Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences Information Technology and Computer Sciences

Spreadsheet Formatting and Appearance Modification Training

SAQA US 258879 | NQF 3 | Credits 3 | Duration 1 Day
From $691 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the skills to modify and enhance the appearance of spreadsheets to improve readability and professionalism. Participants will learn to apply formatting techniques such as fonts, colours, borders, and conditional formatting to present data effectively.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply font formatting, cell alignment, and number formats to enhance spreadsheet appearance.
  • Use borders, shading, and colours to highlight and differentiate data areas.
  • Implement conditional formatting to automatically apply formatting based on cell values.
  • Modify row heights and column widths to improve data display.
  • Insert and format headers and footers for printed spreadsheets.
  • Demonstrate the ability to save and apply custom styles and themes.

Target Audience

This course is designed for administrative staff, data capturers, and anyone who uses spreadsheets in their daily work and wishes to present data in a more polished and professional manner.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment. Basic computer literacy and familiarity with spreadsheet software is recommended.

Course Outline

Day 1: Spreadsheet Formatting and Appearance Modification

Objectives:
• Apply basic and advanced formatting techniques to enhance spreadsheet readability
• Use cell styles, themes, and conditional formatting to highlight data patterns
• Modify column widths, row heights, and merge cells for improved layout
• Insert and format headers, footers, and page setup options for printing
• Apply data validation and protect worksheet elements to maintain data integrity

Topics:
• Introduction to spreadsheet formatting: fonts, colours, borders, and alignment
• Cell styles, themes, and quick formatting tools
• Conditional formatting: rules, colour scales, and icon sets
• Adjusting column width, row height, merging and wrapping text
• Page layout: margins, orientation, headers/footers, and print titles
• Data validation: setting input restrictions and dropdown lists
• Protecting cells, worksheets, and workbooks
• Best practices for professional spreadsheet appearance

Practicals

3 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Learners will apply formatting techniques to real-world spreadsheets, including conditional formatting, page setup, and data validation. Practical exercises reinforce theoretical concepts and build confidence in modifying spreadsheet appearance.

Practical Activities
  • Basic Formatting Exercise — Apply font styles, colours, borders, and alignment to a provided dataset; adjust column widths and row heights for clarity. (1h)
  • Conditional Formatting and Themes — Use conditional formatting to highlight cells meeting specific criteria; apply a built-in theme and modify theme colours. (1h)
  • Page Setup and Data Validation — Set up page layout options, insert headers/footers, and create data validation dropdown lists; protect the worksheet. (1h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) 100% 30%
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 50%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
No online sessions scheduled yet.
Let us know you're interested and we'll arrange a session that suits you.
Contact Us
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
No on-campus sessions scheduled yet.
Let us know you're interested and we'll arrange a session that suits you.
Contact Us
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
No in-house sessions scheduled yet.
Let us know you're interested and we'll arrange a session that suits you.
Contact Us
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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