Excel course guide – Which level suits your organisation?

Your team spends 5 hours a week in Excel. Half of the staff do not know where the line between a working document and a tool is drawn. It is not their fault – they have never had the right training. An Excel course often takes just two days and saves hundreds of hours per year.

This guide helps you choose the right Excel training based on your team’s current level of knowledge, your ways of working and what you actually need to learn. We go through everything from the basic Excel course for beginners to advanced VBA programming, compare online and classroom courses, and show transparently what the different course options cost.

With 15 years of experience training Swedish companies in Excel, we have seen which courses actually create value. This guide is based on what works in practice.

Excel course guide – Quick comparison

Before you read the whole guide, three quick questions can point you in the right direction:

1. Can you build a simple budget in Excel using formulas?

No → Start with a basic course
Yes → Go on to question 2

2. Can you use VLOOKUP, pivot tables and Power Query?

No → You need an advanced course
Yes → Go on to question 3

3. Do you want to automate repetitive tasks with macros?

Yes → A VBA course is the next step
No → You already have the right skills or need a company-tailored training

Quick course overview

Course level	For whom?	Duration	Format	Price (approx.)
Basic course	Beginners who want to learn Excel from scratch	2 days / 4×2h	On-site/Online	From SEK 3,500
Advanced	Experienced users who want to work more efficiently	3 days / 6×2h	On-site/Online	From SEK 4,500
VBA	Those who want to automate workflows	3-5 days / 10×2h	On-site/Online	From SEK 5,500
Company-tailored	Teams with specific problems to solve	As needed	On-site/Online	From SEK 15,000

Prices apply per person for open courses. Company courses are priced per group (up to 8-12 people) and give a better cost per participant.

All our courses include course materials, a certificate and 30 days of e-mail support after the course ends. We keep groups small (max 12 people) to make sure everyone gets hands-on practice and can ask questions.

Not sure which level suits you? Call us on +46-10-264-20-20 and we will do a free needs assessment. It takes 10 minutes and gives you a clear answer.

Basic Excel course – For beginners

A basic Excel course is aimed at those who have never had structured training in Excel or who have only used the program occasionally. It is not a course for those who ”already know a bit” – it starts from the beginning and builds a solid foundation.

Who is the course for?

The basic course is a perfect fit if you:

Mostly avoid Excel and use Word or manual methods instead
Can enter data but become unsure when you have to calculate or analyse
Have learned Excel ”on the fly” and feel there are big gaps in your knowledge
Are about to start in a role where Excel is used daily
Are a manager who wants to understand what your team actually does in Excel

Many participants say afterwards that they wish they had received this training years ago. Working without basic Excel knowledge is like digging ditches with a spoon when there is a shovel available. Most people have also never learned how to avoid the most common Excel problems – something a structured basic course solves immediately.

What will you learn?

A basic course covers everything you need to work independently in Excel:

Basic handling:

Navigate and structure workbooks
Format cells, rows and columns professionally
Handle large amounts of data efficiently

Formulas and calculations:

Basic arithmetic (SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT)
Cell references (relative vs absolute)
Logical functions (IF, AND, OR)
Text functions for cleaning and combining data

Visualisation and presentation:

Create clear charts (bar, line, pie)
Conditional formatting to find patterns
Print handling and professional reports

Data analysis at a basic level:

Sort and filter information
Simple pivot tables for summaries
Table tools for structured data

Duration and format

Classroom course: 2 intensive days (9:00-16:30 both days)

Online course: 4 sessions × 2 hours, spread over 2-4 weeks

Both formats give the same content and depth. The online course suits you if you want to combine training with your regular work, while the classroom course gives faster results and a better opportunity for networking.

Price and what is included

Open course (attending individually): From SEK 3,500 per person

Company course (your own group, up to 8 people): From SEK 15,000

The price always includes:

Complete course materials (digital and printed)
Practical exercises based on real work scenarios
Certificate after the course
30 days of e-mail support for questions after the course
Coffee and light refreshments at classroom courses

There are no hidden costs. You only need access to a computer with Excel (version 2016 or later).

After the course

Most participants can, straight after the basic course:

Build and maintain budgets and follow-up reports
Automate calculations that were previously done manually
Create professional presentations with charts and tables
Analyse sales data, customer lists or time reports
Save 2-5 hours per week through more efficient working methods

Participant, finance department, Malmö:

”After two days I could do in 20 minutes what used to take the whole morning. I did not even know Excel could do half of what we learned.”

