The documents and workbooks on this site are for Fuqua MBA students looking for review and practice materials for Microsoft Excel. In examples and illustrations I use primarily the 2003 (XP) version of Excel but have begun adding documents dealing with Excel 2007.

Many of the documents on this site are in PDF format and require the PDF-reader to view or print. If you don't have a PDF-reader, obtain Adobe's free reader from the Adobe download site.

Also listed are recommended reference guides, tutorial texts, video and CD-ROM training materials, and Excel-information websites.

2009 - 2010

New to Excel?     Excel Tips    Working Smarter    Charting Ideas    Calculations    Special Tools    Lists (Databases)    Modeling Practice   
Add-Ins    Add-Ins Sources    Tutorial & Reference Guides    Useful Web Sites

New to Excel?                                             

• Getting Started (PDF, ~280K)
   
• A Review of Excel 2003 Basics (PDF, ~575K) and the accompanying Excel practice workbook BasicsPractice.xls (~1,400K).
   
• Excel Logic Practice.xls (~630K).
   
• More Excel Logic Practice.xls (~920 K).
   
• Excel 2003 ChartingBasics.xls (~780K).
   
• ADdressing.xls (~540K).
   
• Excel 2003 Auditing.xls (~700K).
   
• Using Excel 2003 Online Help.xls (~720K).
   
• Formula Review.xls (~790K).
   
• Bad and Good Formula Writing Technique (~390K).
   
• EXCEL LOGIC EXERCISES ON PAPER (PDF, ~495K)
   
• A NUTSHELL INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL 2003 (for decision modeling; PDF, ~590K)
   
• Excel 2003 Keyboard Shortcuts for selection, Moving, and Formulas.doc (~200K)
   
• Excel 2007 Header/Footer Print Notes

Excel Tips: Workbooks      
        (Note that some of these workbooks contain macros. )
 

• BadTechnique (Excel 2003, ~25K)
  Illustrates a critical worksheet design mistake and how to correct it.
     
• 3-D References (Excel 2003, ~749K)
   
• Excel Array Formulas (Excel 2003, ~54K)
   
• A Chart Technique (Excel 2003, ~82K)
  On defining data in the formula bar.
   
• Using Excel's Built-In Calendar (Excel 2003, ~72K)
   
• Notes on Excel DFunctions (~672K)
   
• Create a Simple Drop-Down for Data Entry (Excel 2003, ~127K)
   
• Dynamic Range Names (Updated 10/2009 for Excel 2007. ~100K)
   
• Forecasting Tools (Excel 2003, ~49K)
   
• Notes on Excel 2007 Forecasting Tools (PDF, ~880K) and ForecastingTools2007.xlsx (Excel 2007, ~41K)
   
• On the Listbox and Spinner controls, the Index and Lookup functions (EXCEL 2003, ~36K) Note that this is not an entirely self-explanatory workbook.
   
• IF and Logic Demo ( ~60K)
   
• Recording IF in a Macro (EXCEL 2003, ~80K)
   
• Call Solver with a Macro (EXCEL 2003, ~309K)
   
• Out of the Ordinary (EXCEL 2003, ~173K)
  A grab bag of formulas, formatting, drawing and graphics, etc.
   
• Hiding & Protection Notes (EXCEL 2003, ~39K)
   
• Cautions on List Sorting and Formulas (~14K)
   
• Hiding, Unhiding, and Working with Visible Data (EXCEL 2003, ~380K)
     
• excel's Projection And Regression Tools (EXCEL 2003, ~165K)
   
• Outlining and Grouping (EXCEL 2003, ~259K)
   
• Subtotals (EXCEL 2003, ~968K)
   
• Dynamic Chart Titles and Legends (~66K)
   
• Worksheet Headers and Footers (EXCEL 2003, ~103K)
   
• Look Ahead (EXCEL 2003, ~26K)
  A technique to flag when data values in a column change.
   
• TrANSFORMING EXCEL DATA (EXCEL 2003, ~395K)
  Parse, convert text to numbers, preserve number formats in concatenations.
   
