Google Sheets: Essentials

Perfect for those transitioning from Excel or looking to sharpen their skills, this one-day course will guide you through the fundamentals of Google Sheets - from everyday formulas to collaborative tools and dynamic charts. You'll learn how to clean up data, analyse it with ease, and build professional spreadsheets that work for you and your team.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

• Confidently navigate Google Sheets and work with shared documents

• Apply essential and advanced formulas including IF, VLOOKUP and IFERROR

• Organise, format, and analyse large datasets using filters, pivot tables, and charts

• Build spreadsheets that are clear, collaborative, and ready to present

Who Is This Course For?

This course is ideal for:

• Spreadsheet users looking to transition from Excel to Google Sheets

• Office professionals and administrators who regularly work with data

• Teams who collaborate on reports or spreadsheets using Google Drive

Prerequisites: Basic familiarity with spreadsheets is recommended.

Course Outline

Understanding Google Sheets

• Introduction to the Google Sheets interface and navigation

• Keyboard shortcuts to work faster

• Overview of Google Drive and sharing tools

Spreadsheet Fundamentals

• Recap on everyday formulas

• Relative vs Absolute Cell References

• Formatting data and using cell styles

Working with Large Data Sets

• Managing worksheets: Insert, delete, rename, move/copy

• Freezing/splitting panes, hiding rows and columns

• Subtotals, filters, and trimming data

• LEFT, RIGHT, and other text tools

Printing Essentials

• Setting up print range and adjusting options for clarity

Advanced Formulas & Functions

• Creating and applying named ranges

• IF statements and nested logic

• VLOOKUP and IFERROR

• Summary functions: SUMIF(S), COUNTIF(S), AVERAGEIF(S)

Lists, Pivot Tables & Charts

• List design, sorting, filtering, and custom filter views

• Creating and formatting charts and sparklines

• Introduction to pivot tables and charts

• Filtering and summarising with pivot tools

Working Online

• Sharing and managing permissions

• Best practices for collaboration

Reflections & Planning

• Summarise the key formulas, formatting tools, and data management techniques covered in the course

• Identify opportunities to use functions, pivot tables, and charts to handle and present data more effectively

• Plan how to make better use of Google Sheets’ sharing and collaboration features in daily work