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In today’s business world, most people need to find their way around an Excel® spreadsheet. For CPAs and other accounting and finance professionals, the bar is much higher. To perform at peak proficiency, you truly need to be an Excel® “power user.” In eight highly targeted hours of online instruction, this certificate course equips you with exactly the advanced Excel skills you need in the tax and accounting world.
$149
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Please note: This course does not qualify for continuing education (CPE) credits. It is a professional skills certificate designed to build advanced Excel proficiency — not a compliance CPE course. For Excel CPE courses, visit Microsoft Excel CPE.
Program includes:
This certificate course is ideal for accounting and finance students seeking positions in the field, as well as new hires and junior associates who would benefit from a deeper understanding of Excel®’s capabilities. It is the only Excel® curriculum offered by Surgent — the nation’s trusted leader in professional education for accounting and finance professionals.
After completing all four modules and four short proficiency exams, you will receive a certificate and a digital badge you can add to LinkedIn and other professional profiles. Set yourself apart from other job candidates and demonstrate that you have the skills to deliver value from day one on the job.
Instructor: Jeff Lenning, CPA, CITA
Jeff Lenning is a top-rated instructor who specializes in teaching technology to accounting and finance students and professionals. His practical, accounting-focused approach to Excel instruction makes advanced concepts immediately applicable to real accounting work.
Buying for a firm or team? Contact us for enterprise pricing.
4 on-demand modules • 2 hours each • 8 hours of instruction total • proficiency exam included in each module
Module 1: Mastering Must-Have Skills for Accounting and Finance Roles
For accounting and finance professionals, basic Excel skills are just a prerequisite to the real must-have skills used every day in the tax and accounting world. This module provides a thorough grounding in the time-saving shortcuts and strategies finance professionals use to boost their productivity in Excel.
Major topics: Advanced summing techniques • biggest Excel pitfalls and workarounds • essential keyboard shortcuts for accounting pros • alternatives to hiding rows and columns • fastest navigation between workbooks and files • structuring worksheets for dynamic functions • working with Excel Styles
2 Hours
Module 2: Taking Control of Your Data with Tables and Conditional Summing
This module explores the powerful concept of splitting data from reports using Excel®’s Tables feature and the multiple-condition summing function. You will understand these tools fully and then apply them in a variety of real-world accounting scenarios.
Major topics: When and how to use the Table feature • using the Table object to store data • mastering conditional summing function arguments • aggregating table data • using table objects as mapping tables • building crosstab-style reports
Module 3: Getting the Most From VLookups and Other Lookup Functions
Many Excel users rely on direct cell references when lookup functions would be far more powerful. This module unlocks the full range of Excel lookup capabilities — including how to bypass VLookup’s limitations and move beyond it entirely to the techniques Excel power users actually rely on.
Major topics: When lookup functions outperform direct cell references • three key Excel lookup functions • applying VLookup capabilities • understanding and overcoming VLookup limitations • techniques to move beyond VLookup altogether
Module 4: Unleashing the Potential of the PivotTable
Of all the advanced Excel capabilities used by accounting and finance professionals, none are as critical as the PivotTable. A PivotTable summarizes data in ways that would take hours to replicate manually. If you haven’t explored PivotTables yet, this module is your starting point.
Major topics: PivotTable basics and capabilities • retrieving data from a database to feed a PivotTable • using external data sources with PivotTables • pulling data from web pages into Excel PivotTables
Reminder: This certificate program does not qualify for CPE credit. It is a professional skills certificate. For Microsoft Excel CPE courses, visit surgentcpe.com/excel-cpe-courses.
Students entering the accounting and finance job market who want to demonstrate Excel proficiency to employers. This certificate is evidence that you have completed the only Excel curriculum offered by Surgent — a recognized name in professional accounting education.
New team members in accounting, tax, or finance roles who could benefit from a deeper understanding of Excel®’s capabilities. The course moves quickly from basics to the power-user techniques that professionals actually rely on in daily work.
Any accounting or finance professional who uses Excel regularly but suspects they’re not getting the most out of it. If you rely on basic summing, direct cell references, or manual data cleanup instead of Tables, VLookups, and PivotTables, this course will change how you work.
Firms looking to bring new staff up to speed quickly on the Excel skills that matter in accounting and tax work. The structured four-module format with proficiency exams makes it easy to verify that staff have absorbed the material.
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