Do You Struggle with Excel Formulas?
Have you ever opened Excel, stared at all those cells, and felt like shutting your laptop? You’re not alone. Many beginners in finance and business roles feel stuck.
You might’ve searched “Excel formulas for beginners” or even signed up for a course, but everything looked too complex or jumped too fast. Some formulas made no sense. Others seemed to work only for people with coding backgrounds.
And yet, knowing Excel is no longer optional. Whether you’re managing data, analysing numbers, or preparing for a financial analysis course, Excel is the core skill everyone expects.
What Are Excel Formulas for Beginners?
Microsoft Excel includes tools for calculations, graphing, pivot tables, & a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications.
Let’s get one thing straight: Excel is not just for accountants. It’s for everyone dealing with numbers, lists, sales, or analysis. And the first step in becoming confident is to understand the core difference between formulas and functions.
· Formulas are equations you write yourself, like =A1+A2.
· Functions are built-in helpers like =SUM() or =VLOOKUP().
Once you learn how they work, Excel becomes less scary and more like a helpful assistant. If you’re taking a financial analysis course or doing reporting at work, this is where your speed and accuracy improve.
Example:
To calculate total expenses in a column from A1 to A10:
=SUM(A1:A10)
That’s a formula using a function, and you’ll use it every single day.
Must-Know Excel Formulas for Beginners (With Examples)
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Here is a handy table that shows the most used Excel formula tutorial for beginners and what they do.
Excel Formulas and Functions for Beginners
| Formula | Function | Example |
| SUM | Adds numbers in a range | =SUM(B2:B6) |
| AVERAGE | Calculates the average of numbers | =AVERAGE(C2:C10) |
| IF | Returns value based on condition (if true, then do this, else do that) | =IF(D2>5000, “High”, “Low”) |
| VLOOKUP | Searches for a value in a table and returns the matching result | =VLOOKUP(101, A2:C10, 2, FALSE) |
| INDEX | Returns value from a specific row and column | =INDEX(A2:C6, 2, 3) |
| MATCH | Returns the position of a value in a range | =MATCH(500, A1:A10, 0) |
Applying Excel Formulas to Real-World Jobs
So, how do these apply to your job or that internship you’re eyeing?
Let’s say your manager asks for average revenue in Q1. Do you manually add each month? No. You write:
AVERAGE(B2:B4)
Need to find a customer’s name using their ID? Use:
VLOOKUP(104, A2:C20, 2, FALSE)
Doing all this by hand wastes hours and increases errors. That’s why Excel formulas for beginners are taught early in every financial analysis course, and they help you focus on the insight, not the math.
Transition tip: As you practice more, you’ll start recognising formula patterns. You’ll know exactly when to use IF and when to switch to INDEX, as well as how to combine them to solve complex tasks in seconds.
Why Excel Skills Matter in Financial Analysis
If you’re taking a financial analysis course or want to join a finance team, Excel isn’t optional; it’s your daily tool. You’ll use formulas to:
· Build financial models
· Forecast profits and losses
· Calculate ratios
· Compare investments
· Create dashboards
Most entry-level roles now test Excel skills during hiring. If you master SUMIF, VLOOKUP, IF, and INDEX-MATCH, you stand out immediately.
Even mid-level professionals often return to basics because Excel formulas and functions for beginners are the building blocks of every advanced task. There’s no shame in starting here; it’s smart.
Biggest Mistakes Beginners Make
Let’s talk about a few traps beginners fall into:
1. Forgetting to Lock Cells with $
Ever dragged a formula and got strange results? It’s because you didn’t lock the cell reference. Use $ to fix it:
A$2+B2
2. Using VLOOKUP Instead of INDEX/MATCH
VLOOKUP can break if you change the table structure. INDEX/MATCH is more flexible.
INDEX(B2:B10, MATCH(104, A2:A10, 0))
3. Mixing Up COUNT and COUNTA
· COUNT: only numbers
· COUNTA: numbers + text
Avoiding these mistakes will make your work faster and error-free.
Building Speed with Practice: Learn by Doing
The best way to get better is to practise.
Start with:
· Sales data
· Monthly expense sheets
· Class mark sheets
Try writing formulas to total marks, calculate averages, highlight top scorers, and so on.
If you’re in a financial analysis course, you’ll also practise balance sheets and income statements and use Excel to build real models.
Tip: Practice every day for 10 minutes. It’s better than doing everything in one go.
Why Learn Excel Now? A Message for Beginners
Many people wait till they get stuck in a job to learn Excel. But the truth is if you start now, you’ll save time, reduce frustration, and build real confidence.
- It’s not just about formulas. It’s about using Excel to get the job done faster and smarter.
- Remember, most jobs won’t ask for perfect Excel, just enough to do analysis, reports, and cleanup without always asking for help.
- The next section is for you if you want to explore this further and learn how these formulas apply to finance jobs.
Boost Your Career with the Postgraduate Financial Analysis Programme
The Postgraduate Financial Analysis Programme by Imarticus Learning is perfect if you’re a graduate in finance and looking to upgrade your skills. Whether you’re unemployed, underpaid, or stuck in a job with no learning, this course helps you change direction.
Built for freshers and early professionals, the programme includes simulations, job-oriented skills, and Excel practice with real data. You’ll get training in valuation, financial modelling, equity research, and how to use Excel and PowerPoint to present your work.
And here’s the best part: you get 7 guaranteed interviews with top companies. That’s the job assurance most learners want when choosing a course. From case studies to LinkedIn branding challenges, this is not a basic course. It’s designed to launch careers.
Enrol today in the Postgraduate Financial Analysis Programme by Imarticus Learning and take control of your career path.
FAQs
1. What are the most important Excel formulas for beginners?
The top ones include SUM, AVERAGE, IF, VLOOKUP, and INDEX/MATCH.
2. How can I learn Excel formulas and functions for beginners fast?
Practice daily, use real examples, and take structured tutorials.
3. Can Excel formulas help in financial analysis?
Absolutely. They’re core tools used in modelling, forecasting, and reporting.
4. Are Excel formulas hard to learn for beginners?
No. Once you understand the logic and use cases, they become easy.
5. Which Excel formula is best for financial analysis course students?
Start with SUM, AVERAGE, IF, VLOOKUP, and progress to INDEX/MATCH.
6. Do I need to memorise Excel formulas?
Not really. Use them often, and they’ll become second nature.