Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool having unbelievable qualities useful for all types of industries big or small. Developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS helps in the calculation, data handling, organizing, maintaining and interpreting.
Since 1985, Microsoft Excel is widely used in computer applications for collating, organizing, storing and analysing information effectively in the tabular format. Charts, formulas and other tools help in analysing, manipulating and managing all important data in Microsoft Excel. Soon, Microsoft Excel has become one of the most important spreadsheet and report managing software for users.
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20 excel keyboard shortcuts to increase productivity
Excel keyboard shortcuts are mostly accessed by using the ALT, Ctrl, Shift, Function key and Window key.
1. Home
Clicking on the ‘Home’ button conveniently takes the user back to the beginning of a row with just one click. Also by clicking Ctrl+Home, it moves to the beginning of a worksheet and Ctrl+End to moves at the end of a worksheet.
2. F2
Clicking on F2 one can edit the current working cell and also efficiently position the insertion point at the end of the cell contents. F2 button also helps in moving the insertion point into the Formula Bar. One can also display the print preview area on the print tab by combining Ctrl and F2 keys.
3. F4
Clicking on F4 button, it repeats the last command applied to the Excel worksheet. This works with just about any action, ex: formatting. One can easily complete lengthy functions using F4 key to conveniently repeat last formatting action.
4. F6
F6 Key comes to the rescue, when the user has spilt the worksheet and have to often switch between the current worksheet, task pane zoom-in and zoom-out controls or for selecting various other functions easily.
5. F12
F12 is a Microsoft Excel keyboard shortcut that helps to save the data entered on the spreadsheet. This key brings up the save as option for the file, one can easily save the file using this shortcut.
6. Alt
Alt key is very useful as it displays the key tips or all new shortcuts on the ribbon of Microsoft Excel. When you click on Alt button, it opens up all options like H for home, P for Page and M for Formula etc. And when you click Alt+P the Page Layout opens up.
7. End
End button is viewed in the bottom corner of your Excel spreadsheet, it is used to turn the End Mode on or off. The End button is also used to select the last command on the menu when a menu.
8. Enter
After finishing the work or entry in the cell, the user can just select Enter shortcut to move to the next cell. Enter key is also combined with different keys to create a completely different excel keyboard shortcuts Like, Alt+Enter will be used to create a new line in the same cell.
9. F1
F1 Excel keyboard shortcut is used to obtain or get Excel Help. It opens the help option having a search box where user can get help in both offline and online way.
10. Esc
Esc button on Microsoft Excel is used to get away or escape from a particular situation, it helps to close menus, submenus, message or anything open on your spreadsheet with just a click.
11. Shift + Spacebar
Shift + Spacebar button on Microsoft Excel is used to select a particular row for a function. By using Shift + Space makes the task easy as the changes can be applied to the whole row in one go. Similarly, for applying changes to a particular column one can use an excel keyboard shortcut- Ctrl + Spacebar.
12. Ctrl + Alt + V
Ctrl + Alt + V button is used to paste the cut or copied object, text or cell contents at the desired point on your spreadsheet. An amazing feature of this shortcut is the content can even be pasted in another program. One can also use Ctrl + V to insert the copied content anywhere in your spreadsheet.
13. Ctrl + Enter
This shortcut of Microsoft Excel helps to fill the selected cell range with the desired content. One can also export this edited cell automatically to other selected cells.
14. Ctrl + F1
This shortcut of Microsoft Excel helps to hide the ribbon while pressing this shortcut again the ribbon will get visible one again. This shortcut is useful when a user gets distracted on the workspace.
15. Shift + F10
Shift + F10 button on Microsoft Excel is having similar properties of right-clicking on the mouse. This shortcut allows you to open up the use, where a user can further use arrow keys to move the menu and select the appropriate option required.
16. Ctrl + 5
This shortcut in Microsoft Excel is used to finish the task or To-do list of the user effectively. This button opens up the To-Do list for the user, where the user can easily write the important work to be done and once the task in the cell has been completed, the entire sell can be a strike by pressing Ctrl + 5 shortcut.
17. Ctrl + *
Ctrl + * shortcut in Microsoft Excel is used to either copy or delete the entire region around the actively working cell. Once pressing this shortcut, it helps in selecting current area or range in the cell with entire data to be a copy or delete. In 2016 version of Microsoft Excel once can easily use this shortcut for selection of entire PivotTable Data in excel worksheet.
18. Ctrl + Page UP & Down
This Microsoft Excel shortcut is used in easy and quick surfing throughout the excel worksheets. A user can easily surf from one worksheet to another by simply pressing Ctrl + Page UP, it moves to the previous worksheet and Ctrl + Page down moves to the next worksheet. This shortcut is very handy and saves time.
19. Ctrl + Arrow Keys
Ctrl + Arrow Keys in Microsoft Excel is used for moving one cell up, down, left, or right in an excel worksheet. This shortcut helps in scrolling pages faster like Ctrl + Down Arrow Key help to move to the last row on the worksheet whereas Ctrl + UP Arrow Key moves the user to the first row in the worksheet and Right and Left arrow keys offer similar functionality.
20. Ctrl + Shift + [Required Key]
Ctrl + Shift button in Microsoft Excel helps you to insert various functions in your worksheet without any hassle. You can easily insert the following functions with Ctrl + Shift key to get work done easily.
Ctrl + Shift + = will open the insert cells options
Ctrl + Shift + W will wrap the text
Ctrl + Shift + 7 will select the border
Ctrl + Shift + # will apply date format with the day, month and year
Ctrl + Shift + ; will insert current time
Conclusion:
Microsoft Excel is highly useful for students and other working professionals to make charts for presentation in the academic/day-to-day work life, organize data of the large volumes and to interpret future trends. Microsoft Excel program is mainly used for financial and accounting purposes. Also, these programs are used in the Human resource department to easily maintain, organize and analyse employee data and records efficiently. The best feature of Microsoft Excel is that it can be accessed and used with multiple devices like tablets, smartphones etc.
I hope this article helped you boost your productivity in Microsoft Excel.
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