• Filter Data by Date with a Graphical Interface (~190K)
   
• Bissantz Sparklines & Custom Colors (EXCEL 2003, ~335K)
  sparklines created using Excel add-in Bissantz Sparkmaker software. See http://www.bissantz.de/sparklines/download.asp#sparkmaker
   
• Excel-Generated Sparklines (EXCEL 2003, ~260K)
   
• Sparklines from Excel Line Charts (EXCEL 2003, ~950K)
   
• Control Conditional Formatting with A Graphical Interface (EXCEL 2003, ~220K)
   
• Custom Color Templates for Excel 2003 (Word document).
  Custom color template example files: ETufte.xlt, DBricklin.xlt, RockLichen.xlt, Citron.xlT, CartoonBank.xlt, SWGarden.xlt
    
• Notes on Excel 2007 Range name constraints (EXCEL 2007, ~80K)
  
  
• New Features: Excel 2007 Text Box Text (Excel 2007)

Working Smarter                                           

• Excel Design & Audit Tips (PDF, ~349K)
    Excel 2003 Efficiencies (PDF, ~1,615K)
   
• Excel 2007 Header/Footer Print Notes
  

 Excel Charting Ideas

• excel 2003 Charting Primer I.xls ( ~1,036K)
  Enable macros when opening this file to facilitate navigation through it.
   
• excel 2003 Charting Primer II.xls (~1,160K)
  enable macros for navigation and point labeling.
   
• To add labels to points in an XY Scatter plot: See this Microsoft web page  as well as the AppsPro chart labeler web page with a free utility by Rob Bovey and Aaron Blood's Charts & Graphs Downloads page.
   
• excel 2003 Quick XY Charts - An Excel 2003 add-in (VBA procedures) that construct XY charts from regular but nonstandard data arrangements. Allow the user to chart from existing tables without rearranging the data and without suffering through tedious copying and pasting or repetitive range selection in the Source Data dialog. Written by John Peltier.
    
• Excel 2007: Create a Simple Chart with Transparent Data Markers (Word 2003 document and Excel 2007 file)
   

Excel Calculations                                       

• Notes on Excel 2003 Calculations (PDF, 45 pages)
  Excel formulas review.
   
• EXCEL LOGIC EXERCISES ON PAPER (PDF, ~495K)
  

 

Special Excel Tools                                      

• Use Excel 2007's Regression Tool (PDF)

• Notes on Excel 2003 Forecasting Tools (PDF, ~620K)
  Data Table, Scenario Manager, Goal Seek, & Solver AND ForecastingTools.xls (~36k), THE accompanying Excel workbook.
   
• Excel 2003 Data Tables (PDF, 338K) and the Xertech Exercise (Excel, ~22K)
• Excel 2007 Data Tables (PDF) and the Xertech Exercise (Excel 2007).
   
• Introduction to Excel 2003 Pivot Tables (PDF, ~680K)
   
• INTRODUCTION TO THE EXCEL 2007 PIVOT TABLE (PDF, ~1.4 K)
   
• The excel 2003 XY (Scatter) Plot (PDF, ~161K)
   
• Excel 2003 Worksheet Controls (PDF, ~303K)
   
• Excel 2003 Web Queries (Word, ~25k)
  Microsoft article.
   
• excel 2003 Custom and Conditional Formats (Excel, ~30K)
  Microsoft examples.
   
• Notes on Excel 2007 Forecasting Tools (PDF, ~440K) and ForecastingTools2007.xlsm (Excel, ~41K)
    
• Excel 2007 Macro Security (PDF, ~325K)
  

Excel Lists (Databases)                             

• excel 2003 List Management Tips (PDF, ~144K)
   
• excel 2003 Filtering Tips (PDF, 96K)
   
• excel 2003 Advanced Filter Notes (PDF, ~81K)
   
• Introduction to Excel 2003 Pivot Tables (PDF, ~680K)
   
• INTRODUCTION TO THE EXCEL 2007 PIVOT TABLE (PDF, ~1.4 K)
       
• Notes on Transitioning from 03 Lists to 07 Tables (PDF, ~890K)

Excel Modeling Practice                              

• excel 2003 Proficiency Exercises (PDF, ~470K) and Solutions.xls (Excel, ~106K)
    The Svelte Glove Problem - With Step-By-Step Instructions for Excel 2003 and Workbook (PDF, ~121K and Excel, ~104K)
  
• Excel 2007 Proficiency Exercises (pdf document), EXCEL 2007 Proficiency exercise sOLUTIONS (PDF document) and Solutions for Excel 2007.xlsm (Excel workbook)
  
