Module 01: Get comfortable in Excel
Find your way around a workbook, cells, and ranges
Build a small inventory sheet and learn to identify exactly which cells an action will affect.
Windows desktop: Excel 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and Microsoft 365. Mac/web share cell-address concepts; menus and shortcuts differ.
- Distinguish a workbook file from a worksheet tab.
- Read a cell address and count the cells in a rectangular range.
- Select a precise data block without including unrelated rows.
Small data. A result you can check.
Tab-separated data only. Paste starting in A1 of the blank Inventory worksheet; no formulas or macros are included.
View the raw practice data
Item Quantity Unit price Lamp 3 18 Tray 5 7 Hook 2 4
01Start with one clearly named place for data
Choose File > New > Blank workbook. The workbook is your saved file; a worksheet is a tab inside it. Double-click the first tab and rename it Inventory. Save this practice file as academy-practice.xlsx.
Use the sample as a small inventory list. Each row describes one item; each column has one meaning. Keep headers on row 1 so later sorting and formulas are easy to follow.
02Read an address before you change a value
Column letters run across the top and row numbers down the side. B3 means column B, row 3. In this example, B3 is the quantity for Tray: 5. C2 is the unit price for Lamp: 18. Saying only 'the third number' is ambiguous; a cell address gives another person an exact location.
Click B3 and inspect the highlighted headings. This is the active cell. Typing would replace its content, so confirm its address before entering anything.
| Row | A: Item | B: Quantity | C: Unit price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Quantity | Unit price |
| 2 | Lamp | 3 | 18 |
| 3 | Tray | 5 | 7 |
| 4 | Hook | 2 | 4 |
03A colon includes both corners
A1:C4 describes the rectangle from A1 through C4, including both endpoints. It contains four rows and three columns, so twelve cells. A2:C4 contains only the nine data cells; B2:C4 contains six numeric cells. These are different selections even though they overlap.
To select B2:C4, click B2, hold Shift, and click C4, or drag across the rectangle. Selecting the B column heading instead selects the entire column, including cells outside this example. Use the smaller bounded range when you intend to affect only these records.
04Keep the structure readable
Avoid merging cells inside the data block. Keep quantity and price separate, and add new fields deliberately. Save with Ctrl+S. An .xlsx workbook retains worksheet structure; a CSV text export serves a different purpose.
Add a status field and identify the complete inventory block.
- Enter the supplied sample starting in A1 on Inventory.
- Enter Status in D1, Open in D2, Review in D3, and Open in D4.
- Select A1:D4; then select only the data block A2:D4.
- Click B3 and confirm that its value is still 5. Save the workbook.
Show the worked answer
The full block is A1:D4: four columns × four rows = sixteen cells.
The data-only block is A2:D4: four columns × three rows = twelve cells.
D3 contains Review; B3 still contains 5.
Check your work- Headers occupy exactly row 1.
- There are three item rows, each with one status.
- The saved file is .xlsx, with a worksheet named Inventory.
One question before you move on.
Ready for the next step?
Mark this lesson when you can explain the idea and reproduce the practice result.
Your checklist stays on this browser.Reference notes
These lessons use original examples. Check Microsoft’s documentation for details and platform-specific options.
Prepared September 13, 2026 · Column Harbor editorial team. Menu locations and available functions can vary by Excel version.