in the Excel spreadsheet can be modified to suit your need.
Nowadays, many other spreadsheets are used other than Excel, but the Excel
spreadsheet remains the most commonly used because of its features, options,
and ease of use.
 WORKING WITH TEXT AND NUMBERS
Most times in Excel, you input text and numbers: your raw or unprocessed
computer data, i.e. data collected from a source. Understanding how to input
text and numbers correctly into your spreadsheet is no doubt vital.

ENTERING TEXT AND NUMBERS

Entering text and numbers into a cell is relatively easy. All you have to do is
click the cell you would like to type in and then start typing. Below, “School
Record” is entered into cell A1, “Name” is entered into cell A2, “Age” is
entered into cell B2, and Gender is entered into cell C2.

There will be a replica of the text in the formula bar, meaning that the cell
you select can also be changed at the formula bar.
 DELETING TEXT AND NUMBERS
Sometimes, typos are unavoidable but be rest assured that there is room for
corrections.
To delete text and numbers in a cell, all you have to do is click the cell and
use the Backspace key to erase the text or numbers at once. This approach
erases all the content in the cell.
However, if there was a typo and needed to correct a character or number,
double-click the cell and make necessary corrections. Also, you can click the
cell once, click the formula bar and then make your corrections.

INSERTING SYMBOLS AND SPECIAL CHARACTERS

Some symbols and special characters are not on your keyboard, but
sometimes you might want to include them in your work.
Unfortunately, this feature is not included in the slim-down version of Excel
(Excel 365) but included in the traditional Excel (Excel 2019, 2016, 2010
…). Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we get to see this feature. However,
discussed below is how to make use of this feature in traditional Excel.
The Excel built-in “Symbols and Special Characters” menu is the easiest way
to insert symbols and special characters. First, click the cell you want this
symbol or special character, click the Insert tab, and click “Symbol” located
in the ribbon to show the symbols and special characters window. Once the
window is displayed, make your choice and click “Insert.”

The symbols are divided into sections, which become visible from the Subset
dropdown. You can also change the font from the “Font” dropdown. You can
change "normal text" to Webdings, Wingdings, Wingdings 2, or any other
you prefer. Choose the "Special Characters" tab to get more commonly used
options.

COPYING, CUTTING AND PASTING

Just as it sounds, you can duplicate your contents. The cell(s) contents may
be text or numbers; you can effectively copy or move them from one cell to
another using the "Copy and Paste" or "Cut and Paste" method. "Copy and
Paste" will duplicate the content, while "Cut and Paste" will move the cell's
content.
To do this, right-click the cell you wish to copy its content and choose
"Copy" or "Cut," or click the cell you want to copy its content and use the
keyboard shortcut “Ctrl or Command + C” for copy, and “Ctrl or Command
+ X” for cut. Then, move the cursor to the desired cell you wish to paste the
copied content, right-click and select "Paste," or click the cell you want to
paste the copied content and use the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl or Command +
V" to paste.

You can also copy multiple cells, which is called a Range. All you have to do
is select the range by clicking and holding the first cell, and then you drag
across the other cells you would like to copy. Right-click on those cells and
choose "Copy" or "Cut". Then, right-click on the first cell where you would
like to paste what you copied and select "Paste."
Also, you can copy a row or a column, even multiple rows or multiple
columns. To copy a row or column, all you have to do is right-click the row
number or column letter and choose "Copy" or "Cut." Then, right-click the
new row number or column letter and select "Paste."
If you would like to copy multiple rows, click, hold, and drag from the first-
row number you wish to copy to the last-row number you want to copy. For
instance, if you are copying row 2 to row 5, click, hold and drag from row 2
to row 5. Then, right-click and choose “Copy” or “Cut.” To paste, right-click
the new row number and choose “Paste.”
If you would also like to copy multiple columns, click, hold, and drag from
the first column letter you wish to copy to the last column letter you wish to
copy. For instance, if you are copying column B to column D, click, hold,
and drag from column B to column D. Then, copy and paste as discussed
earlier. Then, right-click and choose “Copy” or “Cut.” To paste, right-click
the new column letter and choose “Paste.”
 THE AUTO-FILL HANDLE
This feature of Microsoft makes repeating tasks a whole lot easier. There are
some values like day, date, number set, etc., you can automatically fill in
multiple cells down the column. Below, we have the “No.” and “Day”
column automatically filled just by giving Excel a hint on what to do.

