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Welcome to the FAQ page of Excel Formula Hub, your go-to destination for mastering Microsoft Excel. Whether you're a beginner learning how to calculate a simple Excel formula for a percent or a professional working with pivot tables, this page is designed to give you in-depth, step-by-step answers to the most common Excel questions.

Our mission is to simplify Microsoft Excel for learners, professionals, analysts, and business owners worldwide. Through our YouTube tutorials, Excel tricks and tips, and step-by-step guides, we help you unlock the full potential of Excel.

Excel Formula Hub is not just about formulas-it's about helping you think like an Excel pro. With our YouTube tutorials, downloadable templates, and smart Excel tricks and tips, we're here to make your journey smoother and more productive.

This FAQ section is designed to answer the most common questions about Excel formulas, pivot tables, and data-cleaning techniques. Whether you're a beginner learning your first Excel formula for percent or a professional handling complex reports, you'll find value-packed insights here.

Excel-Formula-Hub-FAQs

What is the Excel Formula Hub website?

The Excel Formula Hub website is the official platform supporting our YouTube channel. It provides in-depth tutorials, downloadable Excel templates, and step-by-step guides on formulas, pivot tables, and data-cleaning techniques. Our mission is to make Excel easy, practical, and empowering for everyone—from beginners to advanced users.

Who can benefit from Excel Formula Hub?

Our tutorials and guides are useful for:

  • Students – for assignments, projects, and learning basics.
  • Working professionals – to improve productivity and reporting skills.
  • Entrepreneurs – for handling finances, invoices, and data analysis.
  • Data analysts – for mastering pivot tables and advanced Excel functions.
  • Job seekers – since Excel skills are highly demanded across industries.

Does Excel Formula Hub provide free templates?

Yes. Many of our tutorials include free downloadable Excel templates that let you practice along with the video. Templates cover common use cases like budgeting, sales tracking, and data-cleaning tasks.

What is the Excel formula for percent?

The basic formula is =(Part/Total)*100. For example, if you scored 72 out of 90, the formula =(72/90)*100 returns 80%. Format the cell as Percentage (%) for a clean display.

How do I calculate percent increase or decrease in Excel?

To calculate percent increase: =((New Value - Old Value)/Old Value)*100. To calculate percent decrease: =((Old Value - New Value)/Old Value)*100. These are useful for tracking sales growth, expense changes, and performance metrics.

How do I create a pivot table in Excel?

Steps to create a pivot table:

  1. Select your dataset.
  2. Go to Insert > PivotTable.
  3. Choose where to place it (new worksheet or existing sheet).
  4. Drag fields into Rows, Columns, Values, and Filters to build your summary.

Pivot tables are the fastest way to summarize and analyze large datasets.

How do I refresh a pivot table?

When source data changes, refresh your pivot table by:

  • Right-clicking inside the pivot table and selecting Refresh.
  • Using Data > Refresh All for multiple pivot tables.

Shortcut: Press Alt + F5 to refresh the active pivot instantly.

How do I remove a pivot table but keep the data?

To convert a pivot table into static values:

  1. Select the pivot table area.
  2. Copy it (Ctrl + C).
  3. Right-click and choose Paste Special > Values.

This preserves the data while removing the pivot table functionality.

How do I remove duplicates in Excel?

You can remove duplicates using two methods:

  • Built-in tool: Go to Data > Remove Duplicates and select the relevant columns.
  • Formula method: Use =UNIQUE(A1:A20) in Excel 365/2021+ for a dynamic deduplicated list.

Tip: Always keep a backup of your data before removing duplicates.

What are some must-know Excel tricks and tips?

Here are 5 time-saving Excel tricks:

  • Use CTRL + T to create dynamic tables quickly.
  • Apply Conditional Formatting for instant insights.
  • Use Flash Fill (CTRL + E) to auto-complete patterns.
  • Lock formulas with F4 (absolute references).
  • Split text using the Text to Columns tool.

🔹 General Questions About Excel Formula Hub

❓ What is Excel Formula Hub?

Excel Formula Hub is a YouTube learning platform and resource hub dedicated to teaching Excel in the most practical, easy-to-understand way possible.

