Everything on this site organised into one order. Start at module 1 if you are new, or jump to the module you need. Every chapter is a written lesson with screenshots, most have a practice file, and the whole path is free.
Level 1 · Excel basics (about 2 hours)
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Shortcut Keys · 8 chapters
The keyboard habits that make every later module faster.
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Fill, Auto Fill and Flash Fill · 6 chapters
Series, custom lists and pattern-based filling.
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Find and Replace · 6 chapters
Options, formats and wildcards for fast clean-up.
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Sort and Filter · 11 chapters
Multi-level sort, AutoFilter and Advanced Filter.
Level 2 · Formulas and data rules (about 6 hours)
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Excel Formulas and Functions · 100+ functions
Lookup, text, date, logical, math, information and financial functions, each with an example page.
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Data Validation · 14 chapters
Drop-down lists, date and number rules, custom formulas, input messages and error alerts.
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Conditional Formatting · 20 chapters
Preset rules, data bars, icon sets and formula-based formatting.
Level 3 · Visualisation and analysis (about 6 hours)
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Basic Charts · 12 chapters
Column, bar, line, area, pie, doughnut, stacked and combo charts.
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Advanced Charts and Infographics · 8 projects
Speedometer, battery, test tube, progress circle, moving man and check-box charts.
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Pivot Tables · 20 chapters
From the first pivot to slicers, timelines and calculated fields.
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Excel Dashboards · 9 dashboards + design guide
Put everything together: performance, sales, project, C-SAT and process dashboards with videos.
Level 4 · Automation and AI (about 6 hours)
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Excel VBA Course · 18 chapters
Macro recording to loops, user-defined functions, error handling and ADODB.
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Excel Formulas with AI · 9 chapters, more coming
Write, fix and explain formulas with Copilot, ChatGPT and Claude, and verify what AI gives you before you trust it.
Learn from finished files
7,000+ ready-made Excel, Power BI and Google Sheets templates on NextGenTemplates come with a video tutorial each. Opening a professional file and reverse-engineering it is the fastest way to consolidate what you learn here.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Excel course really free?
Yes. Every chapter on this site is free to read, and practice files are free to download. A paid video course on pivot tables is available separately on the Courses page.
How long does it take to learn Excel?
Following this path for 30 minutes a day, most people complete levels 1 and 2 in three weeks and the full path in about two months.
Do I get a certificate?
Not for the free path. The premium courses include a certificate of completion.
Which version of Excel is used?
Screenshots are from Excel 2016 through Microsoft 365. Everything applies to Excel 2013 and later, and to Excel for Mac unless a chapter says otherwise.