How do we go about this? The first thing you have to do is enter a starting
value for your series. For “No.,” we entered the first two values, which is 1
and 2. That tells Excel we want a number set increasing by 1. You can just
put the first day for the “Day” column.
The Auto-fill is smart; it will fill up the rest for you. To use this feature, place
the mouse at the lower-right corner of an active cell to show the Auto-fill
handle. Then, click, hold, and drag the handle, which turns a cross mouse
pointer down the column. Excel will automatically fill the selected cells.

However, for number set (1, 2, 3 …), select the first two cells to give Excel a
hint of what it is about to do. Then, click, hold, and drag the handle, which
turns a cross mouse pointer down the column.

SAVING YOUR DOCUMENTS

As you work, it is a good practice to keep saving to avoid losing any work
you might have done. Fantastically, Excel 365 saves your work
automatically. You do not have to worry about file loss.
However, you might be interested in saving your file in another folder of
OneDrive, renaming your file, or downloading your file onto your computer.
To do this, click the File tab and choose "Save as". Then, select from the list
what you want to do.

This same technique applies to other versions of Microsoft Excel.

 WORKING WITH ROWS AND COLUMNS
An Excel spreadsheet is made up of rows and columns, which are represented
with numbers and letters, respectively. And where a row and column
intercept is called a cell. However, a cell's name is the column letter and the
row number, cell B2, for instance. You can also get the name of a cell from
the cells name box located above the first column.

The columns are represented by the letters of the alphabet, and they run
horizontally. On the other hand, the rows are represented by numbers, and
they run vertically.

MOVING ROWS AND COLUMNS

In some cases, while working, you might need to move a row or column from
its position to a new position. For instance, in the sheet below, let us move
row 4 to row 12 and move column C to column G.
To do this, select row 4 by clicking on "4" and move your mouse over the
selected row border line till you get a four-directional arrow. Then, click,
hold, and drag the row from row 4 to row 12.
To move the column, select column C by clicking on “C,” and move your
mouse over the selected column border line till you get a four-directional
arrow. Then, click, hold, and drag the column from column C to column G.

You can undo the changes you just made by clicking the “Undo” icon on the
Home ribbon, or press Ctrl or Command + Z on your keyboard. To redo,
press Ctrl or Command + Y or click the “Redo” icon on the Home ribbon.

ADJUSTING ROWS AND COLUMNS TO FIT TEXT

When your text length is more than your cell, it seems to overlap another cell,
but it is within the same cell in reality. Below is cell A1 overlapping into cell
B2.

However, you need to adjust the column or row size for the text to fit in
properly. The easiest way to do this is by letting Excel automatically
determine how to adjust the cell size to fit the data. And this feature is known
as Excel Autofit. You can apply this to the Column Width and Row Height.
To autofit a row, hover your mouse around the row number borderline. Your
mouse should turn into a two-arrowlike icon and then double-click. This will
automatically make your text fit in the row. It is useful when you have a big
text size to contain in your cell.

To autofit a column, hover your mouse around the column letter borderline.
Your mouse should turn into a two-arrowlike icon and then double-click.
This will automatically make your text fit in the column. It is useful when
you have a long text length to contain in your cell.
Auto-fitting rows and columns can also be done in the Home ribbon. All you
have to do is select the column(s) or row(s) of interest, click the Home tab,
under the Cells group, click Format, and choose either AutoFit Row Height
or AutoFit Column Width.
 ADDING AND DELETING ROWS AND COLUMNS
Probably there is a need for you to include a row or column in your already
completed worksheet; you can do that by inserting a fresh row or column as
the case may be.
To insert a row within a spreadsheet, click on the row number you want your
new row. If you want your new row in the "row 5" position, for instance,
click on "row 5".

