Specialists in Financial Modelling
Tutorials
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Microsoft have quite a wide range of free online tutorials which are often overlooked by those seeking to improve their Excel skills. Prior to coming on a Plum Solutions Financial Analysis workshop or online course, we recommend that you have at least a working knowledge of Excel.
There are hundreds of free Excel tutorials available from Microsoft, so to make it easier, we've compiled a list of tutorials which relate specifically to Financial Analysis. They are available in Excel 2003, Excel 2007 or both and in some cases, audio versions are available. Click on the relevant icon to go directly to the tutorial on the Microsoft website.
| Course | Description | Content | Excel 2007 | Excel 2003 | Level | Length |
| Get to know Excel: Create your first workbook. | For those totally new to Excel. Learn how to create an Excel workbook, how to enter and edit text and numbers, and how to add and delete columns and rows | - Meet the workbook |  |  | Basic | 30 - 40 min |
| Keyboard shortcuts in the 2007 Office system | Many of the programs in the 2007 Office system have a brand-new look. Most menus and toolbars have gone away, and along with the new look come new and easier ways to use the keyboard. | - Accomplish tasks by using sequential shortcut keys, known as Key Tips, shown on the Ribbon - Navigate around the Ribbon using the TAB key and arrow keys - Accomplish tasks by using key combinations — keys you press at the same time — exactly as you've done in previous versions of Office |  | n/a | n/a for all users new to 2007 | 20 – 30 min |
| Up to speed with Excel 2007 | If you are not familiar with the new look in Excel 2007, get a hands-on introduction to the new look of Excel 2007, and see how to do what you're used to doing in Excel as you get up to speed. | - What's changed, and why | | n/a | n/a for all users new to 2007 | 30 – 40 min |
| Choose between Access and Excel | Confused about whether to use Access or Excel? Learn how to choose the right program for your needs. | - Choose the right program — Microsoft Office Access 2007 or Microsoft Office Excel 2007 - Know whether to use a relational or flat data structure | | Tutorial covers both | Intermediate | 15 – 20 min |
| Get to know Excel: Enter formulas | Get to know Excel by learning how to perform simple calculations. Get started by learning to enter simple formulas into worksheets. | - Begin with an equal sign - Use other math operators - Total all the values in a column - Copy a formula instead of creating a new one - Use cell references - Update formula results - Other ways to enter cell references - Reference types - Using an absolute cell reference | | | Basic | 40 – 50 min |
| Figure out dates by using Formulas | How to find the number of days between dates, or the date after a number of workdays, or the date after a number of days, months, or years. | - What dates mean to Excel - Calculate dates using formulas | | | Basic / Intermediate | 30 – 40 min |
| Pivot Tables I: Getting started with Pivot Table Reports | Learn about Excel PivotTable reports, a fast and powerful way to analyse data. | - Make your data work for you - Create a pivot table | | | Intermediate | 2003: 20 – 30 min 2007: 40 – 40 min |
| Pivot Tables II: More on working with Pivot Tables | Learn even more about the ins and outs of working with Pivot Tables. Get to grips with the wizard (2003) or the Field List and filtering (2007) | - What goes where - PivotTable nitty-gritty - The riddle of the grey boxes - Change the sort order - Format numbers - Get fresh data - When Sum is not enough - See just the data you want to see | | | Intermediate | 2003: 30 – 40 min 2007: 20 – 30 min |
| PivotTables III: Calculate data in PivotTable reports in Excel 2007 | Work with numbers in PivotTable reports to help you see what your data means. Learn even more advanced ways to use PivotTable reports, including how to use formulas with report data.
