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Learn Microsoft Excel + AI: Go From Beginner to Expert Fast (Udemy.com)

Excel Made Easy – Microsoft Certified Educator – Microsoft Office Specialist MOS Expert – Fast, Practical, and Fun

Created by: Todd McLeod

Last updated November 2025

Our take

Based on the ratings of 66,481 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in November 2025. No course pays to be reviewed.

Todd McLeod's course is a ground-up Excel class built on a simple rhythm: a short block of lectures, then a hands-on exercise section, then a quiz. The syllabus shows 28 sections, and nearly half of them are practice sets. It runs about 17 hours across 172 lectures, was last updated in November 2025, and works Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok in as helpers for automating tasks and analysing data. It is really for people starting from zero. The title says expert, but the syllabus tops out at pivot tables, a recorded macro, and a peek at the VBA editor.

Reviewers like the teaching most. They describe McLeod as clear and engaging, and several say the watch, do, quiz loop makes things stick. A reviewer who wasn't new to Excel still picked up a few tricks. The low-star reviews are consistent though. One calls the lessons full of water, with minutes spent opening and saving files in every lecture. Another says the quizzes ask the same question twice, first as multiple choice and then as true or false. A two-star review says it was sold as advanced and covered basics, and a three-star asks for Power Query and more real-world examples.

With 66,000 reviews and a 4.6 average, about nine in ten students rate it four or five stars, so the padding complaints are a minority view, but a fair one. Anyone who wants a patient, repetitive first course with lots of practice will find this a safe pick, and several reviewers single out the AI material as a plus. People who are already comfortable and want advanced formulas or pivot table depth should look at one of the specialist courses next to it instead.

Best forComplete Excel beginners who learn by repetition and want a practice file after every lecture block.
Skip it ifYou already know pivot tables and want Power Query, advanced formulas, or real depth on VBA.

Pros

  • Every lecture block is followed by a hands-on exercise section and a quiz, so practice is built in
  • Reviewers call McLeod clear and engaging and say the repetition makes the material stick
  • Last updated November 2025, and covers Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok alongside Excel
  • Captions in 30 languages and a 4.6 rating across 66,000 reviews

Cons

  • Low-star reviews say lectures are padded with repeated opening, saving and copy-paste steps
  • Quizzes repeat the same question in different formats, and some run past 20 questions
  • Stops at pivot tables and recorded macros; no Power Query, and the expert label oversells it
I really enjoyed the lecture, practice/watch, do and then quiz approach as it was easy to solidify the knowledge gained in a very meaningful way.
Jillean Durrant-DeRos, a student

Listed as all levels, but the requirements assume nothing and the content suits beginners; intermediates will mostly skim.