• The Oak Products Problem, a sample Excel 2003 workbook, and its Word data file (PDF, ~428K, Excel ~72K, and Word, ~23K)
   
• The Padgett's Widgets excel 2003 Problem (PDF, ~52K)
   
• Gila Shoes excel 2003 Exercise - IF, MAX, and MIN, With Step-By-Step Instructions and workbook (PDF, ~75K, Excel, ~95K)
    Excel 2003 Solver Practice and Workbook (PDF, ~47K and Excel, ~67K)
   
• EXCEL LOGIC EXERCISES ON PAPER (PDF, ~495K)
  

 

Excel Add-Ins                                             

• Treeplan (to Fuqua-only download)
   
• Sensit (to Fuqua-only download)
   
• Notes on SensIt and Treeplan (PDF, ~173K)
     
• Regress User's Guide (The author's documentation, Word, ~778K)
   
• Regress 2003 Quick Guide (What you need to run Regress, PDF, ~160K)
   
• Regress for Excel 2007 Notes (Word, ~570K)
   
• Regress Skill Building and Quick Guide (Same as above plus step-by-step skill-building demo notes, PDF, ~420K) and sample files: SmythPieData.xls and Calculus.xls.
   
• How to Install Regress for excel 2003 (Word, ~26K)
     
• HOw to install regress for Excel 2007 (Word, ~112K)
  

 

Excel Add-Ins: Sources & Information      

• Crystal Ball
  Decisioneering, authors of this 3rd party Excel add-in for forecasting and risk analysis.
   
• Excel 2003's Solver
  Frontline Systems, authors of this Excel add-in (packaged with the MS Excel application).
   
• excel 2007: How to Make the solver add-in available (Word 2003, ~125K)
     
• Treeplan and SensIt
  DecisionToolPak, commercial source for these add-ins.
  

  

Excel Tutorial & Reference Guides                   

    Excel 2003

• Microsoft Excel 2003: Comprehensive
  Ageloff, Course Technology, intensive tutorial guide
  ISBN 0-61920-665-9, paperback, 842 pages
  This text offers a case-based, problem-solving approach especially recommended for a good MBA pre-program review.
   
• MICROSOFT EXCEL 2003 STEP BY STEP
  Curtis Frye, Microsoft Press, Tutorial
  ISBN 0-7356-1518-7  
   
• Microsoft Excel 2003 Inside Out
  Craig Stinson and Mark Dodge, Microsoft Press
  ISBN 0-7356-1511-X
     
• Excel Best Practices for Business and the Excel Best Practices for Business author's website for the book.
  Loren Abdulezer, Wiley, Covers Excel 2003, 2002, and 2000.
  ISBN 0-7645-4120-X
   
•  MICROSOFT EXCEL: DATA ANALYSIS AND BUSINESS MODELING
  Wayne L. Winston
  Microsoft Press, ISBN 0-7356-1901-8
   
• ACCESSING AND ANALYZING DATA WITH MICROSOFT EXCEL
  Paul Cornell
  Microsoft Press, ISBN 0-7356-1895-X
     
• microsoft Office OnlineSelf-Paced Training for Excel 2003

    Excel 2007

• Microsoft Office Excel Step By Step
  Curtis D. Frye, Microsoft Press, 432 pages
  ISBN-10: 073562304X
   
• Microsoft Excel 2007 INSIDE OUT
  Dodge and Stinson, Microsoft Press, the standard Microsoft Excel reference.
  ISBN10: 0-7356-2321-X
   
• Excel 2007: Beyond the Manual
  Helen Dixon, Apress, 417 pages
  ISBN-10: 1590597982
   
•  Excel 2007 Formulas
  John Walkenbach, Wiley, 804 pages
  ISBN-10: 0470044020
   
• Excel 2007 Bible
  John Walkenbach, Wiley, 866 pages
  ISBN-10: 0470044039
   
• Excel 2007 Power Programming with VBA
  John Walkenbach, Wiley, 1104 pages
  ISBN-10: 0470044012
   
• Excel as your Database
  Paul Cornell, Apress, 250 pages (for Excel 2003 and 2007)
  ISBN-10: 1590597516
   
• Microsoft Office Online Self-Paced Training for Excel 2007
    
• Microsoft Excel & Access integration with Office 2007
  Michael Alexander and Geoffrey Clark (Duke MBA 2000) , Wiley, ISBN 978-0-470-10488-0