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Computer Skills

Microsoft Excel

Excel is software used for storing, organizing and manipulating data. It is useful for doing cell based calculations, making pivot tables, graphs and many other functions.

Topics covered in this guide

  1. Intro to Excel : Creating workbooks; Creating and renaming worksheets; Creating top-down lists of data; Using text wrapping; Copying and pasting options; Saving the Workbook
  2. What if Analysis: Creating a one-variable data table; Creating a two-variable data table; Using the scenario manager tool
  3. Graphing; Making different types of Charts
  4. Inserting tables: Inserting tables in a worksheet;  Table styles
  5. External Resources

Handouts

These handouts are provided to help you practice your Excel skills. Download and save the files to your computer so that you can edit the Sample Excel Workbook.

Depending on your security settings you may have to allow the Enable Editing button.

 Enable Editing button example

Intro to Excel

This video provides a basic introduction to Excel 2013. The topics included in the video :

  • Opening Excel
  • Creating a Workbook
  • Creating Worksheets
  • Renaming Worksheets
  • Inserting Data
  • Creating top-down lists

What-if Analysis

The What-If Analysis tool in Excel is a powerful way to see possible results that would occur if you change an input value in a formula. It not available on the web version of Excel; you have to use the Desktop version, which is installed on all computers at Douglas College.

Making a one-variable data table

A one-variable data table is part of the What-If Analysis tool in Excel. It helps to compute the possible results as the value of one variable changes in the particular formula that is used to compute the results. The following video shows how to compute the possible monthly payments for a range of different interest rates for the loan.

Making a two-variable data table

A two-variable data table is quite similar to the one-variable data table. The only difference is that, instead of using one variable, a two-variable data table computes the possible results in the change of two variables from the formula that is used to calculate the results. It helps to determine how a change in those values from the formula might change the results' values. The following video explains how to compute the change in value of the monthly payment for a loan changing both the rate and loan amount at the same time.

Using the scenario manager

The scenario manger is also  part of the What-If Analysis tool in Excel. It helps to create different scenarios by using the input values from the formula that is used to calculate the results. The following video shows how to create different scenarios using the scenario manager in excel 2013.

How to plot scatter charts

Getting equation and r-squared values from charts 

Tables in Excel

The following video shows:

  • How to insert tables in Excel
  • How to style the tables
  • Inserting total rows for tables