Excel Tips
Excel Tips is a podcast for accounting, business and finance professionals who are looking to sharpen their spreadsheet skills and learn new hacks and tricks from Neale Blackwood CPA, a Microsoft Excel expert. Excel Tips helps spreadsheet users discover Excel’s hidden features and shortcuts and understand how best to apply the newest features and functionality. The podcast is a companion to regular articles in INTHEBLACK, CPA Australia’s award-winning business magazine. Every podcast episode includes links to the accompanying Excel Tips digital magazine article. Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 INTHEBLACK articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. Subscribe today to stay up-to-date with the latest episodes. Excel Tips is presented by CPA Australia, one of the world’s largest accounting bodies, with core services that include education, training, technical support and advocacy. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts: With Interest, INTHEBLACK, INTHEBLACK Out Loud and Excel Tips. To find out more about our podcasts, visit https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/tools-and-resources/podcasts - or search for the shows in your podcast service. To contact the podcast team email us at podcasts@cpaaustralia.com.au.
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Unlock the power of Microsoft Forms in Excel
03/03/2025
Unlock the power of Microsoft Forms in Excel
What if you could seamlessly collect and analyse data right inside Excel? In this episode, learn more about Microsoft Forms, a powerful tool in Microsoft 365 (which, by the time you read this may be renamed Microsoft 365 CoPilot). Discover how Forms integrates directly into Excel, making it easier than ever to gather feedback, conduct quizzes, and streamline processes like expense approvals and recruitment. For fast reference, use the episode timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction to Excel Tips podcast 0:10 – Overview of Microsoft Forms 0:30 – Microsoft 365 subscription and CoPilot overview 1:35 – Update on Excel forms in the Insert ribbon 2:00 – Importing from Word or PDF documents 2:21 – Sharing forms and mobile compatibility 2:55 – Types of questions in forms (introduction) 3:10 – Straightforward choice: single and multiple selections 3:45 – Required questions and image inclusion 4:05 – Shuffle answers feature and branching based on responses 5:16 – Free-form text answer option 5:20 – Rating questions with symbols 5:45 – Date picker functionality 5:55 – Ranking type questions with drag-and-drop 6:25 – Introduction of Likert questions 6:55 – Using sections with Likert questions 7:20 – File upload feature in forms 7:35 – Net promoter score questions 8:11 – Sharing forms: URL, QR code, and embedding 8:30 – Limiting form access: public vs. organizational 8:40 – Built-in reporting mechanism for responses 9:15 – Closing remarks on Microsoft Forms capabilities xplore how to import questions from Word or PDFs, share Forms via email, QR codes, or websites, and ensure a smooth mobile experience. You’ll also learn about the diverse question types - choice, ratings, date pickers, file uploads, and even Net Promoter Score - and how Forms' reporting and branching features can enhance your workflows. If you're in accounting, business or finance, and want to optimise data collection and reporting, this episode is a must-listen. Level up your skills by tuning in now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. Additional show notes, links, etc. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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New tool explained: boost your efficiency with checkboxes
02/02/2025
New tool explained: boost your efficiency with checkboxes
Ready to unlock a hidden gem in your Microsoft Excel subscription? In this episode you’ll discover the power of checkboxes with practical examples to explore how this new function can streamline your workflow. This includes how to use TRUE/FALSE values in formulas and conditional formatting to dynamically control calculations and visuals. Learn from examples such as inflation adjustments in a budget model and applying a strikethrough format to a to-do list. Additionally, gain insight into how checkboxes are used in the logical test of the IF function and learn essential keyboard shortcuts for an efficiency boost. For fast reference, use the episode timestamps: 00:21 Introducing the new checkbox feature 01:03 How checkboxes work in Excel 02:35 Using checkboxes in budget models 03:23 Keyboard shortcuts for checkboxes 04:19 Protecting checkbox cells 04:50 Checkboxes with the IF function 05:32 Using checkboxes for task management 07:55 Checkboxes in formatted tables 09:20 Conclusion and further resources You’ll find the new checkboxes function in the insert ribbon between illustrations and charts in the subscription version. Level up your Excel game by tuning in now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Improve your PDF data handling with Power Query
01/02/2025
Improve your PDF data handling with Power Query
