University of Kwazulu-Natal

Learn Financial Modeling Essentials In Excel Free Crash Course

Bonisiwe Shabane
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learn financial modeling essentials in excel free crash course

Higher School of Economics via Coursera Help Co-Founder at Career Principles | Microsoft MVP Kenji Farré (Kenji Explains) [MVP] published a concise video that walks viewers through a free crash course on Excel. The tutorial begins from a blank workbook and builds step by step toward a fully dynamic model, while also sharing practical Excel tips. Moreover, the video is structured into clear chapters that cover setup, forecasting, the model control page, scenario analysis, and protection. For convenience, the author provides a downloadable Excel file so learners can follow along and replicate each stage.

The presentation aims to balance clarity with depth, making the content useful for both beginners and those who want to tidy an existing model. Consequently, Farré emphasizes model design choices that pay off later, such as consistent layout and clearly labeled inputs. He also signals common pitfalls and quick corrections, which helps viewers avoid rework. Overall, the video sets expectations early by showing the finished aim and then reversing the build process. The video starts by setting up the workbook and creating a clean income statement layout, which Farré treats as the model’s backbone. He recommends separating inputs, calculations, and outputs to reduce errors and to make the model easier to audit.

This approach improves transparency, yet it can add initial work, so viewers must weigh the immediate cost against long-term maintainability. Still, the structure pays dividends when models grow or when colleagues need to review the logic. Kenji also highlights best practices such as consistent formatting, use of named ranges, and simple formulas where possible to avoid overcomplication. However, he warns that excessive formatting or overly clever formulas can hinder readability. Therefore, he advises favoring clarity over compact formulas, especially when sharing models. In practice, this balance improves collaboration and speeds up troubleshooting during real-world analysis.

Skills you'll gain: Return On Investment, Capital Budgeting, Finance, Capital Expenditure, Forecasting, Cash Flow Forecasting, Financial Modeling, Financial Analysis, Cost Benefit Analysis, Financial Management, Financial Acumen, Corporate Finance, Business Valuation, Cash Flows, Risk Analysis,... Skills you'll gain: Financial Forecasting, Business Valuation, Equities, Financial Modeling, Financial Analysis, Finance, Cash Flows, Investment Banking, Accounting, Capital Markets Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours Skills you'll gain: Financial Modeling, Revenue Forecasting, Working Capital, Cash Flows, Business Valuation, Financial Forecasting, Expense Management, Financial Data, Cash Flow Forecasting, Operating Expense, Depreciation, Financial Analysis, Financial Statements, Asset Management, Revenue Management, Business... Skills you'll gain: Market Data, Google Sheets, Data Import/Export, Equities, Financial Modeling, Financial Analysis, Financial Market Excel is a sophisticated piece of software, and it can be overwhelming to look through and work with the many available features.

CFI’s “Excel Fundamentals – Formulas for Finance” course will help you filter down through those features to focus on the ones that are the most common and useful within the finance industry. This course will help you learn the basic functions to perform statistical analysis on data sets in Excel 365. This course is perfect for beginners, intermediate, and even advanced financial professional Excel users. The course starts with the basics, but quickly advances so even more proficient users will learn something new and have a great refresher. Recommended skills to have before taking this course. Why stop here?

Expand your skills and show your expertise with the professional certifications, specializations, and CPE credits you’re already on your way to earning. Access and download collection of free Templates to help power your productivity and performance. For finance professionals, proficiency in Excel is a fundamental part of the job description. Whether you describe yourself as a beginner or proficient in Excel, this course will take you to the next level and turn you into an advanced "power" user. We’ll start with the basics before we quickly introduce you to lesser known time-saving keyboard shortcuts and powerful Excel functions and features that you can immediately put to use on the job. The only way to learn Excel is by doing, so you’ll be completing Excel exercises every step of the way.

Dynamic Headers, Custom Formatting & the TEXT Function Get instant access to video lessons taught by experienced investment bankers. Learn financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel shortcuts. © 2025 Wall Street Prep, Inc. All Rights Reserved Included with.css-t3io8q{-webkit-align-items:baseline;-webkit-box-align:baseline;-ms-flex-align:baseline;align-items:baseline;background-color:rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01);border-radius:4px;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;color:var(--wf-text--link, #0065D1);display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;font-family:Studio-Feixen-Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:inherit;font-weight:800;line-height:inherit;outline:0;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:transparent;text-decoration-thickness:1.25px;-webkit-transition:box-shadow 125ms ease-out,background-color 125ms ease-out,text-decoration-color 125ms ease-out;transition:box-shadow 125ms ease-out,background-color 125ms ease-out,text-decoration-color 125ms ease-out;}.css-t3io8q:hover{background-color:var(--wf-bg--hover, rgba(48, 57, 105, 0.06));}.css-t3io8q:hover{box-shadow:0 0 0 2px var(--wf-bg--hover, rgba(48, 57, 105, 0.06));text-decoration-color:var(--wf-text--link, #0065D1);}Premium or Teams

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Higher School of Economics via Coursera Help Co-Founder at Career Principles | Microsoft MVP Kenji Farré (Kenji Explains) [MVP] published a concise video that walks viewers through a free crash course on Excel. The tutorial begins from a blank workbook and builds step by step toward a fully dynamic model, while also sharing practical Excel tips. Moreover, the video is structured into clear chapter...

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The presentation aims to balance clarity with depth, making the content useful for both beginners and those who want to tidy an existing model. Consequently, Farré emphasizes model design choices that pay off later, such as consistent layout and clearly labeled inputs. He also signals common pitfalls and quick corrections, which helps viewers avoid rework. Overall, the video sets expectations earl...

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This approach improves transparency, yet it can add initial work, so viewers must weigh the immediate cost against long-term maintainability. Still, the structure pays dividends when models grow or when colleagues need to review the logic. Kenji also highlights best practices such as consistent formatting, use of named ranges, and simple formulas where possible to avoid overcomplication. However, ...

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CFI’s “Excel Fundamentals – Formulas For Finance” Course Will Help

CFI’s “Excel Fundamentals – Formulas for Finance” course will help you filter down through those features to focus on the ones that are the most common and useful within the finance industry. This course will help you learn the basic functions to perform statistical analysis on data sets in Excel 365. This course is perfect for beginners, intermediate, and even advanced financial professional Exce...