Microsoft Excel is one of the most popular spreadsheets with millions of users all over the globe. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and formulas that make it useful for professionals in a wide range of fields, from accounting to digital marketing.
According to the official report, Microsoft Excel has over 300 hundred different functions. This means the program covers everything from basic computing operations to complex data analysis. In this post, we will present you top 10 Excel functions that you should know in order to test your software easier.
Excel Hacks to Improve Professional Productivity
It’s impossible to cover all Excel functions in s single article, so we want to narrow down the options and show you the most useful operations only. We will begin with a few simpler functions and then continue with some more advanced features. Without further ado, let’s see our top 10 picks.
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Auto Sum
Auto Sum is a frequently used operation that offers you several possibilities. Let’s say that Column A contains different numbers in 10 rows. In this case, you might want to see the sum of all numbers and you can do it by clicking the Auto Sum button. Other options are to see the average value, the total number of entries in this column, or to see the minimum/maximum value.
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Add more than one row/column
Individuals who use Excel regularly often need to create huge data sheets with hundreds or even thousands of rows or columns. This is a time-consuming process if you do it one by one, but there is a shortcut. If you already have 50 rows and need 40 more, you just need to highlight the existing 40 rows and choose Insert after right-clicking.
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Remove duplicate content
Large datasets usually contain a lot of duplicate content, which can create confusion and inaccuracy in your work. Administrators of the paper proofreader help UK website handle huge Excel spreadsheets, so they have to remove duplicate content frequently. They do it by selecting the row or column that needs to be rearranged. After that they just go to the Tools section, choose Remove Duplicates, and the problem is solved instantly.
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Filter data
Going through hundreds of rows just to find a few specific values can be daunting, but Excel has a solution to this problem as well. It comes in the form of filter, a feature that allows you to display all entries from one column or to choose only some values. You can add filters to each column by clicking the Sort/Filter button in the Home tab.
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Combine cells with “&”
Sometimes you want to combine text from two cells, which is a very boring task if you do it manually. For instance, resume services need to merge first and last names in Excel spreadsheets, so they use the “&” function. If you want to combine text from B2 and C2 in the D2 cell, just to the following: D2=B2&” “&C2
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Conditional formatting
Conditional formatting enables you to mark important cells. These could be cells with average or maximum/minimum values, or anything else you might consider relevant at a given point. To do this, choose Conditional Formatting in the Home menu and set the preferences you need.
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Trim
Removing unnecessary whitespace from cell text is yet another extremely annoying operation, but it needs to be done every now and then to keep the file smooth and well-organized. Fortunately, it is easy to remove blank characters from the Excel spreadsheet. You only need to select the targeted area and perform this function: Syntax: =Trim(Text). After that, cell content will be clean and whitespace-free.
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Creating charts
Most people are scared of charts and graphs because they think these features require special knowledge in graphic design. However, Excel makes this process very simple. All you need to do is highlight the cells and press F11. This function creates a default Excel chart, but you can play with it and choose different styles if necessary.
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Pivot tables
You probably organize data in various combinations depending on parameters like regions, sales reps, products, etc. Pivot tables allow you to organize and combine information, creating an interactive interface. You only need to do the right click and select Pivot Table from the Insert section. Create a pivot table in the new sheet and Excel will automatically collect and display all the information there. Such a table allows you to manipulate rows and columns by choosing parameters you currently need (for instance, sale results by regions).
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Shortcuts
The last Excel hack on our list is reserved for shortcuts. The spreadsheet is full of keyboard shortcuts and these are the most practical options:
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Ctrl+N: Create a new workbook
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Ctrl+O: Open a new workbook
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Ctrl+ Home: Navigates to cell A1
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Ctrl+End: Navigates to the last cell that contains data
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Ctrl + Shift + Down/Up Arrow: Selects all cells above or below the current cell
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Ctrl+Shift+L: Activate auto filter to data table
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F4: Select the range and press F4 key, it will change the reference to absolute, mixed and relative.
Conclusion
Microsoft Excel is a globally popular spreadsheet with hundreds of highly useful features and operations. It’s a pivotal tool for professionals in all sorts of industries, so we decided to show you a list of top 10 Excel functions that you should know in order to test your software easier. We hope this post helps you go through the Excel jungle a little easier, but let us know in comments if you need additional advice or suggestions about this topic.
