Your practice spreadsheet
Click a cell, then type in the formula bar. Try =SUM(B2:B6) or =C2*B2. Formulas start with = and compute live. Arrow keys move around the grid; Enter edits.
Tip: this grid holds monthly sales data. Column B is Units, column C is Price.
Five guided lessons
Each lesson has a short idea, a task to do in the grid above, and instant feedback.
Ten-question quiz
Answer each question; you get an explanation immediately.
0/10
Cheat sheet: the 10 most-used formulas
Print this or copy it into your notes.
| Formula | What it does |
|---|
Beginner questions
Why does my formula show as plain text?
Every formula must start with an equals sign. SUM(B2:B6) is text; =SUM(B2:B6) is a formula.
What does #NAME? mean?
Excel does not recognise something you typed, usually a misspelled function like =SUMM(...).
When do I need dollar signs like $A$1?
Dollar signs lock a reference so it does not shift when you copy or drag the formula. Lesson 5 animates exactly this.