Day 1 — Excel Foundations
Theme: Getting comfortable and productive in Excel before going advanced
No prior Excel experience needed. This day starts at “what is a cell” and finishes at PivotTables and Goal Seek.
How each module works
Every module follows the same three-part shape, so you always know where you are:
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Learn it | A short plain-language explanation (2–3 minutes of reading) |
| See it | A worked example on the finished workbook — open it and click through |
| Do it | A practice task in the starter workbook, with an answer key to check against |
Each folder contains:
LESSON.md— the guide. Start here.- a
..._start.xlsxworkbook — your working file. It has anInstructionssheet inside with the exact click-by-click steps. - a
..._answers.xlsxworkbook — the completed answer key. Open it, click cells, read the formula bar.
(Each file is named for its day and module — e.g. d1_m3_worksheets_start.xlsx — so downloads never get mixed up.)
All eight modules use the same dataset — NovaTech Retail’s order log (laptops, smartphones, tablets, accessories and smart home devices sold across Zimbabwe and neighbouring African countries — South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and Kenya). You will watch it grow from a plain list into a summarised, charted, interactive report. That same data continues into Day 2’s Power BI work.
Morning Session — the mechanics of a spreadsheet
| # | Module | Time | You will learn | Files |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excel Interface & Workbook Basics | 45 min | Cells, sheets, workbooks; the Formula Bar; navigating; inserting, deleting and resizing | Start · Answers |
| 2 | Formatting Cells & Numbers | 45 min | Fonts, fills, borders; Currency vs Accounting; the percentage trap; Find & Replace; printing | Start · Answers |
| 3 | Multiple Worksheets & Navigation | 40 min | Managing sheets; cross-sheet formulas like =SUM(Laptop!F:F); freezing panes |
Start · Answers |
| 4 | Formulas Fundamentals | 60 min | Writing formulas; operators and brackets; the fill handle; relative vs absolute references | Start · Answers |
Module 4 is the most important module of the day. Everything afterwards — functions, PivotTables, Power Query, even DAX in Power BI — rests on it. Don’t rush it.
Afternoon Session — turning a spreadsheet into an answer
| # | Module | Time | You will learn | Files |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Functions & Working with Data | 60 min | SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, COUNT; COUNTIF, SUMIF; nested IF; IFERROR |
Start · Answers |
| 6 | Sorting, Filtering & Organizing Data | 45 min | Multi-level sorting; filters; automatic Subtotals; why SUBTOTAL isn’t SUM |
Start · Answers |
| 7 | Conditional Formatting & Charts | 40 min | Data bars, colour scales and highlight rules; choosing the right chart | Start · Answers |
| 8 | PivotTables & What-If Analysis | 60 min | Building PivotTables; slicers; PivotCharts; Goal Seek and Scenario Manager | Start · Answers |
Homework
The Branch Report — about 30 minutes. A fresh 12-order dataset to format, calculate, summarise and chart. Answer key included, with every figure as a live formula you can inspect.
Files: d1_homework_start.xlsx · d1_homework_answers.xlsx
Expected outcome
By the end of Day 1 you can confidently navigate Excel, write your own formulas, use conditional functions, and summarise every order into a decision-ready report with a PivotTable.
What carries into Day 2 and 3
Four ideas from today reappear almost unchanged in Power BI. Notice them as you go:
| Today | Where it returns |
|---|---|
| Flat tables — one row per record, one column per field | Every Power Query and Power BI model depends on it |
| Absolute vs relative references (Module 4) | The same “what is this calculation looking at?” thinking becomes DAX filter context |
| PivotTables (Module 8) | Power BI visuals are PivotTables that draw themselves |
| Slicers (Module 8) | Identical name, identical behaviour, in Power BI |
Next: Day 2 — Advanced Excel & Transitioning to Power BI · Course home: README
© 2026 Global Academy. Prepared for the ZIMASCO (Kwekwe) workshop. Facilitated by Tapiwa Zireva. Licensed to participants for personal learning — not for redistribution, resale, or reuse in other training without permission.