Length8h 18m
About this book
Summary
📊 Ready to Master Excel in 2026 and Supercharge Your Career? If you’ve ever stared at a blank spreadsheet, felt lost by formulas, and watched others breeze past you in business and data — you’re not alone. Professionals, entrepreneurs, students and freelancers alike struggle with the same problem: Excel feels too complicated.They know that Excel mastery is the secret to better reports, smarter decisions, and faster workflows, yet all they get is confusion and overwhelm. Introducing Microsoft Excel for Beginners 2026: The Complete Guide to Excel Basics, Advanced Formulas, Functions, Data Analysis, Charts, Formatting, Templates, and Automation for Business and Personal Success—the ultimate Excel 2026 tutorial, Excel for beginners guide, and step‑by‑step Excel training book that changes everything. Written by Excel expert Dex Ardent, this book is your fast‑track from zero to Excel hero. Whether you’re building business dashboards, automating tasks, creating personal finance trackers, or visualizing big data—you’ll gain the real‑world skills that matter. Inside this comprehensive Excel guide you will: Navigate Excel basics & essentials with confidence—templates, formatting, ribbon mastery Unlock advanced formulas and functions like VLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, SUMIFS and dynamic arrays Transform data with analytics & charts—pivot tables, dashboards, interactive business graphs Automate your spreadsheets using templates, macros, and time‑saving workflows Design professional spreadsheets for business, finance, personal productivity, data management Use Excel 2026 features to stay ahead—cutting‑edge tools, best practices and future‑ready techniques This is not just a book—it’s your personal Excel bootcamp, built to deliver business‑ready, career‑changing results. With vivid screenshots, exercises, real‑world examples and a human approach, it makes learning fun, intuitive and deeply effective. Imagine opening Excel and instantly building charts, automating reports, and analyzing data like a seasoned pro. Picture yourself delivering smarter insights, higher productivity and elevated success. With this book, you don’t just learn Excel—you master it. 🚀 Don’t wait. Unleash your Excel power today.Grab your copy of Microsoft Excel for Beginners 2026—the definitive Excel tutorial book, Excel for beginners guide, and Excel training manual—and take control of your data, your productivity and your future.Book information
Genre
Technology, Science and Nature
Length
8 hrs 18 mins
Publish date
Nov 5, 2025
Language
English
About the Author
Dex Ardent
Table of Contents
1CHAPTER ONE
326Importance of Using Sparklines
2INTRODUCING EXCEL
327Creating Sparklines
3UNDERSTANDING WHAT EXCEL IS USED FOR
328Customizing Sparklines
4LOOKING AT WHAT’S NEW IN EXCEL 2024
329Handling hidden or missing data
5UNDERSTANDING WORKBOOKS AND WORKSHEETS
330Changing Sparkline types
6MOVING AROUND A WORKSHEETS
331Changing Sparkline colors and line width
7Navigating with your keyboard
332Merging and Sizing Sparklines cells
8Navigating with your Mouse
333Highlighting certain data points
9USING THE RIBBON
334Grouping and Ungrouping Sparklines
10Customizing the Ribbon
335Deleting Sparklines
11Ribbon Tabs
336Adjusting Sparkline axis scaling
12Inserting a new tab
337Specifying a date axis
13Creating a new group
338Auto-Updating Sparklines
14Adding a command
339Displaying a Sparkline for a Dynamic Range
15Changing the names of ribbon tabs, groups, and commands
340SUMMARY
16Changing the position of tabs, groups, and instructions
341CHAPTER TWELVE
17Contextual Tabs
342VISUALIZING WITH CUSTOM NUMBER FORMATS AND SHAPES
18Types of Command on the Ribbon
343Visualizing with Number Formatting
19Accessing the Ribbon by using your Keyboard
344Doing basic number formatting
20USING SHORTCUT MENUS
345Using the formal cell dialog box to format numbers
21Shortcuts for formatting data
346Using shortcuts keys to format numbers
22Data entry shortcuts
347GETTING FANCY WITH CUSTOM NUMBER FORMATTING
23Data View and Navigation
348Formatting numbers in thousands and millions
24Data selection
349Hiding and suppressing zeros
25CUSTOMIZING YOUR QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR
350Applying custom format colors
26WORKING WITH DIALOG BOXES
351Formatting dates and time
27USING TASK PANES
352Using a symbol to enhance reporting: Now let’s use the symbols in our formatting
28CREATING YOUR FIRST EXCEL WORKBOOK
353USING SHAPES AND ICONS AS VISUAL ELEMENTS
29Getting Started on Your Worksheet
354Inserting a shape
30Filling in the Month Names
355Inserting SVG icon graphics
31Entering the Sales Data
356Enhancing Excel reports with shapes
32Summing the Values
357Layering shapes to save space
33Making Your Worksheet Look a bit Fancier
358Constructing your infographic widgets with shapes
34Now, let’s add a border
359Creating dynamic labels
35Creating a Chart
360Creating linked pictures
36Formatting the Numbers
361Some do ask the importance of creating a linked picture and when is it needed?
