Learn fundamental tools to manage and format data, spreadsheets, and tables in Excel 365. 

In this program, you will:

• Explore entering and arranging data, formatting cells, and printing sheets.
• Understand how to work with tables.
• Discover 10 must-have tools.

You can expect to enhance your job-based skills in the Computer Skills and Technology workforce development competency. 

Explore all of the courses you'll take in this program. You'll find the course name, a description, and the length of time it will take to complete each course below. We recommend you complete the courses in the order they appear below.

1. Getting Started in Excel 365 (0.75 Hours)

   Explore how to find and open the Excel 365 application, navigate the interface and create spreadsheets. Other topics include how to add to and remove data, resize columns and rows, employ the undo and redo recent actions, and insert formulas.
    

2. Entering Data in Excel 365 (0.75 Hours)

   This course explores a variety of tools and techniques for adding and arranging data in Excel 365. Learn commands to manage data between cells and sheets, including how copy data, complete series, and find patterns. See also how to insert drop-down lists for users to enter data from a list, navigate multiple windows, and edit several sheets simultaneously. Finally, learn how to import data from external sources, such as text files, online sources, and images.
    

3. Ten Common Tools in Excel 365 (0.75 Hours)

   To make the most out of Excel 365, you need to be familiar with some of its most-frequently-used features. This course highlights ten tools to help take your Excel proficiency to the next level.
    

4. Formatting Cells in Excel 365 (0.5 Hours)

   Excel 365 offers a wide range of formatting options to enhance the presentation of your worksheet data. This course explores essential formatting tools in Excel, such as shading, borders, merging cells, vertical and horizontal alignment of text, as well as number formatting options.
    

5. Printing Spreadsheets in Excel 365 (0.5 Hours)

   Excel 365 offers an array of tools for making printouts of your spreadsheet data. In this course, you will learn how to add headers and footers, how to set your print area, adjust your print page layout, and configure the print settings.
    

6. Adding and Arranging Data in Excel 365 (0.75 Hours)

   This course demonstrates how to add and manage content in your worksheets with columns and rows, the AutoFill feature, and the Paste Special tools. You will also learn how to align values in cells, and freeze rows or columns to avoid unnecessary scrolling. Finally, you'll explore how to select cells and ranges and how to merge and unmerge content across various cells.
    

7. Working with Tables in Excel 365 (0.75 Hours)

   Tables are a powerful tool for organizing, analyzing, and presenting data. In this course, you will learn all about how to add and modify tables; how to add, remove, and reorganize rows and columns; and use table styles. Finally, you will discover how to perform calculations using calculated columns and structured references, as well as organize your data by removing duplicates and using slicers to filter certain values.

Want to learn more? Once you've completed all of the required courses, consider continuing your learning with the following optional activities that you can also enroll in via SLMS. Unlike the required courses, you do not need to complete these to earn your certificate. 

• Exploring Essential Functions in Excel 365 (0.75 Hours)

  Excel functions cover a wide array of uses, from formatting text to performing calculations. This course delves into several of the most common functions in Excel 365. You will see how to perform operations based on specific conditions using the IF() function. Learn how to use functions to count cells, round numbers, and generate numeric data. You will also discover the OFFSET() function, which lets you extract specific values from a dataset. The second part of the course covers some helpful functions for working with text, such as LEN(), SEARCH(), and FIND(). Finally, you will see how to use functions to extract text, combine multiple text strings, and replace one string with another.
   

• Troubleshooting Common Issues in Excel 365 (0.25 Hours)

  In this course, you will learn how to check whether your workbook has compatibility issues with older versions of Excel, whether it contains personal information that you may not want to share with others, as well as how to recover unsaved documents. Also, you will learn how to ensure formulas are updated automatically when changes are made.
   

• Setting Your Work Preferences in Excel 365 (0.5 Hours)

  This course explores ways to tailor the Excel application and interface to your needs. You will see how to change your Office account options, including the Office Theme and application background. Find out how to customize the Quick Access Toolbar and Ribbon and how to configure other key aspects of Excel, including how to modify save settings and default workbook settings.
   

• Referencing Cells in Excel 365 (0.5 Hours)

  References are a way to refer to a cell, range, worksheet, or workbook in a formula. This course shows you how to use references to create formulas that dynamically update as the referenced cells change. Next, the course explores the differences between relative references, which change as they are copied to other rows or columns, and absolute references, which stay the same. In addition, you will learn how to reference cells in external worksheets and workbooks and how to give names to cells and ranges and to reference values by name.

All CSEA-represented NYS employees are eligible to participate.

Management/Confidential NYS employees with an Empire KnowledgeBank (EKB) license are also eligible to participate. Contact your agency training officer for information on obtaining an EKB license.  

Supervisory approval is not required for courses taken outside the normal workday. It may be possible for employees to take courses during working hours with supervisory approval.

• Register and take all of the required courses online in the Statewide Learning Management System (SLMS) anytime from September 15, 2025 through March 15, 2026.
• To earn a certificate, you must complete all seven courses and achieve a passing grade of 70% or higher in each course by the program's end date of March 15, 2026.
• To print your certificate, login to SLMS, go to the My Learning page, locate the appropriate certificate program, and select the Print Certificate button. The Print Certificate button will only be available if the status is Completed.

To participate, you must follow our two-step registration process. The first step varies for CSEA-represented NYS employees and Management/Confidential NYS employees. 

CSEA-represented NYS employees: Apply for a Partnership Online Learning License in the Statewide Learning Management System (SLMS). In SLMS search class code: P_OL_Program and register. This alerts Partnership staff that you want to learn with us; we will issue a learning license that will allow for access to our certificates and classes. Though we aim to process licenses promptly, please allow up to five business days for license approval.  
 

NYS Management/Confidential Employees: Contact your agency training director to obtain an Empire KnowledgeBank license if you don't have one already.  

Once you are notified that you have an active license, you can register for Microsoft Excel 365 Basics in SLMS. In SLMS search P_MEB25 and register for the certificate program. It can take up to 24 hours after notification for your license to be activated for class enrollment. You will need to return to "My Learning" in SLMS and click on the name of the certificate to find its classes.

Registration Details

Please be sure you're using Google Chrome to access SLMS. If you don't have the internet browser on your computer now, submit a ticket to ITS to have it installed. 

You will not be able to access any of the courses in the certificate program until you have followed the two-step registration process noted above. Please allow up to five business days for license approval. New state employees typically won’t get access to SLMS until after their first paycheck. 

Still need help or have questions? Contact us at (800) 253-4332 or email [email protected].