GETTING STARTED

WITH EXCEL
INTRODUCTION
THE EXCEL START SCREEN
When you open Excel for
the first time, the Excel
Start Screen will appear.
From here, you'll be able
to create a new workbook,
choose a template, and
access your recently
edited workbooks.

➢ From the Excel Start

Screen, locate and
select Blank workbook
to access the Excel
interface.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
Some parts of the
Excel window (like the
Ribbon and scroll
bars) are standard in
most other Microsoft
programs. However,
there are other
features that are more
specific to
spreadsheets, such as
the formula bar, name
box, and worksheet
tabs.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
1. Quick Access
Toolbar
The Quick Access
Toolbar lets you access
common commands no
matter which tab is
selected. You can
customize the
commands depending
on your preference.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
2. Ribbon
The Ribbon contains
all the commands
you will need to
perform common
tasks in Excel. It has
multiple tabs, each
with several groups
of commands.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
3. Tell Me
The Tell me box
works like a search
bar to help you
quickly find tools
or commands you
want to use.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
4. Name Box
The Name box
displays the
location, or name,
of a selected cell.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
5. Formula Bar
In the formula bar,
you can enter or
edit data, a
formula, or a
function that will
appear in a
specific cell.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
6. Column
A column is a
group of cells that
runs from the top
of the page to the
bottom. In Excel,
columns are
identified by
letters.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
7. Row
A row is a group of
cells that runs from
the left of the
page to the right.
In Excel, rows are
identified by
numbers.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
8. Cell
Each rectangle in
a workbook is
called a cell. A cell
is the intersection
of a row and a
column. Simply
click to select a
cell.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
9. Worksheets
Excel files are
called workbooks.
Each workbook
holds one or more
worksheets. Click
the tabs to switch
between them, or
right-click for more
options.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
10. Worksheet View
Options
There are three
ways to view a
worksheet (Normal,
Page Layout, Page
Beak Preview).
Simply click a
command to select
the desired view.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
11. Zoom Control
Click and drag the
slider to use the
zoom control. The
number to the right
of the slider reflects
the zoom
percentage.
THE PAR TS OF THE EXCEL WINDOW
12. Vertical and
Horizontal Scroll
Bars
The scroll bars allow
you to scroll up and
down or side to
side. To do this, click
and drag the vertical
or horizontal scroll
bar.
MOUSE POINTER IN EXCEL
WORKING WITH THE
EXCEL ENVIRONMENT
The Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar are
where you will find the commands to perform
common tasks in Excel. The Backstage view
gives you various options for saving, opening
a file, printing, and sharing your document.
UNDERSTANDING
CELLS

Whenever you work with Excel, you'll enter

information—or content—into cells. Cells are
the basic building blocks of a worksheet.
You'll need to learn the basics of cells and
cell content to calculate, analyze, and
organize data in Excel.
Every worksheet is made up of thousands of
rectangles, which are called cells. A cell is the
intersection of a row and a column. In other
words, it's where a row and column meet.

Columns are identified by letters (A, B, C),

while rows are identified by numbers (1, 2, 3).
Each cell has its own name—or cell address—
based on its column and row. In the example
below, the selected cell intersects column C
and row 5, so the cell address is C5.

Note that the cell address also appears in the

Name box in the top-left corner, and that a
cell's column and row headings are
highlighted when the cell is selected.
You can also select multiple cells at the same
time. A group of cells is known as a cell
range. Rather than a single cell address, you
Cell range A1:A8
will refer to a cell range using the cell
addresses of the first and last cells in the cell
range, separated by a colon. For example, a
cell range that included cells A1, A2, A3, A4,
and A5 would be written as A1:A5. Take a
look at the different cell ranges below:

Cell range A1:F1

Cell range A1:F8

MODIFYING COLUMNS,
ROWS, AND CELLS

By default, every row and column of a new

workbook is set to the same height and
width. Excel allows you to modify column
width and row height in different ways,
including wrapping text and merging cells.
INTRO TO FORMULA

In Excel, formulas are tools with which you

can manipulate, analyze and draw
calculations about your worksheet data.
One of this program’s most valuable
features is its ability to store math formulas
in individual cells.
INTRO TO FORMULA
A formula is simply a mathematical
operation you can perform in your
worksheet. It is a sequence of values, cell
references, names, functions and operators
that are contained in a cell. The formula
produces a new value from the existing
value.
INTRO TO FORMULA

One of the most powerful features in Excel is

the ability to calculate numerical information
using formulas. Just like a calculator, Excel can
add, subtract, multiply, and divide. In this
lesson, you will know how to use cell references
to create simple formulas.
INTRO TO FORMULA
A formula can contain up to 1024 characters and
must always start with an equal sign (=). In the Excel
worksheet formula is a powerful tool. In its basic
form, a formula can add, subtract, multiply or divide
two numbers, displaying the answer in a cell that you
choose. When you type a formula into a cell, Excel
makes every attempt to display an answer to the
formula.
INTRO TO FUNCTION
A function is a predefined formula that performs
calculations using specific values in a particular
order. Excel includes many common functions that
can be used to quickly find the sum, average, count,
maximum value, and minimum value for a range of
cells. In order to use functions correctly, you'll need
to understand the different parts of a function and
how to create arguments to calculate values and cell
references.
THE PARTS OF A FUNCTION
In order to work correctly, a function
must be written a specific way, which
is called the syntax. The basic syntax
for a function is the equals sign (=),
the function name (SUM, for
example), and one or more
arguments. Arguments contain the
information you want to calculate.
The function in the example below
would add the values of the cell
range A1:A20.