What will I actually learn in this Excel and Copilot course?

You'll learn how to use Excel for everyday data work and how to bring Copilot into that workflow in a useful way. It starts with navigation, data entry, tables, and basic formulas, then moves into formatting, simple analysis, prompt writing, and checking Copilot's output. You'll apply that in guided tasks like cleaning a dataset, creating a travel budget, and building an attendance tracker.

Do I need Excel experience or a Copilot license before starting?

No, you don't need prior Excel experience to begin. It's a beginner course that starts with the interface, basic features, and simple formulas before moving into Copilot prompts and workflow tasks. You do need a Copilot license to complete the course, and the course provides a link to a free 30-day trial if you don't already have a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family license.

Is this course beginner-friendly for Excel and Copilot?

Yes, it's beginner-friendly if you're new to Excel or new to Copilot in Excel. The lessons start with core spreadsheet basics and build gradually into formulas, formatting, and prompt writing, with guided practice along the way. If you already work with advanced Excel analysis regularly, it may feel more introductory than deep.

How long does it take to complete this course?

Plan on about 22 hours in total. At around 10 hours a week, that's roughly two to three weeks of work, with a mix of lessons, readings, guided activities, quizzes, and a final peer-reviewed project. It's a manageable pace if you want to build skill steadily while practicing as you go.

Are there hands-on exercises or projects in this course?

Yes, there is plenty of hands-on work, but it's mostly guided rather than open-ended. You'll complete practice activities such as activating Copilot, cleaning and sorting data, creating a travel budget, and working toward an attendance tracker project. That format helps you apply each new skill right after you learn it.

What Excel and Copilot skills does the course cover?

It covers the core Excel skills many beginners use most, along with the basics of working well with Copilot. You'll practice data entry, formatting, lists and tables, and formulas and functions, then use Copilot to clean data, summarize information, and support simple reporting and visualization. It also teaches prompt engineering, so you're learning both how to do the work in Excel and how to ask Copilot for useful help.

What can I actually do after finishing this course?

After finishing, you should be able to handle common spreadsheet tasks more confidently and use Copilot to speed up simple analysis and organization work. For example, you could take a basic dataset, remove duplicates, sort and format it, apply functions like SUM or COUNTIF, and ask Copilot for a summary or chart. The scope stays beginner-level, so the focus is everyday Excel use rather than advanced modeling.

Is this course more focused on theory or hands-on learning?

It's more hands-on than theoretical, though the practice is guided rather than open-ended. Most topics move quickly from short explanations into activities where you use Excel features and Copilot on realistic datasets, then finish with an attendance tracker project.

Why would I choose this course over other Excel and Copilot courses?

This course is a strong choice if you want Excel basics and Copilot skills taught together instead of as separate topics. The learning flow is clear: you start with core spreadsheet use, then move into formulas, formatting, prompt writing, and evaluating how well Copilot helps with the work. If you're looking for a beginner path that keeps AI tied to everyday Excel tasks, this course is a better fit than one that focuses only on classic Excel features or only on prompting.

Excel and Copilot Fundamentals

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Excel and Copilot Fundamentals

This course is part of multiple programs.

Instructor: Microsoft

130,066 already enrolled

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5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

356 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

356 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

What you'll learn

Activate and effectively use Excel Copilot for basic tasks and queries.
Navigate the Excel interface and utilize basic features efficiently.
Apply fundamental Excel formulas and functions to perform calculations and data manipulation.
Develop basic prompt engineering skills for Copilot in Excel.

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

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Assessments

20 assignments¹

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Taught in English

91%

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There are 5 modules in this course

This course introduces you to the basics of Microsoft Excel and its powerful Copilot feature, equipping you with essential skills for efficient data handling and analysis. You will learn to navigate Excel’s interface, apply fundamental formulas and functions, and develop prompt engineering techniques to leverage Excel Copilot for various tasks. By the end of this course, you will have a strong foundation in Excel, enabling you to perform basic data manipulations and utilize Copilot to streamline your workflow.

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to: - Activate and effectively use Excel Copilot for basic tasks and queries. - Navigate the Excel interface and utilize basic features efficiently. - Apply fundamental Excel formulas and functions to perform calculations and data manipulation. - Develop basic prompt engineering skills for Excel Copilot. Tools you’ll use: - Microsoft Excel - Copilot in Excel Required Course Materials: A Copilot license is required to complete this course. If you don’t have a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family license, you can start a free 30-day trial using the link provided in the course.

Module details

This module covers the activation and basic usage of Copilot in Excel, helping you understand its environments and how to effectively utilize it for various tasks.

What's included

12 videos11 readings4 assignments

12 videosTotal 81 minutes

Activating Excel Copilot7 minutes
Performing basic tasks with Copilot7 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Activating Copilot8 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Create a travel budget4 minutes
Optimizing workflows with Excel Copilot Part 1 of 25 minutes
Optimizing workflows with Excel Copilot Part 2 of 27 minutes
Using conditional formatting with Copilot6 minutes
Enhancing data presentation with Excel Copilot5 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Optimize workflows with Copilot7 minutes
Evaluating Copilot performance7 minutes
Improving Copilot performance through customization8 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Evaluating Copilot performance9 minutes

11 readingsTotal 127 minutes

Welcome to Excel and Copilot fundamentals10 minutes
Introduction to the Coursera Community10 minutes
Getting started with Copilot in Excel 2 minutes
How to Get Started with Microsoft Copilot10 minutes
Guide to performing basic tasks using Copilot in Excel10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Activating Copilot20 minutes
Hands-on activity: Create a travel budget5 minutes
Using Excel add-ins to extend functionality10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Optimize workflows with Copilot 20 minutes
Copilot performance metrics10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Evaluating Copilot performance20 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 63 minutes

Quiz: Performing basic tasks using Copilot in Excel12 minutes
Quiz: Optimizing workflows with Copilot12 minutes
Quiz: Copilot performance 9 minutes
Quiz: Introduction to Copilot in Excel and activation30 minutes

This module introduces the Excel interface and its basic features. You will become familiar with the layout, essential elements, and basic functionalities to use Excel efficiently and be able to compare these functionalities to the abilities of Copilot.

