Top 10 Online Resources to Learn and Master Microsoft Excel: Training and Tutorials
 |
 |
 |
 |
So you want to master Microsoft Excel, but don’t know where to start? Do terms like Array Formula, VLOOKUP, User Defined Functions, ODBC, VBA and PivotCharts make you cringe? Is the transition from Excel 2003 to Excel 2007 giving you a double migraine headache? Have no fear! There is a vibrant community of Excel Experts online, who are willing to take you under their wing…you just have to know where to look! We’ve compiled the top 10 places online to find help and get trained for free.
The mother of all Excel Help Forums, Mr. Excel has gathered quite a following over the years. With most of the top Excel “power users” from around the world hanging out in these forums, you’re bound to get your questions answered directly, or find that they have already been answered in their vast archives of previous threads. Just be mindful of posting your questions in the proper format (read the posting rules); Message Board types don’t take too kindly to newbies not following the rules. Also check out their fantastic archive of Excel Video Tutorials
Ozgrid.com’s Forums have a lively community of Excel Experts ready to answer your questions. If you see an ozgrid.com post while searching google for excel information, you can usually be assured that it is a quality thread. Ozgrid is exceptionally good at VBA programming-related questions.
Experts-Exchange is the cream of the crop. The site is set up in a question/answer format. Users can post questions, and Experts can post answers. The user then selects the best answer (much like Yahoo! Answers, but Tech-focused). All previously answered questions are searchable. Experts Exchange is unmatched in their quality of content, and is the go-to place for obscure questions that can’t normally be answered anywhere else. We would have ranked Experts-Exchange #1 if it wasn’t for one thing, you have to register for the site and either pay a monthly fee, or contribute “answers” on a regular basis to keep your account active. Many a frustrated Excel novice will tell you that Experts-Exchange is no good, but that is because only the questions are viewable to the public, not the answers. Suck it up and register for the site, answer a few questions for people that are more of a novice than you, and save yourself the monthly fee.
4. Microsoft’s Official Excel 2003 Training Site / Microsoft’s Official Excel 2007 Training Site
Yes, that’s right…Microsoft actually provides some things for free. The online training modules offered on Microsoft’s websites are top notch. With hundreds of videos, podcasts and tutorials, there’s bound to be something for everyone. Many of the tutorials are a little on the easy side, but the quality is fantastic.
Jon Peltier is a Certified Microsoft MVP for Excel. He probably knows more than anyone on the planet about Excel, and fortunately he’s willing to share his knowledge with us. Currently, there are only 90 people ever granted the title of Excel MVP by Microsoft, so you can see how important of a designation it is. Check out the chart tutorials; they’re a little more advanced, but some pretty amazing stuff, especially if you design corporate dashboards.
AllExperts is a simple, mostly text-based site that follows the question & answer format. They have hundreds of users waiting to answer your questions.
Based in the United Kingdom, PCreview offers a sleek, traditional Message Board interface and an unusually high volume of posts which translates into faster response times to your questions.
8. Microsoft Developers Network (MSDN) Excel Blog
Keep abreast of the latest MS Excel news straight from the horse’s mouth. Another valuable, free service offered by Microsoft.
9. YouTube
Believe it or not, YouTube has many high quality tutorials. If you’re a visual learner, this is an indispensable tool.
10. Google
When in doubt, google it! Learn how to do advanced google queries to help you find what you need faster.
Need number crunching, but don’t have time to do it yourself? oDesk has 21,718 excel professionals that can help you out. The number of excel jobs per month has been steadily rising over the past 12 months.
Did we miss one of your favorite Excel resources? Let us know in the comments below!
Henry
May 9th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
All,
Alot of people are telling me that they don’t think Ozgrid.com belongs on the list…what do you think?
-Henry
oDesk.com
Barb
May 31st, 2009 at 2:45 am
Mostly I have learnt when I needed to solve a particular problem, and these are the sites I look at for this, as well as google groups.
Debra Dalgleish’s contextures
http://www.contextures.com/tiptech.html
David McRitchie (not pretty, but large amounts of information)
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Chip Pearson’s page
http://www.cpearson.com/excel/MainPage.aspx
Will Riley
May 31st, 2009 at 4:05 am
Henry,
Depends on their reasons and who they are. Dave Hawley rubbed a few Excel “MVP” types up the wrong way about 10 years or so ago and they have a problem burying the hatchet anywhere else but in his back.
I think it deserves a place on your list, as outside the ‘groups and Mr Excel (another very worthy entry) it’s up there with the better quality Excel resources.
Excellent list of online Excel resources | CompuFiciency -- Applied CompuTelligence
June 1st, 2009 at 2:10 pm
[...] Top 10 Online Resources to Learn and Master Microsoft Excel: Training and Tutorials [...]
isaac pisors
June 22nd, 2009 at 11:58 am
I trhink ozgrid.com is a great resource. its forums may be closed to questions, but the threads actually come up in google searches, in great relevance and are very handy to begniners and intermediates.
it may not be the “expert” ask-and-answer forums that other sites are, but then again those sites have very little information HOUSED that comes up in google searches, either.
so it’s six to one half dozen to the other.
isaac pisors
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
By the way, the people who are actually the most knowledgeable and truly expert, almost flawless, in answering your questions in my experience have been at:
http://www.utteraccess.com
you have world-class programmers there who actually answer questions and teach ..
Excel Training Los Angeles
June 26th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Hi Henry
I have dabbled with many of the resources in your list – perhaps when I have been searching for odd tidbits.
If you look hard you can find some good stuff. I still just think the average officer worker is better off registering for a one day hands on class. Many of our long term clients that have gone from classroom to online training have returned in recent years.
Billy Gee
Training Connection
http://www.trainingconnection.com
Henry
June 30th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Billy,
I take it you’re recommending that your company be added to to the list? LOL. When I was first starting out, I had better luck finding the “excel guru” in the office (every office has one), and watching & learning from him. Before I knew it, I was that guy.
-Henry
Pee Cee
October 2nd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Video of Excel editing with the Cut command.
Excel Training
October 5th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Excel information in this post is useful and very well.
Ask an Expert
February 7th, 2010 at 2:55 am
And i thought i’m the master in excel! good stuff