Then, go to the Home ribbon, click “Insert”, and choose “Insert Sheet Rows”.
To insert a column within a spreadsheet, click on the column letter you want
your new column. If you want your new column in the "column C” position,
for instance, click on “column C”.

Then, go to the Home ribbon, click “Insert”, and choose “Insert Sheet
Columns”.
Nevertheless, these operations can also be carried out alternatively by right-
clicking the "row number" or "column letter" and choosing "Insert Rows" or
“Insert Columns” as the case may be.

Deleting rows and columns

If rows and columns could be added, they could also be deleted.
To delete a row within a spreadsheet, click on the row number you want to
delete. Then, go to the Home ribbon, click “Delete”, and choose “Delete
Sheet Rows”.

To delete a column within a spreadsheet, click on the column letter you want
to delete. Then, go to the Home ribbon, click “Delete”, and choose “Delete
Sheet Columns”.

Nevertheless, these operations can also be carried out alternatively by right-

clicking the "row number" or "column letter" and choosing "Delete Rows" or
“Delete Columns” as the case may be.
 ADDING, DELETING, AND RENAMING SPREADSHEETS
By default, Excel users are presented with three worksheets in each
workbook. But worksheets can be added to the default three, renamed, and
deleted as the user pleases. Even the default position of the worksheets in a
workbook can be changed. However, these sheets can be found in the bottom
left corner of the Excel interface.

To add, delete, or rename a worksheet, right-click the sheet and choose from
“Insert,” “Delete,” or “Rename.”
Alternatively, you can add or remove a sheet by clicking the “Insert” or
“Delete” icon in the Home ribbon as the case may be.

Also, you can add more sheets by clicking the “+” icon in the bottom left
corner.
 FORMATTING DATA
The beauty of working with Excel is making your data look well organized
and easy to understand. The right things like the font, font size, font colour,
alignment, and more must be used.

APPLYING FONT TYPE, FONT SIZE, AND FONT COLOR

Changing the appearance of text in Excel cells is possible. It allows the users
to customize the text to their taste.
To change the font appearance (type, size, and colour), click the cell
containing the text you intend to change. If you have more than one cell to
change, click, hold, and drag from the first cell down to the last cell you wish
to change. In the image below, we would be customizing the column titles
(No., Item, Price, Day and Time).

To change the font type, click the font type arrow in the Home ribbon and
choose a befitting one.
Once a font type is chosen, the text adjusts to that font.
To change the font size, click the font size arrow in the Home ribbon and
choose a befitting one.

To change the font colour, click the font colour arrow in the Home ribbon
and choose a befitting one. The font colour icon is "A."
To change the font background colour, click the font background colour
arrow in the Home ribbon and choose a befitting one.
Besides, you can use the background colour option to separate rows (records)
while sorting. This helps to differentiate your records easily. All you need to
do is click the row number you wish to differentiate and then choose a
background colour.

USING BOLD, ITALICS, AND UNDERLINE

Anyone familiar with Microsoft Word would realize that using Bold, Italics,
and Underline are elementary processes and make your work look well-
formed. If you look at the Home ribbon, you will see the B, I, and U icons. B
stands for Bold, I for Italics, and U for Underline.

To use B, I, or U, select the cell(s) containing the text you need to change and
then click any of them. The effect automatically takes place on the text. You
can also use the shortcuts CTRL + B for Bold, CTRL + I for Italics, and
CTRL + U for Underline to make changes to the selected cell(s).

USING MERGE AND CENTER

Merging cells into one sometimes can be helpful, especially when you want
to include a Heading in your worksheet for proper illustration. This will turn
several cells in a row into one cell, and you can proceed to add your text. The
Merge and Center options are on the Home ribbon.

You can merge cells in different ways; "Merge and Center" will merge the
chosen cells and centre your text, while "Merge and Across" will only merge
the chosen cells without changing your alignment. You can use “Unmerge
Cells” to unmerge joined cells.
To merge cells, highlight the cells you want to merge, and then choose
"Merge and Center." In the image below, I want to make “Weekly Sales” my
worksheet’s heading.
After clicking "Merge and Center," It will automatically cause the
highlighted cells to merge, and the data will be contained in the new cell
formed from merging.

