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This course is part of the Data Analysis and Presentation Skills: the PwC Approach Specialization

Problem Solving with Excel

Image of instructor, Alex Mannella

Financial aid available

PwC

About this Course

This course explores Excel as a tool for solving business problems. In this course you will learn the basic functions of excel through guided demonstration. Each week you will build on your excel skills and be provided an opportunity to practice what you’ve learned. Finally, you will have a chance to put your knowledge to work in a final project. Please note, the content in this course was developed using a Windows version of Excel 2013.

This course was created by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with an address at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017.

Skills you will gain

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Alex Mannella

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With offices in 157 countries and more than 208,000 people, PwC is among the leading professional services networks in the world. Our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We help organisations and individuals create the value they’re looking for, by delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Overview of excel.

In this module, you will learn the basics of Excel navigation and Excel basic functionality. You will learn how to navigate the basic Excel screen including using formulas, subtotals and text formatting. We will provide you an opportunity to perform a problem solving exercise using basic Excel skills. Note: We recommend viewing videos in full-screen mode by clicking the double arrow in the lower right hand corner of your screen.

vLookups and Data Cleansing

In this module you will learn about VLookup, value cleansing and text functions. We will also introduce you to PwC's perspective on the value in cleansing data and using the appropriate functions. Finally, we will provide you an opportunity to perform a problem solving exercise using VLookup, value cleansing and text function. Note: We recommend viewing videos in full-screen mode by clicking the double arrow in the lower right hand corner of your screen.

Logical Functions & Pivot Tables

In this module, you will learn about logical functions and pivot tables. We will show you how to create and use pivot tables to solve business problems. We will give you an opportunity to practice creating and using a pivot table to solve a business problem. Finally, we will share some insight on PwC’s perspectives on the impact of Excel on your career and work. Note: We recommend viewing videos in full-screen mode by clicking the double arrow in the lower right hand corner of your screen.

More Advanced Formulas

In this module you will learn more advanced Excel formulas. We will show you how to create statistical formulas, perform an index match, and lastly, build financial formulas. We will provide you with an opportunity to problem solve using statistical formulas. Finally, we will give you an opportunity to practice what you have learned through a final project. Note: We recommend viewing videos in full-screen mode by clicking the double arrow in the lower right hand corner of your screen.

TOP REVIEWS FROM PROBLEM SOLVING WITH EXCEL

Some questions in the cumulative exercise should be phrased in a more "lay man" manner. I don't seem to understand the question(s) at times. Overall still a very good learning journey for me

Really useful training, lot's of meaningful functions (vlookup, index(match) & text functions).

Good to learn formulas in english too and get familiar with them (I was french Excel user).

Great course so far, learned a lot about how to use Excel functions to solve problems. However, the course may need an update on the missing videos and minor calculation errors in the workbooks.

This course was really informative and motivated the learner to practice everything practically. There was some audio problem in some of the lectures though which could be improved.

About the Data Analysis and Presentation Skills: the PwC Approach Specialization

If you are a PwC Employee, gain access to the PwC Specialization and Courses for free using the instructions on Vantage.

This Specialization will help you get practical with data analysis, turning business intelligence into real-world outcomes. We'll explore how a combination of better understanding, filtering, and application of data can help you solve problems faster - leading to smarter and more effective decision-making. You’ll learn how to use Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and other common data analysis and communication tools, and perhaps most importantly, we'll help you to present data to others in a way that gets them engaged in your story and motivated to act. Please note: If you'd like to audit the courses in this Specialization, you'll need to enroll in each course separately and then you will see the audit option. This specialization was created by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP with an address at 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York, 10017.

Data Analysis and Presentation Skills: the PwC Approach

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.

The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center .

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Excel Formulas  - Functions

Excel formulas  -, excel formulas functions.

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Excel Formulas: Functions

Lesson 5: functions.

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Introduction

A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using specific values in a particular order. All spreadsheet programs include common functions that can be used for quickly finding the sum , average , count , maximum value , and minimum value for a range of cells. In order to use functions correctly, you'll need to understand the different parts of a function and how to create arguments to calculate values and cell references.

Watch the video below to learn more about using functions in Excel.

The parts of a function

In order to work correctly, a function must be written a specific way, which is called the syntax . The basic syntax for a function is an equals sign (=) , the function name (SUM, for example), and one or more arguments . Arguments contain the information you want to calculate. The function in the example below would add the values of the cell range A1:A20.

Screenshot of Excel 2013

Working with arguments

Arguments can refer to both individual cells and cell ranges and must be enclosed within parentheses . You can include one argument or multiple arguments, depending on the syntax required for the function.

For example, the function =AVERAGE(B1:B9) would calculate the average of the values in the cell range B1:B9. This function contains only one argument.

