1 Excel fundamentals

1.1 Discussion prompt: Meet and greet

I was inspired to take this course because I’m really interested in how data can be used to make better decisions and uncover meaningful insights. My goal is to strengthen my data analysis skills and apply them to real-world business and research projects.
During this course, I hope to develop stronger skills in Excel, SQL, and data visualization so I can work more confidently with datasets and communicate insights clearly. I also want to get better at cleaning and organizing data efficiently.
I have some experience working with data in academic and research settings, but I’m still learning how to apply structured analysis techniques and use analytical tools more effectively.
Something interesting about me is that I love photography—it helps me notice patterns and details, which I think connects nicely to how we approach data analysis.

1.2 Understanding the Capabilities of Generative AI for Business Functions

A marketing manager at a mid-sized tech company is considering using generative AI to enhance their email marketing campaigns. They want to use AI to personalize messages based on customer activity and preferences but are concerned about maintaining the brand’s unique voice. Which of the following options would be the most effective use of generative AI in this scenario?

⬜ Using generative AI to create generic content that can be slightly modified by the marketing team for each campaign.
⬜ Outsourcing content creation to a third-party service that does not use AI, to ensure quality and brand consistency.
✅ Training the generative AI on a dataset of previous successful campaigns and customer feedback to tailor the content while preserving the brand’s voice.
⬜ Implementing a simple chatbot to handle all customer interactions using email.

1.3 Generative AI - Under the Hood

Alex, a data scientist, is exploring the use of generative AI for creating a new app that generates personalized shopping lists based on user preferences and past purchases. Considering the underlying technologies of generative AI, which aspect should Alex focus on to ensure the app effectively understands and predicts user preferences?

✅ Using unsupervised learning to identify inherent patterns in user data.
⬜ Implementing supervised learning with a static dataset of common shopping items.
⬜ Applying generative adversarial networks (GANs) to simulate competitive market scenarios.
⬜ Focusing on vectorizing item descriptions to enhance search functionality.

1.4 The Potential Pitfalls and Shortcomings of Gen AI

Jordan, an HR manager at a tech company, recently introduced a generative AI system for resume screening to streamline the hiring process. However, Jordan notices that the AI tends to select candidates from a specific university more frequently than others, which was unexpected. What should Jordan do to address this issue effectively?

⬜ Replace the AI system with a more advanced model hoping it will solve the bias issue.
⬜ Restrict the AI from screening resumes of candidates from that specific university.
⬜ Increase the number of resumes the AI reviews to ensure a larger pool of candidates is considered.
✅ Conduct an audit of the AI’s training data and algorithms to identify and mitigate any inherent biases.

1.5 General Knowledge Quiz

Question 1
You are the manager of a graphic design team that has been tasked with creating a series of promotional materials for a new product launch. Given the tight deadline, you decide to use generative AI to expedite the design process.

Which of the following approaches would be the best use of generative AI to meet your objective?

⬜ Rely on generative AI to automate customer support for inquiries about the new product.
⬜ Implement generative AI to generate synthetic datasets for training new machine learning models.
✅ Use a generative adversarial network (GAN) to create a variety of realistic images based on textual descriptions provided by the marketing team.
⬜ Use generative AI to synthesize speech and create an audio advertisement for the new product.

Question 2
As the head of a logistics company facing frequent supply chain disruptions due to unpredictable demand fluctuations, you decide to incorporate generative AI to improve efficiency.

Which of the following best uses generative AI when addressing this challenge?

⬜ Implement generative AI to create personalized email marketing campaigns to attract new customers.
⬜ Apply generative AI to automate the recruitment process by analyzing job descriptions and applicant data.
✅ Use generative AI to forecast demand trends and simulate various supply chain scenarios for better planning.
⬜ Implement a generative AI system which is costly but the best solution.

Question 3
True or False: Generative adversarial networks (GANs) involve two neural networks, the generator and the discriminator, which work together in an adversarial process to create highly realistic outputs.

