Excel Intermediate to Advanced
Take your team from competent to genuinely advanced in the analytical Excel they use every day. Over two days, regular Excel users master modern formulas and dynamic arrays, XLOOKUP, PivotTable analysis and an introduction to Power Query — and build a clean, reliable workbook they can take straight back to work.
- Use advanced formulas and functions (logical, lookup, text, date and dynamic arrays) confidently.
- Structure and clean data for reliable analysis.
- Use modern lookups (XLOOKUP), recognizing INDEX/MATCH for older or specialized workbooks.
- Analyze data with PivotTables.
This course builds advanced everyday analytical Excel — the reliable, efficient Excel most teams actually need. It deliberately doesn’t try to be a developer or data-modeling course: VBA, Power Pivot, DAX and Power BI live in other courses. That focus lets participants build real mastery rather than racing through a feature list, so a core set of skills is always delivered and selected topics flex to the cohort.
Participants work through practical, workplace-style exercises and finish with a completed analytical workbook capstone: cleaned imported data, structured tables, formula-driven outputs, a PivotTable analysis, validation and conditional formatting, documented assumptions and a workbook-quality review — something they can reuse and adapt at work.
Right for your team if…
- Finance, operations and sales-operations staff who live in Excel.
- Analysts who want reliable, repeatable analytical workflows.
- Confident everyday Excel users ready to move to advanced — not beginners.
What participants will be able to do
- Introduce repeatable data preparation with Power Query.
- Build clear, reliable, maintainable workbooks using good practice.
A tangible outcome they take back to work
A completed analytical workbook: cleaned data, structured tables, formula-driven outputs, a PivotTable analysis, validation and conditional formatting, and a documented quality review.
What we cover
- Excel tables and references; structuring data for analysis; productivity techniques.
Restructure messy data into analysis-ready tables.
- Logical, text and date functions; dynamic arrays; error handling.
Solve a workplace calculation set using advanced formulas.
- XLOOKUP as the modern default; INDEX/MATCH for legacy or specialized cases; combining data across sheets and sources.
Combine data with XLOOKUP and diagnose a legacy INDEX/MATCH example.
- Building and grouping; calculated fields, PivotCharts and slicers as selective depth.
Build and refine a PivotTable analysis.
- Import, clean, transform and refresh; when to use Power Query versus formulas.
Import, clean, transform and refresh a simple dataset.
- Conditional formatting; data validation; documentation and good-practice structure; an introduction to automation concepts.
Apply validation, formatting and documentation, then run the quality review.
How it runs
Live, instructor-led private training for one organization across two days. Live virtual delivery, with scheduling arranged around client requirements. Recommended cohort of up to eight participants. A one-day intensive is available for experienced users only and includes a pre-course skills check; it covers a prioritized subset, not all two-day outcomes at speed. The dataset and examples are adapted to the client’s domain (finance, operations, sales). Confirm the participant Excel environment before delivery — some features (notably Power Query) are more limited on Excel for Mac.
We adapt the agenda, pace, examples and exercises to the team's existing knowledge, roles and objectives. The proposal will state what adaptation is included and identify any substantial custom development separately.
Scope and progression
What this course focuses on
Advanced everyday analytical Excel — not developer-level automation or data modeling.
Reserved for other courses
- VBA/macros and deep automation (awareness only).
- Deep data modeling, Power Pivot and DAX (see Excel Expert for Analysts and the Power BI category).
- Full Power BI report building and the Excel-to-Power BI transition (see the Power BI category).
Progression
Other courses in this pathway
-
Outlook and Teams Productivity
Reduce communication friction across Outlook and Teams by making the daily choices more deliberate. Participants build a practical workflow for triage, channel selection, meetings, actions, notifications and protected focus.
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Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive Collaboration
Create a shared working model for files and collaboration across Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive. Participants decide where work belongs, practice sharing and coauthoring, and set practical rules for channels, ownership and repeatable team working.
-
PowerPoint for Business Storytelling
Turn analysis and recommendations into a clear, decision-ready PowerPoint story. Participants define the audience and decision, shape the storyline, improve visual evidence and build a concise presentation that makes the next action easier to see.
-
Excel Expert for Analysts
Build a more reliable Excel reporting workflow without moving the whole job into Power BI. Experienced users work through refreshable Power Query preparation, a multi-table Excel Data Model, practical Power Pivot measures and model-driven reporting they can maintain.
Common questions
What does “advanced” mean here?
Advanced everyday analytical Excel: modern formulas, dynamic arrays, XLOOKUP, PivotTables and introductory Power Query. It deliberately doesn’t cover VBA/macros, Power Pivot, DAX or Power BI — those live in other courses.
Is my team ready for it?
It’s for confident everyday Excel users, not beginners. The one-day intensive is for experienced users only and includes a pre-course skills check; if people are still building core skills, we’ll advise.
Does it cover Power Query?
Yes, at an introductory, practical level — enough to build repeatable data preparation. Deep Power Query, modeling and Power Pivot belong in Excel Expert for Analysts.
Should we do this or a Power BI course?
If the goal is better Excel, this is it. If the goal is moving reporting into Power BI, look at Power BI for Excel Users in our Power BI category.
What if some participants use Macs?
Excel runs on Mac, but some features — notably Power Query — are more limited. Tell us the participant environment and we’ll confirm the approach before delivery.
What do participants leave with?
A completed analytical workbook they built during the course — cleaned data, tables, formulas, a PivotTable analysis, validation and a quality review — plus the good-practice habits behind it.
Plan a cohort for your team
Tell us what your team needs to achieve. We will recommend the right course, cohort structure and schedule, then provide a clear private-training proposal.