Once you have mastered the basics, it is time to consider an advanced course to take the next step.

Advanced Excel – For those who already know the basics

An advanced Excel course is aimed at those who already work in Excel daily but want to become much faster and handle more complex analyses. This is not a ”follow-up course” – it is a course that teaches you to work in a completely different way.

Who is the course for?

The advanced course suits you if you:

Know basic formulas but get stuck when the data sets become large
Look up the same thing in several tables manually (instead of using VLOOKUP)
Repeat the same data processing every month and want to automate it
Need to analyse data from several sources (accounting systems, CRM, Excel files)
Want to go from ”knowing Excel” to ”being the expert in the team”

What will you learn?

Advanced Excel is about working smarter, not harder. You learn tools that change how you work:

Advanced formulas and functions:

VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP and INDEX/MATCH for looking up data
SUMIF, COUNTIF and other conditional calculations
Text functions for cleaning and structuring data (LEFT, RIGHT, MID)
Date calculations and working across several worksheets
Array formulas (traditional and new dynamic arrays)

Pivot tables and data analysis:

Build advanced pivot tables for multidimensional analysis
Calculated fields and items in pivots
Pivot-linked charts for dynamic reporting
Time series analysis and comparisons
Export and integrate with Power BI vs Excel for advanced visualisation

Power Query – modern tools:

Import and combine data from several sources
Automate recurring data processing
Clean, transform and structure raw data
Create refreshable reports that save hours every month

Data validation and protection:

Build robust templates with controls
Protect workbooks against incorrect input
Conditional formatting at an advanced level

Duration and format

Classroom course: 3 days (9:00-16:30)

Online course: 6 sessions × 2 hours

The advanced course is intensive. We recommend the classroom format if possible, because many techniques become clearer when you see them applied in real time and can ask questions directly.

Price

Open course: From SEK 4,500 per person

Company course (up to 8 people): From SEK 20,000

The same inclusions as the basic course: materials, certificate, support and refreshments.

Prerequisites for participation

To get the maximum value from the advanced course, you should:

✓ Be able to write basic formulas (SUM, IF, AVERAGE)
✓ Understand the difference between relative and absolute cell references
✓ Have worked with Excel regularly for at least 6 months
✓ Feel comfortable with basic formatting and worksheet handling

Not sure whether you meet the requirements? Take our free assessment – we will help you find the right level.

What happens after the course?

Participants who have completed advanced Excel typically report that they:

Save 5-10 hours per week on reports that were previously manual
Can answer questions from managers and colleagues much faster
Build their own analyses instead of waiting for IT or controllers
Get new tasks because they have become the ”Excel person” in the team

Many go on to our VBA course when they realise that automation can take them even further.

Participant, HR manager, Stockholm:

”I thought I knew Excel before the course. On the first day I realised I had been working inefficiently for 10 years. Power Query alone saves me 4 hours every month.”

Excel VBA – For automation and macros

VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is the programming language in Excel that lets you automate almost anything. A VBA course is aimed at those who have concrete, repetitive tasks that take hours every week and who want to build their own solutions.

Who is the course for?

The VBA course suits you if you:

Do the same steps in Excel every day/week/month
Want to build your own tools and forms for your team
Need to integrate Excel with other systems (databases, web APIs, Outlook)
Want to create advanced reports that update automatically
See Excel as a platform for building business solutions

This is not a theoretical programming course. We focus on practical solutions that directly reduce your workload.

What will you learn?

VBA fundamentals:

Understand the Visual Basic Editor and how macros work
Variables, loops and conditions
Work with objects (Workbooks, Worksheets, Range)
Troubleshooting and error handling

Practical automation:

Record, edit and improve macros
Automate report generation and data processing (learn how to automate Excel with VBA)
Create custom functions for specific calculations
Format and structure data programmatically

User interface and interaction:

Build forms (UserForms) for data entry
Buttons and menus to run your tools
Validations and error handling for user-friendliness

Integration and advanced techniques:

Work with external data (text files, databases)
Automate e-mail sending via Outlook
Use external libraries and APIs
Build tools that others in the organisation can use

Duration and format

Classroom course: 3-5 days depending on ambition level

Online course: 10 sessions × 2 hours

VBA requires more time than other Excel courses because it is about programming. We recommend spreading the training over a few weeks so that you have time to apply what you learn between sessions.