Ever struggled to extract crucial financial data from PDF files into Excel? As accountants and finance professionals, this can be a regular occurrence. To help you, this episode explores Microsoft Excel’s Power Query feature. You’ll uncover how to seamlessly import data from system-generated PDFs like invoices and statements. From tackling tricky formatting issues to cleaning up messy rows, learn through real-world examples using an Australian Tax Office (ATO) PDF as a case study. Additionally, you’ll gain smart strategies for handling regularly updated PDFs to automate your workflows. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:17 - Introduction to Importing Data from PDFs using Excel's Power Query feature. 0:37 - Types of PDFs and Their Reliability 1:05 - Use Cases for Importing PDF data 3:17 - Accessing Power Query and Importing a PDF 4:15 - Tables vs. Pages in PDFs 5:40 - The Complexity of Importing PDF Data 6:25 - Removing Repeated Headers 7:05 - Addressing Errors and Dealing with Extra Rows 9:20 - Creating a Filter Column 9:45 - Reversing Rows Again 10:05 - PDF File Names 11:20 - Reusing Power Queries 11:42 - Conclusion If you’re ready to save time and streamline your data handling processes, this episode is a must-listen. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Handy hack to create timeline charts
12/01/2024
Handy hack to create timeline charts
Excel doesn’t have a built-in timeline chart but we’ll show you how to create one. In this episode you’ll learn how using a scatter chart can help you build a timeline chart. For easy reference, here are the episode timestamps: 0:17 - About timeline charts in Excel 1:33 - Hacking the scatter chart to make a timeline chart 2:43 - Formatting dates using the range 3:32 - Universal formatting shortcut 4:27 - Working with the data series and points 5:40 - The structure of the data to build the chart 7:21 - Linking the title to the cell 8:07 - The date format used by Excel and keyboard shortcuts 9:29 - Timeline charts overview and recap Whether you’re tracking historical events or planning future milestones, a timeline chart is a useful tool to create in Excel. Tune in now to learn this simple technique and start creating your own timeline charts. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform.
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Master calendar creation in Excel
10/31/2024
Master calendar creation in Excel
Calendars are your go-to tool for planning. In this Excel Tips episode, you'll learn the steps to create a single-month calendar from scratch. Discover how to combine advanced functions to build a two-dimensional calendar structure, and how to format your dates and highlight weekends and holidays. You'll also gain knowledge of how to customise the calendar to fit your specific needs. For quick reference, here are the timestamps: 0:17 – Introduction to building a calendar 2:12 – Functions used in this tutorial 4:29 – How the different functions work 8:11 – Using formulas to create headings 10:30 – Changing the calendar to start the week on Monday 11:53 – Building a custom function with LAMBDA 13:28 – Applying conditional formatting for weekends 14:59 – Shortcuts covered in the tutorial 15:58 – Recap and summary of what we've learned Tune in now to easily create personalised calendars that suit your planning needs. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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How to add a user interaction into Power Query
09/30/2024
How to add a user interaction into Power Query
Reports are crucial to your work, aren't they? Power Query is a valuable tool for importing many types of data into Excel to help you create these reports. However, it does have limitations. In this episode, you’ll learn how to address one of Power Query’s key shortcomings: user interactions. By using staging queries, reference techniques and range names, users can dynamically filter data within Power Query based on user-selected criteria. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:17 – About the variable Power Query function 3:37 – Implementing the query function 5:46 – Using a range name for a table 7:07 – Using a query to read the variable input 9:43 – Refreshing the power query 10:11 – Recap and use cases Listen now to learn how to add a user interaction into Power Query. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Learn a smart way to hide blank or zero rows
08/31/2024
Learn a smart way to hide blank or zero rows
Looking to improve your report-building skills? If so, this is the episode for you. Uncover tips on how to leverage multiple Excel features to create a system that effortlessly hides blank and zero rows in your reports. Also in this episode, you’ll discover the subtotal function’s superpower and learn how you can use it to help identify if a filter needs reapplying. You can use these handy skills to boost your report-writing efficiency. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:20 – Using formatted tables instead of macros for hiding rows 2:38 – About the example and tutorial file 5:10 – Applying the filter and slicer 6:35 – The subtotal function superpower Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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The power of heat maps for sales and costs data
08/01/2024
The power of heat maps for sales and costs data
Looking for ways to gain deeper insights from your sales and costs data in Excel? This episode explores the power of heat maps, a data visualisation technique often used for climate data, but equally effective for business analysis. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:15 – Using heat maps for sales and cost information. 1:59 – Colour scales options and settings. 5:15 – Conditional formatting and top and bottom rules. 7:27 – Using the large and small function. Listen now for insights into this multi-functional Excel tool. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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3 powerful macros to streamline your workflow
