Top Excel Projects to Sharpen Your Skills and Build Your Excel Portfolio

Excel is one of Microsoft’s most popular tools for data analytics on various computer and mobile operating systems. It can be used to quickly perform a wide range of calculations, create different graphs, and develop data tables.

If you want to begin utilizing this tool to assist you in your work, you should begin with simple Excel projects that can help you develop proficiency in using it. In this article, you’ll learn about some of the best Excel projects for beginner, intermediate, and advanced Excel users. 

5 Skills That Excel Projects Can Help You Practice

Microsoft Excel can perform various calculations and graphically display a large amount of data. This powerful tool can help you complete your tasks in a more orderly and timely manner.  As a result, it’s recommended that you learn how to use Excel by acquiring the necessary skills. Listed below are some of the skills you’ll practice through Excel projects. 

• PivotTables. Excel pivot tables are extremely helpful. You can use them to filter a data set from a large spreadsheet to display only the information that is relevant to you. Furthermore, all you have to do to use it is drag the desired data to the table.
• Worksheet Functions. Excel is useful for performing common tasks and has a wide range of functions that will speed up your calculations. These functions are designed to ensure that the cell meets only the criteria specified for a range. When analyzing large amounts of data, many functions come in handy.
• Dynamic Array Functions. With Dynamic array functions, you can include multiple values in the same formula. Among the available functions are FILTER, which allows you to quickly find and display a set of data from a table, as well as RANDARRAY, SORT, UNIQUE, and XMATCH, among many others.
• Power Pivots. This function is designed to work with datasets that are significantly larger than pivot tables can handle. It automatically connects pivot tables to external databases. This feature enables you to work with Massive Access or SQL databases. It is a highly beneficial and advanced feature for data analysts.
• Macros. Macros can be programmed in Microsoft Excel to perform repeated actions, such as clicks and keystrokes. To use it, simply program and activate it to begin running as many times as desired. Using macros to automate repetitive tasks can save you a lot of time.

Best Excel Project Ideas for Beginners

These hands-on projects will help you become acquainted with the most commonly used features of Microsoft Excel so that you can complete your actual tasks more quickly. Here are a few simple and common projects to get you started with Excel.

Database

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions, Power Pivots

Creating databases is one of the most common uses of Excel. You can collect and record a set of customer or employee data in a spreadsheet in order to keep them organized and easily accessible. You will learn how to enter the data into cells and manipulate them.

Expense tracking

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions

You can manage your finances by using an Excel sheet to keep track of your expenses, either daily or monthly. The idea is to create a column for each type of expense so that at the end of each month, you can graph the data and see what you spent your money on.

Project Manager

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions

Creating a to-do list in Excel will help you remember the daily tasks you need to complete at work or at home. You can create a list of tasks using a spreadsheet, and arrange the activities by priority or according to task dates. You’ll then be able to update each project phase and check it off once it’s completed. This can also double as a project schedule or project timeline.

Attendance Tracking

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions

You can include various data about the attendees of a meeting, class, or another event in an attendance chart or list. It is especially useful if you have to keep track of the attendance of a large number of people. You can enter the people’s information, dates, and reasons for non-attendance on the sheet.

Grade Calculator

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions

You can use Excel to calculate and record students’ grades. You’ll need to create an Excel sheet with all the students’ names and grades throughout the term. In a couple of simple steps, you can generate calculations of their final grades. Both students and teachers can automate the calculation of the final grade.

Best Intermediate Excel Portfolio Ideas 

The following intermediate projects were selected to improve the basic skills you already have and teach you how to use more advanced tools offered by Microsoft Excel. 

Create a Mailing List for Word

• Excel Skills Practiced: Dynamic Array Functions

If you need to send the same personalized Word letter to a group of people, this project will help you automatically identify and send the letters to their recipients. You only need to create a column for the person’s name and email address to accomplish this. Then, using the Merge to Word tool, you can link the data.

Create a Questionnaire

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions,  PivotTables

To make a questionnaire in Microsoft Excel, you must place the questions in a column, and the answers in the adjacent column. By applying the Data Validation command, you can make sure that the type of answer is correct, such as whether it is a number, letters, Yes, or No. You can use the Check Box control to set specific responses.

