Video Tutorial: Excel Modules 3 & 4
Two modules in one video. Work through them in order.
Excel Navigation and Setup
- Navigating workbooks and worksheets
- Customizing the Excel interface
- Setting up spreadsheets efficiently
- Keyboard shortcuts and time-savers
Core Functions
- Essential functions every user needs
- SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT and more
- Building and structuring formulas
- Applying functions to real data
💡 Tips for This Video
- Have Excel open and follow along as you watch
- Pause after each concept and try it yourself before moving on
- Practice each core function in Module 4 with your own sample data
Try it with a real example
Open the example. Open Apple’s prefilled SEC filings and enter three annual revenue figures into a small Excel table. Use SUM and AVERAGE on those cells, then check the total and average by hand before interpreting the result.
Key takeaways
- Keep input cells and formula cells identifiable when setting up a worksheet.
- Check a function’s selected range before accepting its result.
- Record units and dates so another reader can interpret the worksheet.
Check your understanding
Answer each question, then open the explanation.
1. What should you check before accepting a total produced by SUM?
Show answer and why
Answer: That the selected range includes the intended values and excludes unrelated cells.
Why: A valid formula can still total the wrong range.
2. Why separate inputs from formulas when setting up your workbook?
Show answer and why
Answer: It makes editable assumptions and calculated results easier to identify.
Why: Replacing a formula with an input can silently break later calculations.
3. Why label a financial column with its units and date?
Show answer and why
Answer: To show what its values represent and when they apply.
Why: A number alone does not identify whether it is dollars, shares, a percentage or a dated observation.
Sources: Microsoft: Organizing worksheet data
AI responses are for educational purposes. Always verify with official course materials.
This lesson teaches a concept. It is general education, not advice about your money. Before you act on anything you learn here, speak to someone licensed.
Sources and reference material
Primary sources and original reference material for the concepts discussed on this page.
References added 14 October 2026.
AI responses are for educational purposes. Always verify with official course materials.
This lesson teaches a concept. It is general education, not advice about your money. Before you act on anything you learn here, speak to someone licensed.
This lesson teaches a concept. It is general education, not advice about your money. Before you act on anything you learn here, speak to someone licensed.
