Use the TRIM function to avoid unintended mistakes

If the text in a formula has extra spaces, comparing text with a function may not return the results you
expect and could result in some pretty big miscalculations.
Adding the TRIM function to a formula removes spaces from a text string except for single spaces between
words.

Nested IF functions
You can always tell when a function is nested because it's inside parentheses. Nested IF functions, meaning
one IF function inside of another, allow you to test multiple criteria and increases the number of possible
outcomes.

COUNTIFS and SUMIFS

COUNTIFS applies criteria to cells across multiple ranges and counts the number of times all criteria are
met. This is the syntax of the COUNTIFS function.
SUMIFS adds the cells in a range that meet multiple criteria.

AVERAGEIFS and IFERROR

AVERAGEIFS returns the average of all cells that meet multiple criteria. IFERROR returns the value
specified if AVERAGEIFS evaluates to an error.
Array formulas Why use array formulas?

Array formulas are often referred to as CSE (Ctrl+Shift+Enter) formulas because instead of just pressing
Enter, you press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to complete the formula.
If you have experience using formulas in Excel, you know that you can perform some fairly sophisticated
operations. For example, you can calculate the total cost of a loan over any given number of years. You can
use array formulas to do complex tasks, such as:

Count the number of characters that are contained in a range of cells.

Sum only numbers that meet certain conditions, such as the lowest values in a range or numbers that
fall between an upper and lower boundary.

Sum every nth value in a range of values.

Enter an array formula

1. Select the cells where you want to see your results.

2. Enter your formula.
3. Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. Excel fills each of the cells you selected with the result.
Delete an array formula

You've expanded an array formula too far it includes too much dataso you press Delete to remove the
formula and... it's still there. To remove an array formula, you delete it from one cell, then press
Ctrl+Shift+Enter to delete the it from the rest of the cells.
1. Select the cells that contain your formula.
2. Press Delete.

Working with drop-down lists Create a drop-down list

You can make a worksheet more efficient by providing drop-down lists. Someone using your worksheet
clicks an arrow, and then clicks an entry in the list.
1. Select the cells that you want to contain the lists.
2. On the ribbon, click Data > Data Validation.
3. In the dialog, set Allowto List.
4. Click in Source, type the text or numbers (separated by commas, for a comma-delimited list) you
want in your drop down list, and click OK.
Lock cells to protect them

Your boss wanted you to protect a workbook, but she also wanted to be able to change a few cells after you
were done. So, you unlocked some cells. Now your boss is done, so you can lock the cells. Here's how.
1. Select the cells you want to lock.
2. Click Home, then click the Format Cell dialog box launcher (the arrow to the right of Alignment in
the ribbon).
3. Click the Protection tab, check the Locked box, and click OK.
4. Click Review > Protect Sheet or Protect Workbook and reapply protection.
Create input and error messages

To help people decide what drop-down list option to select, and even to let them know that a cell contains a
drop-down list, you can create a message that appears when they select a cell. You can add the message to
all cells that contain the drop-down list, or just the first cell in a column.
1. Select the cells that you want to create a message for, and click Data Validation.
2. On the Input Message tab, check the box next to Show input message when cell is selected.
3. Type a title if you want. Itll appear in bold.
4. Type the message in the Input message box. Now when you click a cell, the message pops up.
Create a PivotTable to analyze worksheet data

Being able to analyze all the data in your worksheet can help you make better business decisions. But
sometimes its hard to know where to start, especially when you have a lot of data. Excel can help you by
recommending and then automatically creating PivotTables, which are a great way to summarize, analyze,
explore, and present your data.
1. Make sure your data has column headings or table headers, and that there are no blank rows.