You might be interested in styling your new heading, go ahead and apply font
type, font size, font colour, Bold, Italics, and Underline as you deem fit.
Please ensure that your data is in the first cell before you merge because any
data lost by merging cannot be recovered after unmerging. Nevertheless, you
can undo your actions before you save and close your document.
To unmerge merged cells for one reason or another, click the merged cell,
click the arrow near "Merge and Center" in the Home ribbon, and choose
"Unmerge Cells."

ALIGNING DATA – LEFT, RIGHT, CENTER, AND MORE

Aligning your data means arranging your data. You can arrange the data in
your cells and make them stay on the left, right, center, or justify. Also, you
can arrange to the top, middle, or bottom. You can also increase and decrease
the indent. However, all of these can be found in the Home ribbon.

To align your data, select the cell or cells if you have more than one cell to
align.
Then, choose to align left, center, or right. In the example below, the data are
now aligned left.

On your own, make use of the other aligning styles to know precisely how
they function.
 ENCLOSING DATA IN BORDERS
Borders are added to specific cells for emphasis. Because borders are
generally thicker than the regular grid lines, they can be put around cells to
define them.
Adding borders to cells is quick easy; select the cell or cells of interest, click
the arrow beside the Borders icon in the Home ribbon. Then, choose a border
you would like to see on your cell(s).
 COPYING A STYLE WITH THE FORMAT PAINTER TOOL
The format painter tool is one of those rarely used tools in Excel. It is mostly
used to replicate one cell formatting in another cell.
I can decide to add another column title in my worksheet, for instance. Then,
I want the same format on the other column title for my new column title.

I need to click the cell I wish to copy from in my worksheet (click one of the
column titles) and then click the Format Painter icon in the Home ribbon.

Once selected, the cursor changes to a paintbrush and a plus sign is attached
to it. Click the target cell. It then automatically transfers the formatting of the
first cell to the next.
You may need to click the Esc key on your keyboard to exit the Format
Painter mode, provided it does not go away automatically.
 FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS
Since Excel is all about calculations and analysis, understanding the basic use
of formulas and functions is crucial. This part covers the basic arithmetic
operators, formulas, BODMAS, functions, and logical functions.

THE BASIC ARITHMETIC OPERATORS

Like you have simple Mathematics formulas for solving problems while you
were in elementary school, Excel also comes embedded with its peculiar
formulas for solving different problems. These formulas are in the form of
expressions that work on the values in a cell. Addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division are the basic arithmetic operators we have in
Excel. Below are the symbols of these arithmetic operators:
Operator Symbol
Addition (to add) +
Subtraction (to minus) -
Multiplication (to multiply) *
Division (to divide) /

APPLYING FORMULAS (ADDITION, SUBTRACTION,

MULTIPLICATION, AND DIVISION)
Using these formulas are quite easy and straightforward. All you have to do
is click on the cell you want your result, and then input the formula.
To add numbers in Excel, you can simply input the “=” sign, the numbers
with the “+” sign in-between them and click Enter. The sum is displayed in
the chosen cell for the result.
You can also add the cells' values by simply inserting the “=” sign, the cell
names and separating them with the “+” sign. Then, pressing “Enter” on your
keyboard displays the result of the sum of the values in each of the cells. In
the image below, cells C3 and D3 were added.

Excel can also use the SUM Function instead of the normal “+” operator. It is
written in this way, =SUM(A1:B1:B2...) where A1 and B1 are the cell names
you are summing up. You can sum up the values of a range of cells by using
=SUM(C3:D3), for instance. =SUM(C3:D3) sums up the values in cells C3
and D3. =SUM(C3:E3) will sum up the values in cells C3, D3, and E3.
Subtracting in Excel has no particular function, but it is possible to carry out
the operation. The usual subtraction method is inputting the “=” sign, the cell
names you wish to operate on in a cell separating with the “-“ sign. Then,
pressing “Enter” on your keyboard displays the result in the chosen cell. You
can subtract the values in two or more cells in this format, =D3-C3.