37Printing your Worksheet
362USING SMARTART AND WORDART
38Printing from a Selection
363SmartArt basics
39Using a Print Area
364WordArt basics
40Saving Workbook
365WORKING WITH OTHER GRAPHICS TYPES
41CHAPTER TWO
366About graphic files
42ENTERING AND EDITING WORKSHEET DATA
367Inserting screenshots
43Exploring Data Types
368USING THE EQUATION EDITOR
44Numeric values
369CONCLUSION
45Text Entries
370BOOK 2
46Formulas
371EXCEL FORMULAS & FUNCTIONS
47Entering Text and Values into your Worksheets: Entering Numbers and Text
372CHAPTER ONE
48Entering Dates and Times into your Worksheets: Entering date and time values
373INTRODUCING FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS
49Learning some handy data-entry techniques
374UNDERSTANDING FORMULA BASICS
50Automatically moving the selection after entering data
375Using Operators in Formulas: Using functions in your formulas
51Selecting a range of input cells before entering data
376Examples of formulas that use functions
52Using CTRL + Enter to place information into multiple cells
377Functions arguments
53Changing modes
378More about functions
54Entering decimal points automatically
379Priority for the master operator
55Using Autofill to enter a series of values
380Show Formulas
56Using Autocomplete to automate data entry
381Fix Formulas
57Forcing text to appear on a new line within a cell
382Use absolute references wherever possible
58Using Autocorrect for shortcut data entry
383Apply conditional formatting to your documents
59Entering numbers with fractions
384Validate your data
60Using a form for data entry
385ENTERING FORMULAS INTO YOUR WORKSHEETS
61Applying Number Formatting
386Entering formulas manually
62Using automatic number formatting
387Entering formulas by pointing
63Using shortcut keys to format numbers
388Pasting range names into formulas
64Formatting numbers by using the Format Cells dialog box
389Inserting functions into formulas
65Add your own custom number formats
390Function entry tips: Editing Formulas
66CHAPTER THREE
391USING CELL REFERENCES IN FORMULAS
67PERFORMING BASIC WORKSHEET OPERATIONS
392Changing the types of your references
68Learning the Fundamentals of Excel Worksheet
393Referencing cells outside the worksheet
69Working with Excel windows
394Referencing cells in other worksheets
70Moving and Resizing Windows
395Referencing cells in other workbooks
71Move a window
396USING FORMULAS IN THE TABLE
72Switching Windows
397Summarizing data in a table
73Closing Windows
398Using formulas within a table
74Activating a worksheet
399Referencing data in a table
75Adding a new worksheet to your workbook
400CORRECTING COMMON FORMULA ERRORS
76Deleting a worksheet
401Handling Circular references
77Changing the name of a worksheet
402Specifying when formulas are calculated
78Changing the tab color
403USING ADVANCED NAMING TECHNIQUES
79Rearranging your worksheet
404Using names for constants
80Hiding and unhiding a worksheet
405Using range intersections
81CONTROLLING THE WORKSHEET VIEW
406Applying names to existing references
82Zooming in or out for a better view
407WORKING WITH FORMULAS
83Viewing a worksheet in multiple windows
408Not hard-coding values
84Comparing sheets side by side
409Using the formula bar as a calculator
85Splitting the worksheet window into panes
410Making an exact copy of a formula
86Keeping the titles in view by freezing panes
411Converting formulas to values
87Monitoring cells with a watch Window
412CHAPTER TWO
88WORKING WITH ROWS AND COLUMNS
413USING FORMULAS FOR COMMON MATHEMATICAL OPERATIONS
