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An Excel course you do, not watch

Short lessons in a real spreadsheet that runs in your browser, from your first formula to pivot tables. You do every step yourself, and each one is checked as you go.

  • 60 lessons in 20 chapters
  • Free to start
  • Nothing to install
Lesson

This is Witsheet, Witsy’s in-browser spreadsheet. It works like Excel, and every lesson in the course runs in it, one checked step at a time.

Learn Excel by doing it

Most Excel courses are videos. They make sense while you watch, then you open a spreadsheet and the formula won’t come, because watching someone else do it isn’t practice. In this course you do every step yourself, in a spreadsheet that checks your work as you go, the way the exercise above did.

The course splits Excel into 360 small skills, called Wits, and teaches them in 60 lessons: from typing into a cell, through formulas, references and lookups, to tables and pivot tables. Each lesson is about a dozen steps, so one fits in a coffee break.

How each lesson works

  1. 1 Learn it A lesson takes one skill a step at a time, pointing at the cell or button each step needs. Stuck? Every step has a hint.
  2. 2 Prove it Then a trial: the same skill on fresh data, with no help. It passes when your sheet is right, not when you pick an answer.
  3. 3 Keep it Witsy brings each skill back for a quick review around when you’d start to forget it, so it’s still there next month.

What the course covers

Every chapter and lesson, in order. Open a chapter to see the skills each of its lessons teaches.

