Excel and Google Sheets basics: the interface, data entry, formatting and working efficiently

Excel is the computer skill employers in Kenya ask for most often, from banks, SACCOs and NGOs to supermarkets, schools and county offices. It's used for records, budgets, reports, payroll, stock, marks, data analysis and dashboards. This first unit builds a solid foundation: the interface, entering and editing data efficiently, formatting numbers properly, managing sheets, and keyboard shortcuts that make you fast. Everything works in Google Sheets too (differences are noted).

Why Excel?

• Universal: almost every organisation uses spreadsheets.
• Powerful: from simple totals to analysing hundreds of thousands of rows.
• Valuable on a CV: "Advanced Excel" (formulas, lookups, pivot tables, charts) is a frequent requirement for accounting, admin, data, HR, procurement, M&E and sales roles.
• Freelance demand: data cleaning, dashboards and spreadsheet automation are common paid jobs online.

The interface

Entering and editing data

AutoFill

Drag the fill handle (small square at the bottom-right of the selection) to continue patterns:

• Mon → Tue, Wed...; January → February...; Term 1 → Term 2...
• 1, 2 (select both) → 3, 4, 5...; 5, 10 → 15, 20...
• Formulas copy with adjusted references.
• Double-click the fill handle to fill down as far as the adjacent column has data.

Flash Fill (Excel)

Excel learns a pattern from your example (Ctrl+E):

Great for splitting names, extracting codes, combining columns or reformatting phone numbers. (Google Sheets offers "Smart Fill" suggestions.)

Data types

Numbers stored as text (a very common problem)

Data copied from websites, systems or CSV files often contains numbers stored as text: they align left, show a small green triangle, and SUM ignores them.

Fixes:

• Select → click the warning icon → Convert to Number.
• Data → Text to Columns → Finish (converts a whole column).
• Multiply by 1 or use =VALUE(A2).
• Remove spaces or "KSh" text with Find & Replace (Ctrl+H).

Dates are numbers

Excel stores dates as serial numbers (days since 1 January 1900), which is why you can subtract them (=B2-A2 gives days between dates). If a date shows as a number like 46297, apply a date format. Make sure dates are recognised as dates (right-aligned) and use your regional format consistently (day/month/year in Kenya).

Number formatting

Formatting changes how a value looks, not the value itself. Home → Number group, or Ctrl+1 (Format Cells).

Custom formats

Format Cells → Custom:

• "KSh "#,##0 → KSh 12,500
• #,##0.00;[Red]-#,##0.00 → negatives in red
• 0000 → 0045 (fixed digits for codes)
• dd-mmm-yyyy → 02-Oct-2026

Formatting for readability

• Bold header row with fill colour; wrap text for long headers.
• AutoFit columns: double-click the boundary between column letters (or select all and double-click).
• Borders for printed tables.
• Alignment: text left, numbers right, headers centred.
• Cell styles (Home → Cell Styles) for consistent headings, totals, inputs.
• Format as Table (Ctrl+T): instant banded rows, filters and structured references (covered in the Tables lesson).

Rows, columns and sheets

Navigation and selection shortcuts

Using these daily is what makes people "fast in Excel".

Good spreadsheet design habits

1. One table per sheet (or clearly separated), starting at A1, with one header row.
2. One record per row, one type of data per column (don't mix dates and text in a column).
3. No blank rows or columns inside data; no merged cells in data tables (they break sorting and filtering).
4. Inputs separate from calculations: put rates (VAT 16%, commission 5%) in labelled cells and reference them.
5. Consistent formats (dates, currency).
6. Name sheets clearly ("Sales Jan 2026", "Summary").
7. Document assumptions with notes or a "Read me" sheet.
8. Save versions and back up (OneDrive/Google Drive).

Think about it: A colleague's sales sheet has the title in merged cells across A1:F1, blank rows between each week, and prices typed like "KSh 1,500". Why will sorting, filtering and SUM give problems, and how would you fix it?Show answer

Merged cells and blank rows stop Excel from recognising the table as one continuous range, so sorting/filtering break or miss rows. Prices typed with "KSh" are text, so SUM ignores them. Fix: put the title above (or remove the merge), delete blank rows, make one header row, convert prices to real numbers (Find & Replace "KSh " with nothing, then Convert to Number) and apply a currency format.

Excel vs Google Sheets: quick differences

Practice tasks

1. Create a sheet of 15 products with columns: Code, Product, Category, Price, Stock. Format prices as KSh with commas.
2. Use AutoFill to create a list of 12 months and a numbered list 1–50.
3. Use Flash Fill to split 10 full names into first and last names.
4. Paste numbers stored as text (e.g. from a website) and convert them to real numbers.
5. Freeze the header row, rename the sheet, and practise Ctrl+Arrow navigation.

Summary

• Excel is essential for records, analysis and reports across Kenyan workplaces; Google Sheets is a free, collaborative alternative.
• Know the interface: ribbon, Name Box, formula bar, sheet tabs, status bar (quick Sum/Average/Count).
• Enter data quickly with Enter/Tab, Ctrl+Enter, AutoFill and Flash Fill (Ctrl+E).
• Understand data types; fix numbers stored as text; dates are numbers.
• Format numbers (comma, currency, percentage, dates, custom) without typing units.
• Manage rows, columns and sheets; freeze panes; use navigation shortcuts.
• Design clean tables: one header row, no blank rows or merged cells, inputs separate from calculations.

Check yourself

1. Which shortcut opens the Format Cells dialog?

   Show answer

   Ctrl+1

2. Which shortcut triggers Flash Fill in Excel?

   Show answer

   Ctrl+E

3. Which shortcut adds a new line inside a cell?

   Show answer

   Alt+Enter

4. Where can you see the sum of selected cells without a formula? (two words)

   Show answer

   status bar

5. Numbers stored as text align to which side by default?

   Show answer

   left

6. Which shortcut enters today's date? Write like Ctrl+;.

   Show answer

   Ctrl+;

7. Which View option keeps the header row visible when scrolling? (two words)

   Show answer

   Freeze Panes

8. Should you merge cells inside a data table you want to sort? (yes or no)

   Show answer

   no