Our approach is built on:

  • Clarity - Every formula and trick explained with examples.
  • Relevance - Real-world use cases like sales reports, budgeting, HR sheets.
  • Accessibility - Lessons that work for beginners as well as advanced users.
  • Community-driven content - Tutorials based on subscriber requests.

❓ Who can benefit from Excel Formula Hub?

Almost anyone working with data will find value. Here's a quick breakdown:

  • Students - Simplify project data analysis, percentage calculations, and presentations.
  • Business professionals - Automate reporting, analyze sales, and manage accounts.
  • Entrepreneurs - Handle inventory, invoices, and financial tracking without expensive software.
  • Data analysts - Quickly clean data, create pivot tables, and perform advanced calculations.
  • Job seekers - Gain Excel skills that are in high demand across industries.

❓ Why are formulas and pivot tables such a big deal?

Excel is often seen as just a spreadsheet tool, but in reality:

  • Formulas help you transform raw numbers into insights (profits, growth rates, efficiency).
  • Pivot tables allow you to summarize and restructure large datasets in seconds.

When combined, they make Excel a lightweight business intelligence tool-a skillset employers love.

🔹 Excel Formulas - Comprehensive FAQs

Formulas are at the heart of Excel. Let's explore the most frequently asked questions, with detailed explanations and examples.

❓ What is the Excel formula for percent?

The most common way to calculate percentage is:

= (Part/Total) * 100

✅ Example:

  • Marks scored = 72
  • Total marks = 90
= (72/90) * 100 → 80%

🔹 Where it's useful:

  1. Exam results (marks out of total).
  2. Sales targets (achieved vs. target).
  3. Profit margins (profit vs. revenue).
  4. Discounts (discount vs. original price).

👉 Pro Tip: Format cells as Percentage (%) to make results display neatly without manually multiplying by 100.

❓ Can I use multiple Excel formulas in a single cell?

Yes. Excel allows nesting multiple formulas, meaning you can perform multiple operations in one step.

✅ Example: To calculate rounded-up percent score:

=ROUNDUP((Marks/Total)*100,0)

Here, you're combining:

  • Division formula
  • Percentage calculation
  • Rounding function

🔹 Practical Use Cases:

  • Calculate commission percentages, rounded up.
  • Combine text and formulas:

="Your score is "&ROUNDUP((A1/B1)*100,0)&"%"

❓ How do I calculate percent increase or decrease in Excel?

Percent Increase Formula:

= ((New Value - Old Value) / Old Value) * 100

Percent Decrease Formula:

= ((Old Value - New Value) / Old Value) * 100

✅ Example:

  • Last month's sales = $5000
  • This month's sales = $6000

= ((6000-5000)/5000)*100 → 20% increase

🔹 Common Uses:

  • Monthly sales comparison.
  • Year-over-year growth.
  • Tracking expenses.
  • Performance improvement metrics.

❓ What is the Excel formula to round up numbers?

Use:

=ROUNDUP(number, num_digits)

✅ Example:

=ROUNDUP(4.27,1) → 4.3 =ROUNDUP(4.27,0) → 5

🔹 Where it helps:

  • Financial reporting (rounding up currency).
  • Sales targets (always round up so targets aren't underestimated).
  • Capacity planning (rounding up headcount or resources).

❓ How do I count characters in a cell?

Use the LEN function:

=LEN(A1)

✅ Example: If A1 = "Excel Hub", result = 9 (including space).

🔹 Applications:

  • Text validation (checking character length).
  • Cleaning imported data.
  • SMS/email character limits.

❓ What is the Excel formula to remove spaces before text?

Use the TRIM function:

=TRIM(A1)

✅ Example:

  • A1 = " Excel Hub "
  • Formula result = "Excel Hub"

🔹 Best for:

  • Cleaning data pasted from external sources (like PDFs, websites).
  • Removing inconsistent spacing.

❓ How do I remove leading zeros in Excel?

Options:

  1. VALUE function:

=VALUE(A1)

  1. Change formatting:
  • Select cells → Format as Number/General.

✅ Example:

  • Input: "00789"
  • Output: "789"

🔹 Use Case: Cleaning IDs, invoice numbers, or imported CSV data.