  1. 1 Spreadsheet Essentials Spreadsheet User Interface Elements · Spreadsheet Essentials · Spreadsheet Management
    • Spreadsheet User Interface Elements Title Bar · Ribbon · Ribbon Tabs · Name Box · Ribbon Groups · Formula Bar · Sheet Tabs · Status Bar · Spreadsheet
    • Spreadsheet Essentials Spreadsheet · Column · Row · Cell · Cell Reference
    • Spreadsheet Management Add sheet · Rename sheet · Tab Color · Delete sheet · Drag sheet tab to move
  2. 2 Cell Content & Formats Cell Content Types · Cell Formats · Number Formats · Date and Time Number Formats
    • Cell Content Types Text Content Type · Number Content Type · Boolean Content Type · Formula
    • Cell Formats Format Cells dialog · Number Format · Alignment · Font · Borders · Fill
    • Number Formats General · Standard Number Format · Decimal Increase / Decrease Buttons · Currency · Accounting · Percentage · Fraction · Scientific · Text · Apostrophe shortcut
    • Date and Time Number Formats Dates are stored as integers · Spreadsheet epoch · Date calculation · Short Date · Long Date · Time Format · Type Date to Cell · Type Time to Cell · Keyboard Shortcut Current Time · Keyboard Shortcut Current Date · Time Calculations with Cell References · Time Calculations within Formulas
  3. 3 Navigation & Find Navigation · Find and Replace · Navigation Shortcuts
    • Navigation Cell Reference · Arrow keys · Navigation with Name Box · Scroll to Navigate · Ctrl + Home · Find dialog · Active cell
    • Find and Replace Find dialog · Find Next · Find All · Find Match case · Match entire cell contents · Look in: Formulas vs Values · Wildcards in Find · Replace dialog
    • Navigation Shortcuts Arrow keys · Ctrl + Arrow · Ctrl + End · Ctrl + Home · PageUp and PageDown · Go To Dialog
  4. 4 Selections Selections · Multi Range Selections
    • Selections Drag selection · Shift selections · Shift + Mouse selection · Ctrl + Shift + Arrow · Shift + arrow to extend or shrink selection · Ctrl + A · Ctrl + Space · Shift + Space
    • Multi Range Selections Ctrl + Click for Multi-range selections · Multi Rows and Columns · Combine Any Selection In A Multi-range
  5. 5 Data Entry Essentials Data Entry Essentials · Cell Edit Modes
    • Data Entry Essentials Active cell · Enter Mode · Confirm data entry · Cancel w/ Esc · Edit Mode · Undo · Redo · Ctrl + D · Ctrl + R
    • Cell Edit Modes Enter Mode · Edit Mode · F2 Toggle · Point Mode
  6. 6 Copy, Paste, Move & Clear Copy and Paste · Paste Special · Format Painter · Selection Border Drag · Clear and Delete Cells
    • Copy and Paste Copy · Paste · Deactivate Copy · Paste Area · Patterned Paste · Cut and Paste
    • Paste Special Paste Special · Paste Formatting · Paste Values · Paste Formulas · Paste Transpose · Ctrl + Alt + V · Paste Operation
    • Format Painter Format Painter · Format Painter areas · Multi-use Format Painter · Format Painter onto row or column
    • Selection Border Drag Move Cells by Selection Border · Copy Cells by Selection Border · Shift Cells by Selection Border
    • Clear and Delete Cells Clear All · Clear Formats · Clear Content · Delete Cells · Fill Deleted Cells · Copy-Paste empty Cell for Clear All
  7. 7 Autofill & FlashFill Autofill · Flash Fill
    • Autofill Autofill · Autofill series · Date series can be filled with 1 Cell · Date series · Autofill works in every direction · Double Click Autofill
    • Flash Fill Flash Fill · Ctrl + E · Flash Fill for Combinations · Flash Fill for Extraction · Copy for Flash Fill with long strings · Transform with Flash Fill · Autofill to Force Flash Fill
  8. 8 Rows & Columns Row and Column management
    • Row and Column management Resize row / column · Auto-fit row / column · Hide row / column · Unhide row / column · Insert row / column · Delete row / column · Multi-row / column operations · Shortcuts for Insert row / column · Shortcuts for Delete row / column
  9. 9 Formula essentials Formula Basics · Arithmetic Formulas · Essential Functions
    • Formula Basics Formula Bar · Formula vs displayed value · Formula · Automatic recalculation · Formula Result Type · Text in Formula with "
    • Arithmetic Formulas Addition (+) · Subtraction (-) · Multiply (*) · Divide (/) · Exponentiation ^ · Parentheses ()
    • Essential Functions Function · AutoSum · Function Autocomplete · Range as Function Argument · SUM · COUNTA · COUNT · AVERAGE · MAX · MIN
  10. 10 Cell References Cell References in Formulas · Named Ranges · Absolute References
    • Cell References in Formulas Relative Reference · Range Reference · Cell Reference with Mouse · Cell Reference with Keyboard
    • Named Ranges Name Box to Name a Range · Access Named ranges Formulas · Open Name Manager · Edit the range of a Named Range · Rename a Named Range · Delete a Named Range
    • Absolute References $ locks reference · Fully locked $A$1 · F4 shortcut · F4 on existing references · F4 on range references · Absolute column $A1 · Absolute row A$1
  11. 11 Formula Errors Formula Errors · Error Handling Functions
    • Formula Errors #NAME? · #DIV/0! · #VALUE! · #REF! · #N/A · #NUM! · #SPILL!
    • Error Handling Functions ISBLANK · ISNUMBER · ISTEXT · ISERROR · ISNA · IFERROR · IFNA
  12. 12 Text Functions Text Case & Cleanup Functions · Text Combining Functions · Text Extraction Functions
    • Text Case & Cleanup Functions PROPER · LOWER · UPPER · TRIM
    • Text Combining Functions & Operator · CONCAT · TEXTJOIN · SUBSTITUTE · SUBSTITUTE instance argument
    • Text Extraction Functions LEN · LEFT · RIGHT · MID · FIND · SEARCH
  13. 13 Rounding Functions Rounding Functions
    • Rounding Functions ROUND · ROUNDUP · ROUNDDOWN · ROUND vs Number Format
  14. 14 Date Functions Date Component Functions · Date Arithmetic Functions
    • Date Component Functions TODAY · NOW · YEAR · DAY · MONTH · WEEKDAY · HOUR · SECOND · MINUTE · DATE · WEEKDAY return_type · ROUNDUP
    • Date Arithmetic Functions DATE · EOMONTH · WORKDAY · WORKDAY holidays · NETWORKDAYS · NETWORKDAYS holidays
  15. 15 Sort & Filter Sorting Data · AutoFilter
