Introduction
Excel is the best and trending spreadsheet program in the world and has its role to play in Microsoft Office suite.
It offers users the ability to perform all kinds of tasks, from organizing lists to analyzing data.
Most people learn it through trial and error rather than formal training, which can leave many gaps in their understanding of the program. Many do not even understand the advanced functions that can be performed with Excel.
You don’t need formal training to learn the program, especially when there are so many free online Excel courses to choose from. Whether you’re a beginner who’s never opened a spreadsheet or a power user who wants to learn how to use the tool for maximum productivity, we’ve got something on this list for you.
Programs presented
Course Introduction to data analysis with Excel
edX Introduction to data analysis with Excel
Excel for sales professionals
Note: Some courses may include an affiliate link. The courses were initially selected based on the methodology, with affiliate links added only after the ranking was completed.
In reviewing the best Excel courses, we narrowed our initial list to the 8 platforms that seemed to have the best features. Then, we developed a comprehensive methodology to help students choose the one that suits them best. Each of these 8 courses are highly recommend and also have something to offer, and they are listed below.
Ranking 8 free online courses
- Free Trump Excel Training
by Trump Excel
This is an online course with 26 lessons form instructor submit bansal.Bansal is a Microsoft MVP who is passionate about sharing his knowledge for free. There is no registration or paywall on this helpful website, and each lesson is designed to teach a different concept.
The program is comprehensive and recognized as one of the best free online Excel courses. It covers everything from the most basic topics to the most advanced programming concepts, and is designed in a sequence so you can learn step by step. You will learn pivot tables, data analysis, formulas, graphs and everything in between. Each module covers each topic in detail and the training works for all versions of Excel currently on the market.
Cost: Free
Certificate: No
Duration of training: Varies
Program: Introduction to Advanced
User Experience: Excellent
Teaching quality: Excellent
Benefits:
- Free templates and e-books
- Work at your own pace
- Works with all versions of Excel
Disadvantages:
- No certification provided
- Introduction to data analysis with Excel
by Coursera
- This is one of the best rated course that has been taken over by 107,000 people. It is designed for those who want to understand Excel and then use it in business statistics. The course takes about 20 hours over 4 weeks. This free online Excel course covers several topics, including:
- Formatting
- Advanced formula techniques
- Data analysis
Course certificates can only be earned at the paid level of Coursera.Each module can be bought for free. when you are done with the course, you will be able to read and view all the content in it. Students who want to get certified but cannot afford the fees have the option to apply for financial aid.
Cost: Free
Certificate: Payment required
Training duration: 20 hours
Program: Beginner
User experience: Excellent
Teaching quality: Excellent
Benefits:
- Excellent user interface
- Comprehensive program
- Well-reviewed by seniors
Cons:
- Certificates of completion available at paid level only
- Excel for sales professionals
by LinkedIn Learning
If you work in sales, chances are you already have a premium LinkedIn account. Did you know that premium members of the platform can access the entire course catalog for free? There are thousands of courses that can be taken, and most of them offer a common badge or certificate that can add credibility to your profile.
This free online Excel course is an ideal addition to your professional skills. You will learn how to:
- Start with models
- Import your sales data
- Work with tables
- Analyze your sales data If you’re not a premium member of LinkedIn, now might be the time to take the plunge. However, if you want to take the three-hour course without a subscription, LinkedIn offers a free trial that will give you plenty of time to complete the course.
Cost: Free Try a free trial of Linkedin Learning.
Certificate: Yes
Duration of training: three hours
Program: Introduction
User Experience: Excellent
Teaching quality: Excellent
Benefits:
- Certificate of completion is downloadable when you’re done
- Taught by Microsoft industry experts
- Sign up and get started immediately
Disadvantages:
- Too short
- Introduction to data analysis with Excel by edX
Offered by edX
THIS free introductory Excel online course is taught by Microsoft architect Dany Hoter and developer Jonathan Sanito. It is designed to teach the most popular data analysis functions of Excel based on Excel 2016. Students should already have a basic understanding of cell formatting and creating formulas before taking this course. If you want a verified certificate to appear on your LinkedIn profile or resume, you will have to pay a fee. However, the program can be checked for free.
