Finance Excel Course

Lesson 1 • Essential Editing and Auditing Tools

Use find-and-replace, go-to special, and trace tools to review and correct financial data. These tools are critical for maintaining accuracy in large datasets.

Lesson 2 • Entering and Formatting Financial Data

Input numbers, dates, and text correctly and apply number formats used in finance. Proper formatting prevents misreads and ensures data integrity across models.

Lesson 3 • Structuring Workbooks for Finance

Organise multi-sheet workbooks with consistent layouts and naming conventions. Good structure reduces errors and makes models auditable by colleagues.

Lesson 1 • Lookup and Reference Functions

Retrieve data from tables using VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH. These functions connect data across sheets and eliminate manual data entry in financial models.

Lesson 2 • Text and Date Functions

Manipulate text strings and calculate date intervals relevant to financial reporting periods. Clean text and accurate date maths are prerequisites for data consolidation tasks.

Lesson 3 • Logical and Conditional Functions

Build decision logic using IF, AND, OR, and nested conditions for financial rules. Conditional logic enables dynamic models that respond to changing inputs automatically.

Lesson 4 • Formula Syntax and Cell References

Understand how Excel evaluates formulas and when to use relative, absolute, and mixed references. Correct referencing is the single most important skill for reusable financial models.

Lesson 1 • Loan and Amortisation Calculations

Calculate payment amounts, interest, and principal splits using PMT, IPMT, and PPMT. Build a full amortisation schedule that updates dynamically with changing loan terms.

Lesson 2 • Time Value of Money Concepts in Excel

Translate PV, FV, rate, and period relationships into Excel function arguments. Understanding these arguments is required before using any financial function correctly.

Lesson 3 • Net Present Value and IRR Analysis

Evaluate investment projects using NPV, XNPV, IRR, and XIRR functions with irregular cash flows. These functions are the foundation of capital budgeting decisions.

Lesson 1 • Cleaning and Standardising Data

Remove duplicates, fix inconsistent formats, and standardise entries using formulas and tools. Standardised data is a prerequisite for accurate aggregation and reporting.

Lesson 2 • Data Validation and Input Controls

Restrict cell inputs using dropdown lists, numeric ranges, and custom validation rules. Input controls reduce data entry errors that corrupt financial model outputs.

Lesson 3 • Sorting, Filtering, and Structured Tables

Convert ranges to Excel Tables and use sort and filter to isolate relevant financial records. Tables auto-expand formulas and make large datasets manageable.

Lesson 4 • Conditional Aggregation Functions

Aggregate financial data by category using SUMIF, COUNTIF, AVERAGEIF, and their multi-criteria variants. These functions replace manual subtotalling and power dynamic summary reports.

Lesson 1 • Slicers, Timelines, and Interactivity

Add slicers and timelines to filter PivotTables visually for executive-ready interactive reports. Connecting slicers to multiple PivotTables enables dashboard-style financial views.

Lesson 2 • Summarising and Grouping Financial Data

Group dates by month, quarter, and year and apply multiple summary functions to financial values. Grouping transforms transaction-level data into period-based financial summaries.

Lesson 3 • Building Your First PivotTable

Create a PivotTable from a structured data source and arrange fields to answer financial questions. Understanding field placement is the core skill for all PivotTable work.

Lesson 4 • PivotCharts and Financial Dashboards

Create PivotCharts linked to PivotTables and combine them into a single-page financial dashboard. Dashboards communicate financial performance to non-technical stakeholders efficiently.

Lesson 1 • Financial Model Design Principles

Apply separation of inputs, calculations, and outputs and use consistent formatting standards. Well-designed models are auditable, scalable, and less prone to formula errors.

Lesson 2 • Linking and Stress-Testing the Model

Connect all three statements and verify circular references, balance checks, and error flags. Stress-testing confirms the model behaves correctly under extreme input assumptions.

Lesson 3 • Building the Income Statement Model

Construct a dynamic income statement driven by revenue assumptions and cost drivers. The income statement is the starting point for linking all three financial statements.

Lesson 4 • Building the Balance Sheet Model

Model assets, liabilities, and equity accounts that roll forward from prior-period balances. The balance sheet must balance at every period as a model integrity check.

Lesson 1 • Goal Seek and Solver for Targets

Back-solve for input values that achieve a target financial outcome using Goal Seek and Solver. These tools answer what-if questions without manually iterating through assumptions.

Lesson 2 • One-Way and Two-Way Data Tables

Build data tables that recalculate model outputs across a range of one or two input variables. Data tables are the fastest way to produce sensitivity grids for presentations.

Lesson 3 • Tornado Charts and Sensitivity Ranking

Rank input variables by their impact on a key output and visualise results as a tornado chart. Tornado charts identify which assumptions most require management attention.

Lesson 1 • VBA Basics for Finance Automation

Write simple VBA procedures to loop through data, apply logic, and generate financial reports. Even basic VBA skills dramatically expand what Excel can automate in finance workflows.

Lesson 2 • Array Formulas and Dynamic Arrays

Write legacy array formulas and use dynamic array functions like FILTER, SORT, and UNIQUE. Dynamic arrays replace many helper-column workarounds in financial models.

Lesson 3 • Introduction to Excel Macros

Record and run macros to automate repetitive formatting and reporting tasks in financial workbooks. Macros reduce manual effort and ensure consistent output across reporting periods.

Lesson 4 • Dynamic Dashboards with Advanced Formulas

Combine OFFSET, INDIRECT, dynamic arrays, and form controls to build fully interactive dashboards. Advanced dashboards update automatically as source data changes without manual intervention.