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Which Excel Course Do You Need?

A Level Breakdown & Guide

Which level is right for you?

1 Aug 2026

Not sure what level your Excel skills are at? Use our comparison guide and 15 question Excel assessment to help benchmark your skills. Whether you're looking for quick shortcuts or advanced automation, we'll help you find the perfect 1 day course for you or your team

Why Benchmarking Your Excel Skills Matters

Most of us use Excel every day, but we often only scratch the surface of what it can do. Whether you're self-taught or just haven't updated your skills in a while, we're here to help you close that gap and start working more efficiently.

Identifying your current level isn't just about a title, it’s about productivity. Moving from a Beginner to an Intermediate level is often the biggest 'lightbulb' moment for our delegates.

By learning how to automate logical decisions and handle data more efficiently, you can stop the tedious manual work and spend your time on what really matters

Understanding the Proficiency Levels

Before you begin the Excel skills assessment below, here is a summary of the benchmarks we use for our professional training modules:

- Beginner Level: Perfect for building foundational confidence. We'll cover core navigation, simple formulas, and how to make your sheets look professional.

- Intermediate Level: The 'Efficiency' stage. Master the logic behind Excel like IF functions, to stop the manual data entry.

- Advanced Level: The 'Analytical' stage. For those ready to master complex reporting using Pivot Tables, XLOOKUPs, and Macros.

Specialist Tracks: Beyond standard levels, tools like Power Query, VBA and SQL allow for deep automation and handling of massive corporate datasets.

Excel Course Comparison Matrix

Use this table to quickly identify which syllabus aligns with your career goals and current technical gaps.

Level	Ideal For...	Key Topics	The Core Goal
Beginner	New users or those who are self-taught and want to learn the "correct" way.	Basic formulas, shortcuts, and sheet formatting.	Confidence: Build worksheets from scratch that actually work.
Intermediate	Users confident with the basics who want to eliminate manual data entry.	IF, tables and data validation, tables, conditional formatting and 3D Calculations	Efficiency: Handle larger datasets and automate logical decisions.
Advanced	Experienced users looking to master complex reporting and automation.	Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP, and recording/running Macros.	Mastery: Produce complex, automated reports and high-level analysis.
Specialist	Power users requiring deep automation or Big Data management.	Power Query, Data Relationships, and Intro to VBA.	Automation: Connect multiple data sources and build custom tools.

How the Skill Check Works

The following 15 question Excel assessment is mapped directly to our 5 star rated course syllabuses and will help you to decipher your skills level and appropriate course.

- It’s Practical: These aren’t trick questions; they simply look at the real-world skills you use every day to see which syllabus matches your needs.

- It’s Fast: It takes approximately 2 minutes to complete.

- It’s Personal:You will receive an instant recommendation for the 1-day course that best fits your current gap.

Please Note: This assessment is intended as a guide to help you identify the M Training course most suited to your current skill level. While it measures core "threshold" skills, it is not a formal skills assessment.

If your score falls on the boundary between two levels, we recommend reviewing the full course outlines or speaking with our team for a personalised recommendation.

Microsoft Excel Skills Assessment: Find Your Training Level

Not sure if you need a Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced Excel course?

Our 15-question competency quiz is designed to benchmark your current skills against our official course modules.

By the end of this 2-minute assessment, you will receive a personalized recommendation on which level is right for you.

Whether you are an individual looking to upskill or a manager benchmarking for a team of 5 or more, this guide ensures you choose the most effective path to Excel mastery.

Excel Skills Assessment Quiz

Showing 1 of 15 questions

You're ready to master the Excel Essentials!

Analysis: Your score suggests you are either new to Excel or have been using it in a limited capacity.

You'll benefit most from learning the "right" way to build worksheets from scratch.

What you'll gain: You will learn how to create effective formulated worksheets, use essential shortcuts, and build clear charts with confidence.

View Beginner Excel Course Dates

Looking for a course for your team? Our Private Excel Courses are more cost-effective. We can deliver these at our Manchester HQ, your offices UK-wide, or as a private online session. Enquire about a Private Group Quote

You have a solid foundation - now it's time for efficiency!

Analysis: You clearly understand the basics, but your score shows some gaps in handling larger datasets and automated logic.

You are likely spending more time on manual tasks than you need to.

What you'll gain: You will master VLOOKUPs, IF statements, and data-cleaning tools like Text-to-Columns to handle data effectively and create professional spreadsheets.

View Intermediate Excel Course Date

Looking for a course for your team? Our Private Excel Courses are more cost-effective. We can deliver these at our Manchester HQ, your offices UK-wide, or as a private online session. Enquire about a Private Group Quote

You're a Power User! Time to reach the Technical Masterclass.

Analysis: Great job! You have a strong grasp of intermediate logic. To truly maximize Excel, you're ready for complex reporting, data modeling, and automation.

What you'll gain: You'll dive deep into Pivot Tables, XLOOKUPs, and the recording of Macros to produce complex, automated reports.

View Advanced Excel Course Dates

Interested in deep automation or Big Data? We also offer specialist Private training in Intro to VBA , Power Query and Power BI courses for teams looking to go beyond standard Advanced Excel.

A Note for Team Leaders & HR Managers

Training a team? If you have 5 or more people with similar needs, a Private Group Course is usually the best value. We can come to you, host you at our Manchester office or run a private session online. Get in touch

Next Steps Recommendation

Once you have your results, you can explore the full course outlines and view upcoming dates for our classroom and online Excel courses or get in touch for more information.