Excel is one of the most popular excellent tool for IT professionals and students in the world.
If you’ve ever scoured through a job application, seen Microsoft Excel as a desired skill, and decided you won’t make the cut – it’s not too late to change things.
Like anything in life, practice makes perfect, and the same goes for Microsoft Excel.
If you need a helping hand getting to grips with this in-demand productivity tool, it might be time to enroll in a free course and show employers that you can walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
So, to help you on your Microsoft Excel learning journey, we’ve put together this list of the best free online Excel courses WITH certificates.
Learn a valuable skill, make yourself more employable, and get certified to prove it.
Everyday Excel, Part 1 (Coursera)
First up, we have Everyday Microsoft Excel, Part 1, by Coursera.
Coursera is one of the leading online learning providers in the world, so straight off the bat, you know you’re going to be enrolling in a quality, professional-grade course!
This course is offered by the University of Colorado Boulder, and it’s targeted at people who want to learn the most important Microsoft Excel functions from scratch.
If you have limited experience with Microsoft Excel, this is the course for you! However, an experienced user can still learn a skill or two from the free course.
As you can see, this is part one of a three-part free course that takes its learners from introductory skills to more advanced ones.
The course is split into five modules (split over five weeks), and to pass each module, you’ll need to successfully complete a quiz and a hands-on problem-solving assignment.
In part one of the course, you’ll learn how to navigate your way around Microsoft Excel. The key skills you’ll learn are:
- Format and edit Microsoft Excel spreadsheets
- Implement functions including text functions, logical, and financial functions
- Manage data processing sets by removing duplicates, consolidating data, and analyze data analysis.
- Learn how to visualize numerical data by using different charts, including column charts, pie charts, and scatter plots.
As with all Coursera courses, you’ll benefit from flexible deadlines, a completely remote learning experience, and a shareable certificate upon completion.
This course is well thought out, and it covers the most important Microsoft Excel functions for beginners .
However, some concepts are quite advanced, even for experienced users, which may be difficult for some learners to get to grips with.
Pros
- Free: You won’t have to pay a penny to enroll or learn.
- Flexible Deadlines: You can change your deadlines if you need to, so you can make your learning work around your schedule.
- Varied Resources: You can watch videos, take quizzes, read, and do hands-on assignments. This variety makes learning easier, especially for beginners.
- Graded Assignments: All of your assignments and quizzes will be graded with constructive feedback.
- Complex Information Condensed: Concepts are broken into manageable chunks to make it easier for beginners to learn basic functions.
Cons
- Some Concepts are Too Advanced: Although this course is aimed at beginners, some concepts seem far too advanced and irrelevant, even for experienced Microsoft Excel users. This means beginner learners may need more guidance on their journey.
Excel Tips & Tricks (Linkedin Learning)
Microsoft Excel Tips and Tricks by Linkedin Learning is free for those with a Linkedin Premium Subscription, or you can take out a free trial and enroll in the course for free.
You’ll be guided through the most important Microsoft Excel tips and tricks you need to know by instructor Dennis Taylor, as he shares his most productive tips and shortcuts for users of all abilities.
Although this course can be taken by beginners, it’s most effective for learners who already have some Microsoft Excel knowledge behind them.
If you already know how to create formulas and can perform organize data entry, this course will show you how to speed up your processes and get the job done quicker.
This is a valuable skill for both you and your employers!
The course contents were recorded on Microsoft Office programs; however, they still apply to the latest versions of Office, so this course is still worth taking, regardless of what package you’re using.
This course will take you almost five hours to complete, but it can be accessed wherever and whenever you want, so you can make learning work for you.
All 13 chapters of content and quizzes can be accessed via tablet or mobile, too, making it easier than ever to learn!
The 13 modules featured in this course include:
- Seven significant shortcuts
- Ribbon and quick access toolbar tips
- Display shortcuts
- Navigation and selection shortcuts
- Data entry and editing shortcuts
- Drag and drop techniques
- Formula shortcuts
- Operational shortcuts
- Formatting shortcuts
- Analyzing Data management techniques
- Charting and visual object tips
- Basic Pivot Tables tips
- Tiny tips
If you want to speed up your Microsoft Excel processes, this is the ideal course for you.
However, this course is aimed at students with existing Microsoft Excel knowledge to learn from, so we wouldn’t recommend it for beginners.
You’ll have plenty of videos and quizzes to help you learn, and the instructor gets straight to the point with all the tips – it’s constructive, saves time, and is incredibly beneficial!!
Pros
- Multiple Resources Available: Learn via videos, quizzes, and more, to keep your knowledge fresh and make learning more enjoyable.
- Clear Instructor: All the videos get straight to the point but are still explained clearly and concisely.
- Useful Shortcuts: These shortcuts apply to all the main functions of Microsoft Excel, including formulas and data entry, so they’ll be useful for Microsoft Excel users in all fields.
- Free Certificate: Of course, you’ll get your free Linkedin certificate when you’ve completed the course to show your employers.
Cons
- Some Videos Aren’t Clear: Some videos in the first module are grainy and it can be difficult to see.
- Only Available on Premium: This course is only free to Linkedin Premium users or those with a free trial.
Easy Excel Basics For Beginners (Udemy)
Next up, we have Easy Excel Basics for Beginners by Udemy.
Udemy is another leading online educational provider, so if you’ve been looking for a quality online course, you’ve probably already heard of them.
The title of this course speaks for itself.
This course is aimed at complete beginners who want to learn how to create spreadsheets, format texts, adjust columns, and more.
All of the content you’ll learn in this course is at the most basic level of Excel, but it’s invaluable and will give you a solid foundation to enhance your learning.
This course is pretty short compared to our others – you’ll get access to around 40 minutes of video content, and each section features a short quiz to test your knowledge.
Some of the main things you’ll learn in this course include:
- How to navigate Excel
- How to create simple spreadsheets
- How to use Excel formulas
- Formatting text and arranging it alphabetically
- Formatting numbers into the currency
- Conditional formatting
- Adjusting columns and row sizes
The instructor will even show you how to print your work and get it formatted correctly – this is perfect for presentations or assignments that require smooth layouts.
If you want to learn more at the end of the course, you can access a bonus lecture from the instructor at the end, and you’ll be pointed toward other free online courses that you can use to boost your knowledge.
You can take this course for free or access the paid version, which offers access to more advanced functions and advanced techniques, including direct messaging with instructors, instructor Q&A, and more.
This is an easy, comprehensive course for complete beginners, and it doesn’t take long to complete, proving that you can enhance your Excel skills in a quick time!
Lectures are short and specific. However, when this course says basic, it means it.
Some concepts aren’t in-depth, so this really is for complete beginners.