Excel 365 for Beginners: Getting Started and Introduction (1 of 51)

Introduction

This tutorial serves as a beginner's guide to getting started with Excel 365, part of the Microsoft 365 subscription service. Designed to provide a solid foundation, this guide will walk you through the key features and functionalities of Excel 365, making it easier for you to utilize this powerful tool in your personal and professional tasks.

Step 1: Understanding Excel 365

• Excel 365 is part of the Microsoft 365 suite, which offers continuous updates and improvements.
• It is cloud-based, allowing for easy access and collaboration from any device with internet connectivity.
• Familiarize yourself with the interface, including the ribbon, quick access toolbar, and the formula bar.

Step 2: Navigating the Interface

• Ribbon: The main toolbar where you find all the commands you need. It is organized into tabs (like Home, Insert, Page Layout) that group similar functionalities.
• Quick Access Toolbar: Located at the top left, this allows you to customize frequently used commands for easy access. You can add or remove tools as needed.
• Formula Bar: This is where you can view and enter data or formulas for your selected cell.

Step 3: Creating Your First Workbook

• Open Excel 365 and select “Blank Workbook” to start a new project.
• Familiarize yourself with the workbook layout, which consists of rows (numbered) and columns (lettered) forming cells.

Use the following steps to enter data

1. Click on a cell to make it active.
2. Type your data (text or numbers).
3. Press Enter to move to the next cell below or Tab to move to the next cell on the right.

Step 4: Saving Your Workbook

• Click on the “File” tab in the ribbon.
• Select “Save As” to save your workbook.
• Choose the location (OneDrive for cloud storage or your device) and enter a file name.
• Click “Save” to ensure your work is not lost.

Step 5: Formatting Cells

To format cells for better presentation, follow these steps

1. Select the cells you want to format.

Use the options in the Home tab, such as

• Font size and style
• Cell fill color
• Borders
2. For numeric data, you can adjust number formats (currency, percentage) through the Number group in the Home tab.

Step 6: Basic Formulas and Functions

Excel allows you to perform calculations using formulas. Begin with simple formulas

• To add numbers in cells A1 and A2, click on an empty cell and enter:

  =A1 + A2
  

• Press Enter to see the result.
• For common functions like SUM, use:

  =SUM(A1:A10)
  

  This will add all values from A1 to A10.

Conclusion

You have now been introduced to the fundamental features of Excel 365, including navigation, data entry, saving workbooks, formatting, and basic formulas. These skills will serve as a cornerstone for more advanced Excel functionalities. As a next step, consider exploring additional tutorials or practicing with real-life data sets to enhance your proficiency.