New Excel Functions Every CPA Should Know (Course Id 2857)

• Who is this course for?
  This course is designed for CPAs and accounting professionals who want to improve their efficiency and accuracy using the latest Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365 functions while earning Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit.
• What is this course about or what problem does this course solve?
  This course teaches CPAs how to use newer Excel functions such as XLOOKUP(), XMATCH(), TEXTJOIN(), TEXTSPLIT(), GROUPBY(), PIVOTBY(), IFS(), and SWITCH() to reduce manual work, simplify complex formulas, improve reporting, and work more effectively with large or unstructured datasets.
• Where can the knowledge from this course be used?
  The knowledge from this course can be applied in accounting, financial reporting, data analysis, spreadsheet management, workflow automation, and other professional tasks that require organizing, analyzing, and presenting data in Excel.
• Why is this course important to a CPA or Accountant?
  This course is important because it helps CPAs and accountants stay current with modern Excel tools, improve productivity, minimize spreadsheet errors, streamline data analysis, and deliver more efficient and higher-value financial insights to clients or employers.
• When is this course relevant or timely?
  This course is especially relevant for professionals using Excel 2021 or Microsoft 365 who want to stay updated on the latest Excel functionality and replace older methods such as VLOOKUP() and nested formulas with newer, more efficient alternatives.
• How is a course like this consumed or used?
  This self-study text course is completed through an eBook paired with a hands-on workbook, allowing participants to follow step-by-step examples, complete review questions, and pass a final exam with a minimum score of 70% to earn CPE credit.

This course is designed specifically for CPAs who want to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently using the latest tools in Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365. Whether you're handling large datasets, preparing reports, or streamlining workflows, these newer functions can significantly reduce manual work and improve accuracy. The eBook is paired with a hands-on workbook, allowing you to follow along step-by-step, with a complete answer key to reinforce your learning.

Discussion starts with XLOOKUP(), the long-awaited replacement for VLOOKUP(). It’s more powerful, easier to use, and eliminates many of the common errors and limitations CPAs encountered with VLOOKUP(). If you’ve relied on INDEX/MATCH, you’ll also benefit from XMATCH(), which adds even more flexibility and precision.

Text functions such as CONCAT(), TEXTJOIN(), TEXTBEFORE(), TEXTAFTER(), and TEXTSPLIT() are essential for anyone working with imported or unstructured data.

When it comes to summarizing and analyzing data, newer tools such as GROUPBY(), PIVOTBY(), and PERCENTOF() provide powerful alternatives to traditional methods. For data analysis and reporting, newer functions such as GROUPBY(), PIVOTBY(), and PERCENTOF() allow you to summarize information quickly—without relying as heavily on traditional pivot tables.

And if your work involves complex logic, enhanced functions like IFS(), MAXIFS(), and SWITCH() simplify nested formulas, making them easier to build, audit, and maintain.

If you're a CPA looking to stay current, increase efficiency, and deliver higher-value insights, this course will give you practical tools you can start using immediately.

Course Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to: