Master NEW Excel Functions in Office 365 & Office 2021+ (Udemy.com)
Complete guide to dynamic arrays, spill behavior, and the new calculation engine in Microsoft 365
Created by: Leila Gharani
Last updated March 2026
What you will learn
- Master Excel's NEW Formulas (FILTER, UNIQUE, XLOOKUP, SORT, SORTBY, SEQUENCE, RANDARRAY & More Dynamic Array Functions)
- Replace complex multi-step formulas with single dynamic array formulas that update automatically
- Build interactive Pivot Table-style reports without Pivot Tables and without pressing Refresh
- Create dynamic dashboards, calendars, and loan amortization tables using SEQUENCE and array logic
- Apply Boolean logic inside FILTER to handle complex AND, OR, and combined criteria confidently
- Understand how Excel's new calculation engine affects your existing formulas and legacy files
- Set up dynamic dependent dropdowns, searchable data validation, and array-powered conditional formatting
- Debug dynamic array formulas and understand advanced concepts like array lifting, broadcasting, and implicit intersection
How it compares
Against the other 355 rated Udemy courses in Excel on CourseDuck:
- Rating4.8 out of 5higher than 96% of them
- Reviews5,262#62 of 356 by number of reviews
- Length7.1 hourslonger than 57% of them
- Last updatedMarch 2026more recently than 78% of them
Course Description
Excel 365 got a new calculation engine. Most Excel users don't know what changed. This course fixes that.
If you use Microsoft 365, your Excel already works differently than it did a few years ago. Dynamic Arrays have fundamentally changed how formulas work.
Tasks that used to require complex multi-step formulas now take one line. Reports that took hours now take minutes.
This course shows you exactly what changed, why it matters, and how to apply it to your real work files.
What you'll be able to do after this course:
Use FILTER to return multiple match results dynamically, replacing complex VLOOKUP and INDEX MATCH setups
Replace VLOOKUP with XLOOKUP for faster, more flexible lookups in any direction
Build Pivot Table-style reports using dynamic arrays without needing to press Refresh
Create dynamic dashboards, calendars, and loan amortization tables using SEQUENCE
Use UNIQUE, SORT, and SORTBY to build self-updating sorted lists automatically
Set up dependent dropdown lists, searchable data validation, and conditional formatting powered by dynamic arrays
Understand how Excel's new calculation engine affects your existing formulas and legacy files
Apply Boolean logic inside FILTER to handle complex AND and OR conditions confidently
Debug dynamic array formulas and understand array lifting, broadcasting, and implicit intersection
Why this course goes deeper than most:
Most Excel courses show you what a new function does. This one shows you how Excel's calculation engine actually works underneath. You'll understand why spill behavior happens, what implicit intersection means for your legacy formulas, and how to think through any dynamic array problem you haven't seen before.
That's the difference between knowing a few new functions and actually being advanced in modern Excel.
What's inside:
Complete coverage of all major dynamic array functions: FILTER, SORT, SORTBY, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE, RANDARRAY, XLOOKUP
How dynamic arrays interact with existing features: charts, data validation, conditional formatting, named ranges
Advanced topics: array constants, Boolean logic, lifting and broadcasting, CSE formula deprecation
Interactive report building: KPI selectors, dynamic calendars, loan tables, searchable dropdowns
Practice workbooks and solution files for every section
Course notes covering the most important concepts
Challenges and quizzes throughout
Important: This course requires Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel on the web. Dynamic arrays are not available in Excel 2019, 2016, 2013, or 2010.
Taught by Leila Gharani, Microsoft MVP and trusted by 515,000+ students across 11 courses on Udemy.
Enroll now and start with whichever function you need most at work today.
Instructor Details
- 4.8 Rating
5,262 Reviews
Leila Gharani
Leila Gharani, a Microsoft MVP (most valuable professional), has one mission: to make data work for you. With her clear and practical teaching style, she helps professionals master Excel, Google Sheets, and other tools to create impactful reports, automate tasks, and solve real-world problems - quickly and confidently.
Leila knows the challenges of juggling complex data and tight deadlines because she’s been there. With over 15 years of experience in Finance and IT, she’s streamlined systems, tackled tough data problems, and delivered results for global companies.
Her courses are designed with your success in mind. You’ll find step-by-step lessons, relatable examples, and hands-on exercises that make learning simple and fun. Every concept is tied to real-world applications so you can start seeing results immediately.
