ICAEW.com works better with JavaScript enabled.

Excel Community

The Excel Community provides a 'one-stop shop' for accountants who want to use Excel.

Contents
Back to top
Excel community featured article image
Exclusive
Featured article

Excel Tips and Tricks #452 - Named Ranges Refreshed

  • Article
  • 22 Aug 2022
  • Tom Edmunds
For this Creator post we have a refresher on Named Ranges in Excel, last covered way back in TOTW #188, and discuss their use and practical tips for working with them.
Read more

Online training for Excel Community members

We now offer a new and improved range of Excel online training, exclusively available as part of your Excel Community membership subscription. Track your progress and improve your Excel capabilities.

Register today
Excel training

Latest articles

Read the latest support and guidance from the Excel Community, including our very popular Tip of the Week series.

Exclusive TEXTBEFORE(), TEXTAFTER, TEXTSPLIT()
  • Article
  • 22 Sep 2022
  • Simon Hurst
Three new text functions have been introduced in Excel to help extract values from text containing some sort of delimiter. We take a detailed look at some of the arguments available as part of these new functions to help you to get the most from them and also highlight some significant changes between the preview and release versions of the functions.
Exclusive How to Review a Spreadsheet Part 4: Design Principles and Formula Errors
  • Article
  • 21 Sep 2022
  • John Tennent
The last three blogs in this series will now look at validating the details within the spreadsheet. The range of these items that should be applied will need to be proportionate to the context, scale and risk of the spreadsheet being reviewed.
Exclusive Excel how to: speed up data entry
  • Article
  • 16 Sep 2022
  • Simon Hurst
We look at how to make entering data into an Excel workbook as quick and efficient as possible by knowing the effect of some key Excel options and features, together with some useful keyboard shortcuts.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #454 – Revisiting splitting workbooks with VBA
  • Article
  • 13 Sep 2022
  • Ian Pay
A Developer level post in which we are going to work through the VBA code required to take a workbook and cut it into one file for each sheet, and save all the resulting files.
New tech features for Jun-Aug 2022
  • Article
  • 12 Sep 2022
  • David Benaim
Our digest of new features across Microsoft 365 & other business tech products in written, images & video format covering the last three months.
Exclusive Dynamic Arrays – still one leg short of a table?
  • Article
  • 12 Sep 2022
  • Simon Hurst
Coming soon: some additional functions for manipulating Dynamic Arrays, but will they do anything to rectify existing deficiencies?
Excel Community round up - August 2022
  • Article
  • 02 Sep 2022
  • Tracy Gray
Here are all the new Excel articles from the Excel Community in August 2022.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #453 – Revisiting Audit Sampling with Dynamic Arrays
  • Article
  • 31 Aug 2022
  • Ian Pay
Hello all and welcome back to Excel Tips and Tricks. This week, we have a General User post in which we are revisiting how to build (and use) a template to assist with audit sampling using dynamic arrays, last covered in TOTW #353.

Excel hints and tips

The Excel community has produced an extensive list of helpful tips and tutorials including its 'Excel tip of the week' series.  
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #454 – Revisiting splitting workbooks with VBA
  • Article
  • 13 Sep 2022
A Developer level post in which we are going to work through the VBA code required to take a workbook and cut it into one file for each sheet, and save all the resulting files.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #453 – Revisiting Audit Sampling with Dynamic Arrays
  • Article
  • 31 Aug 2022
Hello all and welcome back to Excel Tips and Tricks. This week, we have a General User post in which we are revisiting how to build (and use) a template to assist with audit sampling using dynamic arrays, last covered in TOTW #353.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #452 - Named Ranges Refreshed
  • Article
  • 22 Aug 2022
For this Creator post we have a refresher on Named Ranges in Excel, last covered way back in TOTW #188, and discuss their use and practical tips for working with them.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #451 – Sparklines Refreshed
  • Article
  • 05 Aug 2022
Hello all and welcome back to the Excel Tip of the Week. This week, we have a Creator post in which we are looking at another under-utilised piece of functionality within Excel – the Sparkline, last covered in TOTW #290.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #450 – Revisiting Custom Data Validation
  • Article
  • 26 Jul 2022
In this Creator post we revisit the topic of how to make custom data validation rules with functions.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #449 - Let LET simplify formulas
  • Article
  • 19 Jul 2022
Hello all and welcome back to Excel Tips and Tricks! For this tip we have a Creator post where we introduce the LET formula in Excel and how this can be used to simplify otherwise long and complicated Excel formulas.
Exclusive Excel Tips and Tricks #448 – A Distinct Count Conundrum
  • Article
  • 13 Jul 2022
Hello all and welcome back to Excel Tips and Tricks! For this tip, we have a Creator post looking at the challenges around generating distinct counts by category and correctly calculating these as a percentage of the total population. This tip is based on a genuine scenario encountered when trying to produce some MI in relation to audit clients.
Excel Tips and Tricks #447 – Rounding Errors Revisited
  • Article
  • 28 Jun 2022
Hello all and welcome back to Excel Tips and Tricks! For this tip, we have a General User post exploring the quirks of the Excel calculation engine, why sometimes it can mean that rounding errors are introduced into your data, and what you can do about them.

