Introduction to Excel

Microsoft Excel remains the single most widely used data tool in research and professional environments across Africa and beyond. From administrative records and budgets to research data, monitoring information and business reports, Excel is an essential tool across virtually every professional sector.

Despite its widespread use, many people learn Excel informally and consequently use only a small proportion of its capabilities. Tasks that should take minutes are often performed manually, taking hours instead; formulas are avoided or used incorrectly; and simple features that can substantially improve accuracy and efficiency remain underutilised.

This introductory Excel course is designed for participants who are new to Excel or who have picked up the basics informally and want a structured foundation. It provides a practical introduction to Excel, beginning with navigating the Excel environment and progressing through data capture and management, formulas and functions, and basic data analysis. The course is highly practical and requires little or no previous Excel experience.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to confidently create and manage Excel workbooks, capture and organise data, apply appropriate formatting, perform basic calculations using formulas and functions, and sort, filter and summarise data for everyday professional use. Participants who complete this course are well placed to progress to CESAR's Data Analysis and Visualisation Using Excel (DAVE) course, which builds on these foundations to cover more advanced data management, analysis and visualisation, including lookups, PivotTables and dashboards.