It is also possible to combine multiple arithmetic operations, but the rule of

BODMAS must be followed. We can have something like this; =E3-
SUM(C3:D3).

In the above expression, Total items are subtracted from the units sold
(addition of Unit sold A and Unit sold B) to get the left items. We then have
this; =E3-SUM(C3:D3), which represents our parameters' cell names, i.e.,
Total items, Unit sold A, and Unit sold B.
For multiplication, you need to be a little more careful. You can insert the
values and perform the operation in a cell, followed by the Enter button. You
can also use the PRODUCT function, i.e. =PRODUCT(C3:D3). That will
multiply the value of C3 by the value of D3.
To divide, there is no particular function, just like the subtraction operation.
The normal operation can be done on numbers and cell names using the
divide (/) operator and pressing the Enter key. You can subtract the values in
two or more cells in this format, =G3/C3.

RULES OF BODMAS WHEN APPLYING MULTIPLE FORMULAS

You might remember back in your school days the principle of “BODMAS”.
This is just an acronym for Bracket, Order, Division, Multiplication,
Addition, and Subtraction. All multiple arithmetic calculations must follow
that order to execute correctly. In the expression below, the addition part is
calculated first, and then the subtraction part.
This is also how Excel carries out its mathematical operations. No matter
how complex the formula may look, Excel follows this principle and gives
the final result. You must consider this when working with multiple
arithmetic operations.

USING FUNCTIONS (SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MAX, MIN, DATE,

TIME)
In Excel, functions are formulas that have already been made simple. When
you are using a function, you input the function in the cell you want the
result. For instance, you may decide to get the sum of a column or row in
your workbook.

In the image below, the sum function is inserted in the last cell (G10), and we
have the formula as =SUM(G3:G9), i.e., the sum of cells G3, G4, G5, …, G9.
Then press "Enter" to accept the function. This method applies to other
functions.
Here are some basic functions you can use for your excel workflow:

1. SUM: expressed as =SUM(firstcellname:lastcellname)

2. AVERAGE: expressed as
=AVERAGE(firstcellname:lastcellname)
3. COUNT(number of values): expressed as
=COUNT(firstcellname:lastcellname)
4. MIN(lowest value): expressed as
=MIN(firstcellname:lastcellname)
5. MAX(highest value): expressed as
=MAX(firstcellname:lastcellname)
Alternatively, you can perform these functions by selecting the cells you wish
to calculate, clicking the dropdown arrow on the AutoSum icon in the Home
tab, and then choosing a function.
The AVERAGE function can be used to get the average value of a data set.
The COUNT function returns the number of values in the selected cells.
MAX and MIN indicate the lowest and highest values respectively in the
selected cells or range.
DATE and TIME are functions that indicate time. The date format in Excel is
in the US format (months before days before years). To insert a date in a
particular cell, click the cell and press Ctrl plus ; on your keyboard. Press
Ctrl plus Shift plus ; on your keyboard to insert time in one specific cell.

LOGICAL FUNCTIONS (IF, AND, OR)

The IF, AND, OR, NOT, and NESTED IF functions indicate logical
operations. Logical operations are usually used to check whether a statement
is true or false. For instance, we would all agree that “zero is less than five (0
< 5)". That was logic, and you can make use of the logical functions to check
whether a statement meets a particular condition or not in Excel.
IF Function
The IF function is the most frequently used of logical functions. It allows you
to make logical comparisons of two or more values.
Let us create a new Excel workbook to help grade students' scores to letter
grades using the IF function. This workbook is for a particular subject
(Chemistry), and it contains 6 column titles, namely, Name, Matric No, Test
Score, Examination Score, Total, and Grade.
Besides, we have added what they will be graded on, including the Letter
grades.

