Learn from Excel expert David Ringstrom, CPA, valuable techniques that can be used to verify the integrity of even the most complicated Excel spreadsheets. In this comprehensive course, David shows you how to use Excel’s formula auditing and error-checking tools, identify duplicates in a list, monitor the ramifications of even minor changes made to your workbooks, use the Evaluate Formula feature, and much more.

David demonstrates every technique at least twice: first, on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and second, in Excel 2016. He draws your attention to any differences in Excel 2013, 2010, or 2007 during the presentation as well as in his detailed handouts. David also provides an Excel workbook that includes most of the examples he uses during the webcast.  

Topics Covered:

  • Identifying duplicates in a list using Conditional Formatting.
  • Selecting all formulas within a worksheet with just two mouse clicks.
  • Adding a macro to Excel that adds the ability to display any formula in a cell comment.
  • Exploring options for recovering lost passwords for Excel spreadsheets.
  • Protecting sensitive information by marking key worksheets as VeryHidden.
  • Transforming cell references into range names by way of the Apply Range Names to Formulas command.
  • Differentiating between manual and automatic calculation modes in Excel, and when Excel may default into manual calculation mode.
  • Understanding the purpose and nuances of Excel’s Personal Macro Workbook.
  • Bringing Excel’s green error-checking prompts under control by managing the underlying rules.
  • Learning the nuances of circular references in Excel.
Learning Objectives
  • Discover the location of the menu command that allows you to determine categorically if a workbook contains links or not.
  • Recognize how to transform cell references into range names.
  • Identify the location of the Enable Iterative Calculations setting within the Excel Options dialog box.
  • Explore how to implement the Watch Window to monitor the ramifications of even minor changes to your workbooks.
Last updated/reviewed: August 21, 2023

Included In Certifications

This course is included in the following Certification Programs:

17 CoursesExcel Modeler Certification

  1. Excel Efficiency: VLOOKUP
  2. Excel Efficiency: Logic Functions
  3. Excel Efficiency: Filtering and Formatting Data
  4. Excel Efficiency: Intermediate Pivot Tables
  5. Excel Efficiency: Auditing Spreadsheets
  6. Excel Efficiency: Minimizing Worksheet Errors
  7. Excel Efficiency: Workbook Links
  8. Excel Efficiency: What-If Analysis in Microsoft Excel
  9. Excel Efficiency: Quick and Easy Financial Statements in Excel
  10. Excel Efficiency: Budget Spreadsheets
  11. Hands-On Excel: Waterfall Calculations
  12. Excel Efficiency: Table Feature
  13. Excel Efficiency: Intro to Macros Part 1
  14. Excel Efficiency: Intro to Macros Part 2
  15. Excel Efficiency: Excel Chart Speed Tips
  16. Excel Efficiency: Taming Large Spreadsheets
  17. Excel Efficiency: Internal Controls
16 Reviews (90 ratings)

Reviews

5
Anonymous Author
Very good course overall and definitely learned some good tips and tricks. Only minor suggestion would be to either mention or discuss the comment macro earlier in the presentation only because I was wondering during the first portion of the presentation how that was actually being done. Thank you for providing the step by step on how to enable and now that I have it set up I plan on using it going forward.

4
Member's Profile
Overall, the course was very helpful in learning some of the useful ways to assess the standing of a workbook, particularly as either the main user of the document or someone in a review capacity. A few of the topics, such as the macros, were probably meant for a course where the main function was complex uses.

5
Anonymous Author
There were some very cool things in this course like embedding notes within formulas and creating macros to add cell formulas to comments box. This was a very helpful course for auditing workbooks and full of great gems.

4
Anonymous Author
The course was very informative and was explained and presented very clearly. The instructor gave great insights and tips that will be useful in the professional world. I would recommend this course to others.

5
Anonymous Author
I recommend this course to people that work with data and wants to do their job with quality. The course provide a series of tips very helpful to save time and get clean and accurate data.

5
Anonymous Author
This course covered the stated learning objectives. The instructors presentation of all of the steps twice is helpful to really get a grasp on what how to perform various functions.

5
Anonymous Author
Great lesson. There are many Excel features that are not known by the vast majority of users. Illumeo does a good job of providing content to help bring those to light.

5
Anonymous Author
David Ringstrom always has great excel courses. Love the way he shows all the different ways to accomplish a task and walks through all his examples.

4
Member's Profile
I have over 20 years of working in Excel, so some of this was not new. There were some different items that I was not aware of that is very helpful.

5
Member's Profile
Great course. For the final 3mins the dataset was not provided so I could only follow along onscreen instead of working through the excel.

5
Anonymous Author
This one's relaxing course. Very practical and usable information. I plan to implement any of the things learned in my daily work life

4
Anonymous Author
The personal macro workbook was awesome. I didn't even knew that existed. Thanks for the FormulaComment Macro! it's really helpful.

5
Anonymous Author
Good discussion of often-overlooked Excel features for identifying and resolving formula errors in workbooks.

5
Anonymous Author
Advanced/uncommon Excel tips -- I've never used some of these tricks and look forward to using them soon!

4
Anonymous Author
David's teaching style is great. the two step, show then a walk through very helpful

5
Member's Profile
Great course, it take you through a variety of topics, very well explained.

Prerequisites
Course Complexity: Advanced

Program Prerequisites: Experience working with Excel spreadsheets

Advance Preparation: None

Education Provider Information
Company: Illumeo, Inc., 75 East Santa Clara St., Suite 1215, San Jose, CA 95113
Contact: For more information regarding this course, including complaint and cancellation policies, please contact our offices at (408) 400- 3993 or send an e-mail to .
Instructor for this course
Course Syllabus
INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
  Introduction to Excel Efficiency: Auditing Spreadsheets10:04
  Confirming If a File Has Links8:29
  Show Formulas Feature10:59
  Trace Dependents10:05
  Evaluate Formulas8:00
  Create Range Names from Selection10:48
  Watch Window8:37
  Cell Comments9:19
  Unhide Personal Macro Workbook8:33
  Manage Error Checking Prompts9:23
  Circular References6:34
  Auditing Pivot Tables7:19
CONTINUOUS PLAY
  Excel Efficiency: Auditing Spreadsheets 1:48:10
SUPPORTING MATERIALS
  Slides: Excel Efficiency: Auditing SpreadsheetsPDF
  Excel Efficiency: Auditing Spreadsheets Glossary/IndexPDF
  Workbook: Excel Efficiency: Auditing SpreadsheetsXLSX
  12 Month Income StatementXLSB
REVIEW AND TEST
  REVIEW QUESTIONSquiz
 FINAL EXAMexam