Microsoft Excel: Beyond the Basics

Level: Intermediate 

Take your Excel skills to the next level with this intermediate Microsoft Excel training course designed for professionals who already know the basics and are ready to work faster, smarter and more strategically. This practical, one-day Excel seminar goes beyond foundational spreadsheet skills to introduce powerful tools — including PivotTables, macros, advanced formulas and data automation — that dramatically increase productivity in real-world business settings. 

If you're comfortable navigating Excel but know there's more you could be doing with it, this course fills the gaps and accelerates your proficiency. 

Why Learn Excel Beyond the Basics? 

We live in the information age. Knowing how to efficiently manipulate data is a foundational job skill and Excel remains one of the most powerful tools available for doing it. Advancing beyond basic spreadsheet knowledge helps professionals: 

• Automate repetitive tasks and reclaim hours of lost time 
• Build smarter, more accurate worksheets using advanced formulas 
• Analyze and visualize data faster with PivotTables and PivotCharts 
• Collaborate more effectively with built-in data protection and sharing tools 

This Excel Beyond the Basics seminar focuses on the intermediate tools professionals use to work more efficiently every day. 

Who Should Attend This Excel Training Course? 

This course is ideal for: 

• Intermediate Excel users who are comfortable with the basics and ready to go further 
• Professionals who work with data regularly and want to save time through automation and smarter tools 
• Anyone who has taken Microsoft Excel Basics and wants to continue building skills 
• Employees looking to master PivotTables, advanced formulas and macros for real-world business use 

If you can navigate Excel but aren't yet using functions like XLOOKUP, building PivotTables or recording macros, this course gives you the practical skills to work at a higher level.

Boost Your Productivity with Templates and Sheet Management  

Work smarter from the start by leveraging Excel's time-saving structural tools: 

• Explore the benefits of using templates — both Microsoft's premade options and custom-built ones 
• Save templates for efficient future use 
• Limit data entry and protect formulas within your templates 
• Group sheets to increase productivity and save time across multiple worksheets 

Build Efficient, Well-Structured Worksheets  

Learn the habits and techniques that separate casual users from power users: 

• Build from scratch: step-by-step guidance for creating a worksheet from the ground up 
• Learn the often-overlooked trick for naming ranges that solves common problems 
• Work with named ranges and structured references to make formulas more readable and reliable 
• Explore five key advantages of using Excel tables for data management 

Improve Workflow and Accuracy with Advanced Formulas and Functions  

Eliminate errors and get more out of Excel's formula library: 

• Learn practical formulas and functions for working with text and dates 
• Understand how Excel interprets dates to perform accurate date calculations 
• Use rounding correctly to prevent fractional discrepancies in financial statements 
• Populate cells dynamically in response to your data using logical functions like IF 
• Find the information you need fast with XLOOKUP 
• Apply conditional formatting to gain real-time insights, visualize patterns and reduce errors 
• Master tips, tools and techniques for getting more out of AutoFilters and Advanced Filters 
• Explore sorting strategies that improve usability and support better decision-making 

Put PivotTables to Work  

Turn raw data into executive-ready reports in minutes: 

• Learn how to build PivotTables from scratch 
• Discover how PivotTables help you extract maximum insight from your data 
• Display data visually using PivotCharts 
• Master formatting techniques to deliver polished, professional output — in far less time than you'd expect 

Collaborate with Ease  

Keep shared workbooks accurate and secure: 

• Use Excel's robust collaboration tools to control access to shared spreadsheets 
• Learn tips and tricks to protect your data from unwanted changes 

Automate Repetitive Tasks with Macros and Power Query  

Reduce manual work and let Excel do more of the heavy lifting: 

• Learn when and how to record macros that work seamlessly — and run them with a single click 
• Explore Power Query as a powerful way to automate tasks, especially those involving external files and data sources 

Is this Excel training course hands-on? 

No, this is a dynamic hands-off workshop. Instead of spending time entering data or correcting mistakes during class, you’ll focus on learning powerful Excel techniques through clear demonstrations. You’ll receive a detailed workbook that allows you to practice everything you’ve learned at your own pace once you return to work. 

What Excel topics are covered in this “Beyond the Basics” course? 

This accelerated one-day course dives deep into advanced Excel tools and time-saving features. You’ll learn how to create and manage PivotCharts®, build complex formulas, use macros, debug code in the Visual Basic Editor, streamline data entry, manipulate charts, integrate with Microsoft applications and analyze data using advanced functions, tables and scenarios. 

Is this course right for me if I’m not an Excel beginner—but not quite an expert? 

Absolutely. This course is ideal for users who are comfortable with Excel basics and ready to level up. If you already know how to navigate the program but want to master automation, advanced functions, and powerful data tools, this class will help you work smarter and faster. For those newer to Excel, we recommend starting with Microsoft Excel Basics before taking this course.