Is it worth it to learn Excel?
Yes. The basics.
"=SUMIF(A:A,E2,C:C)"
"=SUMIF(A:A,E2,C:C)"
"Paste it in. The total looks odd. Send it anyway."
"See it's adding the wrong column. Change C to D. Done."
An example. Not a real sheet.
Yes, the basics are worth it, because AI writes the formula but you're the one who has to know if the answer looks right. You can skip the memorizing, and learn enough to read a formula and spot a wrong total.
Learn to read one. Skip the memorizing.
Read, don't memorize
Ask AI to explain every formula it gives you.
Know five
Add, average, count, look up, and if.
Learn what the errors mean
#N/A and #REF! are clues, not disasters.
Practice on your real work
Ten minutes on a sheet you already use.
Teach me Excel using my own work. I use spreadsheets for [what you do]. I know [nothing, a little, or the basics]. Give me one small thing to learn today that would help with that, show me the formula with a made-up example, and then quiz me with one question.
Before you paste work stuff into any AI, check what your company allows.The Formula Finder
Pick what you're trying to do, in plain words. Get the formula, what it means, and how to check it.
Find my formula
Learn this in the Lab, free
A free group where you learn to use Claude for the repeat parts of your job: email, reports, forms. Start with a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job.
- Free
- No coding
- Works in Claude
How do I learn Excel formulas?
One at a time, on your own sheet. Ask AI to explain each one it writes.
How long does it take to learn Excel completely?
Nobody learns all of it, and you don't need to. Learn the handful your own job uses.
Is ChatGPT good at Excel?
Good at formulas and at explaining them. It can still be wrong, so test one row.
Want to hand this to Claude?
Start in the Lab with the free 9-to-5 Job Triage: a 15-minute chat that maps what Claude can do in your job. Everything inside is free.