2. Click any cell in the range of cells or table.

3. Click Insert > Recommended PivotTables.
4. In the Recommended PivotTables dialog box, click any PivotTable layout to get a preview, and then
pick the one that shows the data the way you want, and click OK.
Create a PivotChart

A PivotChart can help you make sense of PivotTable data. While a PivotChart shows data series, categories,
and chart axes the same way a standard chart does, it also gives you interactive filtering controls right on the
chart so you can quickly analyze a subset of your data.
1. Click anywhere in the data.
2. On the Insert tab, in the Charts group, pick Recommended Charts.
3. On the Recommended Charts tab, pick any chart with the PivotChart icon in the top corner. A
preview of your PivotChart appears in the Preview pane.
4. Once you find the PivotChart you like, click OK. If you dont find a PivotChart you like, click
PivotChart on the Insert tab instead of Recommended Charts.
5. In the PivotChart that appears, click any interactive control, and then pick the sort or filtering options
you want.
Recover a password to open a workbook or worksheet

Excel lets you password protect your workbooks, and your worksheets. But, it's easy to forget or misplace
your passwords. Unfortunately, if thats happened to you, we dont have a way to help you recover a lost
password.
Excel doesn't store passwords where you or Microsoft can look them up. That's also true for the other Office
programs that let you protect files. That's why it's always a good idea to store your passwords someplace
safe.
Unlock protected cells

When you password protect a workbook or a worksheet, Excel locks all the cells in the workbook or the
sheet. If you think you'll need to change some of the data in a protected file, you can unlock cells before or
after you apply protection, though it's usually, it's best to unlock any cells before you add protection.
Here's how you unlock cells in a protected workbook or worksheet. If you haven't protected anything yet,
just skip to step 3.
1. Click Review> Unprotect Sheetor Protect Workbook.
2. If you used a password, enter it click OK.
3. Select the cells you want to unlock, right-click them, and click Format Cells.

4. Click the Protection tab, uncheck the Lockedbox, and click OK.
5. Click Review> Protect Sheetor Protect Workbook.
6. If you use a password, enter it, click OK, then enter it again to confirm and click OK.
To lock cells again, repeat these steps and click the Locked box.
Print one or several worksheets

1. Select the worksheets that you want to print.

2. Click File > Print. You can also press Ctrl+P.
3. Click the Printbutton or adjust Settingsbefore you click the Printbutton.
Print one or several workbooks

All workbook files that you want to print must be in the same folder.
1. Click File > Open. You can also press Ctrl+O.
2. Hold down Ctrl and then click the name of each workbook that you want to print.
3. Right-click the selection, and click Print.
Print a part of a worksheet

1. Click the worksheet, and select the range of data that you want to print.
2. Click File> Print. You can also press Ctrl+P.
3. Under Settings, click the arrow next to Print Active Sheets and select Print Selected Table.
4. Click the Print button. If a worksheet has defined print areas, Excel will print only those print areas.
If you don't want to print only a defined print area, check the Ignore print areabox.
Print an Excel table

1. Click a cell within the table to enable the table.

2. Click File>Print. You can also press Ctrl+P.
3. Under Settings, click the arrow next to Print Active Sheets and select Selected Table.
4. Click the Print button.
Print gridlines in a worksheet

1. Select the worksheet or worksheets that you want to print.

2. On the Page Layouttab, in the Sheet Optionsgroup, check the Printbox under Gridlines.
3. Click File> Print. You can also press Ctrl+P.
Work with macros
Macros arent available in Office on a Windows RT PC

To see what version of Office 2013 youre running, click File >Account. Look for Microsoft Office 2013
RT under Product Information.
First, show the Developer tab

The Developer tab, on the ribbon, is where all of the macro commands are. To have it appear on the ribbon,
click File > Options > Customize Ribbon, check Developer, and click OK. On the Developertab, in the
Codegroup, are the Record Macrobutton and some other buttons that will come in handy.
Create a macro using Visual Basic

1. Click Developer > Visual Basic.

2. If needed, in the Visual Basic Editor, on the Insertmenu, click Module.
Note

Modules are automatically created for all sheets in the workbook.

3. In the code window of the module, type or copy the macro code that you want to use.
4. To run the macro from the module window, press F5.
5. In the Visual Basic Editor, on the Filemenu, click Close and Return to Microsoft Excelwhen you
finish writing the macro.
Edit the macro

1. On the Developertab, in the Codegroup, click Macros.

2. In the Macro namebox, click the macro that you want to edit.
3. Click Edit. The Visual Basic Editor appears.