Microsoft Excel, especially the latest 2010 version, can be a valuable productivity aid and you can utilise a number of keyboard shortcuts to make using Excel an even more productive experience.

The Usual Suspects

• F1 Launch the help system – Microsoft Office Online
• F2 Edit the currently selected cell
• F4 Repeats the last command, such as a formatting a cell to bold
• F5 Change the currently selected cell to a specific cell
• F6 Flips between Tool/Ribbon Bar, the Current Document, and the Status Bar buttons
• F7 Launch the spell checker
• F8 Extend the current selection using the arrow keys (similar to pressing SHIFT and clicking with the mouse)
• F10 Flip between the current document and the menu bar
• F11 Launch Chart Tools to create and format a chart (make sure you select some data first!)
• F12 Launch Save As to save the current document
• CTRL + A Select the current range or all of the document – as appropriate
• CTRL + C Copy the contents of the selected cell into the clipboard
• CTRL + X Cut the contents of the selected cell into the clipboard
• CTRL + V Paste the contents from the clipboard into the selected cell
• CTRL + Z Multiple levels of Undo

Moving Between Worksheets in a Spreadsheet

• Ctrl + Page up
  Move to previous work sheet in the same file
• Ctrl + Page down
  Move to next work sheet in the same file

Working With The Current Spreadsheet

• Ctrl + P
  Launch Backstage view to Print the current document
• Ctrl + F9
  Minimize the current work sheet in the file
• Ctrl + F10
  Maximize the current work sheet in the file
• Shift + F3
  Launch the Insert Function dialog
• Shift + F5
  Launch the Find and Replace dialog

Moving Around The Spreadsheet

• Ctrl + Arrow Keys
  Change the active cell to the next cell with text in that direction
• Ctrl + 9
  Hide the currently active row (horizontally)
• Ctrl + 0
  Hide the currently active column (vertically)
• Ctrl + Spacebar
  Select the entire column (vertically)
  NOTE: If you have Google Desktop tools installed you may find this combination brings up the Google Search Widget
• Shift + Spacebar
  Select the entire row (horizontally)

Quickly Entering Information Into A Cell

• Ctrl + Shift + ; (semicolon)
  Enter the current time into the current cell
• Ctrl + ; (semicolon)
  Enter the current date into the current cell
• Alt + = (equal sign)
  Inserts a formula in the current cell to add up all of the numeric cells above it (assuming no gaps)
• Ctrl + K
  Insert a hyperlink into the currently selected cell
• Ctrl + T
  Insert a table (highlight some data first)
• Ctrl + ‘ (apostrophe)
  Inserts the value of the cell above the current one into the currently selected cell

Change Formatting Of Current Cell

• Ctrl + 1
  Launch the format cells dialog
• Ctrl + B and Ctrl + 2
  Formats to Bold the currently highlighted selection
• Ctrl + I and Ctrl + 3
  Formats to Italics the currently highlighted selection
• Ctrl + U and Ctrl + 4
  Formats to Underline the currently highlighted selection
• Ctrl + 5
  Format to Strikethrough the currently highlighted selection
• Ctrl + Shift + !
  Formats the number in the current cell to comma format
• Ctrl + Shift + $
  Formats the number in the current cell to currency format
• Ctrl + Shift + %
  Formats the number in the current cell to percentage format
• Ctrl + Shift + ^
  Formats the number in the current cell to scientific format
• Ctrl + Shift + @
  Format the number in the current cell to time format