Agile Excel: VLOOKUP and Alternatives (Video) (Course Id 1392)

• Who is this course for?
  This course is designed for anyone needing Continuing Professional Education (CPE), particularly CPAs and professionals with some experience using Excel lookup formulas.

• What is this course about or what problem does this course solve?
  The course teaches how to enhance and troubleshoot VLOOKUP functions in Excel, introduces related functions like HLOOKUP and LOOKUP, and presents robust alternatives such as MATCH/INDEX, SUMIF, and SUMIFS.

• How can the knowledge from this course be used?
  Learners can apply the techniques to improve the accuracy and flexibility of Excel spreadsheets, prevent common lookup errors, and future-proof data models using Data Validation and the Table feature.

• Why is this course important to a CPA, Accountant, or IRS Enrolled Agent?
  It provides essential skills for managing and analyzing data efficiently in Excel, a critical tool in accounting and financial work, helping to minimize formula errors and optimize workflows.

• When is this course relevant or timely?
  This course is particularly useful when handling complex or evolving data sets where traditional lookup functions fall short, and it supports Excel versions from 2007 through 2016 and later.

• How is a course like this consumed or used?
  The course is delivered through a QAS self-study video format with supporting handouts and an Excel workbook, featuring demonstrations in PowerPoint and Excel, review questions, and a final exam.

Excel expert David Ringstrom, CPA, explains helpful ways you build upon your existing VLOOKUP skills in this online excel course for CPAs. The presentation begins with a brief introduction of VLOOKUP, and contrasts the HLOOKUP and LOOKUP functions. You’ll see a how to troubleshoot common look-up formula frustrations, such as #N/A and #REF! errors. You'll also learn how to how to future-proof VLOOKUP with Data Validation and the Table feature. The presentation wraps up by explaining alternatives that include MATCH/INDEX, SUMIF, and SUMIFS.

In this Excel VLOOKUP video, David demonstrates every technique at least twice: first, on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and second, in Excel 2016. He draws your attention to any differences in Excel 2013, 2010, or 2007 during the presentation as well as in his detailed handouts. David also provides an Excel workbook that includes most of the examples he uses during the webcast to help you learn VLOOKUP in Excel.

Video - NASBA QAS - NASBA Registry - 1392

Course Learning Objectives

Chapter 1 - Agile Excel: VLOOKUP and Alternatives

Chapter 1 Review Questions

Glossary - Key Terms