Through her YouTube channel and courses, Leila has empowered thousands of learners worldwide to improve their skills, impress at work, and achieve their career goals.
If you’re ready to take control of your data, save time, and stand out as a professional, Leila’s courses are here to help you succeed.
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Reviews
By Rishav Kumar on 6/9/2026
The content is comprehensive, and the presentation is clear. The practice sheets help in applying the learned concepts. Most importantly, there is no course like this available anywhere (as per my knowledge). The change in the calculation engine was probably the most important update in the last decade, and most people are completely unaware of it. Please take this course if you are an intermediate in Excel.
By Cecilia Fonseca on 2/4/2026
As I am not a pro there were small things, like when you are formatting the formula so it does not show zeros, I had to find out how you added the formula after the ;- as you did not say.
By Karthik R on 10/8/2025
I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this course. The content was thoughtfully structured, the instructor was incredibly knowledgeable, and the learning materials were both engaging and practical. I appreciated how the course balanced theory with hands-on application, making complex topics easy to grasp. It truly exceeded my expectations and left me feeling confident and inspired. Highly recommended to anyone looking to deepen their understanding and grow their skills!
By Anonymized User on 6/28/2023
I have been following Leila’s YouTube channel for years now but this is the first time I have actually taken up her formal course.. and she didn’t disappoint me at all! This course has given me a whole new perspective to working with Excel functions and I am all excited to make a difference at work and surprise my colleagues and bosses with this new knowledge. Way to go Leila and Team, already on my way to enrol for another course from XelPlus.. keep rocking ;)
By Maria Inmaculada de la Torre Ruiz on 3/18/2022
Great course to learn about dynamic arrays. It starts with the basics and gets you to the more advance uses for dynamic arrays formulas and combinations. You are going to need to have a basic understanding of formulas in excel, so I would not recommend this course for someone that is starting with Excel, but once you have a certain level of knowledge and are familiar with intermediate formulas in Excel is the natural progression to get the best results using Excel. Leila spends time going through each step, and as you progress with the course you would need to watch the videos and practice more than once but it is worth it. Highly recommend it. Thank you for the course.
By ABDULMAJEED ALJUHANI on 1/24/2022
overall great, Thank you. Easy to follow , clear steps and practical. realized some of what I needed and was able to make few improvements on my own so there is a small room for innovation. I see that "Spill" explanation was clearly displayed with its downside. I noticed the usage of "Xlookup" less than "Vlookup" in other sections after introducing it. I hoped to see it replacing it so I feel a bit uncertain if "X" can replace "V" in every situation used in this course. there were more of course but these stood out the most and a great diving in how generally Microsoft Excel functions deal with True and False and what leads to it generally.
By Stanislav Ivanov on 1/23/2022
The course is an eye-opener. Excel array formulas have always been considered a prerogative of gurus and formula experts. Due to the revolutionary update in the Excel 365 calculation engine, array formulas become very straightforward and understandable for everyone, not just for super users. The course explains the concept of new Excel dynamic arrays and shows how they can make your worksheets more efficient and a lot easier to set up. Leila's clear and precise explanation makes it all look easy.
By Le Phuoc Binh on 1/2/2021
This is an excellent course!! i learned a lot of knowledge and sharpen my Excel skill for Dynamic array formula. Now everyone can learn and use well with Dynamic array without any difficulties. These new formulas are really made everything so much simpler!!. Highly recommend everyone enroll this course since it is worth, well-constructed and well-understand from instructor.
By Pete Murphy on 12/4/2020
Simply the best Excel 365 course available at this moment on Udemy. This is not for beginners but for people with a good BASIC foundation in Excel who have access to Excel 365 and wish to learn the advanced features. You don't need to be an expert, but you do need to know the basics. This is a course for Excel enthusiasts or professionals so not for everyone, but for those it is suitable for it is excellent.
By Donald Turrell on 11/22/2020
As with her other courses, I find her content to be very informative and her delivery is great for my leaning style.
By Roberto Fisanotti on 11/15/2020
I'm always sure that Leila's lessons are profitable. I had to wait because my previous Excel version did not manage Dynamic Arrays. This is a very good course. I can only suggest it.
By Mark Wenzel on 11/15/2020
Great course!
Quality Score
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Overall Score : 96 / 100