Prerequisites

To succeed on the VBA course you need:

✓ To master Excel at an advanced level (formulas, pivot tables, basic Power Query)
✓ To understand logical thinking (if-then-else, loops)
✓ To have concrete use cases in mind – you learn best when you have a real problem to solve

You do not need to have programmed before, but you must be comfortable with Excel as a tool.

Price

Open course: From SEK 5,500 per person

Company course (up to 6 people): From SEK 25,000

VBA courses have smaller groups (max 6-8 people) because each participant needs individual guidance when building their own solutions.

The real effect of VBA

VBA automation can save enormous amounts of time. Here is a real example from one of our customers:

Finance department, 15 people:

Before: 6 hours/month per person to compile reports from different sources
After the VBA solution: 30 minutes/month
Total time saved: ~900 hours per year
ROI: The course paid for itself in under 3 months

Participant, controller, Gothenburg:

”I only wanted to learn to automate one monthly report. After the course I built systems that the team uses daily. We save at least 300 hours a year.”

VBA is not right for everyone. If your needs are more about analysis than automation, a company-tailored Excel course may be better.

Company-tailored Excel training

A company-tailored Excel training is fully customised to your specific needs. Instead of teaching you general techniques, we focus on your real work processes, your data and your challenges.

What makes a company-tailored course special?

1. Your reality as the starting point

We start with a preliminary analysis in which we identify:

Which Excel files and processes you actually use
Where you lose the most time
What knowledge gaps exist in the team
What quick wins you can make

2. Tailor-made content

The course is built from scratch based on what the preliminary analysis shows:

We use your own files and data as exercise material
We focus on the functions and techniques you actually need
We skip what is not relevant to your industry or role
We build templates and tools that you can use straight after the course

3. Mixed levels if needed

If your team has different levels of knowledge, we can:

Divide into level groups
Run parallel tracks
Focus on shared work processes where everyone needs the same knowledge

4. Long-term support

Many companies add:

A follow-up after 4-6 weeks to see how it is going
E-mail support for 60-90 days instead of 30
Documentation of your specific solutions

The process for company-tailored training

Step 1: Preliminary analysis (1-2 hours, free of charge)

We interview key people and look at your existing Excel files. This gives us a clear picture of what you need.

Step 2: Course plan and quote

Based on the preliminary analysis we propose a concrete course plan with content, duration and price. You see exactly what you get.

Step 3: Delivery

The course is held either at your premises or online, whichever suits you best. We use your data and build your solutions.

Step 4: Follow-up

After the course you get access to all the materials, templates and tools we have built together. We follow up after a few weeks to make sure everything works.

Optimal group size

The ideal group is 5-12 people. That is enough to justify the customisation, but few enough for everyone to get individual attention.

For larger organisations we often run several rounds with the same content, or divide into level groups.

Price and ROI

Company-tailored course: From SEK 15,000 per person (decreases per person for larger groups)

The price varies depending on:

How much customisation is needed
The length of the course (1-5 days)
Whether we build tools and templates for you
Whether you want follow-up and continued support

Example of ROI:

A company with 8 people who each save 3 hours per week after training:

Time saved: 24 hours/week = ~1,200 hours/year
Value at an average wage of SEK 400/hour: ~SEK 480,000/year
Course cost: ~SEK 120,000
ROI: 400% in the first year

But it is not only about time. Our customers also report:

Fewer errors in reports and analyses
Faster decision support
Better data quality
Increased confidence in the team

Excel Department – 15 years of experience

We have trained over 3,000 people at Swedish companies since 2009. Our strength is that we:

Understand Swedish business processes and ways of working
Have experience from all industries (finance, manufacturing, public sector, tech)
Combine pedagogy with deep Excel expertise
Build long-term relationships – many customers come back year after year

All our instructors are certified Excel consultants who work on customer assignments daily. They know what actually works in practice.

IT manager, logistics company:

”We had tried standard courses before without results. The company-tailored course from Excel Department focused on our warehouse reports and order handling. Now we do in 2 days what used to take a week.”

Online vs. in-person courses

Both online courses and classroom courses have their advantages. The right choice depends on your team, your ways of working and what you want to learn.

Comparison table

Aspect	Online	In-person
Flexibility	High – combine with regular work	Low – requires a full day away from the office
Engagement	Medium – easy to lose focus	High – full concentration, no distractions
Hands-on learning	Good – you work on your own computer	Excellent – the instructor can look over your shoulder
Time investment	Spread over weeks	Compact – done in 2-3 days
Networking	Limited – chats and breakout rooms	High – natural conversations, breaks, lunch
Travel cost	None	Varies
Price	Same as classroom	Same as online

When online works best

Choose an online course if:

You are geographically dispersed
It is hard to get the team away from the office at the same time
You want to spread the learning over a few weeks for better retention
You want to combine training with application between sessions
The travel budget is limited

Our experience from online:

Online courses work excellently for the basic course and the advanced course. They work less well for VBA, where many participants need more direct guidance.

We run online in smaller rounds (max 10 people) and use interactive exercises, breakout rooms and screen sharing to keep engagement up.

When in-person works best

Choose a classroom course if:

You want intensive learning in a short time
The team needs to focus completely without distractions
You want to build team spirit and network
The subject is complex (e.g. VBA) and requires a lot of guidance
You want everyone to be at exactly the same level after the course

Our experience from the classroom:

Classroom courses give faster results. Participants learn more in 2 days in the classroom than in 4 online sessions, simply because they are fully present.

We usually hold classroom courses in Stockholm (Slottsbacken 8), but can come to your office for company-tailored courses.

Hybrid solution

Some companies combine:

Classroom course for the basics (2 days)
Online follow-up after 4 weeks (2 hours)
Continued e-mail support

This gives the best of both worlds: intensive learning first, then support as you apply the knowledge in real life.

Cost and ROI

Price transparency is important. Here is a complete overview of what different Excel courses cost and what you get for your money.

Price structure – overview

Course type	Open course (per person)	Company course (group of 6-8 people)	Price per person for a company course
Basic course	SEK 3,500	SEK 15,000	~SEK 1,875
Advanced	SEK 4,500	SEK 20,000	~SEK 2,500
VBA	SEK 5,500	SEK 25,000	~SEK 3,125
Company-tailored	–	From SEK 15,000/person	Varies (lower with more participants)

All prices are exclusive of VAT (25%).

What is included in the price?

Whichever course you choose, you always get:

Complete course materials (PDF and exercise files)
Certificate after the completed course
30 days of e-mail support (can be extended for company courses)
Coffee, tea and light refreshments at classroom courses
Access to our digital resource library

No hidden costs.

You only need to have:

A computer with Excel 2016 or later
A good internet connection for online courses

Group discounts

For open courses where several people from the same company attend:

3+ people: 10% discount
5+ people: Consider a company course instead (it works out even cheaper)

ROI example: Advanced course

Scenario: A finance assistant who takes an advanced course

Before the course:

Monthly report: 8 hours to collect data from different sources, look up information and compile
Annual budget: 16 hours of manual copying and formatting
Ad hoc analyses: 4 hours/month with inefficient methods

After the course:

Monthly report: 2 hours (Power Query fetches and combines data automatically)
Annual budget: 4 hours (templates with formulas and pivot tables)
Ad hoc analyses: 1 hour/month (masters VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH)

Time saved:

Monthly report: 6 hours × 12 = 72 hours/year
Annual budget: 12 hours/year
Analyses: 3 hours × 12 = 36 hours/year
Total: ~120 hours/year

Value at an average wage of SEK 350/hour: ~SEK 42,000/year

Course cost: SEK 4,500

ROI: 933% in the first year (and then every year onwards)

ROI example: VBA for a team

Scenario: 6 controllers who take a VBA course and build automation for reporting

Before: Each person spends 10 hours/month on repetitive report generation

After: Automated macros reduce this to 2 hours/month

Time saved: 8 hours × 6 people × 12 months = 576 hours/year

Value at an average wage of SEK 450/hour: ~SEK 260,000/year

Course cost: SEK 25,000

ROI: 1,040% in the first year

But the value is not only time. Our customers also report:

Fewer errors (automation is more consistent than manual work)
Faster reporting (decision support arrives earlier)
Better data quality (standardised processes)
Greater job satisfaction (less tedious routine work)

Is training the right investment?

An Excel course is the right investment if:

✓ You use Excel regularly (at least a few hours per week)
✓ You do repetitive tasks that feel inefficient
✓ You wish you could do more advanced analyses
✓ You have data in different systems that you merge manually

A course may not be right if:

The problem is more technical (systems that do not talk to each other) → An Excel consultant may be better
You need a ready-made solution quickly → A consulting assignment instead of training
You rarely use Excel and only for simple lists

Call us on +46-10-264-20-20 and we will help you decide what gives the best value for your particular situation.

Which course should you choose? – Decision matrix

If you are still unsure which Excel course suits you best, follow this decision matrix:

Step 1: Assess your current level

Ask yourself:

”Can I build a simple budget with formulas (SUM, IF) and create a bar chart?”

