Excel Guide
7 Best Websites to Practise Excel (2026)
Reading about Excel doesn't make you faster at it — typing formulas does. Here are the sites worth your time, what each one is genuinely best for, and what they cost.
Quick answer
- Complete beginner, want guided lessons: ExcelExercises
- Want to drill formulas or prep for an Excel test: PractiseSkills
- Want practice in real Excel, free: Excel Practice Online
- Want a full course with a certificate: GoSkills
- Want clear explanations to look things up: Exceljet
- Want free tutorials to read: Excel Easy
- Also learning SQL, Python or data analysis: DataCamp
Comparison at a glance
| Site | Best for | How you practise | Free option | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExcelExercises | Guided beginner lessons | Excel simulator in the browser | Some lessons | $19.99/mo, $59.99/yr or $199 lifetime |
| PractiseSkills | Formula drills, test prep | Spreadsheet in the browser, instant grading | Skill test + first 3 exercises per module | $8/mo |
| Excel Practice Online | Free practice in real Excel | Excel Online embedded in the page | Everything | — |
| GoSkills | Courses with certificates | Video lessons, quizzes, practice files | 10 lessons per course, 7-day trial | $39/mo or $199/yr |
| Exceljet | Reference and video courses | Videos with practice worksheets | Function and formula reference | Courses $19–$199 each |
| Excel Easy | Free written tutorials | Read examples, try in your own Excel | Everything | — |
| DataCamp | Excel alongside data skills | Guided exercises in your own Excel | First chapter of every course | From $14/mo billed yearly |
Prices in USD as listed on 20 October 2026. Some sites show local currency or run promotions, so check before you buy.
1. ExcelExercises — best for guided beginner lessons
ExcelExercises teaches inside an Excel simulator in your browser. Each lesson explains a concept, then makes you do it — type the formula, or press the real keyboard shortcut — and you can't move on until you get it right. It's 68 lessons, running from the basics to VLOOKUP and pivot tables, and you can start without signing up.
Pick it if you're starting from zero and want someone to walk you through it in order, shortcuts included. It's the best-structured beginner path on this list.
2. PractiseSkills — best for formula drills and test prep
PractiseSkills is built for repetition: 510 short Excel exercises in 51 modules, from basic arithmetic through SUMIFS, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, text cleanup and nested formulas. Each one gives you a small table and a question. You type the formula in a spreadsheet grid — click cells to insert references, like in Excel — and it's graded instantly.
The free 9-question skill test needs no sign-up, and tells you which formula areas are weak so you know where to start. It works on a phone, too.
Skip it if you need pivot tables, charts, formatting or video lessons — it's formulas only.
3. Excel Practice Online — best free practice in real Excel
Excel Practice Online embeds Excel Online in the page, so each exercise happens in the real thing — ribbon and all. There's an exercise for each function and tool it covers, plus downloadable practice data.
Pick it if you want to get used to the actual Excel interface without paying anything. It's organised by function and tool rather than as a step-by-step course, so it suits people who know roughly what they want to practise.
4. GoSkills — best for a full course with a certificate
GoSkills has around 25 Excel courses, built from short video lessons with quizzes, tests and downloadable practice files. Paid plans include certificates (GoSkills calls them industry-recognised), and the subscription covers its whole course library, not just Excel.
Pick it if you learn best from video and want a certificate to show for it. Practice happens in your own copy of Excel.
5. Exceljet — best reference and explanations
Exceljet's free function and formula pages are some of the clearest explanations of Excel anywhere — when you're stuck on a formula, there's a good chance it's already explained there with an example. Its paid video courses come with a practice worksheet for every video, and you buy each course once rather than subscribing.
Pick it if you want to understand why a formula works, or prefer paying once instead of monthly.
6. Excel Easy — best free tutorials to read
Excel Easy is a free, well-organised tutorial site: 49 chapters and about 300 examples covering the basics, functions, data analysis and VBA. It's reading rather than practice — you follow along in your own Excel.
Pick it if you like learning from written step-by-step examples and already have Excel installed.
7. DataCamp — best if you're also learning data skills
DataCamp is mainly a data-science platform, but its Introduction to Excel course (36 exercises, about 4 hours) is solid. You follow its instructions in your own installed Excel. The value is the rest of the library: once Excel feels easy, SQL, Python and the rest of its library are in the same subscription.
Pick it if Excel is the first step towards a data or analyst role.
How to choose
Most people need two things: something that teaches a concept once, and something that makes you repeat it until it sticks. A good pairing is one explanation site (Exceljet or Excel Easy, both free) plus one practice site. If you're preparing for a job's Excel test, spend most of your time on practice — hiring tests reward speed and accuracy on lookups, SUMIF/SUMIFS, IF logic and text cleanup, not how many videos you've watched.
FAQ
What is the best free website to practise Excel?
Excel Practice Online and Excel Easy are completely free. PractiseSkills and ExcelExercises both have free tiers: PractiseSkills gives the first 3 exercises of every module plus a free skill test, and ExcelExercises has some free lessons.
Can I practise Excel without having Excel installed?
Yes. ExcelExercises and PractiseSkills run their own spreadsheet in the browser, and Excel Practice Online embeds Excel Online in the page. DataCamp's Excel course expects you to follow along in your own copy of Excel.
How should I practise for an Excel test in a job interview?
Most hiring tests ask you to write formulas against a small table: lookups (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP), SUMIF/SUMIFS, IF logic and text cleanup. Drill those until you can type them without notes, and take a timed practice test first to find your weak spots.
Is VLOOKUP still worth learning in 2026?
Yes. XLOOKUP is better where it's available, but VLOOKUP is still everywhere in existing workbooks and hiring tests, so it's worth knowing both. Our VLOOKUP vs XLOOKUP guide covers the differences.
Find out where you stand
Take the free 9-question Excel skill test — no sign-up — and see which formula areas need work.
Take the free Excel test →