BrainBit Infotech TeachingOffice Skills · Beginner · 34 hours
Excel from Zero
Excel for someone who has never opened it — first the workbook, cells and clean data entry, then formatting, formulas, functions, cell references, dates, tables, sorting and filtering.
Syllabus
| Module | Covers |
|---|---|
| Module 1 · Understanding Excel from Zero | What Excel is, why it is used, Excel terminology, opening Excel, the Excel screen |
| Module 2 · Workbook and Worksheet Management | Creating, saving, opening and closing workbooks, the .xlsx file, worksheets and sheet tabs, and a School Student Management Workbook |
| Module 3 · Cells, Rows and Columns | Cells and addresses, selecting, entering and editing data, rows and columns, and an Employee Register |
| Module 4 · Data Entry and Editing | Good data-entry practice, copy, cut and paste, undo and redo, AutoFill, and a 100-Student Data Entry Sheet |
| Module 5 · Excel Formatting for Beginners | Why formatting matters, text, cell and number formatting, and a Professional HR Register |
| Module 6 · Basic Excel Formulas | What a formula is, cell references, mathematical operators, order of operations, and a Household Expense Calculator |
| Module 7 · Essential Excel Functions | SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT and COUNTA, and a Monthly Sales Analysis |
| Module 8 · Relative and Absolute Cell References | Relative, absolute and mixed references, the F4 key, and a GST Calculation Sheet |
| Module 9 · Working with Dates and Time | Entering and formatting dates, TODAY and NOW, date calculations, and an Employee Joining Date Register |
| Module 10 · Working with Tables | Ranges vs tables, Insert Table, table styles, the Total Row, and a Customer Database |
| Module 11 · Sorting and Filtering | Single and multi-level sorting, text, number and date filters, and an Employee Data Investigation |
What your students will be able to do
- Explain what Excel is used for and name the parts of the Excel screen
- Create, save and organise workbooks and worksheets
- Select, enter, edit, copy and AutoFill data the right way
- Format a register with fonts, fills, borders, and currency, percent and date formats
- Write formulas with cell references, operators and the order of operations
- Use SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT and COUNTA
- Lock cells with absolute and mixed references, and work with dates and times
- Build Excel tables, then sort and filter them to answer real questions
Questions teachers ask
Do students need Excel installed to follow the slides?
Not for the lecture. The slides draw the Excel screen themselves and open in any browser. Students need Excel, or a free spreadsheet such as LibreOffice Calc, for the practical examples.
Does this cover formulas and charts?
Formulas, yes: Modules 6 to 8 cover formulas, the essential functions and absolute references. Charts are not covered yet; they are a suggested next topic.
How long does it take to teach?
About 34 hours: Modules 1 to 4 take about 3 hours each, and Modules 5 to 11 take 2 to 4 hours each, 22 hours in all.