89Inserting rows
414Calculating Percentages
90Inserting Column
415Calculating percent of goal
91Deleting rows and columns
416Calculating percent variance
92Changing column widths
417Calculating percent variance with negative values
93Changing row heights
418Calculating a percent distribution
94Hiding rows and columns
419Calculating a running total
95CHAPTER FOUR
420Applying a percent variance with negative values
96WORKING WITH EXCEL RANGES AND TABLES
421The following is how it works:
97UNDERSTANDING CELLS AND RANGES
422Dealing with divide-by-zero errors
98Select Single Cell Range
423ROUNDING NUMBERS
99Selecting complete columns
424Rounding numbers using formulas
100Mouse
425Rounding to the nearest penny
101Selecting complete rows
426Rounding to significant digits
102Selecting noncontiguous ranges
427However, there are a few guidelines that you should follow:
103Selecting multi-sheet ranges
428COUNTING VALUES IN A RANGE
104Selecting special types of cells
429Explanation:
105Selecting cells by searching
430Explanation:
106COPYING OR MOVING RANGES
431USING EXCEL’S CONVERSION FUNCTIONS
107Copying by using Ribbon commands
432This function has the following arguments:
108Copying by using shortcut keys
433CHAPTER THREE
109Copying or moving by using drag-and-drop
434USING FORMULAS TO MANIPULATE TEXT
110Copying to adjacent cells
435WORKING WITH TEXT
111Using the Office Clipboard to paste
436Using Text Function
112Pasting in special ways
437Joining text strings
113Using the Paste Special Dialog box
438Settings text to sentence case
114Skipping blanks when pasting
439Removing spaces from a text string
115USING NAMES TO WORK WITH RANGES
440Extracting parts of a text string
116Creating range names in your workbooks
441Finding a particular character in a text string
117Using the Create Names from Selection dialog box
442Substituting text strings
118ADDING COMMENTS TO CELLS
443Counting specific characters in a cell
119Formatting comments
444How does this work?
120Changing a comment’s shape
445Adding a line break within a formula
121Resizing comments
446Cleaning strange characters from text fields
122Hiding and showing comments
447Adding leading zeros in Excel
123Editing comments
448Using the DOLLAR function
124Deleting comments
449CHAPTER FOUR
125WORKING WITH TABLES
450USING FORMULAS WITH DATES AND TIMES
126Understanding a table’s structure
451UNDERSTANDING HOW EXCEL HANDLES DATES AND TIMES
127The header row
452How Excel stores dates
128Calculated columns
453How Excel stores time
129The total row
454Understanding dates serial numbers
130Creating a table
455Example of a serial number in Excel Date and Time
131Sorting a table
456Entering dates
132Filtering a table
457Using Two-Digit Years to Enter Dates
133Filtering a table with slicers
458Understanding time serial numbers
134Changing the table’s appearance
459ENTERING TIMES
135CHAPTER FIVE
460FORMATTING DATES AND TIMES
136FORMATTING WORKSHEETS
461PROBLEMS WITH DATES
137GETTING TO KNOW THE FORMATTING TOOLS
462Excel’s leap year bug
138Using the formatting tools on the Home tab
463Pre-1900 dates
139Using the Format Cells dialog box
464Inconsistent date entries
140Formatting your worksheets
465USING EXCEL’S DATE AND TIME FUNCTIONS
141Using fonts to format your worksheet
466Getting the current date and time
142Wrapping or shrinking text to fit the cell
467Calculating age
143Purpose of Wrap Text
468Calculating the number of days between two dates
144Shrinking text
469DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, "d").