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What you will learn

  • Navigate Excel’s interface confidently, mastering the Ribbon, Formula Bar, Name Box, and context-sensitive menus to streamline workflows and boost productivity.
  • Enter and edit data efficiently using double-click methods, Formula Bar, and techniques to manage cell overflow, ensuring accurate and organized spreadsheets.
  • Customize Excel’s interface by adjusting zoom, status bar, view settings, and page layout to optimize the workspace for efficient viewing and printing.
  • Understand and use relative, absolute, and mixed cell references to build flexible, reliable formulas that adapt to changing data in complex spreadsheets.
  • Create and customize professional charts (bar, line, pie, combo) and sparklines to visualize data clearly, making trends and insights easy to understand.
  • Format spreadsheets professionally with conditional formatting, zebra striping, themes, and number formats to create polished, readable, and impactful reports.
  • Leverage AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok to automate tasks, generate reports, and enhance data analysis for smarter workflows.
  • Import CSV files from sources like Gapminder, save as Excel workbooks, and prepare external data for analysis, building skills for real-world projects.
  • Perform financial calculations like loan payments, interest, and future value using Excel’s financial functions to support budgeting and investment planning.
  • Apply essential formulas and functions like SUM, IF, COUNTIF, XLOOKUP, VLOOKUP, and financial tools (PMT, FV, IPMT) to create powerful, automated calculations.
  • Sort and filter data alphabetically, numerically, or by custom criteria to organize datasets, identify trends, and detect errors for accurate analysis.
  • Organize and clean data with Text to Columns, Remove Duplicates, and Data Validation tools to prepare datasets for reliable and error-free data analysis.
  • Create dropdown lists with Data Validation to control data entry, ensuring clean, standardized, and error-free spreadsheets for reliable data management.
  • Master Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts to summarize large datasets, create dynamic reports, and visualize data for impactful business and research insights.
  • Use slicers and advanced filtering to make data interactive, allowing quick focus on specific subsets of information for efficient analysis and reporting.
  • Group dates, numbers, and text in Pivot Tables to reveal patterns and trends, transforming complex datasets into clear, actionable insights for analysis.
  • Build dynamic reports by combining Pivot Tables, slicers, and calculated fields to create interactive, professional dashboards for business and research.
  • Secure Excel files by protecting workbooks, worksheets, and specific ranges with passwords and read-only options to ensure data confidentiality and integrity.
  • Automate repetitive tasks by recording and saving macros, streamlining workflows, reducing errors, and boosting productivity in everyday Excel tasks.
  • Explore VBA basics by opening the VBA Editor to view macro code, gaining confidence to understand Microsoft automation scripts for future learning.

Course content

28 sections · 172 lectures · 17 hours of video 14 quizzes, 2 articles

  1. 1Getting Started with Excel – Welcome To Class 1 free preview5 lectures · 23 min
  2. 2Excel Practice Exercises – Hands-On Exercises #11 lecture · 1 quiz · 4 min
  3. 3Microsoft Excel Fundamentals – Understand, Install, and Start Using Excel5 lectures · 27 min
  4. 4Excel Practice Exercises – Hands-On Exercises #22 lectures · 1 quiz · 18 min
  5. 5Microsoft Excel Basics – Navigate the Ribbon, Menus, and Tools8 lectures · 40 min
  6. 6Excel Practice Exercises – Hands-On Exercises #34 lectures · 1 quiz · 36 min
  7. 7Microsoft Excel Essentials – Formulas, Functions, Formatting, and Charts 2 free previews10 lectures · 1.3 hours
  8. 8Excel Practice Exercises – Hands-On Exercises #413 lectures · 2 quizzes · 1.5 hours
  9. 9Essential Microsoft Excel Functions – Work with Data, Dates, and Text7 lectures · 45 min
  10. 10Excel Practice Exercises – Hands-On Exercises #57 lectures · 1 quiz · 43 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Beginners seeking a clear, structured path to mastering Excel.
  • Intermediate users wanting to deepen their skills with advanced features and AI integration.
  • Professionals in business, finance, data analysis, or project management aiming to boost efficiency.
  • Students and educators looking to leverage Excel for academic or research projects.

What you need before you start

  • No prior Excel experience needed; this course starts with basics and progresses to advanced topics, making it ideal for complete beginners to intermediate users.
  • Access to Microsoft Excel (any version: Desktop, Web, or Microsoft 365) is required to practice hands-on exercises and apply skills learned throughout the course.
  • A computer or tablet with internet access to watch video lectures, download course files, and use cloud-based AI tools like Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, or Grok.
  • Basic computer literacy, such as opening files, navigating software, and using a web browser, to follow along with lectures and complete practical exercises.

How it compares

Against the other 355 rated Udemy courses in Excel on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.6 out of 5higher than 63% of them
  • Reviews66,481#6 of 356 by number of reviews
  • Length17.1 hourslonger than 87% of them
  • Last updatedNovember 2025more recently than 70% of them

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Quality Score

Content Quality
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Video Quality
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Qualified Instructor
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Course Depth & Coverage
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Overall Score : 92 / 100

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Course Description

Unlock the full power of Microsoft Excel with this beginner-to-expert course taught by Todd McLeod – a best-selling Udemy instructor, a California professor, a Microsoft Certified Educator, and Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Expert with over 20 years of teaching experience. This course will also show you how Artificial Intelligence can help you learn and use Excel more effectively. Whether you're new to spreadsheets or looking to elevate your skills, this course equips you with the tools to organize data, automate tasks, create stunning visualizations, and boost productivity using Excel and cutting-edge AI technologies like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok. This course also contains the use of artificial intelligence to help you master Excel skills.