Introduction to Financial Modelling

This 19-part series from 2020 and 2021 works through the chapters of our Financial Modelling Code and explains how each element translates into practice.
Intro to Financial Modelling - Part 1: Model definition and purpose
  • Article
  • 23 Jan 2020
The development and use of financial models in Excel continues to proliferate, as does the variety of approaches and methodologies adopted. Without a universally accepted set of agreed principles, it can be difficult to know what good looks like in financial modelling terms.
Intro to Financial Modelling - Part 2: Layout & Structure - Laying out a model
  • Article
  • 20 Feb 2020
The layout and structure of a model is arguably the most important piece of a model. It is the foundation on which the rest of the model is built: the model infrastructure.
Intro to Financial Modelling - Part 3: Layout & Structure - Navigation
  • Article
  • 19 Mar 2020
In this instalment of the blog series, I will be talking about the principles covered in page 5 of the Financial Modelling Code, “Make Navigation Simple”.
Intro to Financial Modelling - Part 4: Layout & Structure - Managing Inputs
  • Article
  • 23 Apr 2020
Following from last month’s blog on Layout Structure – Laying Out a Model, we continue with this theme and examine some common ways to manage model inputs.
View all the series

Webinars and recordings

View our archive of Excel Community webinars.

Find out here about the Excel community's forthcoming webinars.

How to review a spreadsheet (2022 edition)
  • Webinar
  • 08 Sep 2022
This webinar from the Excel Community provides keyboard shortcuts and tips for easy spreadsheet reviewing.
Exclusive Hooray for Arrays! The formula revolution that lets Excel take the strain
  • Webinar
  • 06 Jul 2022
If you don't know what array formulas are, or don't know how to use them, then this webinar will provide the answers.
Exclusive Power Query - the Excel TARDIS (Totally Avoid Running out of Dimensions In Spreadsheets)
  • Webinar
  • 17 Jun 2022
The introduction will cover a guide to using the Power Query editor and a range of key techniques and features, all of which can be used to solve practical problems and automate time-consuming processes.
Exclusive Power Pivot for management reports
  • Webinar
  • 22 Mar 2022
“Excel Tip of the Week” author David Lyford-Tilley takes us on a deep dive into how the powerful and flexible Power Pivot add-in can be used to connect datasets together to make simpler management reporting dashboards.
Exclusive A comprehensive guide to PivotTables (2022 webinar)
  • Webinar
  • 21 Feb 2022
Join David Lyford-Tilley as he walks you through everything you need to know about summarising and condensing your data using Excel’s famous PivotTables.
Excel Tip of the Week Live: your questions answered (Winter '22)
  • Webinar
  • 25 Jan 2022
In the latest instalment of the “Tip of the Week Live” series, series author David Lyford-Tilley tackles your Excel questions, quandaries, and more. 
Exclusive Getting started with VBA
  • Webinar
  • 22 Nov 2021
John Tennent draws back the curtain and shows you how to get started with this powerful Excel tool.
How to review a spreadsheet: launch event
  • Webinar
  • 02 Nov 2021
Join “Excel Tip of the Week” author David Lyford-Tilley and spreadsheet expert John Tennent for the launch of the Excel Community’s latest thought leadership report, “How to Review a Spreadsheet”.