145Merging worksheet cells to create additional text space
470Calculating the number of workdays between two dates
146Displaying text at an angle
471USING NETWORKDAYS.INTL
147Using colors and shading: Adding border lines
472Generating a list of business days excluding holidays
148Using conditional formatting
473Count Workdays excluding Holidays and Particular Weekends
149Using graphical conditional formats
474Extracting parts of a date
150Using data bars
475Calculating the number of years and months between dates
151Using color scales
476Converting dates to Julian dates formats
152Using icon sets
477Returning the last date of a given month
153Creating formula-based rules
478To find the last date of a given month, follow the steps below:
154Understanding relative and absolute references
479USING THE EOMONTH FUNCTION
155Absolute references
480Calculating the calendar quarter for a date
156Conditional formatting formula examples
481What this formula entails
157Identifying weekend days
482Calculating the fiscal quarter for a date
158Highlighting a row based on a value
483What is the mechanism behind it?
159Explanation
484Returning a fiscal month from a date
160Displaying alternate-row shading
485Tips
161How does it work?
486Calculating the date of the Nth weekday of the month
162Creating checkerboard shading
487Calculating the date of the last weekday of the month
163Shading groups of rows
488Calculating elapsed time
164Working with Conditional formats
489Calculating the amount of time that has passed in years
165USING NAMED STYLES FOR EASIER FORMATTING
490Months of elapsed time
166Applying styles
491Weeks that have passed
167Modifying an existing style
492The amount of time that has passed in days
168Creating new styles
493In working days, the amount of time that has passed
169Merging styles from other workbooks
494Time elapsed in hours
170Controlling styles with templates
495Time elapsed in minutes
171UNDERSTANDING DOCUMENT THEMES
496In seconds, the time has elapsed
172Applying a theme
497Rounding time values
173Customizing a theme
498Converting hours, minutes, or seconds to a decimal
174CHAPTER SIX
499Adding hours, minutes, or seconds to a time
175UNDERSTANDING EXCEL FILES AND TEMPLATES
500CHAPTER FIVE
176Creating a new workbook
501USING FORMULAS FOR CONDITIONAL ANALYSIS
177Opening an existing workbook
502UNDERSTANDING CONDITIONAL ANALYSIS
178Choosing your file display preferences
503Checking if a simple condition is met
179Saving a workbook
504Checking for multiple conditions
180Password-Protecting a Workbook: Organizing your files
505Validating conditional data
181OTHER WORKBOOK INFO OPTIONS
506Checking if Condition1 AND Condition2 are met
182Protect Worksheet options
507Checking if Condition1 OR Condition2 are met
183Check for issues options
508PERFORMING CONDITIONAL CALCULATIONS
184Manage workbook option
509Using SUMIFS
185Browser view options
510Summing all values that meet a certain condition
186Compatibility mode section
511Summing greater than zero
187Closing Workbooks
512Summing all values that meet two or more conditions
188Safeguarding your work
513Based on OR logic
189Working with templates
514Based on AND logic
190Exploring Excel templates
515Summing if values fall between a given date range
191Viewing templates
516Getting a count of values that meet a certain condition
192Creating a workbook from a template
517Getting a count of values that meet two or more conditions
193Modifying a template
518Finding nonstandard characters
194Creating a worksheet template
519Getting the average of all numbers that meet a certain condition
195Editing your template
520EXAMPLE:
196Resetting the default workbook
521Getting the average of all numbers that meet two or more conditions
197Using custom workbook templates
522CHAPTER SIX
198Creating custom templates
523USING FORMULAS FOR MATCHING AND LOOKUPS
199Saving your custom templates
524Introducing Lookup Formulas
200CHAPTER SEVEN
525Leveraging Excel’s Lookup Functions
201PRINTING YOUR WORK
526Looking up an exact value based on a left lookup column
202Doing Basic Printing
527Looking up an exact value based on any lookup column
203Changing your Page View
528Looking up values horizontally
204Normal view
529There are things you need to consider when applying this vector Lookup.