❓ What is the formula to remove the first character in Excel?

Use RIGHT with LEN:

=RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-1)

✅ Example:

  • A1 = "X123"
  • Result = "123"

🔹 Use Cases:

  • Removing prefixes from codes.
  • Cleaning imported account numbers.

❓ How do I remove duplicates in Excel?

Two approaches:

  1. Built-in Remove Duplicates Tool:
  • Go to Data > Remove Duplicates.
  • Select column(s).
  • Confirm.
  1. Formula-based (Office 365/2021+):

=UNIQUE(A1:A20)

🔹 When to use:

  • Deduplicating customer lists.
  • Cleaning product codes.
  • Creating unique ID sets.

🔹 Pivot Tables - Your Advanced FAQs

Pivot tables are Excel's most powerful reporting tool. Here's everything you need to know.

❓ What is a pivot table in Excel?

A pivot table summarizes data in a flexible way. Think of it as a drag-and-drop report generator.

🔹 Key Benefits:

  • Summarizes large data sets instantly.
  • Groups and categorizes data automatically.
  • Works without altering original data.

✅ Example Use Cases:

  • Sales by region or month.
  • Expenses by category.
  • Employee headcount by department.

❓ How to create a pivot table on Excel?

Steps:

  1. Select your data range.
  2. Go to Insert > PivotTable.
  3. Choose where to place the pivot.
  4. Drag fields into:

    • Rows (categories)

    • Columns (comparisons)

    • Values (metrics like SUM, COUNT)

    • Filters (dynamic filters)

👉 In our tutorials, we demonstrate real-world pivot dashboards.

❓ How do I refresh a pivot table?

When the source data changes, refresh to update the pivot:

  • Right-click → Refresh.
  • Or, go to Data → Refresh All.

🔹 Best Practice: Use a refresh shortcut (Alt + F5) when working with multiple pivots.

❓ How to remove a pivot table but keep the data?

Steps:

  1. Select pivot table.
  2. Copy (CTRL + C).
  3. Right-click → Paste Special → Values.

✅ This turns pivot results into static data you can keep.

❓ Can I convert a pivot table into a normal table?

Yes. Copy and paste as values. For dynamic needs, use Power Query to create a regular formatted table from your pivot.

🔹 Excel Tricks and Tips - Must-Know Shortcuts

Here's a curated list of Excel tricks every professional should know:

  1. CTRL + T - Create a dynamic table instantly.
  2. Conditional Formatting - Highlight important trends visually.
  3. CTRL + SHIFT + L - Add filters instantly.
  4. Flash Fill (CTRL + E) - Auto-fill patterns like names or emails.
  5. Data Validation - Create drop-down menus.
  6. Absolute Reference (F4) - Lock cell references in formulas.
  7. Text to Columns - Split data quickly.
  8. Protect Sheets - Secure sensitive data.
  9. Pivot Charts - Visualize pivot data instantly.
  10. Quick Analysis Tool - Get instant summaries and charts.

🔹 About Excel Formula Hub

❓ Where can I access tutorials?

All tutorials are on our YouTube channel: Excel Formula Hub. We post regularly on:

  • Excel formulas
  • Pivot tables
  • Smart tricks & hacks

❓ Do you share practice templates?

Yes. Many of our tutorials include free Excel practice templates so you can follow along.

❓ Can I request a video tutorial?

Absolutely! Leave a comment on our videos or reach us via the website contact form.

❓ Do you cover advanced Excel topics?

We currently specialize in formulas, pivot tables, and productivity hacks. Future plans: Power Query, VBA macros, Excel automation.

🔹 Final Thoughts

Excel is not just about formulas-it's about saving time, making better decisions, and communicating data effectively.

At Excel Formula Hub, we strive to:

  • Make learning Excel simple.
  • Deliver real-world, practical solutions.
  • Empower you with skills that matter.

Whether you need the Excel formula to remove spaces before text, or guidance on how to refresh a pivot table, this FAQ (and our channel) is your trusted resource.