To make excel bring out letter grades as a representation of their scores or

percentage, we use the IF statement.
As discussed earlier, use the SUM function to get Total, the addition of the
Test Score and Examination Score.
Now, start with the first record cell in the grade column; here we have F as
the grade column and cell F3 as the first record cell. Double click on this cell
to input the IF statement. Enter
=IF(E3>=70,"A",IF(E3>=60,"B",IF(E3>=50,"C",IF(E3>=45,"D",IF(E3>=40,"E","F

Since we are grading the Total score, i.e. column letter E as we have it here,
we start by entering =IF(E3>=70,”A”; this will display A if the score is 70
and above. We continue by adding ,IF(E3>=60,"B"; this will display B if
the score is within 60 and 69. We continue by adding ,IF(E3>=50,"C"; this
will display C if the score is within 50 and 59. We continue by adding
,IF(E3>=45,"D"; this will display D if the score is within 45 and 49. We
continue by adding ,IF(E3>=40,"E"; this will display E if the score is within
40 and 44. We continue by adding just ,"F"; this will display F if the score is
within 0 and 39.
You can then use the autofill handle to complete the other cells.
AND Function
The AND function takes multiple logical tests, and if all of the tests are true,
it will return a true statement. If any of them is false, it will return a FALSE
statement. All conditions must be passed to return a TRUE statement.
Below is a simple workbook that denotes if some students would be
promoted or not. They will be given three different tests, and the condition is
that a student has to pass all tests to be successful.

The table contains five column titles: Name, First test, Second test, Third test,
and Result. Each row is the record for a student. The first row (student) has
passed, passed and failed; it means the student did not pass the third test. He
failed because the condition is that all tests must be passed.
Moreover, the second student has passed, passed and passed. So he has
passed. That is the idea…
The AND function will take multiple logical tests, and if all of the tests are
true, it will return a TRUE statement. If any of them is false, it will return a
FALSE statement.
Now, start with the first record cell in the result column; here, we have G as
the result column and cell G4 as the first record cell. Enter the AND
function…
Type =and(
Now, let us do a series of logical test. The first test starts with the First test
column to see if the first student passed or failed. We have
=and(D4=”passed”,
Then, add the second logical test; we have =and(D4=”passed”,
E4=”passed”,
Lastly, add the third logical test =and(D4=”passed”,
E4=”passed”,F4=”passed”) Do not forget to end your statement with ), and
then press Enter on your keyboard.
The full formula is =and(D4=”passed”, E4=”passed”,F4=”passed”)

If the entire test columns were passed for the first student, the AND function
would return TRUE. But if any of the test columns was failed, it would return
FALSE.
The first student Result would be FALSE because one of the tests was failed.

You can now make use of the autofill handle to complete the other cells. The
next student’s result would be TRUE because the entire tests were passed.
OR Function
The OR function takes multiple logical tests, and if one of the tests is true, it
will return a true statement. If all of them are false, it will return a FALSE
statement. At least one condition must be passed to return a TRUE statement.
An example of where this could be applied is in determining if a number of
students would be promoted or not after a series of test.
Below is a simple table that will help us determine if a number of students
would be promoted or not. They would be given only three attempts to pass a
test, and the condition is that a student must pass at least in one attempt to be
successful. The table has five column titles: Name, First try, Second try,
Third try and Result. Each row is the record for a student.

From the table above, we have the test record. If a student passed the test,
then one of the columns must be passed. The Result would be TRUE. If a
student failed all three attempts, the Result would be FAILED. For instance,
the first student in the table failed the first and second try but passed the third
try. The Result would be TRUE.
In the Result column, enter the OR function.
Type =OR(
Now let us do a series of logical test. The first test will start with the First test
column, and we want to see if the first student passed on the first try. So we
have =OR(D3=”passed”,
Now, let us add the second logical test. We then have =OR(D3=”passed”,
E3=”passed”,
Lastly, the third logical test is added. We have =OR(D3=”passed”,
E3=”passed”,F3=”passed”) Do not forget to end your statement with ), and
then press Enter on your keyboard.
The full formula is =OR(D3=”passed”, E3=”passed”,F3=”passed”)

The first result is TRUE because one of the attempts was passed.