Why Choose This Course?

  • Comprehensive Curriculum: Learn Excel fundamentals then master Excel essentials including data analysis, professional formatting, financial functions, advanced formulas, Pivot Tables, Pivot Charts, macros, and VBA.

  • AI-Powered Learning: Leverage AI tools to streamline workflows, generate reports, create charts, work more quickly and effectively, and analyze data faster and smarter.

  • Hands-On Practice: Build real-world skills with practical exercises, sample datasets, and step-by-step projects.

  • Expert Instruction: Learn from Todd McLeod, a Microsoft Certified Educator and Excel Expert, known for his engaging, clear, and transformative teaching style.

  • Career-Boosting Skills: Gain in-demand Excel and AI skills to be more successful in business, finance, data analysis, and more.


What You’ll Learn:

  • Navigate Excel’s interface confidently, mastering the Ribbon, Formula Bar, Name Box, and context-sensitive menus to streamline workflows and boost productivity.

  • Enter and edit data efficiently using double-click methods, Formula Bar, and techniques to manage cell overflow, ensuring accurate and organized spreadsheets.

  • Customize Excel’s interface by adjusting zoom, status bar, view settings, and page layout to optimize the workspace for efficient viewing and printing.

  • Understand and use relative, absolute, and mixed cell references to build flexible, reliable formulas that adapt to changing data in complex spreadsheets.

  • Create and customize professional charts (bar, line, pie, combo) and sparklines to visualize data clearly, making trends and insights easy to understand.

  • Format spreadsheets professionally with conditional formatting, zebra striping, themes, and number formats to create polished, readable, and impactful reports.

  • Leverage AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok to automate tasks, generate reports, and enhance data analysis for smarter workflows.

  • Import CSV files from sources like Gapminder, save as Excel workbooks, and prepare external data for analysis, building skills for real-world projects.

  • Perform financial calculations like loan payments, interest, and future value using Excel’s financial functions to support budgeting and investment planning.

  • Apply essential formulas and functions like SUM, IF, COUNTIF, XLOOKUP, VLOOKUP, and financial tools (PMT, FV, IPMT) to create powerful, automated calculations.

  • Sort and filter data alphabetically, numerically, or by custom criteria to organize datasets, identify trends, and detect errors for accurate analysis.

  • Organize and clean data with Text to Columns, Remove Duplicates, and Data Validation tools to prepare datasets for reliable and error-free data analysis.

  • Create dropdown lists with Data Validation to control data entry, ensuring clean, standardized, and error-free spreadsheets for reliable data management.

  • Master Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts to summarize large datasets, create dynamic reports, and visualize data for impactful business and research insights.

  • Use slicers and advanced filtering to make data interactive, allowing quick focus on specific subsets of information for efficient analysis and reporting.

  • Group dates, numbers, and text in Pivot Tables to reveal patterns and trends, transforming complex datasets into clear, actionable insights for analysis.

  • Build dynamic reports by combining Pivot Tables, slicers, and calculated fields to create interactive, professional dashboards for business and research.

  • Secure Excel files by protecting workbooks, worksheets, and specific ranges with passwords and read-only options to ensure data confidentiality and integrity.

  • Automate repetitive tasks by recording and saving macros, streamlining workflows, reducing errors, and boosting productivity in everyday Excel tasks.

  • Explore VBA basics by opening the VBA Editor to view macro code, gaining confidence to understand Microsoft automation scripts for future learning.


Who Is This Course For?

  • Beginners seeking a clear, structured path to mastering Excel.

  • Intermediate users wanting to deepen their skills with advanced features and AI integration.

