Lesson 2.1 – Entering Data

In this lesson, you will learn how to enter clean and structured data in Excel. Correct data entry is essential for accurate calculations, sorting, filtering, and all types of data analysis. Excel recognizes different types of data such as text, numbers, dates, and times, and each behaves differently inside the worksheet.

1. Entering Text

Text is used for labels, names, categories, and descriptions. Excel aligns text to the left by default.

Examples:

Product A
Customer Name
Category

To enter text, click a cell and type. Press Enter to confirm.

2. Entering Numbers

Numbers are used for quantities, prices, percentages, and calculations. Excel aligns numbers to the right by default.

Examples:

150
3.75
-20

Avoid adding spaces or symbols (except decimal separators), otherwise Excel may treat the value as text.

3. Entering Dates and Times

Dates and times must follow a valid format for Excel to recognize them. When entered correctly, they are stored as numeric values and aligned to the right.

Examples:

12/03/2024
2024-03-12
14:30

If a date appears left-aligned, Excel is treating it as text.

4. Entering Formulas

Formulas always begin with an equal sign (=). Excel calculates the result automatically.

Examples:

=A1 + B1
=SUM(A1:A10)

Formulas appear in the Formula Bar, while the result appears in the cell.

5. Using the Formula Bar

The Formula Bar displays the content of the active cell. It is especially useful for editing long text or complex formulas.

Click a cell → edit in the Formula Bar → press Enter to confirm.

6. Avoiding Common Data Entry Errors

Do not add spaces before or after values.
Use consistent date formats.
Do not mix text and numbers in the same column.
Avoid using commas or symbols inside numeric values.

7. Practical Exercise

Complete the following steps to practice entering clean data:

Create a worksheet named Lesson_2_1_Practice.
In column A, enter five product names (text).
In column B, enter five quantities (numbers).
In column C, enter five dates in DD/MM/YYYY format.
In column D, enter a simple formula (e.g., =B1*2).
Check alignment: text left, numbers and dates right.

Next Lesson

Lesson 2.2 – Formatting Cells

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