You can now make use of the autofill handle to complete the other cells. The
fourth student’s result would be FALSE because all the attempts were failed.
 SHOWING AND COPYING FORMULAS
After inputting your formula or function in a cell in Excel, you press the
“Enter” key to display the result in the cell. What if you want to show it?
You can show the formula or function in a cell by double-clicking the cell.
Also, you can show all formulas and functions by clicking the Show
Formulas button in the Formulas tab. Or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + `

To copy a formula, triple-click the cell containing the formula and press
CTRL + C on your keyboard to copy. To paste in another cell, double-click
the new cell and press CTRL + V.
However, you can reflect the formula in a cell in other cells using the Autofill
handle method, as discussed earlier.
 DATA MANIPULATION
When it comes to organizing data to make it easier to read and comprehend,
Excel is a great tool. You can easily alter your data through various means
and then format it more effectively.

FIND AND REPLACE

This feature in Excel is a very powerful one even though it is not the most
popular. With this feature, you can search for or replace values or texts in
your worksheet. It helps to narrow down search results by specifying what
you intend to look for.
To find data, do the following:

Click “Find & Select” in the Editing group under the Home tab
and choose Find. You can also use the keyboard shortcut CTRL
+ F.

In the Find what box, enter what you intend to find.

 Click “Find Next” to identify the first occurrence or click “Find
All” to display all occurrences.
Close the dialogue box after locating the entry you want.

To replace data, do the following:

Click “Find & Select” in the Editing group under the Home tab
and choose Replace. You can also use the keyboard shortcut
CTRL + H. The Find and Replace dialogue box appear.
 In the Find what box, enter the data you wish to locate.
In the Replace with box, enter the data you wish to replace the
found data with.

Click “Find Next” to identify the first occurrence or click “Find

All” to display all occurrences.
For replacement of data, click “Replace…” or click “Replace
All” to replace all occurrences.
Close the dialogue box when done.

FILTERING AND SORTING

Filtering: This is the isolation of key data components within a table.
To filter data:
● Select the row you wish to filter. In the image below, row 2 was
 selected because it contained the title columns.

● Select “Sort & Filter” in the Home tab. Then choose Filter.

● Your title columns should now have a dropdown icon.

● Click the dropdown icon of the column you wish to filter and
choose "Text Filter" or "Number Filter", depending on what you
have in your column.
 ● Then, filter accordingly.
Sorting: This is the arrangement of data in a particular order. You can
arrange a list in alphabetical order, arrange your data to increase or decrease
numerical values. Follow this procedure to sort data:
● Select the column letter you wish to sort. In the image below,
column E was selected.
● Select “Sort & Filter” in the Home tab. Then, choose “Sort
Ascending” or “Sort Descending.”

● You then get a popup message, choose “Expand and sort.”

 DATA VALIDATION
It is used to restrict the type of values or data that are being entered into a
cell. A name column should contain letters, not numbers, while an age
column should contain just numbers. When other users use your Excel
template/sheet, this will guide them not to enter incorrect values. To carry out
data validation, do the following:

Select the column you wish to create a rule for.

Click the Data tab and choose Data Validation.

Under the Settings tab, click the Allow box and choose an
option depending on your preference. The options available are
Whole Number, Decimal, List, Date, Time, Text Length, and
Custom.
Click the Data box and choose a condition. The options
available are: between, not between, equal to, not equal to,
greater than, less than, greater than or equal to, less than or equal
to.

Set a minimum and maximum value for the length of your

inputs. For instance, a person name should be between 5 and 50
if you had chosen “Between” in the Data box.
Tick “Ignore Blank” to ignore any blank space.
Click the Input Message tab and add Title and Message for your
rule if you wish to.

Tick “Show Message". When a cell is selected from the column,

the message is shown to guide the user on what to input.

Click the Error Alert tab and add Title and Message to alert any
user who inputs invalid data. If a user tries to input an invalid
value, a popup message appears containing the message you
have added.
 Click OK.

INSERTING PICTURES AND SHAPES

Inserting a picture in Excel workbooks is quite rare but possible. To insert a
picture shape:

Click the Insert tab and choose either Picture or Shapes in the
Illustrations group.

