Excel: A Beginner's Guide to Formulas and Functions

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Are you new to Excel and struggling to understand formulas? Are you tired of manually calculating data in spreadsheets and looking for a faster, more accurate way to work? This online Excel training session is designed to help beginners build a strong foundation in formulas so they can work more efficiently and confidently with data. From simple calculations using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to understanding when and why to use parentheses, this session will introduce the core skills needed to use Excel more effectively in everyday work.

Once you have mastered basic Excel formulas, you will also be introduced to functions, which are built-in formulas designed to perform specific calculations. Functions can simplify what might otherwise be long, manually entered formulas and help make spreadsheet tasks easier to manage. You will explore essential Excel functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, and SUBTOTAL, along with SUMIF and COUNTIF for adding and counting based on criteria. The session also covers date functions such as TODAY, DATEDIF, and NETWORKDAYS, as well as text functions including CONCATENATE and TEXTJOIN for combining information from multiple cells.

Topics Covered:
  • Creating basic formulas: addition, subtraction, division, multiplication
  • Using parentheses in formulas - the what and why
  • Copying a formula - the gotchas you need to know about
  • Make formulas logical and understandable by assigning names to your important cells
  • An introduction to functions: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT and SUBTOTAL
  • The SUMIF and COUNTIF function: Add up and count based on criteria
  • Use TODAY, DATEDIF and NETWORKDAYS to calculate and manipulate dates
  • Use CONCATENATE and TEXTJOIN to combine text from multiple cells
Your Benefits For Attending:
  • Learn how to create basic Excel formulas using addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication.
  • Understand how and why to use parentheses in formulas for more accurate calculations.
  • Discover the best practices for copying formulas and avoid common mistakes.
  • Make formulas easier to follow by assigning names to important cells.
  • Gain an introduction to powerful Excel functions including SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, and SUBTOTAL.
  • Learn how to use SUMIF and COUNTIF to add and count data based on specific criteria.
  • Use TODAY, DATEDIF, and NETWORKDAYS to calculate and manage dates in Excel.
  • Combine text from multiple cells using CONCATENATE and TEXTJOIN.
  • Build confidence using Excel formulas, even with little or no prior experience.

Attending this webinar will help you save time, improve accuracy, and feel more confident working with Excel spreadsheets. Whether you use Excel for school, administration, reporting, or day-to-day business tasks, this training will give you practical skills you can start using right away.

Who Should Attend:

This training is perfect for beginners who are new to Excel or have limited experience with formulas. Whether you are a student, professional, or simply looking to improve your Excel skills, this training is designed to help you develop a solid understanding of Excel formulas and functions.

The training will be delivered using the latest version of Excel for Windows; however, all of the functionality covered is also available to users of earlier versions of Excel.

Level: Beginner
Format: Live webcast
Instructional Method: Group: Internet-based
NASBA Field of Study: Information Technology (2 hours)
Program Prerequisites: None
Advance Preparation: None

  1. Introduction
  2. Formulas 00:02:25
  3. How To Calculate Sales & Profit 00:02:43
  4. How To Calculate Total Income 00:06:51
  5. How To Calculate Total Profit & Income 00:08:58
  6. How To Calculate Total Income 00:10:20
  7. How To Calculate Bonus Share 00:10:59
  8. Copying Formulas Down A Column 00:21:29
  9. Functions 00:31:30
  10. SUM 00:33:11
  11. AVERAGE 00:33:44
  12. TODAY 00:33:54
  13. NETWORKDAYS 00:34:10
  14. ROMAN 00:34:38
  15. How a Function Works 00:35:04
  16. SUM Function 00:38:32
  17. AVERAGE 00:43:05
  18. ROMAN 00:44:57
  19. NETWORKDAYS 00:46:18
  20. NETWORKDAYS.INTL 00:55:24
  21. Viewing All Functions - Fx Button 01:01:35
  22. Carrying Formulas From Tab to Tab 01:03:05
  23. COUNTIF/COUNTIFS 01: 01:12:31
  24. SUMIFS 01:23:24
  25. CONCAT/CONCATENATE 01:30:00
  26. Presenter Info 01:38:15
  27. Attendee Questions 01:39:03
  28. Presentation Closing 01:40:23
  • Mike Thomas

    Mike Thomas

    Mike Thomas has worked in the IT training business for 26 years. His expertise and experience covers designing and delivering training courses, creating written training materials (Quick Reference Guides and step-by-step tutorials), recording and editing video-based tutorials and providing support t [...]