06/30/2024
3 powerful macros to streamline your workflow
There's a misconception that Excel macros are outdated or unnecessary. In this episode we set the record straight and explore their continued value. Delve into three practical macros that can streamline various tasks in your Excel workflow. More importantly, you’ll come away with the knowledge to decide when creating a macro makes sense for optimising your efficiency. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:20 - Why macros aren't dead. 1:39 - Macro warning! 2:18 - The problems macros solve. 3:07 - Macro 1 - editing column headings in pivot tables. 3:57 - Macro 2 - macro to format spill ranges. 5:07 - Macro 3 - building an index sheet in excel. 6:19 - Macro message boxes and examples overview. 7:35 - When to use macros. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Level up your custom functions skills
05/30/2024
Level up your custom functions skills
Tune in to discover how mastering custom functions can help simplify two complex issues with Excel formulas. Improve your problem-solving skills by harnessing the power of custom functions. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:20 - Custom functions, episode overview. 1:39 - Summing spill ranges. 2:58 - Using prefixes in functions. 4:07 - Setting up a switch function. 5:31 - Financial year custom functions. 6:27 - Setting up a financial year function. 8:09 - Using custom functions across multiple files. 8:53 - Custom functions overview. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. You can catch up on a that explained custom functions. There is also an . CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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How to create a dashboard using Excel’s dynamic arrays
05/01/2024
How to create a dashboard using Excel’s dynamic arrays
Do you want to improve your dashboard-creating skills in Excel? Look no further. This episode has all the expert tips you need to know using dynamic arrays to create a dashboard. For fast access, use these timestamps: About the report template and using dynamic arrays - 0:17 About dynamic arrays - 0:55 Dynamic charts and dashboards using dynamic arrays - 1:33 Variance charts and budget comparisons - 2:34 Building the tables and chats - 4:26 Additional resources 10:49 Tune in now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. You can listen to the first two in this dynamic arrays three-part series at the . CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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How to automate report building in Excel (part 2)
04/02/2024
How to automate report building in Excel (part 2)
Don’t miss this episode, the second in a three-part series that explains how you can use the power of dynamic arrays in report building. Learn how to review a report that’s using dynamic arrays to create an automated month and year-to-date report. For fast access, use these timestamps: About the report template and using dynamic arrays 00:18 Range names for formatted tables 2:35 Budget layout and structure setup 3:34 The offset function 4:15 The filter function 5:11 SUM IF S function 6:54 Using the wildcard character 7:49 Variance calculations 8:41 The ABS function 9:39 Additional resources 10:49 Tune in now to learn more about this handy Excel subscription version functionality. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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How to automate report building in Excel
02/29/2024
How to automate report building in Excel
Are you an accountant or finance professional looking to enhance your daily workflows? Don’t miss this episode, which delves into the exciting capabilities of dynamic arrays, empowering you to effortlessly build automated reports. For fast access, use these timestamps: The tutorial example report, and companion file 1:50 Dynamic array calculation and spill ranges 3:12 Referring to a spill range 4:05 Building a structure to avoid spill errors 6:59 Dynamic array formula tips 8:22 Benefits of range formulas in limiting formulas 8:47 Changing table structure to suit ranges and reporting 9:35 Overview of the benefits of dynamic arrays 10:31 Tune in now to learn more about this exciting addition to Excel’s subscription version. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Master the latest Excel changes: your ultimate guide
02/01/2024
Master the latest Excel changes: your ultimate guide
For accounting and finance professionals, it’s vital that you keep up-to-date with changes to Microsoft Excel functionality. This episode explains what you need to know, including the latest changes to three Excel functions, and opening and working with CSV files. Tune in now for insights that will help enhance your productivity in 2024. For fast access, use these timestamps: Importing and using CSV files – 0:38 MAP, SCAN and REDUCE functions – 3:10 Using the MAP function with ranges and LAMBDA – 4:01 Using the SCAN and REDUCE functions – 9:16 Tune in now. Read the companion article . Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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How to master using different Excel techniques together
01/04/2024
How to master using different Excel techniques together
