Spreadsheets I — Getting Started — Handout
Read this before or alongside the hands-on practice. This is reading material only — the module itself is where you actually click into a real grid, type real values and formulas, watch a real formula bar and a real computed result, format real cells, and build a real price list that is marked on the worksheet you end up with. 17 levels, 14 of them behind the module purchase.
The one rule everything else rests on
Every cell shows an answer; the formula bar shows the question. Click any cell and look above the grid: the formula bar shows exactly what was typed into it — a plain number, a piece of text, or a formula starting with =. The cell itself always shows the result. Those are two different things, and confusing them is where almost every beginner mistake starts.
Cell addresses
Every cell has an address made of its column letter and row number — B3 is column B, row 3. A range of cells is written as its two opposite corners: A1:B4 means every cell in that rectangle. Click and drag across cells to select a range; a single click selects one cell.
Formulas: the four this module covers
| =A1+B1 | Addition |
| =A1-B1 | Subtraction — order matters: A1-B1 is not the same as B1-A1 |
| =A1*B1 | Multiplication — the asterisk, not the letter x |
| =A1/B1 | Division — order matters, and dividing by zero shows #DIV/0! |
Every formula starts with =. You can combine operators and use parentheses — =(A1+A2)*2 works exactly the way it looks like it should. This module deliberately stops at plain arithmetic: functions like SUM and AVERAGE, and referencing that copies itself down a column, are Spreadsheets II.
Reference the cell, don’t type the answer
=A2+B2 and =45000+38000 can show the exact same answer today. They are not the same formula. The moment a number in A2 or B2 changes, the reference-based formula recalculates itself — the typed-in version stays wrong forever, silently. Building formulas from cell references rather than typed numbers is the single habit this whole module is built to teach.
Formatting never changes what a cell contains
Bold, currency and borders all change how a cell looks, never what it is. A cell formatted as currency still holds the plain number underneath — click it and the formula bar proves it. That is exactly why a formula can safely reference a currency-formatted cell and still calculate correctly with the real number.
Reading an error
#DIV/0! means a formula tried to divide by zero or an empty cell. It is not a crash — it is the honest answer to a question that has none. Fix the cell the formula depends on, not the formula itself; the formula is very often already correct.
The 17 levels
Getting Started
- Rows, Columns and CellsfreeWhat a spreadsheet is and how a cell address works.
- Entering, Editing and NavigatingfreeTyping data in, editing it, and moving with Enter and Tab.
- Selecting Cells and RangesfreeSingle cells versus a dragged rectangle of cells.
Basic Formulas
- Your First Formula: AdditionThe equals sign, and why a reference beats a typed number.
- SubtractionOrder matters — A minus B is not B minus A.
- MultiplicationPrice times quantity, the formula behind almost every cost line.
- DivisionSharing a total out, and what #DIV/0! actually means.
- Cell References Across a TableThe same formula pattern, repeated once per row.
- Formula ReviewAll four operators, mixed, marked on the exact formula.
Simple Formatting
- Bold HeadersMarking labels apart from data at a glance.
- Currency FormattingDisplay-only — the real number never changes underneath.
- Cell BordersMarking a table out for print, beyond the faint editing grid.
- Formatting ReviewBold, currency and borders together on one short exam.
Putting It Together
- Fixing MistakesReading an error, and fixing the input rather than the formula.
- Building a Small WorksheetLabels, formulas and formatting combined, from a blank sheet.
- Mastery ReviewA comprehensive check before the capstone.
Capstone
- Capstone: Build a Price ListA real price list, marked on the worksheet you produce.
Where this module stops
This module owns the basics: cells, arithmetic formulas, and simple bold/currency/border formatting. Adding up a whole column with a single function (SUM), averaging a set of marks, an IF that reacts to a condition, cell references that copy themselves down a column, sorting, filtering and charts are all Spreadsheets II — Formulas, Functions, and Charts. Typing accurately in the first place is Keyboard & Touch-Typing Mastery.
Completing a level’s practical exam earns a Skill Badge — this is skill-building and self-assessment, not a certification or formal qualification.