Eight beginner Excel exercises you can check yourself

You do not need a complicated workbook to find out what you understand in Excel. A small order sheet can test the skills that make everyday spreadsheets reliable: entering data, choosing a formula, copying it correctly and checking the result. Work through these exercises in a new file. All names and figures are fictional.

If you are looking for beginner Excel training in Birmingham or online, bring your attempt to a lesson. A mistake with a clear explanation is more useful than a finished sheet copied from an answer.

1. Build a small, tidy dataset

Enter these headings in A1:D1, then place the three records in rows 2 to 4. Enter the unit prices as numbers and apply currency formatting afterwards. Avoid typing a pound sign into a text description instead of a numeric price.

Save the workbook with a useful name. Make each column wide enough to read and keep one header row. Do not merge cells inside the data: each column should describe the same kind of information for every record.

2. Calculate each line total

In D2 enter =B2*C2. Copy the formula down to D4, then select each result and inspect the formula bar. D3 should refer to B3 and C3, not the first product's row.

Your answers should be £14, £12 and £6. Change the notebook quantity from 4 to 5. Its line total should become £17.50 without you typing a new answer. Change the quantity back before continuing. This checks that you have a calculation, not a fixed number that happens to look correct.

3. Add a total and check it independently

Enter =SUM(D2:D4) in D5. The answer is £32. Check it by adding 14 + 12 + 6 outside Excel. Then temporarily change the pen quantity from 10 to 11: the grand total should rise by exactly £1.20. Restore the original quantity.

If your answer does not change, check whether a formula was replaced with a value. If it changes by too much, inspect the ranges for a repeated row or an accidental subtotal inside the sum.

4. Keep a percentage fixed when copying

Type 10% into H1 and label G1 “Discount rate”. Label E1 “Discount” and F1 “Discounted total”. In E2 enter =D2*$H$1, then copy it down to E4. The dollar signs keep the rate cell fixed while D2 moves to D3 and D4.

The discounts should be £1.40, £1.20 and £0.60. To calculate a discounted total, use =D2-E2 in F2 and copy down. The three discounted amounts add to £28.80. Do not overwrite the original prices; keeping inputs and results separate makes changes easier to check.

5. Sort without separating a product from its price

Select the complete A1:F4 dataset and turn it into an Excel table, confirming that it has headers. Sort the Line total column from largest to smallest. Each product, quantity and unit price must move together.

Keep the fixed discount rate in H1 outside the table. The discount and discounted-total columns should move with the other row data. Sorting one isolated column can silently attach the wrong quantity to a product. Microsoft's guide to table references explains how table formulas refer to named columns.

6. Explain the result, not just the formula

Write one sentence: “The original order costs £32; a 10% discount reduces it by £3.20 to £28.80.” Include the currency and distinguish the discount from the final amount.

You are ready to progress when you can rebuild the sheet without copying this page, explain why the rate is fixed, and spot an answer that is implausible. If one part still needs support, repeat that part with different quantities before adding more functions. The next guide covers everyday Excel formulas for work.

7. Spot a number stored as text

On a separate blank worksheet, enter 12 in A1 and an apostrophe followed by 8 in A2. Enter =SUM(A1:A2) in A3. The result is 12 because the eight is stored as text and SUM ignores text in a referenced range.

Replace the text in A2 with the number 8 and check that A3 becomes 20. Compare the cell values as well as their appearance. Do not convert identifiers such as product codes automatically: their leading zeros may be intentional. Microsoft explains how to convert numbers stored as text.

8. Check a copied formula before trusting the column

Use another blank worksheet so you do not overwrite the order sheet. Enter 3 in A2, 5 in A3, 4 in B2 and 6 in B3. In C2 type =A2*B2 and copy it down to C3. The results should be 12 and 30. Select C3: its formula should be =A3*B3.

Now deliberately replace C3 with =A2*B2. The repeated 12 exposes the mistake. Restore the correct formula and explain which row each reference should use. Matching formatting does not prove a column calculates correctly. See Microsoft’s explanation of relative and absolute references.