Do you want to improve your Excel skills in 2024? Start the new year on a positive note with these essential tips that can help you master a couple of Excel techniques together. In this episode, we show you how to build custom lists and use range names. For fast access, use these timestamps: Custom lists explained – 0:29 Creating custom lists – 1:34 Automating lists with range names – 4:08 Creating range names (method 1) – 4:52 Transpose function – 7:30 The downside of using range names (method 1) – 7:59 Using formatted tables for range names (method 2) – 8:33 Array based range names – 10:08 Special values keyboard shortcut – 11:37 Examples using the range names – 12:43 Using helper cells and the index function – 13:45 Repeating the range name sequence – 14:48 Recap and benefits of automated custom lists 15:46 Tune in now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Top Excel tips for your first 100 days in a new job
12/01/2023
Top Excel tips for your first 100 days in a new job
Starting a new role in accounting and finance? We understand it can be stressful as you try to make a good first impression. This Excel Tips episode is specially designed with your first 100 days in mind, to help you hit the ground running. For fast access, use these timestamps: Interface setup – 1:29 Pin files and folders and quick access – 2:43 Using checklists – 3:50 INstruction sheets – 5:10 Notes and comments – 6:24 Setting up hyperlinks – 7:40 Using colours in Excel – 8:58 Centralise inputs – 9:54 Validations – 10:25 Save-as and copy-sheets for monthly reporting – 11:51 Tips recap – 13:08 Tune in now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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How to create improved data visualisations in Excel
11/01/2023
How to create improved data visualisations in Excel
If you’re looking for ways to display diverse types of data using Excel’s charts and visualisation tools, this podcast, loaded with tips, will show you how. The example in this episode compares one month's data from this financial year with the corresponding month from the previous fiscal year. For fast access, use these timestamps: Column charts: 2:13 Variance charts: 3:22 Recommended charts: 4:23 Cleaning up charts: 5:24 Moving Labels: 6:58 Sparkline charts: 7:51 Waterfall (bridge) charts: 8:44 Conditional format - data bar: 9:45 Making charts for accessibility: 11:01 Conditional format – icons: 11:28 Emojis 😍: 11:28 Tune in now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Master 10 new and revamped Excel features
10/03/2023
Master 10 new and revamped Excel features
Do you want an Excel edge? Whether you're a seasoned pro or starting out, master these 10 new and revamped features to help streamline your workflow and boost your spreadsheet efficiency. For fast access, use these timestamps: Web based version of Excel: 0:30 Position of the blanks option in filter dropdown: 3:02 Power Query import updates: 4:13 CTRL key and mouse updates: 4:54 Formula bar value display: 6:06 Office Scripts: 7:14 Vertical sheet tabs: 9:25 Notes and threaded comments: 10:31 Notes and threaded comments continued Show changes: 12:38 Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Boost your skills with tips for Excel function updates
09/01/2023
Boost your skills with tips for Excel function updates
Excel is constantly evolving and improving, and it's crucial to stay up to date with all the latest changes. This companion podcast is here to help you sort quickly through the most relevant function updates. Are you ready to take your Excel skills to the next level? Tune in now. For fast access, use these timestamps: 0:29 Dynamic arrays 2:29 XLOOKUP 3:19 LET function 3:49 LAMBDA 4:56 TEXTAFTER, TEXTBEFORE and TEXTSPLIT 6:15 BYROW and BYCOL 7:00 the IMAGE function 7:45 VSTACK and HSTACK 8:31 TAKE and DROP functions 10:03 CHOOSEROWS and CHOOSECOLUMNS 10:34 DAX functions Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Unlock 14 expert tips for Excel formulas
08/01/2023
Unlock 14 expert tips for Excel formulas
Unleash your Excel skills by using the valuable functionality of formulas. Go straight to episode sections: The formula bar – 1:06 Starting formulas – 1:41 Using functions – 2:58 Function arguments – 4:09 Relative and absolute cell and range references – 7:15 The calculation sequence – 9:46 Parentheses (brackets) – 10:39 Colours in formulas – 12:37 Entering cell and Range references – 13:50 The Function Wizard – 15:57 Formula auditing – 17:01 IF error – 19:12 REF error – 20:01 Dynamic arrays and the SPILL error – 20:26 Tune in now to level up with these expert shortcuts and techniques. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Why Excel can be a university student’s secret weapon
07/02/2023
Why Excel can be a university student’s secret weapon
Are you a university student or recent graduate? Are you looking to gain a competitive edge in the job market, specifically in the fields of accounting and finance? Then this episode is what you need! Packed with practical advice tailored to your needs, it will equip you with valuable Excel tips that will enhance your employability as you move into your first accounting or finance role. Delve into the world of Excel and hear expert insights on how to leverage this powerful spreadsheet tool. Tune in now and unlock the secrets to succeeding with Excel. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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22 Excel shortcuts to supercharge your efficiency
06/01/2023
22 Excel shortcuts to supercharge your efficiency