Locate the picture you wish to upload by clicking “Browse”.

Click “Insert” and wait for the picture to upload.
You can move the picture by clicking, holding, and dragging it
to another location. You can also resize the picture by dragging
its edges.
 DATA REPRESENTATION
Data can be represented and adjusted in various forms in Excel. The common
form is the use of charts.

CHARTS
We often use charts to analyze patterns in a set of information or data
presented in columns and rows.
Types of Charts
Below are the types of charts and when they can be used:
● Pie Charts -You can use this to show and quantify numerical
comparison of items. Data in this chart type is represented in a
circular form and usually in percentages.
● Bar Charts -You can use this type of chart to represent values
and compare them to one another. The comparison is made in
categories, and the values are represented mostly in rectangular
bars that are proportional to the values they mean.
● Column Charts -You can use this to show and quantify
numerical comparison of items. This chart uses vertical
rectangular bars to illustrate the values they mean.
● Line Charts -This is called a line graph also. This chart can
constitute a single line for a data set and more than a line to
compare more than one set of data.
● Combo Charts -Data of different types are combined with the
use of this chart. It is called a combination chart; hence you have
a ‘combo’ for short. It is used to combine the bar chart properties
and the line chart properties.
Creating a chart
To Produce a chart:
● Identify and choose the information or data for which you want
 the chart produced. Below is an example of how the data should
look like;

● From the Insert tab, choose a chart.

● Scroll through the list of the recommended charts and pick any
of them. See what your data looks like.
 FREEZE PANES
This will allow you to keep selected rows and columns visible in your
spreadsheet at all times. This is very useful when you have a large set of data,
and you want to see the column titles/row titles at all times, even if you scroll
down.
No more column title here
To keep your column titles visible using freeze panes:

Select the cell just below the row you want visible. So we have;
 Click the View tab and click Freeze Panes under the Windows
group. Then choose Freeze Panes to keep the upper row visible.

If you now scroll down, you would notice that the column titles
are still visible.

To keep your row titles visible using freeze panes:

Select the cell just to the right of the column you want visible.
So we have;
Click the View tab and click Freeze Panes under the Windows
group. Then choose Freeze Panes to keep the column by the left
visible.

If you now scroll to the right, you would notice that the row
titles are still visible.
 MANAGING YOUR DOCUMENTS
This is the part where you learn how to keep your files well organized to
enable easy access.

ORGANIZING YOUR DOCUMENTS

All documents (not only Excel workbooks) should be well organized for easy
access. The Excel documents should be kept in folders and stored in a
specific location on OneDrive since your documents are all automatically
saved to the cloud.
You can create folders depending on how you want to access your document
and then organize different workbooks in those folders you have created
depending on the purpose of each workbook.

SAVING AND PRINTING YOUR DOCUMENT

Saving documents
Sometimes, while working on a document, you might want to take a break,
whether the work is complete or not. Saving your documents can either be
done while working on it or while you are done working on it. The former is
usually done when you want to keep your progress so that you can continue
the work at a later time.
Nevertheless, you should be aware that your document is saved
automatically. You can only save as; this will help you save your document
in a specified folder on OneDrive.
The following can be done to save your work as:
Move your cursor to the “File” tab at the top-left corner of your
screen, and you will be shown a list of options in the menu.
Choose to save as. A box will be shown to choose where you
want your document saved. Click Save, and your document is
saved.
Printing documents
After all is done and ready, you might want a hard copy of your paper by
printing it out. Use the procedure below:
Click the "File" tab and select "Print".
A dialogue box appears, giving you the option to preview your
document.
Choose the number of copies to print, and press the print button.
 CONCLUSION
The uniqueness of Excel 365 has increased over the years with the
availability of crucial features for productivity. This excellent platform has
helped various users create excellent workable files.
To use this platform effectively, you must know the different areas and
features of Excel 365 and how they work. This eBook has explained the
significant areas of this platform and how they work. Explore and practice as
much as possible to become the expert you want.

THE END

Thank you for reading this book. I hoped it was practical and useful to you.
Below are some other books you may have interest in;