Excel 101: Pivot Tables (Currently Unavailable)

Author: David H. Ringstrom

Excel expert David Ringstrom, CPA, teaches you the basics of creating and using Excel pivot tables in this valuable presentation. Pivot tables enable you to easily create reports from complex data simply by using your mouse. He shows you how to initiate a pivot table from a list of data, add fields, dig deeper into the numbers, and much more. In addition, David points out pivot tables traps and shares tricks to help ensure your reports are accurate.

David demonstrates every technique at least twice: first, on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and second, in the subscription-based Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) version of Excel. David draws your attention to any differences in the older versions of Excel (2019, 2016, 2013, and earlier) 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.

Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based product that provides new feature updates as often as monthly. Conversely, the perpetual licensed versions of Excel have feature sets that don't change. Perpetual licensed versions have year numbers, such as Excel 2019, Excel 2016, and so on.

Publication Date: March 2021

Designed For
Practitioners who may benefit from learning how to create and use Excel pivot tables, which allow users to create accurate reports easily.

Topics Covered

• Adding rows to a blank pivot table to create instant reports
• Drilling down into the details behind any amount within a pivot table with just a double-click
• Determining which refresh commands in Excel update a single pivot table versus all pivot tables in a workbook
• Auditing the data source behind pivot tables in Excel spreadsheets
• Jump-starting pivot tables by way of the Recommended PivotTables feature in Excel 2013 and later
• Exploring the nuances of formatting numbers within pivot tables
• Avoiding the dreaded PivotTable Field Name Already Exists error prompt
• Filtering pivot tables to show fewer columns and/or rows of data
• Presenting the largest or smallest values in chart form by way of a Top 10 pivot chart
• Unlocking additional filtering capabilities in pivot tables by knowing where to position one's cursor to re-enable the Filter command
• Repositioning or removing subtotals within pivot tables
• Utilizing the Tabular Format command to display pivot table data in two or more columns instead of a single column in Compact Form

Learning Objectives

• Describe the indicator that signifies whether the columns or rows of a pivot table have been filtered
• Identify the type of data that Excel's Top 10 filter can be used with
• Recognize and apply the Report Filter command to filter pivot table data based on a new dimension
• Identify where commands appear within ribbon tabs in Excel
• Recognize which is not a method for removing fields from a pivot table
• Describe how to ensure that you can refresh all Pivot Tables in a workbook at once
• Identify which command enables you to resize the list that a pivot table is based upon

Level
Basic

Instructional Method
Self-Study

NASBA Field of Study
Computer Software & Applications (2 hours)

Program Prerequisites
Must be familiar with Excel

Advance Preparation
None