Microsoft Excel: Intermediate / Advanced

Microsoft Excel Training Series | Level 2

Course Details

Duration: 2 days (9 am – 4 pm)

Microsoft^® Excel^® Versions: 2016 | 2019 | 2021 | 365 (Windows)

Delivery Methods (Instructor-led): In-person (Live classroom) | Online in virtual classroom

Course Dates: August 18/19, 2025 (Online in virtual classroom or In-person) | September 18/19, 2025 (Online in virtual classroom or In-person) | View schedule 

Course Fee: $495 CAD per person + HST (Virtual classroom), $545 CAD per person + HST (Bring your own device for in-person courses) or $595 CAD per person + HST (Avantix Learning provides device for in-person courses)*

Timing: Public scheduled courses run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (Eastern Time).

Virtual classroom courses: Our instructor-led virtual classroom courses are delivered in a virtual classroom environment. Students will be sent a virtual classroom invitation prior to the course.

In-person classroom courses: Our instructor-led, live classroom (in-person) courses are held in downtown Toronto at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Some courses are also held at an alternate downtown Toronto location.

Custom training: This course may be delivered at your site or ours as an instructor-led virtual classroom or in-person solution. Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca for more information including savings for custom group training.

Some public courses and / or formats and may be subject to a minimum enrollment requirement.

Course Overview

This Intermediate / Advanced Excel course is designed for users who want to move to the next level and focus on core competencies in Excel. During this instructor-led class, students will learn to enter common functions with a focus on Excel best practices and then move on to popular functions and tools including IF, SUMIF, SUMIFS, COUNTIF, COUNTIFS, VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, conditional formatting, linking, data management, pivot tables and basic macros. Links will be created and managed between worksheets, workbooks and other programs. Students will learn strategies to manage list or database data using filtering, sorting, subtotalling and validations. Using Excel data, students will generate and format charts and will also create pivot tables to summarize list or database data. At the end of this course, participants will create simple macros to automate repetitive tasks. During this hands-on course, students will practice their skills and have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the instructor. Each student will also receive a full course manual with tips, tricks and shortcuts as well as sample and exercise files.

Prerequisite: Microsoft Excel: Introduction or equivalent knowledge and skills.

Related training: View all Microsoft Excel courses >

INCLUDED IN THIS COURSE

• Comprehensive course manual
• Keyboard shortcuts quick reference
• Sample and exercise files (new samples added frequently)
• Refreshments (for classes conducted in Avantix Learning classrooms)
• Certificate of completion
• Follow-up email support

Course Topics

Working Effectively in the Microsoft Excel Environment

• Adding buttons to customize the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT)
• Controlling key Excel options
• Navigating and selecting cells using keyboard shortcuts
• Automating formatting using themes

Mastering Key Excel Concepts

• Creating formulas using absolute, relative and mixed referencing
• Naming cells and cell ranges
• Using names in formulas
• Editing named cells and ranges using the Name Manager

Tips and Techniques for Entering Core Excel Functions

• Using different strategies to quickly enter core Excel functions including SUM, AVERAGE, MIN and MAX
• Counting cells containing numeric or text values
• Inserting the current static date or dynamic date
• Extracting date information from cells containing dates using core date functions
• Using keyboard shortcuts to insert and display formulas
• Combining text strings in a formula

Using IF Functions to Display Conditional Results

• Using the powerful IF function to output conditional results
• Creating nested IF statements
• Using the IFS function (available in specific Excel versions)
• Creating formulas using SUMIF, SUMIFS, COUNTIF and COUNTIFS

Using the VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP Functions to Perform a Lookup

• Using the VLOOKUP function to look up data vertically in a list or database
• Performing an exact and non-exact lookup
• Benefits of using a dynamic source
• Dealing with VLOOKUP errors
• Using the XLOOKUP function as an alternative to VLOOKUP (available in specific Excel versions)

Applying Conditional Formatting

• Highlighting cells using built-in conditional formats
• Clearing conditional formatting
• Editing rules for icon sets
• Writing formulas in conditional formatting rules
• Highlighting entire records using conditional formatting

Protecting Worksheets

• Locking and unlocking cells
• Enabling worksheet protection

Linking Worksheets and Workbooks

• Using link cells in formulas to link worksheets and workbooks
• Managing and updating links between workbooks
• Importing linked and unlinked Excel data into Microsoft Word

Summarizing Cells or Ranges from Multiple Sheets

• Understanding 3D references
• Inserting formulas that extract totals from multiple sheets using 3D references
• Considerations when inserting, moving and deleting sheets

Manipulating and Extracting List or Database Data

• Identifying the parts of an Excel list or database
• Best practices for setting up lists or databases correctly in Excel
• Inserting records on a worksheet or adding records using a data form
• Sorting records using the Sort feature with multiple sort keys
• Using a custom sort to sort records
• Inserting subtotals using the Subtotal feature
• Applying filters with multiple criteria
• Using custom criteria when filtering text, number and date fields
• Setting up advanced filters for more complex filtering such as overcoming the two criteria custom filter maximum

Converting Data Sets to Tables

• Why you should be using Excel tables
• Converting data sets or lists to tables in 3 different ways
• Naming tables
• Formatting tables
• Converting tables back to normal ranges

Calculating in Tables

• Displaying totals for filtered records
• Creating formulas in tables
• Creating formulas outside of tables

Creating Drop-Down Lists Using Data Validation

• Applying data validations to ensure users enter the correct data in cells
• Creating drop-down lists to make data entry easier and more accurate

Visualizing Data using Charts and Sparklines

• Inserting charts on a spreadsheet or on a new Excel sheet
• Applying chart formats to improve the appearance of your charts
• Changing the chart type
• Applying different types of formatting using various tips and tricks
• Saving time by creating a chart template
• Displaying trends using miniature charts in cells called Sparklines

Summarizing Data using Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts

• Creating pivot tables to summarize Excel list or database data
• Rearranging fields in a pivot table
• Applying formatting to pivot tables and fields
• Filtering a pivot table
• Creating calculations in pivot tables to summarize data
• Creating a pivot chart
• Updating or refreshing a pivot table
• Changing the data source
• Using a dynamic data source
• Applying filtering using Excel's slicers
• Adding a button to the Quick Access Toolbar to quickly create a pivot table

Getting Started with Power Query to Clean Data

• Creating a query
• Removing blank rows
• Filling blank cells with data
• Transforming data in other ways
• Loading a query

Automating Tasks using Simple Macros

• Creating simple macros using the macro recorder to automate tasks
• Viewing VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) code created by the macro recorder
• Controlling macro security
• Running a macro using different strategies
• Writing keyboard shortcuts

NOTE: This is not a VBA programming course. If you are interested in learning more about writing macros with Visual Basic for Applications, check out our Excel VBA courses designed for non-programmers:

Microsoft Excel:  Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Macros | Introduction

*Prices subject to change.

Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca if you'd like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that's convenient for you.

Copyright 2025 Avantix^® Learning