Unlock your Excel efficiency with these 22 time-saving shortcuts for everyday work tasks. supercharge your Timestamps: Files and folders: 1:05 Quick access toolbar: 4:17 Keyboard types: 7:20 Keyboard shortcuts: 9:06 Save as: 12:54 Control key: 13:45 More control key shortcuts: 14:46 Copying: 15:55 Date shortcut: 17:36 Control key combinations: 18:12 The ALT key: 19:46 Grouping: 21:39 Accessing the ribbon with ALT: 22:55 Remove filters: 24:45 Pasting values: 25:01 Queries and connections: 25:07 Digital validation dialog: 25:28 Mouse shortcuts: 25:54 The format painter: 26:42 Border navigation: 27:39 Double clicking the fill: 28:28 Right clicking: 29:14 Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. There is also an accompanying , which includes a tutorial and sample formulas. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast app. You can email the podcast team at
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Excel and ChatGPT
05/04/2023
Excel and ChatGPT
Can ChatGPT give accurate and reliable answers to Excel questions? Neale Blackwood CPA puts this popular AI tool to the test. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. Read the accompanying , which includes a video tutorial and sample formulas. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them on your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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Learn Excel’s built-in artificial intelligence feature
04/06/2023
Learn Excel’s built-in artificial intelligence feature
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come to Microsoft Excel, and it will make your life easier when working with data. The AI function can easily create PivotTables and PivotCharts, which is useful for analysis and audit work. You can also generate reports at the click of a button. Listen here to learn more. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. You can also read the accompanying BOILERPLATE COPY (REPEATS EVERY EPISODE) CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance and accounting: Search for them on your podcast platform. You can email the podcast team at
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How to use custom functions without macros
03/23/2023
How to use custom functions without macros
Along with the LAMBDA function, other new functions make Excel’s function language behave more like a programming language. Which can help you in various ways. Want to learn more? Excel expert Neale Blackwood CPA steps you through. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at And you can read the accompanying . Other Excel articles by .
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How to do dynamic arrays (subscription version)
03/16/2023
How to do dynamic arrays (subscription version)
An update to the subscription version of Microsoft Excel has the LAMBDA function, which addresses a key challenge when using dynamic arrays. To explain more about this functionality is Excel expert, Neale Blackwood CPA. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast provider. Email the podcast team at And you can read the accompanying Other Excel articles by .
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How to create vertical lines in line charts
03/09/2023
How to create vertical lines in line charts
When creating a line chart in Microsoft Excel, do you need to insert a vertical line to mark something on the chart? To explain how is Excel expert, Neale Blackwood CPA. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator. He is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast provider. Email the podcast team at And you can read the accompanying . Other Excel articles by .
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Excel tips: how to use the new data types feature
03/02/2023
Excel tips: how to use the new data types feature
Today’s episode examines the new data types feature in Microsoft Excel. There are four data types you can now import from the data ribbon, and that includes stock prices. To explain how you do all this is CPA Australia’s Excel expert, Neale Blackwood. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA. He has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator and is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast service. You can email the podcast team at And you can read more of .
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Excel tips: how to work with dates and days
02/20/2023
Excel tips: how to work with dates and days
Today’s episode investigates working with dates and days in Microsoft Excel. Excel can perform basic addition and subtraction calculations using dates, as well as dedicated functions that perform more complex calcs. To explain is CPA Australia’s Excel expert, Neale Blackwood. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA. He has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator and is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast service. You can email the podcast team at And you can read more of , including the to this podcast.
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Excel tips: how to use Goal Seek
02/13/2023
Excel tips: how to use Goal Seek
Today’s episode looks at a handy tool in Microsoft Excel called Goal Seek. It can be used to create a loan schedule with an interest-free period using formulas. To explain how you do this is CPA Australia’s Excel expert, Neale Blackwood. Listen now. Host: Neale Blackwood CPA. He has more than 20 years of experience as a Microsoft Excel educator and is the author of more than 200 articles as well as a book, Advanced Excel Reporting for Management Accountants. CPA Australia , providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: Search for them in your podcast service. You can email the podcast team at And you can read more of , including the to this podcast.
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