    • Sorting Data Sort A to Z / Z to A · Undo a sort · Multi-level sort
    • AutoFilter Toggle AutoFilter · Filter by value checkboxes · Filter across multiple columns · Clear a column filter · Clear all filters at once · Search in filter · Sort from filter menu · Remove AutoFilter · Filter dropdown arrows
  16. 16 Tables Table Basics · Table Formulas
    • Table Basics Create a Table · Banded Rows · Column Headers always visible · Filter Buttons · Table Design tab · Total Row · Change Total Row function
    • Table Formulas Dynamic Table References · Add a Column to a Table · Click cells inside a Table writes structured references · Formulas autofilled to whole column · Table syntax in Formulas · Reference Table data anywhere · Table Ctrl + Space · Structured references autocomplete · Auto Expansion
  17. 17 Lookup & Dynamic Arrays Insert Function & VLOOKUP · Dynamic Array Functions · XMATCH · XLOOKUP · XLOOKUP Match & Search Modes · XLOOKUP in Tables
    • Insert Function & VLOOKUP Insert Function dialog · VLOOKUP · VLOOKUP col_index_num · VLOOKUP range_lookup
    • Dynamic Array Functions SORT · Dynamic Arrays · SORT sort_order · SORT sort_index · UNIQUE · UNIQUE exactly_once · Combining SORT and UNIQUE · SORT by_col · UNIQUE by_col · #SPILL!
    • XMATCH XMATCH · Exact Match (Default) · Approximate Match · search_mode
    • XLOOKUP XLOOKUP · XLOOKUP if_not_found
    • XLOOKUP Match & Search Modes Approximate Match · Wildcard Match · search_mode
    • XLOOKUP in Tables F4 on range references · Create a Table · Click cells inside a Table writes structured references · Formulas autofilled to whole column · Dynamic Table References
  18. 18 Conditional Functions Comparison Operators · Logical Functions · Conditional Functions — Single Criteria · Conditional Functions — Multiple Criteria
    • Comparison Operators Equal (=) · Not Equal (<>) · Greater / Less Than · Greater / Less Than or Equal · Comparison Operators with Text
    • Logical Functions IF · AND · OR · NOT
    • Conditional Functions — Single Criteria COUNTIF · Cell Reference as Criterion · Comparison Criteria · Criteria Wildcard * (any characters) · Criteria Wildcard ? (one character) · SUMIF · function_range argument · AVERAGEIF
    • Conditional Functions — Multiple Criteria Cell Reference as Criterion · Comparison Criteria · COUNTIFS · AVERAGEIFS · MAXIFS · MINIFS · SUMIFS
  19. 19 Multi Sheet Management Multi Sheet References · Advanced Spreadsheet Management
    • Multi Sheet References Cross-ref Sheet!A1 · Click sheet to insert reference · Cross-sheet Range · 3D References · Sheet name in quotes
    • Advanced Spreadsheet Management Sheet Group · Toggle tab in group · Extend group to tab · Group edit · Ungroup sheets · Group commands · Group drag · Drag copy · Move or Copy dialog
  20. 20 Pivot PivotTable Basics · Pivot Data · Pivot Grouping Fields · Pivot Table Design · Pivot Value Field Settings · PivotTable Show Values As · Pivot Label & Value Filters & Sorting · Slicers
    • PivotTable Basics Insert PivotTable · PivotTable Field List · Rows area · Pivot Values area · Pivot Columns area · Pivot Report Filter · Pivot Remove field from area · Delete PivotTable
    • Pivot Data Pivot placement: New or Existing Worksheet · PivotTable Analyze tab · Refresh PivotTable · Pivot source: range vs Table · Pivot Change data source
    • Pivot Grouping Fields Nested Pivot Fields · Reorder Pivot Field within area · Expand / collapse Pivot Group · Pivot Manual Text Grouping · Pivot Rename Group · Pivot Ungroup · Pivot Grouping Numbers · Pivot Grouping Dates
    • Pivot Table Design Pivot Report Layout · Pivot Repeat All Item Labels · Pivot Subtotals · Pivot Grand Totals · PivotTable Styles · PivotTable Style Options · Pivot Blank Row between items
    • Pivot Value Field Settings Pivot Summarize Values By · Pivot Value Field Settings · Pivot Custom value field name · Pivot Number format on pivot values · Pivot Multiple Fields in Values
    • PivotTable Show Values As Pivot Show Values As · Pivot % of Total · Pivot % of Parent Total · Pivot % of base item · Pivot Base Field · Pivot Base Item · Pivot Difference From · Pivot Running Total · Pivot Rank Value
    • Pivot Label & Value Filters & Sorting Pivot Report Filter · Pivot Filter #SPILL! · Pivot Clear filters · Pivot Label filters · Pivot Value filters · Pivot Top N filter · Sort a Pivot Field · Pivot Report Filter Pages
    • Slicers Slicer · Insert Slicer · Slicer button selection · Slicer Multi-Select button · Connect one slicer to multiple pivots

Free to start

The placement test is free, and so are 5 lessons of your choice, with no card needed. Witsy Pro opens every lesson in the course.

Questions before you start

Do I need Excel installed?

No. The lessons run in Witsheet, which works in any modern browser on a Mac or a PC. It works like Excel, so what you learn carries straight over, and keyboard shortcuts are shown for your keyboard.

Is it for complete beginners?

Yes. The first chapter starts from an empty sheet: what’s on the screen, typing into a cell, moving around. If you already use Excel, take the placement test first, and skip to the skills you don’t have yet.

Do I get a certificate?

No, Witsy doesn’t certify. What you get is a map of the skills you’ve actually shown, kept fresh by reviews. When an employer tests your Excel, that’s what they check. The Excel assessment test guide covers what those tests ask.

Start where you are

The placement test asks about 13 questions in a sheet like the one above, adapting as you go, and marks which of the course’s skills you already have. Then you start with the ones you don’t.

Your Wit map

Test your spreadsheet Wits.

Take a few minute test to see how good you actually are with spreadsheets. Witsy creates a map of the Wits you should learn next.

Take the placement test Or just start learning →
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Excel is a trademark of Microsoft. Witsy is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Microsoft.