Mastering Excel & Powerpoint — Lesson 2: Pivot Analysis, Dashboards, Macros, and Workbook Automation

Topics Covered

• Summarize data with PivotTables, PivotCharts, slicers, and grouped analysis
• Build charts, conditional formatting, dashboards, and management-ready views
• Automate repetitive Excel work with recorded macros and introductory VBA concepts
• Step-by-step implementation workflow and configuration decisions
• Hands-on verification of core features, data, and expected results
• Documentation of assumptions, dependencies, naming, and change controls

Guided Practice Steps

1. Translate the lesson requirement into a clear Mastering Excel & Powerpoint implementation or analysis objective.
2. Document assumptions, selected tools or features, dependencies, risks, and expected results.
3. Perform the guided task, capture evidence, and compare the result with the acceptance criteria.
4. Record issues, corrective actions, and a reusable operational or development note.

Practical Activity

Build a PivotTable dashboard and automate one repetitive workbook task.

• Define the scenario, inputs, constraints, and expected outcome.
• Complete the activity and preserve screenshots, outputs, logs, code, or decision evidence.
• Review the result, identify gaps, and document corrective or improvement actions.

Validation Checklist

• The stated requirement and expected outcome are clear.
• Configuration, code, data, or design decisions are documented.
• Normal, boundary, failure, security, and operational considerations are reviewed.
• Evidence supports the conclusion and the next action is prioritized.

Lesson Outcome

Learners can explain and apply Pivot Analysis, Dashboards, Macros, and Workbook Automation within a realistic Mastering Excel & Powerpoint scenario and support the result with validation evidence.