✅ True
⬜ False

Question 4
Generative AI models like GPT and BERT use a mechanism called __________ to understand and generate contextually relevant text.

⬜ Convolution
✅ Self-attention
⬜ Backpropagation
⬜ Reinforcement learning

Question 5
As the HR manager of a growing tech company, you are implementing generative AI to streamline the recruitment process.

Which strategy best addresses the ethical concerns associated with AI in hiring?

⬜ Relying solely on AI-generated candidate evaluations to make hiring decisions.
✅ Implementing rigorous testing and auditing of the AI system to identify and correct biases in the resume screening process.
⬜ Implementing AI to automate administrative tasks like scheduling interviews.
⬜ Using AI to generate personalized email responses to all applicants.

1.6 Introduction to Microsoft Excel

You attempt to rename an Excel file to Customer’s first/last name and address. However, Excel rejects this name. Can you identify the reason why Excel won’t accept this name?

⬜ The filename contains several spaces.
⬜ The filename contains too many characters.
✅ The filename contains prohibited punctuation marks.

1.7 Entering and Formatting Data

You want to quickly add the department name Customer Service in cells C1 to C20. You decide to use the Autofill feature. What type of mouse pointer shape do you need to Autofill?

⬜ A narrow white hand shape.
⬜ A narrow white cross shape.
✅ A narrow black cross shape.

1.8 Self-Review: Adding Data to a Worksheet

Question 1
You entered a numerical value into Sheet1, and Excel automatically aligned it to the left. What does this indicate, and how can you correct it?

✅ Edit the content.
⬜ Alter the Number format.
⬜ Change the alignment.

Question 2
In step 3, you formatted cells E23 to H25, which contained figures representing Japanese Yen amounts. What steps did you take to apply the Yen Currency format to this block of cells?

⬜ Select the Currency button in the Number section of the Home tab. Choose More Accounting Formats. With Custom highlighted as a category, select the Symbol drop-down on the right. Select Japanese from the list currency symbols that appear.
⬜ Select the Currency button in the Number section of the Home tab. Choose More Accounting Formats. With Special highlighted as a category, select the Symbol drop-down on the right. Select Japanese from the list of currency symbols that appear.
✅ Select the Number Format dropdown on the Home tab. Choose “More Number Formats.” In the Currency category, select the “Symbol” dropdown and choose “Japanese Yen (¥)”.

Question 3
As one of the final steps in your exercise, you hid the Contacts worksheet using the Hide & Unhide command. Where is this command located in Excel?

⬜ On the Format choice in the Editing group on the Home tab.
✅ On the “Format” option in the “Cells” group on the Home tab.
⬜ On the Format choice in the Styles group on the Home tab.

1.9 Knowledge check: Creating workbook content

Question 1
You entered a non-scientific numerical value into an Excel worksheet, but when you pressed Enter, the number appeared as 1.9E+09 in the cell. Why did this happen?

✅ The column is too narrow.
⬜ The cell contains text and numbers.
⬜ The number format is incorrect.

Question 2
Which number format option in Excel acts as both a format change and an action button that modifies the entered values?

✅ The Percentage format
⬜ The Comma format
⬜ The Currency format

Question 3
You are editing a worksheet where Column G is hidden and does not appear between Columns F and H. How can you unhide Column G?

✅ Highlight Columns F and H, then go to the Format dropdown on the Home tab. Choose “Hide & Unhide” and select “Unhide Columns.”
⬜ Select column G and click Format on the Home tab. Choose Hide & Unhide from the drop-down menu and then unhide columns from the sub-menu.
⬜ Select the column to the right of the hidden column. Select Format on the Home tab. Choose Hide & Unhide from the drop-down menu and then unhide columns from the sub-menu.