205Page layout view
530FINDING THE CLOSEST MATCH FROM A LIST OF BANDED VALUES
206Page break preview
531Finding the closest match with INDEX and MATCH functions
207ADJUSTING COMMON PAGE SETUP SETTINGS
532Looking up values from multiple tables
208Choosing your printer
533Looking up a value based on a two-way matrix
209Specifying what you want to print
534Finding a value based on multiple criteria
210Changing page orientation
535Finding the last value in a column
211Specifying paper size
536Finding the last number using LOOKUP
212Printing multiple copies of your reports
537CHAPTER SEVEN
213Adjusting the page margins
538USING FORMULAS FOR FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
214Understanding page breaks
539Performing common business calculations
215Inserting a page break
540Calculating gross profit margin and gross profit margin percent
216Removing manual page breaks
541Calculating markup
217Printing row and column titles
542Steps in doing so:
218Scaling printed output
543Calculating EBIT and EBITDA
219Printing cell gridlines
544Calculating cost of goods sold
220Using a background image
545Calculating return on assets
221Adding a header or a footer to your reports
546Key points
222Inserting a header
547Calculating return on equity
223Inserting a footer
548Keywords
224Understanding header and footer element codes
549Calculating break-even
225Exploring other header and footer options
550The formula for break-even
226EXPLORING OTHER PRINT-RELATED TOPICS
551Calculating the average customer lifetime value
227Copying page setup settings across sheets
552The formula is as follows:
228Preventing certain cells from being printed
553How do you figure out a company's LTV?
229Preventing objects from being printed
554Calculating employee turnover
230Creating custom views of your worksheet
555Leveraging Excel’s financial functions
231Creating PDF files: Excel print's Limitations
556CONVERTING INTEREST RATES
232CHAPTER EIGHT
557Computing effective rate with FV
233CUSTOMIZING THE EXCEL USER INTERFACE
558Creating an amortization schedule
234About the Quick Access Toolbar
559CALCULATING DEPRECIATION
235Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar
560Calculating accelerated depreciation
236Adding new commands to the Quick Access Toolbar
561Calculating the net present value
237Other Quick Access Toolbar actions
562Calculating the positive and negative cash flows
238Customizing the Ribbon
563CALCULATING AN INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN
239Why you may want to customize the ribbon
564Calculating non-periodic future cash flows
240What can be customized
565Things to note down when using these functions
241What cannot be customized
566Performing financial forecasting
242How to customize the ribbon
567CHAPTER EIGHT
243Creating a new tab
568USING FORMULAS FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
244Creating a new group
569Working with weighted averages
245Adding commands to a new group
570Procedures in carrying out weighted average
246Resetting the ribbon
571Smoothing Data with moving averages
247CHAPTER NINE
572Where to find this tool:
248GETTING STARTED WITH EXCEL CHARTS
573Applying exponential smoothing to volatile data
249What’s Chart
574Using functions to create descriptive statistics
250How Excel Handle charts
575How do you calculate this?