Screenshot of Excel 2013

Multiple arguments must be separated by a comma . For example, the function =SUM(A1:A3, C1:C2, E2) will add the values of all cells in the three arguments.

Screenshot of Excel 2013

Using functions

There are a variety of functions. Here are some of the most common functions you'll use:

To use a function:

In our example below, we'll use a basic function to calculate the average price per unit for a list of recently ordered items using the AVERAGE function.

Screenshot of Excel 2013

Your spreadsheet will not always tell you if your function contains an error, so it's up to you to check all of your functions. To learn how to do this, check out the Double-Check Your Formulas lesson.

Working with unfamiliar functions

If you want to learn how a function works, you can start typing that function in a blank cell to see what it does.

screenshot of excel 2013

You can then type an open parenthesis to see what kind of arguments it needs.

Screenshot of Excel 2013

Understanding nested functions

Whenever a formula contains a function, the function is generally calculated before any other operators, like multiplication and division. That's because the formula treats the entire function as a single value—before it can use that value in the formula, it needs to run the function. For example, in the formula below, the SUM function will be calculated before division:

Screenshot of Excel 2013

Let's take a look at a more complicated example that uses multiple functions:

=WORKDAY(TODAY(),3)

Here, we have two different functions working together: the WORKDAY function and the TODAY function. These are known as nested functions , since one function is placed, or nested , within the arguments of another. As a rule, the nested function is always calculated first , just like parentheses are performed first in the order of operations. In this example, the TODAY function will be calculated first, since it's nested within the WORKDAY function.

Other common functions

There are many other functions you can use to quickly calculate different things with your data. Learning how to use other functions will allow you to solve complex problems with your spreadsheets, and we'll be talking more about them throughout this tutorial. You can also check out our articles below to learn about specific functions:

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Excel spreadsheets.

Excel Spreadsheets - continued

General Resources

Business Functions | Business Intelligence | Business Spreadsheets | Convert to Web App | Data Conversion | Excel Applications | Excel Auditor | Excel Business Users | Excel Cheat Sheets | Excel Courses | Excel Development | Excel Web Conv | Excel Exposure | ExcelFix | Excel Formulas | Excel Ideas | Excel Materials | Excel Mixer | Excel Programming Services | Excel Quantitative | Excel Recovery Tool | Excel Solutions | Excel Support | Excel Tutorial | Excel Unusual | Financial Modeling School | Financial Model Training | Financial Model Training-2 | Finance Models | Improve Excel | Invest Excel | Investment Related | Magic Workbooks | Model Answer | Mr Excel | Online Help | Process Simulation | Projected Financials | Quantrix Modeling [ Quantrix Sample Models ] | Real Estate Related | Secure Spreadsheets | Spreadsheet Comparer | Spreadsheet Database | Spreadsheet Guys | Spreadsheet Security | Stock Analyzer | Teach Excel | XL Modeling

Excel Templates

| High Quality Templates | Project Management |

Excel Add On's

Able Bits | Addin Directory | Analyze It | Brush Tools | Business Rules | Custom Add Ins | Database Manager | Dashboards | Decision Analysis | Derivative Analysis | EZ Analyze | EZ Forecaster | FinCad-Derivatives | Free Economic Add On's | Free Navigation Tool Bar | Model Builder | Monte Carlo Simulation | Monte Carlo - Easy | Monte Carlo-Tukhi | NumXL | Portfolio Optimization | Risk Modeling | Sensitivity Toolkit | Simul-Stats | Spreadsheet ML | Statistical Analysis | Recover Corrupted Files | Tree Plan | Utilities | Value at Risk | XL Modeler | XL Sim | XL Stats |

Six Sigma Spreadsheets

ASQ Tools | John Zorich | SPC for Excel | SPC XL | Robert Dallman | Six Sigma Project Files

Financial Modeling

Chandoo | Corality | Modeling Championship | Plum Solutions | Pristine | Strategize Online Lessons in Financial Modeling (includes lesson workbook): Lesson 1 - Cash Flow Modeling Lesson 2 - Financial Model Design Lesson 3 - Excel Financial Functions

Books on Excel

Analyzing Business Data | Balanced Scorecards in Excel | Business Analysis | Data Analysis | Excel Hacks | Financial Analysis | Financial Modeling | Finance with Excel | Managing Money | Spreadsheet Modeling |

IMAGES

  1. 3.1.6 Practice Solving Business Problems with Spreadsheets (1).docx

    3 1 6 practice solving business problems with spreadsheets

  2. 1.1.6 practice.docx

    3 1 6 practice solving business problems with spreadsheets

  3. Excel Practice Problems Free : 5+ Blank Table Templates

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  4. SEVEN STEPS FOR SOLVING BUSINESS PROBLEMS

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  5. 9780078300202: Solving Business Problems Using A Calculator Student Text

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  6. 1.1.6 practice.docx

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