Stock Control

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions,  PivotTables

A business must maintain stock control by tracking purchases and sales over the course of days, weeks, months, and years. It is extremely beneficial to use Excel because it will aid in the organization of the purchase and sales sheets as well as automate the stock sheet based on changes in the other two.

Invoice and Sales Summaries

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions

The goal of this Excel project is to automatically generate a monthly or yearly sales summary list. First, the invoice is created and printed, and then the data from the invoice is automatically transferred to the database in real-time. You can also add a function that generates the current status of each invoice. 

Quote System

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions

For this project, you will create a quote in Excel. To create quotes, you’ll need input data that includes job details. You will use the data to calculate the costs and benefits, as well as generate a quote. Unexpected changes in your original plan or quote can also be updated and explained in this system.

Best Advanced Excel Project Ideas

Listed below are some of the best advanced Excel projects for you to apply your creativity and existing Excel skills to. These projects will allow you to advance your Excel skills and provide you with excellent portfolio pieces. 

Web Games

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions, Power Pivots

Excel allows you to create and play 3D or 2D web games online or offline, as the games’ movements are saved in a worksheet. This is accomplished through the use of the Ribbon’s controls. This is one of the most complex projects provided in this list. 

Project Tracking

• Excel Skills Practiced:  PivotTables

Excel is a great tool for project managers because it allows them to keep track of all project activities. You only need to enter the duration of the project, the progress of each task, the budget, and any other important data that you need to track in the columns. This provides you with a project management dashboard for visualizing and tracking projects and reports.

Artwork creation

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions, Macros

You can create artwork using Excel by utilizing various tools, such as auto forms, drawing graphics, overlapping shapes, and creating graphics filled with various colors and shades. You can create vector illustrations in this manner.

Game Development

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions, Power Pivots

Role-playing games can be created in Excel. You’ll need to create various scenarios and characters that will be linked to the game spreadsheet. Different scenarios will have to be adjusted based on the interactions of the players.

Create a Timeline

• Excel Skills Practiced: Worksheet Functions

You can create timelines in Microsoft Excel. To complete this project, you must arrange the event information in a perpendicular list with the elements that you want to be reflected in the timeline. This acts as an effective tool for tracking and recording a variety of events, tasks, and goals. 

Excel Starter Project Templates

Here are some sample templates to help you get started on your projects. These templates have already been programmed. All you have to do is enter the data, and Excel will take care of the rest. 

• Attendance Chart Template. This template keeps track of an employee’s attendance and makes it easy to view the data. The template is extremely simple to use and looks highly professional.
• Commercial Invoice Template. You can use this commercial invoice template to automatically generate line items and calculate grand totals. This template will guide you through the process of creating invoices for your business.
• Project Tracker Template. This template was created specifically to assist project managers in keeping track of their projects. This template will allow you to manage all aspects of your projects, and it is extremely easy to use.
• Balance Sheet Template. With this balance sheet template, you can keep track of the assets and liabilities of a company, as well as its net worth. Calculating these values is extremely useful, and using this template will make it simple.
• Online Sales Template. To keep track of the sales you make, this template will come in handy because it will show you the revenue generated by each product. You can include a list of all the products you sell, whether they are numerous or few.

Next Steps: Start Organizing Your Excel Portfolio

To create your Microsoft Excel project portfolio, we recommend that you consider the following tips to effectively organize your projects. Your portfolio is critical because Excel has become an indispensable tool that employers in the technology industry look for in job candidates.

Organize your Portfolio

Attempt to organize your portfolio.  Rather than grouping all your Excel projects together, separate them by category and with brief descriptions so that projects can be easily found and referenced. Being organized is a valuable skill that can assist you in gaining clients if they see your creative projects and like what you do.

Choose Your Best Projects

Choose the projects that you are most proud of. You might believe it is better to include them all, but having too many projects in a portfolio will cause your best projects to get overlooked. So, carefully select your best projects, and choose some that reflect your knowledge and skills in Excel.

Be creative

When creating your portfolio, try to be creative, but without going overboard. If you lack creative projects, look for some to work on that will help you build a distinctive portfolio. The goal is to make a favorable first impression on potential clients and employees and demonstrate your Excel capabilities.

Excel Projects FAQ