| - Work with numbers - Summarise data another way - Perform a custom calculation - Beyond the basics - Add another field - Create a quarterly group - About row fields - When there's more than one data field | | | Advanced | 2003: 40 – 50 min 2007: 20 – 30 min |
| Password, Security and Protection in Excel | Learn what you can do to help keep data secure in Excel. Use passwords so that only you, or a select few, can open a workbook. See how to help protect data from being changed by others. And learn some basic information about computer viruses, macros, and digital signatures. | - Use passwords to help secure a workbook - Use protection features to help control data entry - About viruses and macros - Trust, certificates, and security settings | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 30 – 40 min |
| Five Time-saving Excel features | Learn five great features that will help you to work faster and easier. | - Freeze Panes - Compare side by side - Quickly Summing it up - Lists & custom lists - Conditional Formatting | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 40 – 50 min |
| Printing options in Excel | See how to get the results you want when you print in Excel. | - Get what you want printed on the page - Print preview - Change column width, margins and page orientation - Fit data on a specific number of pages - Adjust page breaks - Print column or row titles on every page - Add page numbers, dates, and more - Print cell gridlines and comments or centre data - Replace formula error values when printing | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 30 – 40 min |
| Using Lists | Using the List command - which was new to Excel 2003 - that makes it easy to sort and filter data and to total up values. | - Create a list using the List command - Add up values in lists using the List toolbar - Use the AutoFilter arrows to sort and filter list data | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 15 – 20 min |
| All about AutoFilter | AutoFilter selects and shows you only the data you want to see in Microsoft Excel. | - Filter data for particular text or numbers by using the AutoFilter command - Filter for the highest or lowest numbers - Create your own custom filters to find ranges of numbers, text inside other text, and more | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 20 – 30 min |
| Charts I: How to create a chart | Charts make data visual. Instead of having to analyse columns of worksheet numbers, you can see at a glance what the data means. | - 2007: Create a chart using the new Excel 2007 commands | | | Basic | 2007: 30 – 40 min 2003: 20 – 30 min |
| Charts II: Choose the right chart type | How to pick a chart type that packs a punch for your point. How to combine charts, when two go better together | - Choose a chart type in the Chart Type dialog box - Choose between a Line chart and an XY Scatter chart - Create a chart that combines two chart types - Create a secondary axis to make two sets of values equally visible | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 20 – 30 min |
| Charts III: Create a professional-looking chart | How to add visual interest to charts and make them more meaningful, using simple built-in formatting effects | - Customise charts by using colours, adding shading and shadows to chart formatting, and applying number formats - Make revisions to any information on the chart - Reverse the order in which values are displayed on the chart - Revise numbers on the value axis. | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 30 – 40 min |
| Charts IV: Charts for the scientist | Learn how to use the chart features in Excel to accomplish scientific tasks such as adding a trendline to data or using error bars. | - Add error bars to data points - Plot a polynomial curve - Add Greek letters, symbols, superscript, and subscript to chart labels - Use logarithmic scales | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Advanced | 40 – 45 min |
| Plan payments and savings by using financial formulas | How to use formulas to figure out payments, savings, and other financial numbers | After completing this course you will be able to use formulas to figure out: - How much you would need to spend on monthly payments such as mortgage or car payments - How much you would need to save in order to accumulate a specific amount by a certain point in time - How much of a down payment you would need to make, for monthly payments to equal a particular amount - How much you would gain over time on a specific amount of savings | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 40 – 50 min |
| Use formulas to edit, correct, and proofread text | How to save time by using formulas instead of retyping to work with text in Excel | - Delete extra spaces in a cell | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 40 – 50 min |
| Excel statistical functions | How to use statistical formulas, from the basics to making smart choices | - Use a statistical function in an Excel spreadsheet | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Advanced | 40 – 50 min |
| Make time count by using formulas | Learn how to calculate times by using formulas in Excel. How many hours did you work this week? What's the total if you deduct your lunchtimes? | - Find the number of hours worked in a day or a week
| There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 20 – 30 min |
| Find functions and enter arguments | How to find and use a formula by telling Excel what you want to do | - Search for, find, and use a function by means of the Insert Function dialog box | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Intermediate | 20 – 30 min |
| Get in the loop with Excel macros | How to add a macro to a workbook, how to customise a macro, and to use a loop macro on a range of data | - Add a macro to a workbook - Use loop macros to work with ranges of data - Customise the included VBA code examples to work with your data | There is no Excel 2007 version of this tutorial, but all the functionality shown here is also available in 2003. (and more!) | | Advanced | 30 – 50 min |
Based in Sydney, Australia, Plum Solutions has been providing professional financial modelling solutions since 2004.