Keyboard shortcuts are very useful to do your work super fast and create an impression among other fellow excel users in your office.
Microsoft Excel or any other spreadsheet application can operate in two ways, one is through mouse clicks and the other should be by using keyboard shortcuts.
You often notice that all the advanced excel users or so-called experts generally do not use the mouse while working in excel instead they prefer keyboard shortcuts.
I remember when I was a novice in excel since 2010-11 I appeared in an interview for an MIS executive post in a multinational company and the interviewer give me a data formatting task within an allotted time, though I correctly did the job, one of the panel interviewer not happy about my performance because I was frequently using mouse and not using any shortcut key through a keyboard. That interview I haven’t made it, but I make my mind clear that I need to practice more about keyboard shortcuts to become an expert in advanced excel.
So, the question is why are keyboard shortcuts necessary to learn, and what are those 25 excel keyboard shortcuts that are frequently used in any type of data-related work in excel?
What is Keyboard Shortcuts?
Keyboard shortcuts are the combination of two or more keys that need to press from your keyboard to give instructions to the application for performing certain tasks quickly without the use of the mouse.
Why it is necessary to learn Keyboard Shortcuts?
- Using keyboard shortcuts you can do any work more quickly than using a mouse.
- As an advance excel expert, you need to perform work as fast as possible and that’s not possible if you frequently use the mouse.
- If you are using the laptop then it’s more convenient to use keyboard shortcuts
- Last but not least it makes an impression as a pro excel user among your coworkers if you are using keyboard shortcuts more often.
25 Most frequently used excel keyboard shortcuts in detail :
Though there are hundreds of shortcut keys present in excel for various actions, I explain here the 25 most frequently used shortcuts which help you to become super fast in excel.
- For opening a new workbook in excel: Ctrl+N
- For saving a workbook: Ctrl+S
- To close an existing workbook: Ctrl+W
- To move to the next sheet: Ctrl+Page Down
- To move to the previous sheet: Ctrl+Page Up
- To select an entire row: Shift+Spacebar
- To select an entire column: Ctrl+Spacebar
- To insert a row: Select the row before you want to insert a row and then press Ctrl Shift + (plus key)
- To insert a column: select the entire column before you insert a column then press Ctrl Shift + (Plus Key)
- To delete a row: Select the entire row and then press Ctrl – (minus key)
- To delete a column: Select the entire column then press Ctrl – (minus key)
- To copy the formula down: Select the cells down below the formula cell and press Ctrl+D. If you want to copy the formula two or more cells down below the formula cell then you need to select the cells including the formula cell and press Ctrl+D.
- To copy the formula right: Ctrl+R
- To edit the formula or text into a cell: Select the cell and press the F2 key to edit or insert any text or numeric value into the cell.
- To convert a range of data into a table: select the data range by using the Ctrl+ Arrow key( Right & Down) then press Ctrl+T.
- To create an Autofilter in a range of data: select the entire data range or range header and press Ctrl+Shift+L. It’s a toggle key which means the same shortcut creates an auto filter and removes the filter also.
- To sum up the total: select the cell just below the values you want to sum and then press Alt = Enter
- To create an embedded chart: Alt+F1
- To find and replace selected: Ctrl+H
- To activate format cell window: Ctrl+1
- Save as: F12
- Paste Special: Ctrl+Alt+V
- To open the print preview window: Ctrl+F2
- To repeat the last action: F4
- To move to the first and last cell of a worksheet: Ctrl+Home key for the move to the first cell of the excel sheet and Ctrl+End key for moving to the last cell in excel.
Conclusion
These 25 keyboard shortcuts in excel I have mentioned in this article exclude a few regular-use shortcuts also like cut, paste, moving your cursor from left to right and right to left, and print, that you might think I should mention here, but the fact is everybody learning to excel as a beginner knows cut copy paste isn’t it? so, I explain only those which are not so beginner level as well as not so advanced level like formatting shortcuts.
And the most important trick to becoming an expert in keyboard shortcuts is to practice excel during office work without using the mouse, you just keep in mind that everything in excel shall be done through the keyboard.