Intermediate Excel: Key Skills for Data Analysts [Week 17]
3.1 Data Cleaning
As a data analyst, cleaning messy data is critical:
- Remove Duplicates: Remove repeated rows.
Go toData > Remove Duplicates
. - Text to Columns: Split text into multiple columns (e.g., separating first and last names).
Go toData > Text to Columns
. - Find & Replace: Quickly replace specific values.
UseCtrl + H
.
3.2 Conditional Formatting
Conditional formatting highlights cells based on conditions, making patterns in data more visible.
- Highlight cells greater than a specific value, lower than the average, or duplicate values.
Go toHome > Conditional Formatting
.
3.3 Sorting and Filtering Data
Sorting and filtering allow you to manipulate large datasets.
- Sort: Arrange data in ascending/descending order based on a column.
Go toData > Sort
. - Filter: Display only the rows that meet certain criteria (e.g., sales > 1000).
Go toData > Filter
.
3.4 Excel Tables
Convert a range into an Excel Table for better data management:
- Auto-filters, column sorting, and total rows are part of tables.
Ctrl + T
to create a table.
Go toInsert > Table
.
3.5 Logical and Lookup Functions
- IF: Perform logical comparisons.
=IF(A1>100, "Pass", "Fail")
- VLOOKUP: Lookup values vertically in a table.
=VLOOKUP(value, table, col_index, [range_lookup])
- HLOOKUP: Lookup values horizontally in a table.
=HLOOKUP(value, table, row_index, [range_lookup])
- INDEX & MATCH: More flexible lookup functions compared to VLOOKUP.
=INDEX(range, row_num, col_num)
=MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, match_type)