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  • AVERAGE 00:13: 00:33:50, 00:43:06
  • Cell 00:04:30, 00:07:53, 00:08:30, 00:32:22, 00:41:17, 01:06:18, 01:21:23
  • Cell Reference 00:04:30, 00:27:41, 00:38:17
  • Column 00:21:40, 00:33:21, 01:21:37
  • CONCATENATE Function 01:30:08
  • CONCAT Function 01:30:02
  • COUNTIF 01:12:45
  • COUNTIFS  01:12:47
  • Formula 00:01:17, 00:02:23, 00:21:41, 00:39:31, 01:09:26, 01:28:24
  • Formula Bar 00:13:37
  • Function 00:01:17, 00:08:24, 00:31:30, 00:38:07, 0:46:39, 00:59:53, 01:12:58, 01:30:07
  • Fx Button 01:01:35
  • NETWORKDAYS.INTL 00:55:36
  • NETWORKDAYS 00:34:12, 00:46:18
  • ROMAN 00:33:39, 00:44:57
  • Row 00:33:22, 01:07:31
  • Spreadsheet 00:02:33, 00:32:24, 00:53:07
  • SUM 00:33:14, 00:38:36, 01:07:24
  • SUMIFS 01:12:24, 01:23:24
  • TODAY Function 00:33:56
  • Total Row 01:06:00

AVERAGE : Returns the average (arithmetic mean) of the arguments.

Absolute Reference : Absolute references in Excel are a direct link to a specific cell or range of cells that remain fixed if you copy or drag the formula. Absolute references are represented by $ symbols. A $ before a column letter freezes the column, while a $ before the row number freezes the row number. You can freeze the column letter and/or row number when needed.

CONCAT Function: The CONCAT function was introduced in the Office 365 version of Excel 2016. It's not available to users of perpetual licensed versions of Excel 2016 or earlier versions of Excel. This function supersedes the CONCATENATION function and is used to combine multiple pieces of text into one. An alternative to CONCAT and CONCATENATE is using ampersands to join pieces of text together into one.

CONCATENATE Function : The CONCATENATE function in Excel is designed to join different pieces of text together or combine values from several cells into one cell.

COUNTIF: Excel COUNTIF function is used for counting cells within a specified range that meet a certain criterion, or condition. For example, you can write a COUNTIF formula to find out how many cells in your worksheet contain a number greater than or less than the number you specify.

COUNTIFS: The COUNTIFS function is a built-in function in Excel that is categorized as a Statistical Function. It can be used as a worksheet function (WS) in Excel. The COUNTIFS function allows you to stipulate multiple criteria, hence the plural.

Cell: In spreadsheet applications, a cell is a box in which you can enter a single piece of data. The data is usually text, a numeric value, or a formula. The entire spreadsheet is composed of rows and columns of cells.

Cell Reference: A cell reference refers to a cell or a range of cells on a worksheet and can be used in a formula so that Microsoft Office Excel can find the values or data that you want that formula to calculate. There are three types: Relative, Absolute, and Mixed

Column: A column is a vertical series of cells in a chart, table, or spreadsheet in Excel.

Formula: A formula is an expression which calculates the value of a cell.

Formula Bar: A toolbar at the top of the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet window that you can use to enter or copy an existing formula into cells or charts. It is labeled with function symbol (fx). By clicking the Formula Bar, or when you type an equal (=) symbol in a cell, the Formula Bar will activate.

Function: Functions are predefined formulas and are already available in Excel.

Fx Button: Excel Functions (fx) Excel has prewritten formulas called functions to help simplify making complicated calculations. A function takes a value or values, performs an operation, and returns a result to a cell. The values that you use with a function are called arguments.

NETWORKDAYS: Returns the number of whole working days between start_date and end_date. Working days exclude weekends and any dates identified in holidays. Use NETWORKDAYS to calculate employee benefits that accrue based on the number of days worked during a specific term.

NETWORKDAYS.INTL: The Microsoft Excel NETWORKDAYS.INTL function returns the number of work days between 2 dates, excluding weekends and holidays.The NETWORKDAYS.INTL function is a built-in function in Excel that is categorized as a Date/Time Function. It can be used as a worksheet function (WS) in Excel. As a worksheet function, the NETWORKDAYS.INTL function can be entered as part of a formula in a cell of a worksheet.

ROMAN : The ROMAN function in Excel converts a positive integer into its Roman numeral equivalent, represented as text. It's useful for displaying numbers in a traditional or decorative way, such as in outlines or legal documents.

Row: A row is the range of cells that go across (horizontal) the spreadsheet/worksheet. Rows are identified by numbers e.g. row 1, row 5. Examples of use. A row might contain the headings of a table e.g. product ID, product name, price, number sold.

SUM: Microsoft Excel defines SUM as a formula that “Adds all the numbers in a range of cells”. This definition clearly points that Sum function has a job to add numbers and the arguments can be supplied using combinations of both numbers and range of cells. =SUM The SUM function is a built-in function in Excel that is categorized as a Math/Trig Function. It can be used as a worksheet function (WS) in Excel. As a worksheet function, the SUM function can be entered as part of a formula in a cell of a worksheet.

SUMIFS: A look-up function in Excel that allows you to add up numbers based upon up to 127 criteria that you specify. Unlike VLOOKUP, the SUMIFS function can add up two or more values and returns zero (instead of #N/A) if no match is found.

Spreadsheet: Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It features calculation or computation capabilities, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications. Excel forms part of the Microsoft Office suite of software.

TODAY Function: The TODAY function is useful when you need to have the current date displayed on a worksheet, regardless of when you open the workbook. It is also useful for calculating intervals.