No → You need a basic course
Yes, but not much more → Go to step 2
Yes, it is easy → Go to step 3

Step 2: Can you handle larger data sets?

Ask yourself:

”Can I use VLOOKUP to look up information between tables? Can I create a pivot table?”

No → You need an advanced course
Yes, but I get stuck in complex situations → You need an advanced course
Yes, I do it regularly → Go to step 3

Step 3: Do you want to automate?

Ask yourself:

”Do I do the same steps in Excel over and over (every day/week/month) and wish it could happen automatically?”

Yes, definitely → You need a VBA course
No, but I want to learn more advanced analysis → Company-tailored course or advanced course
I am unsure what we actually need → Go to step 4

Step 4: Is it about a whole team?

Ask yourself:

”Are we several people who need to learn, and do we have specific work processes that we want to improve?”

Yes, we are 5+ people with similar needs → Company-tailored course
Yes, but we have different levels → Company-tailored course with level grouping
We are only 2-3 people → Open courses are more cost-effective

Quick decision rules

You should choose a basic course if:

You avoid Excel today
You can enter data but not calculate or analyse
You want to learn from the beginning the right way

You should choose an advanced course if:

You use Excel daily but feel it takes too long
You want to avoid manual copying between files
You see colleagues do things in Excel that look like magic

You should choose a VBA course if:

You master advanced Excel
You do the same repetitive tasks every week
You want to build tools that others in the team can use

You should choose a company-tailored course if:

You are a whole team that needs to learn the same thing
You have specific processes and files that you want to optimise
You want templates and tools built for your particular business

Still unsure?

Call us for a free needs assessment: +46-10-264-20-20

It takes 10 minutes. We ask a few questions about how you work today and what you want to achieve. Then we give clear advice on which course suits best.

You can also e-mail info@exceldepartment.se with a description of your needs, and we will get back to you within one working day.

Next step – Book your course

You now have a complete overview of which Excel courses exist, what they cost and what they give you. Time to take the step.

How to book

1. Choose course type

Based on the decision matrix above you now know whether you need a basic, advanced, VBA or company-tailored course.

2. Choose format

Decide whether you want an open course (together with other companies) or a company course (only your team).

3. Contact us

Phone: +46-10-264-20-20 (weekdays 9-17)

Call if you want to discuss your needs, get advice or book directly.

E-mail: info@exceldepartment.se

E-mail if you want a written proposal or have specific questions.

Visit: Slottsbacken 8, Stockholm (by arrangement)

Do you have questions before you book?

It is completely normal to have questions. Common questions we get:

”How do I know I have the right level?”

We do a free assessment. You answer a few questions about what you can do today, and we recommend the right course. No sales pitch, just honest advice.

”Can we try before we book for the whole team?”

Yes. Feel free to send one person on an open course first. If that person is satisfied, you book a company course for the rest.

”What happens if someone cannot keep up?”

We adapt the pace to the group. For company courses we can divide into level groups if the differences are large. We also offer 30 days of e-mail support after the course.

”Can you come to our office?”

Yes, for company courses we are happy to come to you (applies throughout Sweden). It costs nothing extra within Stockholm, with small supplements for travel outside.

”Is lunch included?”

For full-day classroom courses in Stockholm, lunch is included. For courses at your office, you arrange lunch yourselves.

Next course starts

We run both open courses (monthly) and company courses (booked according to your wishes).

Open courses in Stockholm:

Basic course: Next start within 2-4 weeks
Advanced: Next start within 2-4 weeks
VBA: Next start within 4-6 weeks

Company courses:

Can usually be started within 2-3 weeks from booking, depending on your preferred dates.

For current dates and times, contact us or call.

Book now – invest in your efficiency

Every week you wait is a week you lose time on inefficient working methods. An Excel course takes 2-3 days and saves hundreds of hours per year.

Thousands of Swedish companies have already trained their teams with us. Now it is your turn.

Call +46-10-264-20-20 or e-mail info@exceldepartment.se to get started.

Excel Department

Slottsbacken 8, Stockholm

Phone: +46-10-264-20-20

E-mail: info@exceldepartment.se

Rating: 5.0/5 on Google (26 reviews)

We have been helping Swedish companies work smarter in Excel since 2009.

Need help with this? Our VBA course can help you – the first consultation is free of charge.

Book a free call or call 010-264 20 20.

Excel course guide – Which level suits your organisation?