Question 4
You typed the heading Customer Name into a cell, but part of it is hidden due to the column width and content in the next cell. You want “Customer” and “Name” to appear on separate lines within the same cell. What should you do?

⬜ Use the Center align command in the Alignment group on the Home tab.
✅ Use the Wrap Text command in the Alignment group.
⬜ Type the word Name in the cell underneath the heading.

Question 5
You need to sort or reorder a large block of information in a worksheet. Which tab do you need to select to access the Sort feature?

✅ The Data tab
⬜ The Contextual Sort tab
⬜ The View tab

1.10 Reading Large Data Blocks

While editing the Adventure Works file, you turn the first visible row and column in the spreadsheet static. Which one of the following options do you use to complete this task?

⬜ Freeze First Column
✅ Freeze Panes
⬜ Freeze Top Row

1.11 Self-Review: Sorting Data

Question 1
In the exercise, you sorted the Products worksheet data by Product Name (Column C). What was the first step you performed before selecting Sort Ascending?

⬜ Select Product Name from a drop-down list.
⬜ Select Column C by clicking the column header.
✅ Select any cell in column C.

Question 2
You were asked to sort the data first by Supplier and then by Units in Stock. Which choice did you select on the Data tab to perform this?

⬜ Sort Z to A
⬜ Sort A to Z
✅ Sort

Question 3
True or false: You used Sort to sort the data using two columns with a first-level sort by Supplier and a second-level sort data by units in stock. This meant that when the sort was complete, the Supplier entries were no longer in alphabetical order.

✅ False
⬜ True

1.12 Self-Review: Filtering Data

Question 1
You have five filters applied to your worksheet data. What is the fastest way to remove all filters and restore the full data view?

⬜ Use the Undo button.
✅ Use the Clear option on the Data tab.
⬜ Use the Clear filter option in each drop-down.

Question 2
You are working with a large block of data. You applied a filter but there are still a lot of rows visible. How can you determine how many results you have found?

✅ Check the bottom-left of the Excel screen.
⬜ Check the middle of the status bar.
⬜ Check the bottom-right of the Excel Screen.

Question 3
In the exercise, you selected the Product Name filter to filter and find all the entries relating to mountain bikes. What were your next steps?

⬜ You selected “Text filter” and then “Begins With” from the sub-menu.
✅ You selected “Text filter” and then “Contains” from the sub-menu.
⬜ You selected “Text Filter” and then “Equals” from the sub-menu.

1.13 Knowledge Check: Working with Blocks of Data in Excel

Question 1
You want to move quickly to cell S1215 in your worksheet. To achieve this, you type the cell reference into a particular area of the screen and then press Enter. What is the name of this area?

⬜ The Formula Bar
✅ The Name Box
⬜ The Title Bar

Question 2
You open an Excel worksheet that contains ten columns of data. The information is filtered, so some of the available data is not visible. How can you identify which heading the data is filtered by?

✅ The Filter arrow contains a funnel symbol.
⬜ The Filter arrow contains an arrow symbol.
⬜ The Filter arrow drop-down symbol is in bold.

Question 3
Column A in your worksheet contains component names. All twenty-two names have been entered as text, except for one entry: “11ratchet”, which starts with a number. If you sort this column in descending order, where will the entry “11ratchet” appear?

⬜ At the top of the column.
⬜ In the middle of the column.
✅ At the bottom of the column.

Question 4
Row 1 in your worksheet contains headings, and it is currently visible at the top of the screen. The cursor is in cell B3. Which Freeze Panes option should you use to keep the headings visible?

✅ Freeze Top Row
⬜ Freeze Panes
⬜ Freeze First Column

Question 5
True or False

You need to edit only the rows in a spreadsheet that have been shaded yellow. You can use the Filter by Color option to hide all other rows.

✅ True
⬜ False

1.14 Module quiz: Excel fundamentals

Question 1
Your worksheet has the Filter feature turned on, and both the Name and Town columns currently have Funnel symbols, indicating that filters are applied to both columns.
How can you modify the display so that the data remains filtered by Town but removes the filter from Name?

