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Excel and Google Sheets flashcards

Spreadsheets from your first formula to lookups, pivots, dynamic arrays and LAMBDA, in both Excel and Google Sheets.

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Beginner friendly, starts from zero
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Excel and Google SheetsStart from zero · 1 of 10

What is a spreadsheet, in one plain sentence?

A spreadsheet is a grid of boxes for numbers and words, where can do sums for you and update the answer whenever a number changes.

A grid that does its own sums.
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What you will learn

  1. Start from zero

    • What a spreadsheet is4 cards
    • The grid4 cards
    • First formulas2 cards

  2. Core basics

    • Formulas that count and total3 cards
    • References4 cards
    • Organising data4 cards
    • Cleaning text2 cards
    • Formatting and charts4 cards

  3. Next steps

    • Lookups4 cards
    • Pivot tables3 cards
    • Dynamic arrays4 cards
    • Dates and clean-up3 cards
    • Working together2 cards

  4. Go deeper

    • Modern formulas6 cards
    • Power Query and automation5 cards
    • Speed, limits and accuracy6 cards

Final test and certificate

10 questions drawn fresh from the whole topic, about 15 minutes. Sign in, score 80% or more and get a free certificate with your name and a public check link anyone can open, such as an employer or a teacher. Not signed in? Try a practice test from the cards.

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About these cards

  • Reviewed 26 October 2026
  • CoversExcel for Microsoft 365 (2026)Excel 2024Google Sheets (2026)
How these cards are made

Excel and Google Sheets at a glance

A spreadsheet is a grid of boxes where you type numbers and words, and formulas that do the maths for you and update by themselves.

A spreadsheet is a smart notebook of squared paper: write a number in one square, a rule in another, and the rule always shows the latest answer.

Words you will meet

Cell
One box in the grid, where you type a value
Row and column
Rows run across and have numbers; columns run down and have letters
Cell address
The column letter and row number of a cell, like B3
Formula
A rule that starts with = and works out an answer, like =B3*C3
Function
A ready-made formula with a name, like SUM or AVERAGE
Range
A block of cells, written like A1:A10
Sheet and workbook
A sheet is one grid (a tab); a workbook or spreadsheet file holds many sheets

The steps

  1. 1. Start from zero (10 cards): What a spreadsheet is, how the grid works, and your very first formula.
  2. 2. Core basics (17 cards): Everyday formulas, references, sorting, filtering, formatting and charts.
  3. 3. Next steps (16 cards): Lookups, pivots, dynamic arrays, dates and sharing: what office power users do weekly.
  4. 4. Go deeper (17 cards): LET, LAMBDA, GROUPBY, regex, Power Query, scripts, automation, limits and accuracy traps.
All 10 cards in Start from zero
What is a spreadsheet, in one plain sentence?
A spreadsheet is a grid of boxes for numbers and words, where formulas can do sums for you and update the answer whenever a number changes.
Excel or Google Sheets: what is the difference?
Both are spreadsheets and most formulas work in both. Excel is Microsoft's app, strongest on a computer; Google Sheets runs in the browser and makes sharing with others easy.
Where do people use spreadsheets every day?
Household budgets, shop stock lists, school marks, attendance, invoices, trip planning and nearly every office report.
What everyday thing is a spreadsheet like?
A notebook of squared paper that does arithmetic. Write prices and quantities in squares, write a rule for the total, and the total fixes itself when a price changes.
What are rows, columns and cells?
Columns run down the page and have letters (A, B, C). Rows run across and have numbers (1, 2, 3). Where they cross is a cell, the box you type in.
What is a cell address, like B3?
The column letter and row number of a cell. B3 is column B, row 3. Formulas use addresses so they can read the value inside that cell.
What is a range like A1:A10?
A block of cells from the first address to the last. A1:A10 is ten cells down column A; A1:C2 is a rectangle of six cells.
What are a sheet and a workbook?
A sheet is one grid, shown as a tab at the bottom. A workbook (in Sheets, a spreadsheet) is the whole file, which can hold many sheets, like one per month.
What do formulas and functions look like?
A formula starts with =. =B2*C2 multiplies two cells. A function is a named formula: =SUM(D2:D5) adds a range.
What do you need before starting, and what will you be able to do after?
Only a computer or phone with Excel or a Google account. After this topic you will build trackers, look up and total data, make pivots and charts, and use modern power features.
Excel and Google Sheets cheatsheet

Everyday formulas

  • =SUM(D2:D50) Add a range
  • =IF(C2>=40, "Pass", "Fail") Two-way choice
  • =SUMIFS(sum, range, crit) Total with conditions
  • =COUNTIFS(range, ">1000") Count with conditions
  • =PROPER(TRIM(A2)) Clean names
  • =TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A2:A9) Join a list

Lookups and arrays

  • =XLOOKUP(key, look, return, "none") Exact lookup
  • =INDEX(C:C, MATCH(key, A:A, 0)) Classic lookup
  • =FILTER(A2:D99, B2:B99="Pune") Matching rows
  • =SORT(range, col, -1) Sort descending
  • =UNIQUE(B2:B99) Distinct values
  • D2# Whole spill range (Excel)

Power features

  • =LET(name, value, calc) Name parts of a formula
  • =LAMBDA(x, calc) Make a function
  • =GROUPBY(rows, values, SUM) Live summary (Excel 365)
  • =QUERY(range, "select ...") SQL-like (Sheets)
  • =IMPORTRANGE(url, "A1:D9") Other file (Sheets)
  • =PY(...) Python in Excel

Shortcuts

  • F4 Toggle $ in a reference
  • Ctrl + Shift + L Filter on or off (Excel)
  • Ctrl + T Make a table (Excel)
  • Ctrl + ; Insert today's date
  • Ctrl + Arrow Jump to the data edge
  • Ctrl + ` Show formulas
  • Alt + = AutoSum (Excel)

Error values

  • #N/A Lookup found nothing
  • #REF! Referenced cell deleted
  • #VALUE! Wrong kind of value
  • #DIV/0! Divided by zero
  • #NAME? Unknown name or missing quotes
  • #SPILL! No room for the result
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