Excel Thought Leadership papers

How to review a spreadsheet
  • Thought leadership report
  • 20 Oct 2021
Reduce the risk that your spreadsheet gives you the wrong answer.
Improve your financial modelling practice
  • Thought leadership report
  • 12 Nov 2018
ICAEW’s Excel Community has worked with a broad swathe of modelling organisations and experts, taking a half dozen methodologies and paring down to the commonly held, widely accepted beliefs about what constitutes good modelling.
Spreadsheet Competency Framework
  • Report
  • 05 Jul 2016
The framework is a structure for assessing ability and proficiency when using spreadsheets.
Twenty spreadsheet principles
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 13 Jun 2014
Twenty principles for good spreadsheet practice aims to reduce spreadsheet errors and wasted time.

Search the Excel Community archive

This archive of Excel Community content from the ION platform will allow you to read the content of the articles but the functionality on the pages is limited. The ION search box, tags and navigation buttons on the archived pages will not work. Pages will load more slowly than a live website. You may be able to follow links to other articles but if this does not work, please return to the archive search. You can also search our Knowledge Base for access to all articles, new and archived, organised by topic.

Search the archive Access the knowledge base
Excel community
Professional development

Excel Community's programme of webinars

Improve your Excel knowledge and minimise spreadsheet risk by attending our webinars. We have a programme of CPD webinars that you can join from the comfort of your office.
Book now
Expert knowledge

Excel Community group membership

The Excel Community is for professionals who use Excel and want to understand how to use it better. Joining the Excel Community as a group member will provide you with an Excel online training dashboard so you can monitor the training progress of your colleagues.
Find out more

eBooks

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers. eBooks are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. If you are unable to access an eBook, please see our Help and support advice or contact library@icaew.com.
Exclusive Hands-on financial modeling with Excel for Microsoft 365: build your own practical financial models for effective forecasting, valuation, trading, and growth analysis
  • eBook
  • 17 Jun 2022
Financial modeling is a core skill required by anyone who wants to build a career in finance. This book explores financial modeling terminologies with the help of Excel. Starting with the key concepts of Excel, such as formulas and functions, this updated second edition will help you to learn all about referencing frameworks and other advanced components for building financial models.
Exclusive Data visualization with Excel dashboards and reports
  • eBook
  • 01 Apr 2021
Large corporations like IBM and Oracle are using Excel dashboards and reports as a Business Intelligence tool, and many other smaller businesses are looking to these tools in order to cut costs for budgetary reasons.
Exclusive Financial modeling for decision making: using MS-Excel in accounting and finance
  • eBook
  • 01 Sep 2020
This book provides accounting students in post-secondary institutions with an advanced level understanding of how to use MS-Excel.
Exclusive Using Excel for business and financial modelling: a practical guide (3rd edition)
  • eBook
  • 15 Apr 2019
A hands-on guide to using Excel in the business context. Contains step-by-step instructions of how to solve common business problems using financial models, including downloadable Excel templates, a list of shortcuts and tons of practical tips and techniques you can apply straight away. Formerly titled Using Excel for business analysis.
Exclusive Principles of financial modelling: model design and best practices using Excel and VBA
  • eBook
  • 01 Jan 2018
A practical guide to financial modelling, demonstrating how to plan, design and build financial models.
Exclusive Financial modeling in Excel for Dummies
  • eBook
  • 01 Jan 2017
A beginner's guide to financial modeling using Microsoft Excel.
Exclusive Power Pivot and Power BI: the Excel user's guide to DAX, Power Query, Power BI and Power Pivot in Excel 2010-2016
  • eBook
  • 01 Jan 2016
Microsoft PowerPivot is a free add-on to Excel from Microsoft that allows users to produce new kinds of reports and analyses that were simply impossible before, and this book is the first to tackle DAX formulas, the core capability of PowerPivot, from the perspective of the Excel audience.
Exclusive Mastering financial mathematics in Microsoft Excel: a practical guide to business calculations (3rd edition)
  • eBook
  • 01 Jan 2015
Fully updated and compliant with Excel 2013, this clearly explains the basic calculations for mathematical finance, backed up with simple templates for further use and development, and a workbook with exercises and solutions at the end of each chapter
Terms of use

You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

See more excel eBooks