Description

Develop practical Microsoft Excel skills for finance, accounting and bookkeeping with our comprehensive online Excel for Finance Course. The course includes Beginner Excel training before progressing through intermediate and more sophisticated Excel functions, reporting and analytical tools. It is suitable for complete beginners as well as those who already use Excel and want to develop stronger, career-relevant skills. Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used tools in finance. From performing calculations and analysing financial data to preparing reports and presenting results, strong Excel skills are an important part of working effectively in finance, bookkeeping and accounting.

Our Excel for Finance Course is provided through a Microsoft Certified Academy and combines an interactive online learning system with course content selected for its relevance to financial roles.

Excel for Finance Course

The objective of the course is to develop practical Excel skills from Beginner level through to more sophisticated functions and financial analysis tools. You will learn how to create and organise spreadsheets, use formulas and functions, perform Lookups, analyse information with PivotTables, create business charts and use Excel tools for financial analysis and problem-solving. No previous Excel experience is required.

How the Excel for Finance Course Works

This is a fully online and flexible Excel training course. Training is delivered through an interactive Virtual Tutor system. The system guides you through each topic, provides practical exercises and checks your work as you progress. This allows you to learn by working directly with Excel and completing practical exercises rather than simply watching demonstrations. There are no fixed course dates. You can start at any time and have access to the learning system for 12 months.

Excel for Finance Course Content

The course begins with Beginner Excel and progresses to more sophisticated functions, data analysis and spreadsheet tools.

Beginner Excel Skills

  • The course includes the essential Excel skills needed to establish a strong foundation.
  • You will learn how to work with worksheets, multiple views, and freeze panes, as well as formatting, tables, formulas, absolute references, conditional formatting, and sorting and filtering data.
  • These skills provide the foundation for the more sophisticated Excel functionality covered later in the course.

Formulas and Excel Functions

  • Learn how to perform calculations and work more efficiently with financial and business data.
  • The course covers formulas, absolute references, array formulas, date calculations, time calculations, nested functions, IF statements and financial functions.

Lookup Functions

  • Learn how to use Lookup functions to find, match and retrieve information from tables and datasets.
  • Lookups are particularly useful when working with financial information and larger spreadsheets, allowing you to retrieve relevant data efficiently and incorporate it into calculations, reports and analysis.

PivotTables and PivotCharts

  • Learn how to create and work with PivotTables and PivotCharts to summarise, analyse and present financial and business data.
  • These tools can be used to examine transactions, compare information, identify trends and transform detailed datasets into useful management information.

Business Charts and Data Presentation

  • Learn how to create Business Charts and use charts to explain your data clearly.
  • The course also covers Sparklines and more sophisticated charts, helping you communicate trends, comparisons and financial information visually.

Data Sorting and Filtering

  • Learn how to organise and analyse information using Excel’s data sorting and filtering tools.
  • These features can help you work more efficiently with larger datasets and quickly identify the information you need.

Financial Analysis and Spreadsheet Tools

  • Develop your knowledge of Excel tools used for analysis, forecasting and problem-solving.
  • The course covers Solver, Goal Seek and Scenarios, as well as detecting errors, auditing spreadsheets and working with templates.
  • These tools can help you test assumptions, investigate different outcomes and improve the accuracy of your spreadsheets.

Double Entry Data Tables

  • Learn how to work with Double Entry Data Tables and use them to analyse different values and potential outcomes within a spreadsheet.

Introduction to Macros

  • The course provides an introduction to Excel Macros and their use to automate repetitive spreadsheet tasks and improve efficiency.

Who Is the Excel for Finance Course Suitable For?

No previous Excel experience is required.

The course includes Beginner Excel before progressing to Lookups, PivotTables, functions, charts and financial analysis tools. If you are more advanced, you are free to skip the beginner parts and commence at the advanced level.

It is suitable for complete beginners, people starting a career in finance, bookkeepers, accounts assistants, finance administrators, accounting and finance students, and existing finance professionals looking to strengthen their Excel skills.

Why Are Excel Skills Important in Finance?

Excel is widely used throughout finance, bookkeeping and accounting.

Finance professionals use spreadsheets to perform calculations, analyse transactions, prepare reports, investigate variances, forecast results and present financial information.

Developing strong Excel skills alongside your financial knowledge can help you work more efficiently, analyse information with greater confidence and undertake more sophisticated financial tasks.

Course Dates and Duration

The Excel for Finance Course is completely flexible and can be started at any time. You can study whenever it suits you and have access to the online learning system for 12 months.

The average learning time is approximately 22 hours, although completion time will vary depending on your existing Excel experience and the amount of practice you undertake.

Course Requirements

There are no formal entry requirements, and no previous Excel experience is necessary. The course includes Beginner Excel training before progressing to Lookups, PivotTables, advanced functions, charts and financial analysis tools. This makes the course accessible to complete beginners while providing substantial scope to develop more sophisticated and career-relevant Excel skills.

Benefits of the Excel for Finance Course

  • The course provides a practical combination of Excel skills specifically relevant to finance, accounting and bookkeeping.
  • You will develop skills from Beginner Excel onwards, including formulas, Lookup functions, PivotTables, PivotCharts, Business Charts, financial functions, data analysis, Solver, Goal Seek, Scenarios, spreadsheet auditing and an introduction to Macros.
  • You can study flexibly with 12 months of access to the online training system.

Excel for Finance Certification

On successful completion of the course, you will receive CPD-accredited certification in Excel for Finance.

By combining Beginner Excel with Lookups, formulas, PivotTables, charts, financial functions and analysis tools, the course provides a broad and practical Excel skill set for anyone looking to work more effectively in finance, bookkeeping or accounting.