What-If Analysis: What-If Analysis is the process of changing the values in cells to see how those changes will affect the outcome of formulas on the worksheet. Three kinds of What-If Analysis tools come with Excel: Scenarios, Goal Seek, and Data Tables. Scenarios and Data tables take sets of input values and determine possible results.

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He spoke very fast and moved so quickly but all in all good class just if you don't do it every day it gets lost since so much was covered.
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Frequently Asked Questions

SUM, AVERAGE, and COUNT are the three most essential Excel functions for any beginner. SUM adds all numbers in a range: =SUM(A1:A10) totals cells A1 through A10. You can include non-contiguous ranges: =SUM(A1:A10, C1:C10). AVERAGE calculates the arithmetic mean of a range: =AVERAGE(B1:B20) returns the average value. It ignores blank cells and text—only numeric cells are counted. COUNT counts how many cells in a range contain numbers: =COUNT(A1:A50) returns the number of numeric entries. For counting all non-empty cells including text, use COUNTA. These three functions handle the majority of basic reporting needs—totaling sales, averaging scores, or counting transactions. AutoSum (Alt+=) is a shortcut that inserts a SUM formula for the range above or to the left of the selected cell. All three functions automatically adjust when rows are inserted or deleted within their referenced range, and they ignore empty cells gracefully. Mike Thomas teaches these core functions step-by-step in Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: A Beginner's Guide to Formulas and Functions webinar.
SUMIF and COUNTIF extend the basic SUM and COUNT functions by adding a condition—only values matching a specified criterion are included. SUMIF syntax: =SUMIF(range, criteria, sum_range). For example, =SUMIF(A2:A100,"North",B2:B100) totals the values in column B where column A equals North. If the condition range and sum range are the same, the third argument can be omitted. COUNTIF syntax: =COUNTIF(range, criteria). For example, =COUNTIF(Status_Column,"Complete") counts how many cells contain Complete. Criteria can include comparison operators: >100 counts cells greater than 100, and wildcards like "*Smith*" match text containing Smith. These functions are fundamental for category-level reporting—calculating department totals, counting task statuses, summing sales by region, or tallying survey responses. They return zero (not an error) when no match is found, making them robust for reports where some categories may be empty. Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: A Beginner's Guide to Formulas and Functions webinar, taught by Mike Thomas, introduces SUMIF and COUNTIF with practical, real-world exercises.
The NETWORKDAYS function calculates the number of working days (Monday through Friday, excluding weekends) between two dates, which is essential for project timelines, employee absence tracking, and deadline calculations. Its syntax is =NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays]). For example, =NETWORKDAYS(A2, B2) returns the count of business days between the dates in A2 and B2, inclusive of both endpoints. The optional third argument accepts a range of holiday dates to exclude. NETWORKDAYS.INTL offers more flexibility, letting you define which days are non-working (for different regional workweeks). The TODAY() function returns the current date dynamically, making =NETWORKDAYS(TODAY(), deadline_date) a live countdown of remaining business days. DATEDIF calculates the difference between two dates in complete years, months, or days—useful for calculating employee tenure or age. These date functions eliminate the manual counting errors common in deadline and HR calculations. Mike Thomas demonstrates date functions in Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: A Beginner's Guide to Formulas and Functions webinar.
Combining text from multiple cells is a common need when building reports, mailing lists, or formatted output. CONCAT (introduced in Excel 2016 for Microsoft 365) joins multiple text strings and cell references into one: =CONCAT(A2," ",B2) combines first and last name with a space between. It supersedes the older CONCATENATE function and also accepts ranges. The ampersand operator (&) provides an alternative: =A2&" "&B2 achieves the same result without a function. TEXTJOIN is more powerful: =TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A2:A10) joins all values in a range with a comma-and-space delimiter, and the TRUE argument ignores blank cells automatically—avoiding double-delimiter issues. TEXTJOIN is ideal for creating comma-separated lists, concatenating address components, or building custom descriptions from data columns. These functions are the opposite of Text to Columns, which splits combined text into separate cells. Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: A Beginner's Guide to Formulas and Functions webinar, taught by Mike Thomas, covers CONCAT and TEXTJOIN as practical tools for everyday data formatting tasks.
Parentheses in Excel formulas control the order of operations—which calculations are performed first. Without parentheses, Excel follows standard mathematical precedence: multiplication and division before addition and subtraction. For example, =2+3*4 returns 14 (multiplication first), while =(2+3)*4 returns 20 (addition in parentheses first). In financial and business formulas, incorrect operator precedence is a common and serious error. For instance, =Revenue-Cost/Revenue calculates Cost/Revenue before subtracting from Revenue, likely producing a wrong margin calculation; =(Revenue-Cost)/Revenue correctly calculates gross margin. Parentheses also help when nesting functions: =ROUND(AVERAGE(A1:A10),2) rounds the average to 2 decimal places—the inner function evaluates first. Excel color-codes matching parenthesis pairs as you type, helping you verify the structure. Adding extra parentheses around groups—even when not strictly required—improves readability and makes intent clearer. Mike Thomas emphasizes parenthesis usage in Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: A Beginner's Guide to Formulas and Functions webinar as a foundational accuracy skill.