What's included

11 videos8 readings4 assignments

11 videosTotal 82 minutes

Introduction to Excel: Basic navigation6 minutes
Introduction to Excel: Backstage view and shortcuts7 minutes
Creating and managing Excel workbooks7 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Navigating and using basic features14 minutes
Introduction to data types5 minutes
Converting data types6 minutes
Working with data types7 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Understanding data types 9 minutes
Creating lists 6 minutes
Creating tables7 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Creating lists and tables8 minutes

8 readingsTotal 105 minutes

Basic features in Excel10 minutes
Using Excel templates for efficiency5 minutes
Hands-on activity: Navigating and using basic features20 minutes
Mastering data types in Excel: Tips and tricks for effective data management10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Understanding data types 20 minutes
Guide to Excel tables and best practice10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Creating lists and tables20 minutes
Discussion: Customizing the Excel interface10 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 84 minutes

Quiz: Excel interface customization18 minutes
Quiz: Data types 18 minutes
Quiz: Lists and tables 18 minutes
Quiz: Excel interface and basic features30 minutes

This module focuses on Excel formulas and how to do this with Copilot as well as functions, covering essential arithmetic operations and key functions to manipulate and analyze data effectively.

What's included

9 videos10 readings4 assignments

9 videosTotal 69 minutes

Using basic arithmetic in Excel7 minutes
Applying mathematical functions in Excel7 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing arithmetic functions8 minutes
Applying logical functions in Excel7 minutes
Combining logical and LOOKUP functions for advanced data analysis7 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing logical and LOOKUP functions8 minutes
Using conditional, date, and time functions with Copilot7 minutes
Using nested functions for complex calculations in Excel8 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing conditional, date, and time functions 10 minutes

10 readingsTotal 130 minutes

Applying BODMAS10 minutes
Understanding cell references (relative, absolute, and mixed)10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Practicing arithmetic functions20 minutes
Using LOOKUP functions overview10 minutes
Creating and managing named ranges10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Practicing logical and LOOKUP functions20 minutes
Applying the date and time functions overview10 minutes
Understanding Excel's error messages and troubleshooting techniques10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Practicing conditional, date, and time functions 20 minutes
Discussion: Optimizing patient data analysis with Excel10 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 84 minutes

Quiz: Arithmetic functions 18 minutes
Quiz: Logical and LOOKUP functions18 minutes
Quiz: Conditional, date, and time functions 18 minutes
Quiz: Excel formulas and functions30 minutes

This module focuses on basic data entry and formatting tasks using Excel Copilot, ensuring you can enter, edit, and format data efficiently.

What's included

9 videos5 readings4 assignments

9 videosTotal 70 minutes

Data entry techniques7 minutes
Using data validation for accurate data entry7 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing data entry techniques7 minutes
Formatting data in Excel7 minutes
Creating custom styles and templates in Excel8 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Formatting techniques practice 8 minutes
Enhancing data presentation8 minutes
Creating basic pivots in Excel8 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Advanced formatting practice 11 minutes

5 readingsTotal 80 minutes

Overview of shortcuts10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Practicing data entry techniques20 minutes
Formatting best practices10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Formatting techniques practice 20 minutes
Hands-on activity: Advanced formatting practice 20 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 66 minutes

Quiz: Data entry techniques 12 minutes
Quiz: Formatting techniques 12 minutes
Quiz: Advanced formatting 12 minutes
Quiz: Basic data entry and formatting with Copilot30 minutes

This module introduces prompt engineering techniques to effectively use Excel Copilot for various advanced tasks.

What's included

10 videos8 readings4 assignments1 peer review

10 videosTotal 79 minutes

Engineering prompts for Excel Copilot8 minutes
Advanced prompt engineering techniques7 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Writing basic prompts7 minutes
Writing effective prompts8 minutes
Improving your prompts 6 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Practicing effective prompts10 minutes
Evaluating prompt performance7 minutes
Optimizing prompts for better results7 minutes
Hands-on activity debrief: Evaluating prompt performance9 minutes
Cumulative project debrief: Attendance tracker 9 minutes

8 readingsTotal 105 minutes

List of Copilot tasks available and starter prompts10 minutes
Understanding natural language processing (NLP) basics10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Writing basic prompts20 minutes
Techniques for effective prompts5 minutes
Hands-on activity: Practicing effective prompts20 minutes
Metrics for prompt performance10 minutes
Hands-on activity: Developing effective prompts20 minutes
Cumulative project: Discussion10 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 57 minutes

Quiz: Prompt engineering basics 9 minutes
Quiz: Effective prompts 9 minutes
Quiz: Prompt performance 9 minutes
Quiz: Introduction to prompt engineering for Excel Copilot30 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 35 minutes

Cumulative project: Attendance tracker 35 minutes

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Microsoft

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Reviewed on Apr 23, 2026

Excellent course if you want to start learning from basics along with the usage if AI

Reviewed on Aug 21, 2025

The course was very useful in the workplace and in personal life.

Reviewed on May 26, 2025

Some of the instructions were unclear and the reading sections were somewhat vague at times. Otherwise, the course was informative and a good introduction to using Copilot.

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