  • Professionals in business, finance, data analysis, or project management aiming to boost efficiency.

  • Students and educators looking to leverage Excel for academic or research projects.


Course Highlights:

  • Engaging Video Lectures: Short, focused lessons designed for quick learning.

  • Real-World Projects: Practice with datasets and scenarios that mirror workplace tasks.

  • Quizzes & Exercises: Test your knowledge and track progress with quizzes and hands-on exercises (solutions provided!).

  • Certificate of Completion: Showcase your skills with a Udemy certificate.

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Instructor Details

Todd McLeod

Fun, Quick, & Easy

Learning can be fun, quick, and easy if you have the right teacher. I come from a family of teachers, I've taught at the college and university level for over 20 years, and I have been recognized as one of the top teachers in the California college system. I became a teacher because I love sharing knowledge and seeing how it transforms people's lives. Learning is the noblest of all endeavors. The more you learn, the more you improve your life.


Learn Quickly & Effectively

All of my courses include step-by-step tutorials and hands-on exercises. The tutorials show you what to do. The hands-on exercises allow you to practice what you have just seen. These hands-on exercises also come with all of the files you need and video solutions so that you can learn more quickly and effectively.


Great Courses for Beginners

I work with beginners all of the time. I understand how to take topics and make them easy to understand.


The Human Element

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Reviews

4.6

66,481 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Malcolm Adam Simon Pitcher on 8/25/2026

Best course i have attended so far. Really good attention to detail and constant reminiscing of previously learned material during activities. Really enjoyed it thanks Todd!

By Jillean Durrant-DeRos on 7/20/2026

This course was very well delivered and understandable. I really enjoyed the lecture, practice/watch, do and then quiz approach as it was easy to solidify the knowledge gained in a very meaningful way. Todd has a very insightful approach to making learning not only practical but also rememberable. Thank you!

By Debjyoti Roy on 7/11/2026

It brought me to a pretty comfortable position to use Excel and gave me the tools to find information to get even better at it. The life insights provided were also well appreciated. Thanks for the course.

By Oghaje Godstime on 6/19/2026

it was a really good course. Totally recommend for anybody who is trying to get comfortable with excel for their business or entry level roles

By Vansh Malik on 6/5/2026

In between the course i found the pacing to be a little slow , hence making be bored. But the teaching was fantastic, everything was covered from the basic making it easy for me to understand and follow along . Now thanks to this course i have a decent understanding of excel.

By Anonymized User on 5/21/2026

Wow, I actually feel sad now that the course is over :( I really enjoyed Todd as a lecturer. The stories, humor and the way that he kept repeating keyboard shortcuts etc. I don't think I would've made it through a 17 hour Excel course otherwise. The course itself was a great refresher and I had a lot of "O, I didn't know you could do that!" with functions I use on a daily basis. Plus I learned a whole lot of new ones even though I did an Excel advanced course and have been working on Excel for years. Really good for beginners too. Thank you!

By Shikhar Mishra on 4/27/2026

Really a wonderful course for beginners who are seeking course for the MS Excel. This teacher provides a quality content and is very simple to understand and apply. Best for those with zero experience in Excel.

By Elaine driscoll on 3/30/2026

Yes, I really appreciated the way this course was taught. The extra tips on how to format, short cut keys, how to download and check for viruses sooo helpful. Its a very good foundation on the basic steps to use Excel Im not a finance person but I do understand calculating interests and some predictive analysis. It was very helpful to see how Excel could make those kind of calculations so much quicker and easier.

By Udemy User on 3/21/2026

I was really disappointed with this Excel lecture. It was advertised as an advanced course, but it only covered basic topics. The content was repetitive, and everything whether easy or difficult was explained in the same way without much depth. Honestly, I’ve found free courses that provide a much better understanding than this one.

By Oladele Laoye on 2/5/2026

The experience has been great, i am relatively new to this sort of soft skills. The tutor is really fantastic, his speed is just adequate for beginners. I highly recommend!!

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