F2 to toggle between enter and reference in a cell.This article is broken down into 2 sections for shortcuts: Windows and Mac. While you can use it on Mac, you’ll be much more limited. Mac vs WindowsĮxcel is a Microsoft application and is therefore optimized for windows operating systems. This article outlines 32 shortcuts you should start with today to use Excel without the mouse and increase your efficiency. Once Excel is open, keep your browser open behind your Excel and look up the shortcut for any action for which you don’t immediately know the shortcut. For any action you want to take, force yourself to ignore the mouse.
The key is to always look for keyboard shortcuts. Personally, I started in an analytical role with almost zero knowledge of Excel, and I became keyboard proficient in less than 6 months. That’s why learning to use Excel without a mouse is so important. In addition, the further you progress in your career, the faster you need to produce results. Nobody likes to get bogged down clicking buttons with the mouse while their train of thought moves forward. If you’re a data analyst, a business analyst, a financial professional (or anyone who uses Excel for that matter) then you know the feeling of wanting to move faster in Excel.