In this Excel course you learn to build tidy tables, calculate with formulas and analyse with pivot tables, and it is aimed at users with first Excel experience. You clean raw data, use functions such as SUMIFS and XLOOKUP and present results in charts. Finally you produce an analysis a colleague can follow and refresh. The course uses sample data from sales, purchasing and administration and can be adapted to your own files.
What you’ll take away.
- Clean raw data with table formatting, text functions and duplicate checks
- Build formulas with relative and absolute references without errors
- Combine values from several tables with XLOOKUP and SUMIFS
- Create pivot tables with grouping, slicers and charts
- Document an analysis so others can check and refresh it
Your training in detail
- Who is it for?
- Staff in administration, sales, purchasing and controlling who analyse figures regularly.
- Prerequisites
- Basic Excel skills such as entering, selecting and saving. You do not need to know formulas yet.
- Format & planning
- Suggested format: 2 days (about 7 hours each) live online or on site by arrangement. Scope depends on prior knowledge.
Agenda: from understanding to application
Our independently developed agenda proposal. Focus areas, lab environment and scope are agreed before booking.
Data hygiene: Excel tables, consistent data types, text to columns, removing duplicates and data validation.
Formula basics with IF, SUM, AVERAGE, relative and absolute references and typical errors such as #N/A and #REF.
Looking up and summing with XLOOKUP, SUMIFS and COUNTIFS across several worksheets.
Pivot tables: arranging fields, grouping values, calculated fields, slicers and timelines.
Charts and conditional formatting so deviations and trends are visible at a glance.
Final analysis with documentation, sheet protection and refreshing through table references.
Suggested exercise: Analyse an anonymised monthly order list by region and product and describe on an info sheet how the figures were derived.
Exams, licences & credentials
For Excel, Microsoft offers exams in its Microsoft Office Specialist programme. Attending the course alone awards no vendor certification. Exam fees and licences are only included if confirmed in the offer.
Vendor references & review date
Sources checked on 2026-11-03. These sources describe the technology or external exam requirements. They do not imply a partnership with NextNowa.
Your learning content
These objectives describe the training topic. The specific syllabus, duration, dates, trainer and price are agreed before booking.
Frequently asked questions
What prior knowledge do I need for the Excel course?
You should be able to open Excel, fill cells and save files. Formulas, pivot tables and functions are taught in the course. If you already work confidently with IF and VLOOKUP, the advanced course is a better fit. We clarify this beforehand in a short conversation.
Pivot table or formulas: which should I use when?
A pivot table suits quickly summarising and comparing large lists by category. You need formulas for fixed calculations, report templates and values reused in other cells. In the course you learn both and combine them in one analysis.
Do the functions also work in older Excel versions?
XLOOKUP is only available in newer Excel versions, not in very old ones. Before the course we clarify which version you use and, if needed, show classic VLOOKUP or INDEX with MATCH as an alternative. Pivot tables and most core functions run in all common versions.
Does Excel & data analysis include a certificate?
For Excel, Microsoft offers exams in its Microsoft Office Specialist programme. Attending the course alone awards no vendor certification. Exam fees and licences are only included if confirmed in the offer.