Ivy Tech Libraries: Excel: Everything You Wanted to Know but Were Afraid to Ask: Websites

The links below offer information on the basic skills to get you started with Excel, such as:

entering data into cells
useful keyboard shortcuts
using cell references and named ranges
formatting cells (borders, shading, etc.)
sorting & filtering data
and much more!

Looking for websites covering Excel functions, formulas, or tips & tricks? Click on the tabs at the top of this box!

Nearly everything you do in Excel will involve a formula or function.

What are formulas and functions?

Formulas and functions are nearly the same thing—they both begin with an equals sign (=) and are used to find a specific result/value regarding the data in your spreadsheet. The main difference between the two is:

Formulas are equations you type out in a cell	Functions are predefined calculations within Excel
=A2+B2	=SUM(A2:B2)

You will learn about these throughout your class, so don't panic if you're still confused! However, once you start learning about and using formulas and functions, the links below will be incredibly useful for you!

Each website linked to below will help you better understand the formulas and functions you'll be using in Excel by giving you a complete list (either grouped by category or A to Z) with descriptions of what they're used for.

Bonus: all the formulas and functions listed on the websites below link to pages with more detail. Just click on the name of any formula and function you want to know more about, and you'll be taken to a page where you can see examples of how to use it and explanations of the common errors you might encounter when using them.

Working with more difficult formulas and functions?

The first link below gives tips that you may find useful when inputting large functions or complex Excel formulas, and the second and third links explain some of the common problems you might encounter with various formulas/functions and what #NULL!, #VALUE!, #NUM!, #REF!, and other Excel error results mean.

Excel Easy: Create Charts in Excel

The link below shows you some of the best tips, tricks, and keyboard shortcuts to help make the following common Excel tasks much simpler:

Inserting a new line in a cell
Freezing rows and columns
Viewing two worksheets at once
Zooming to view named ranges
Using F4 to cycle through relative & absolute references
Keyboard shortcuts to cycle through worksheets
Copying a function down to other rows (if you only view one thing from this website, make this be it!)
Fastest ways to select a range of cells

Excel tips & tricks

Excel Functions

The links below give you a complete listing of Excel functions: along with descriptions of what each function is used for, each function is linked to a page on the website where you will find an overview of the function, examples of use, and details of common errors.

Excel Tips & Tricks

The link below shows you some of the best tips, tricks, and keyboard shortcuts to help make the following common Excel tasks much simpler:

Inserting a new line in a cell
Freezing rows and columns
Viewing two worksheets at once
Zooming to view named ranges
Using F4 to cycle through relative & absolute references
Keyboard shortcuts to cycle through worksheets
Copying a function down to other rows (if you only view one thing from this website, make this be it!)
Fastest ways to select a range of cells

Excel Tips & Tricks

Excel Formulas

Like the previous links, the links below give you a listing of the most commonly used Excel formulas. Click on any formula listed on the page to read an in-depth explanation of the formula and see examples of its use.