✅ Use the Clear Filter option on the Filter menu in the Name column.
- Use the Clear option in the Filter group in the Data tab.
- Use the Clear Filter option on the Filter menu in the Town column.

Question 2
You are working on an inventory spreadsheet that contains a list of suppliers and products.
You need to determine how many touring bikes are supplied by a company named “Cycles.” However, several other suppliers in the spreadsheet also contain the word “Cycles” in their name (e.g., SpeedCycles, Urban Cycles).
Which of the following options should you use to filter only the company named “Cycles”?

Use Ends with on the Text Filter sub-menu.
✅ Use Equals on the Text Filter sub-menu.
Use Begins with on the Text Filter sub-menu.

Question 3
True or False: When you select the Filter button on the Data tab, Excel automatically filters the data based on choices that you have already made in the drop-down menus next to each heading.

True
✅ False

Question 4
You need to find all rows that contain a specific word, but the word could appear anywhere within a text entry in a column. Which filtering option should you use?

Use Begins with on the Text Filter sub-menu.
Use Ends with on the Text Filter sub-menu.
✅ Use Contains on the Text Filter sub-menu.

Question 5
A colleague in Adventure Works has asked you to quality-check information in a workbook.
How would you know if the data in the workbook has been filtered? Select all that apply.

✅ There are funnel symbols on some of the Filter arrows.
✅ There are gaps in the row numbering on the left of the screen.
- There are Filter arrows beside the headings on the first row of the screen.
- Some Filter arrows have funnel symbols and are in a different color.

Question 6
You want to identify all rows in the data that have a figure exceeding 500 in a specific column.
Which of the following options can you use to complete this task?

✅ Use Greater than on the Number Filter sub-menu.
- Use Does not equal on the Number Filter sub-menu.
- Use Equals on the Number Filter sub-menu.

Question 7
You need to sort an inventory spreadsheet alphabetically by Supplier and then by Product within each supplier group.
You open the Sort Dialog Box and set Supplier as the Sort by option.
Which step should you perform next to complete the multi-level sort?

Select Add and choose Supplier from the Then by column drop-down.
✅ Select Add and choose Product from the then by column drop-down.
Select Add and choose Supplier from the then by order column.

Question 8
You are applying a multi-level Sort to a dataset. The first row of your data contains column headings (e.g., “Product,” “Category,” “Price”).
How do you ensure that these headers are not sorted with the rest of the data?

✅ Tick the box that says My data has headers.
- Click the first row of the data range.
- Select the whole data range.

Question 9
True or False:
You need to sort a staff spreadsheet alphabetically by department and then sort each department by join date, ensuring that the most recent hires appear first.
To complete this, you plan to:
Use “Sort Newest to Oldest” on the Join Date column.
Use “Sort A-Z” on the Department Name column.
Will this method correctly apply a multi-level sort?

✅ False
- True

Question 10
You want to create a new name for a cell, but you are not sure if a colleague has already assigned names to the cells.
How would you check what names are already in use across the whole workbook?

✅ Select the drop-down arrow on the right of the Name box in the top left of the Excel work area.
- Select each worksheet separately and then click on the drop-down arrow on the right of the Name box in the top left of the Excel work area.
- Select the Name Manager choice on the Home ribbon.

Question 11
You are having difficulty locating numbers in a large worksheet. You decide to name the cells that contain these figures so that you can locate them quickly. Which of the following options are valid names you could use? Select all that apply.

Monthly Profit
✅ MonthlyProfit2
✅ Monthly_Profit

Question 12
You use the New Window command to view two copies of your worksheet.
Which ribbon do you select to access the New Window command?

The Home ribbon.
✅ The View ribbon.
The Review ribbon.

Question 13
Which of the following tasks can you perform using the Search box on the Title bar? Select all that apply.

