Excel Basic Keyboard Shortcuts (Skills by Drills)

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DAY 1 - Entering and Editing DataDrill 1: Excel cursors

This drill provides practice on recognizing Excel's three worksheet cursors: selection, drag-and-drop and AutoFill.

Drill 2: Flash Fill

This drill provides practice on the use of Excel's Flash Fill feature. And this is something that every Excel user needs to master: the ability to automatically enter data by simply giving Excel an example of what you want.

Drill 3: Custom lists

This drill provides practice on the creation of Excel custom lists to speed up data entry.

Drill 4: AutoFill dates

This drill provides practice on entering date sequences using Excel's AutoFill feature and then using AutoFill Options to modify the way that the date sequence is built.

Drill 5: Changing and formatting cell contents

This is a keyboard only drill and provides practice on changing cell contents and number and date formats using Excel's keyboard shortcuts.

DAY 2 - Formatting Cells, Columns and RowsDrill 1: Selecting and navigation

This keyboard only drill provides practice on rapid keyboard navigation, selection of data and transferring data between different worksheets.

Drill 2: Formatting cells

This drill provides practice on formatting cells and repeating operations. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 3: Changing cell alignment

This drill provides practice on horizontal and vertical cell orientation. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 4: Merge across

This drill provides practice on the use of Excel's Merge Across feature. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 5: Inserting rows vs inserting cells

This drill is all about inserting space in a worksheet; it focuses on the distinction between inserting entire rows and inserting cells. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

DAY 3: Manipulating Sheets and WorkbooksDrill 1: Navigating through worksheets

This drill provides you with practice on the quickest methods of navigating a workbook which contains a large number of worksheets and the quickest method of updating individual sheets. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 2: Reverse sheets

This drill tests your Excel dexterity. How quickly can you reverse the order of sheets in a workbook? The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 3: Change tab colours

In this drill you practice selecting multiple worksheet tabs and changing their attributes; in this case the tab colour. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 4: Split workbook

In this drill, you will practice the quickest method of taking a worksheet with a large number of worksheets and splitting it into several smaller workbooks. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 5: Editing multiple worksheets

In this drill, you practice working in group mode; an Excel feature which allows you to edit multiple worksheets simultaneously. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

DAY 4: Viewing, Page Setup and OutputDrill 1: Viewing worksheets side by side

This drill practices Excel's Compare Side by Side feature; but uses it to compare two worksheets from the same document. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 2: Freezing and unfreezing panes

This drill reminds you of the three variations available with Excel's Freeze Panes command. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 3: Print Titles

This drill complements the skills practiced in the previous drill. This time, we look at the fastest way of reproducing key row and column titles on every page when you print a document. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 4: Creating custom views

This drill allows you to become fluent in the use of Excel's useful and under-used custom views feature. Practice this drill and you will be able to transform the appearance of large worksheets with just a few deft keystrokes. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 5: Headers and footers

The final drill in this section reminds you of the quickest method of adding headers and footers to an Excel document.

DAY 5: Building Excel FormulasDrill 1: Creating basic formulas

The first drill in this section provides practice in creating formulas using all the key components of Excel formulas: functions, cell references and operators. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 2: AutoSum Tool: Relative references

This drill provides practice on the use of Excel's handy AutoSum tool and the keyboard equivalents. It also highlights the usefulness of being able to create a single formula and then copy it quickly into adjacent cells. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 3: Absolute references

This drill allows you to constantly remind yourself of the distinction between relative and absolute references when building Excel formulas. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 4: Mixed references

This drill provides practice on building formulas that contain Excel's hybrid mixed cell references. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.

Drill 5: Operator precedence

The final drill in our cycle provides further practice on building Excel formulas and then focuses on the use of parentheses to override operator precedence. The drill can either be performed with the keyboard only or using standard Ribbon commands with the mouse.