During the four-week program, you will be able to learn things like :
- Use pivot tables to create collections of data
- Visualize data with pivot charts
- Calculate margins and other ratios using pivot table calculations
- Apply filters across multiple pivot
- Use formula-based techniques to create summary reports
Cost: Free
Certificate: Yes, for a fee
Duration of training: Four weeks
Program: Secondary
User Experience: Excellent
Teaching quality: Excellent
Benefits:
- Taught by Microsoft industry experts
- Go at your own pace
- Optional verified certification offered for $99
Disadvantages:
- Not recommended for Excel for Mac because many features are not supported.
- Excel Training for Windows
- by Microsoft
If you want to learn Excel from scratch, look no further than the resource. As you might expect, Microsoft offers its own training in the Office 365 Learning Center, where you’ll find 14 modules full of tutorials, videos and other resources. Although most of the tutorials on our list are for Windows, here you will find tutorials for Mac OS as well as Android, iOS and even Windows Phone. The training not only covers the latest version of Excel, but you can also learn to use older versions. Each module is divided into skill levels, so it doesn’t matter if you are a complete beginner, an intermediate user or need to learn advanced skills. You can jump wherever you need to refresh your memory or start from the beginning and work your way through the platform.
Cost: Free
Certificate: No
End Time: Varies
Program: Introduction to Advanced
User experience: good
Teaching quality: good
Benefits:
- Training directly from Microsoft
- complete program
- Lots of free downloadable models
Disadvantages:
- The training is a little dry
- Excel 2016
- by GCF Global
Here’s another great course from GCF Global that starts with the basics of Excel and moves through pivot tables. It includes 24 lessons, five bonuses and a quiz designed to test your knowledge. Although the course focuses on Excel 2016, users will find that little has changed and that it can be adapted to most versions of the program.
There are no fees, processes or membership fees and you can start any course at any time without a cumbersome registration process. They offer free courses on over 200 topics and offer tutorials, videos, interactive lessons and games, and much more.
Cost: Free
Certificate: No
End Time: Varies
Program: Introduction to Advanced
User experience: excellent
Teaching quality: good
Benefits:
- No registration required
- Excellent user interface
- No ads
Disadvantages:
- No certificate is provided
- Free training in Excel
- by Excel Exposure
This course provides step by step guide for learning all things in Excel and it was created by Ben currier. He is a four-time recipient of the Microsoft MVP award and is an entrepreneur who also offers a more complete paid version. However, Ben’s free lessons are enough to keep any student busy for a long time.
The lessons are grouped by level (beginner, intermediate and advanced) so you can jump in wherever you feel comfortable. If you’ve never opened Excel, this is the perfect program to start with. There is a downloadable workbook and Excel spreadsheet to use in conjunction with the video tutorials. Ben also has a workbook for those using older versions of Excel. Overall, this is one of the best free online Excel courses.
Cost: Free
Certificate: No
End Time: Varies
Program: Introduction to Advanced
User Experience: Excellent
Teaching quality: Excellent
Benefits:
- Simple and easy to understand
- Developed by an industry expert
- Free course guides, workbooks and video tutorials
Disadvantages:
- Certificate not provided
.VBA for beginners
by Alison
VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is the scripting language used in Microsoft Excel and a tool to automate repetitive tasks. Although most of the courses on this list cover VBA thoroughly, this one is designed to teach beginners the skills needed to create macros. Learn how to use the VBA editor, syntax and comments, then move on to creating macros and subroutines.
Finally, you end up with logical constructions and loops. The short online Excel course can be taken for free on the Alison platform, earning a common certificate upon successful completion. Even when this course teaches VBA for beginners, you are still required to have prior knowledge of Excel before taking it.
Cost: Free
Certificate: Yes
Training duration: one to two hours
Program: Secondary
User Experience: Excellent
Teaching quality: Excellent
Benefits:
- Only one to two hours for course completion
- One of the only MOOC providers offering free course and certificate
- Completed by almost 3500 students
Disadvantages:
- The certification is free
Reference:https://www.onlinecoursereport.com/free/excel/
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PEOPLE ALSO ASK
Are there any free Excel courses for beginners?
Yes, there are many free Excel courses for beginners available online. These courses typically cover basic concepts such as creating spreadsheets, formatting cells, using formulas, and creating charts.
Can I learn advanced Excel skills for free?
While most advanced Excel courses are paid, there are still some free resources available. You can find free tutorials and videos on platforms like YouTube and websites like ExcelJet. However, for a comprehensive learning experience, you may need to consider paid courses.
How long does it take to learn Excel?
The time it takes to learn Excel depends on your learning pace and the depth of knowledge you want to acquire. Basic Excel skills can be learned in a few hours, while mastering advanced techniques may take several weeks or months.