251Embedded charts
576Getting the largest or smallest value
252Chart sheets
577Calculating mean, median, and mode
253Parts of a chart
578Identifying statistical outliers with an interquartile range
254Chart limitations
579Creating a frequency distribution
255BASIC STEPS FOR CREATING A CHART
580Steps in doing this:
256Creating the chart
581An alternative to the Frequency function
257Switching the row and column orientation
582CHAPTER NINE
258Changing the chart type
583USING FORMULAS WITH TABLES AND CONDITIONAL FORMATTING
259Applying chart layout
584Highlighting cells that meet certain criteria
260Adding and deleting chart elements
585Follow the steps below:
261Formatting chart elements
586Highlighting cells based on the value of another cell
262MODIFYING AND CUSTOMIZING CHARTS
587Explanation
263Moving and resizing a chart
588Highlighting values that exist in List1 but not List2
264Converting an embedded chart
589Highlighting values that exist in List1 and List2
265Copying a chart
590Highlighting based on Dates
266Deleting a chart
591The first process is by using built-in conditional formatting
267Copying a chart formatting
592The second process is by creating a conditional formatting rule based on the content of the cells
268Renaming a chart
593Highlighting days between two dates
269Renaming a data series in a chart
594Highlighting days between a due date
270Printing charts
595Conclusion
271UNDERSTANDING CHART TYPES
596CHAPTER TEN
272Choosing a chart type
597UNDERSTANDING AND USING ARRAY FORMULAS
273Column charts
598Understanding Array Formulas
274Bar charts
599A multi-cell array formula
275Line charts
600To enter a multi-cell array formula, follow these steps:
276Pie charts
601There are a few characteristics that differentiate multi-cell array formulae:
277XY (scatter) charts
602A single cell array formula
278When in doubt, use a scatter chart when:
603Creating an array constant
279Area charts
604UNDERSTANDING THE DIMENSIONS OF AN ARRAY
280Radar charts
605One dimensional horizontal array
281Surface charts
606One dimensional vertical array
282Bubble charts
607Naming array constants
283Stock charts
608WORKING WITH ARRAY FORMULAS
284NEW CHART TYPES FOR EXCEL
609Entering an array formula
285Histogram charts
610Selecting an array formula
286Pareto charts
611Editing an array formula
287Waterfall charts
612Expanding or contracting a multi-cell array
288Box & whisker charts
613USING MULTICELL ARRAY FORMULAS
289Treemap charts
614Creating an array constant from values in a range
290Sunburst charts
615Performing operations on an array
291Funnel charts
616Counting characters in a range
292Map charts
617Summing the three smallest values in a range
293CHAPTER TEN
618Here's a faster and more practical array formula:
294USING ADVANCED CHARTING TECHNIQUES
619Counting text in a range
295SELECTING CHART ELEMENTS
620Eliminating intermediate formulas
296Selecting with the mouse
621CHAPTER ELEVEN
297Selecting with the Keyboard
622MAKING YOUR FORMULAS ERROR-FREE
298Selecting with the chart element control
623Finding and correcting formula errors
299EXPLORING THE USER INTERFACE CHOICES FOR MODIFYING CHART ELEMENTS
624Mismatched parenthesis
300Using the format task pane
625Cells are filled with hash marks
301Using the chart customization buttons
626Blank cells are not blank
302Using the ribbon
627Extra Space Characters
303Using the Mini toolbar
628Formulas returning an error
304Modifying the chart area
629#DIV/0! Errors
305Modifying the Plot area
630#N/A errors
306Working with Titles in a chart
631#NAME? error
307Working with Legends
632#NULL! errors
308Working with Gridlines
633#REF! errors
309Modifying the Axes
634#Value! Errors
310WORKING WITH DATA SERIES
635Operator Precedence problems
311Deleting or hiding a data series
636Formulas are not calculated
312Adding a new data series to a chart
637“Phantom link” errors
313Changing data used by a series
638Using Excel Auditing tools
314Using the Edit series dialog box
639Viewing formulas
315Editing the Series formula
640TRACING CELL RELATIONSHIPS
316Displaying data labels in a chart
641Identifying precedents
317Handling missing data
642Identifying dependents
318Adding error bars
643Fixing circular reference errors
319Creating combination charts
644Using the background error-checking feature
320Displaying a data table
645Using Formula Evaluator
321Creating Chart Templates
646Searching and Replacing
322CHAPTER ELEVEN
647Spell-checking your worksheets
323CREATING SPARKLINE GRAPHICS
648Using Autocorrect
324What is a Sparkline
649INDEX
325Sparkline Types
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