✅ Search for text or number content in a worksheet.
✅ Search for text or number content across a whole workbook.
- Search for Names assigned to cells.

Question 14
In larger worksheets, it can be useful to hide columns that are not required.
How does Excel indicate on screen that there are columns hidden in a worksheet? Select all that apply.

✅ There is a gap in the sequence of initial letters at the top of the screen.
- Some column initials are shaded in a different background color.
✅ There are two vertical lines or a darker vertical line between two of the column initials.

Question 15
You are entering a list of cycle frames in a column in the Excel worksheet.
You have already typed two different product names that begin with the word “Touring.”
How does Excel respond when you start to type one of the product names again?

✅ It waits for an identifying letter.
- It switches off the Autocomplete feature.
- It displays a drop-down list showing the two previous entries.

Question 16
As you type a list of city names into a column in Excel, a floating dialog saying Convert to Geography appears. You accidentally select this feature and reveal a card icon.
How can you reverse this choice?

✅ Select Undo on the left-hand side of the Title Bar.
- Select the floating dialog which should now read Remove Geography.
- Right-click on the card and immediately choose Convert to Text from the options presented.

Question 17
You enter geographic data into a worksheet. This prompts Excel’s Convert to Geography option to appear.
When selected, the option displays a card icon.
What type of information does Excel display when you select this card?

✅ Information about the location in a Bing search result card.
- A map graphic with the listed locations marked.
- A summary of how many times each geographic location has been mentioned in the worksheet.

Question 18
You manually adjust the width of column A and then type 958697100T into cell A2.
However, the entry still displays across cell B2, which is currently empty.
What is the visual effect on the entry in cell A2 when you enter data into cell B2?

✅ The content will only be partially displayed and some of the entry will be hidden by the content in B2.
- The content will be replaced by crosshatch symbols as the column is too narrow to display it fully.
- The content will automatically “wrap around” so that some of the heading will be brought down to a new line.

Question 19
You need to highlight all the data in your worksheet. The cursor is on cell A1.
Which key combination on a Windows PC can you use to quickly highlight all information in the block?

Control + Alt + End
✅ Control + Shift + End
Control + End

Question 20
What appears on the Formula bar when you enter a calculation in a worksheet cell?

✅ The calculation.
- The result.
- The calculation and the result.

Question 21
You need to change the position of sheets in a workbook.
Which set of steps can you take to complete this task? Select all that apply.

✅ Point at the sheet tab. Hold down the mouse button. Drag the sheet to a new location.
✅ Point at the sheet tab. Hold down the Ctrl key and then the mouse button. Drag the sheet to a new location.
✅ Point at the sheet tab. Click the right mouse button. Choose Move or Copy from the shortcut menu.

Question 22
You enter numbers into a column.
Your entries are displaying a different number of decimal places from those you intended.
Where can you locate the increase and decrease decimal buttons to control the number of decimal places displayed?

✅ In the Number group on the Home ribbon.
- In the Alignment group on the Home ribbon.
- In the Editing group on the Home ribbon.

1.15 Discussion: What features were new to you and which were most useful?

While exploring Excel through this module, I discovered several new and useful features that significantly improved my understanding of how to work efficiently with data. One feature that was new to me was the Convert to Geography option, which automatically enriches text entries with real-world data like country or city details. It’s fascinating to see how Excel can now connect directly to live data sources.
I also found the multi-level sorting and advanced filtering options extremely useful. Learning how to combine filters such as “Contains” and “Equals” helped me refine large datasets quickly.
Among all the techniques, I found Freeze Panes and Conditional Formatting to be the most practical for real-world use. They make navigating and analyzing large spreadsheets much more efficient. In my future work, I plan to apply these features when managing business or research data—especially for cleaning, organizing, and visualizing data more effectively. These lessons have definitely improved both my accuracy and speed when handling complex spreadsheets.