Learn Google Sheets inside a Google Sheet
Basic Training is a free interactive course that lives in a spreadsheet. You type every formula yourself, and the Sheet grades each one the moment you press Enter.
📗 7 short lessons ✅ 19 graded exercises ⏱ About 40 minutes
Get your free copy
We email you a link that makes your own copy of the course Sheet.
✅ You're in.
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You know the moment. Someone shares a spreadsheet and expects you to do something with it. You google the same formula for the fifth time, paste it in, and hope. Basic Training replaces that guessing with 40 minutes of real practice.
Here is what a graded exercise looks like
You type a formula in the answer cell. The Sheet checks it instantly. No submit button, no waiting.
B
C
11
Coffee
4.50
16
👉 =B11
✅ 4.50
✅ Correct! You just pulled a value with a cell reference. That is Exercise 1 of Lesson 1.
How it works
1
Enter your email
We send you a special link. One click gives you your own private copy of the course Sheet.
2
Work through the tabs
Each tab is one short lesson with real data. Read a few lines, then type formulas in the marked answer cells.
3
Get graded instantly
Every answer gets a ✅ or a specific nudge the moment you press Enter. A progress bar tracks all 19 checks.
What you will learn
Seven micro-lessons, one final challenge. Every lesson uses a small real-world dataset and ends with graded exercises.
0
Start Here
How the course works, plus a live progress bar that fills in as you pass each lesson.
1
Cell references
⏱ 3 min · 2 graded checksEvery cell has an address. Pull a price out of a menu with =B11. Dataset: a cafe menu.
2
Doing math
⏱ 4 min · 3 graded checksPoint formulas at cells and let the sheet do the arithmetic. Dataset: a concert night budget.
3
SUM, AVERAGE and MAX
⏱ 4 min · 3 graded checksOne function can read a whole column at once. Dataset: a week of cookie sales.
4
Copy a formula with the fill handle
⏱ 4 min · 1 graded checkWrite it once, drag it everywhere. Dataset: a snack stand ledger.
5
Lock a cell with $
⏱ 4 min · 1 graded checkDollar signs pin a reference so dragging cannot move it. Dataset: sales tax on 5 prices.
6
Your first IF
⏱ 4 min · 1 graded checkIF makes the sheet decide things for you. Dataset: pass or fail quiz scores.
7
Count and add with conditions
⏱ 4 min · 2 graded checksCOUNTIF counts what matches. SUMIF adds what matches. Dataset: orders by region.
🏁
Final Challenge: the mini budget
⏱ 10 min · 6 graded checksA real monthly budget with income and 8 expenses. You combine everything from all 7 lessons to answer 6 questions, ending with an IF that tells you if the budget is saving money.
🎓
Finish and graduate
Pass all 19 checks to unlock a personalized certificate with your name on it.
Why the course lives inside a Sheet
You practice from minute one
Reading and watching do not build the skill on their own. Here you type every formula yourself, in the real tool, from the first exercise.
Feedback is instant and specific
Wrong answers get a nudge that names the concept, not just a red X. The Sheet even catches hand-typed numbers and asks for a real formula.
Hints when you want them
Every exercise has a hint behind a checkbox. Struggle productively, then peek only when you choose to.
It is yours to keep
The course is a normal Google Sheet in your own Drive. Revisit it, poke at the grading formulas, and learn from how it is built.
After Basic Training
Then there is the full Bootcamp
Basic Training teaches you to write a formula. The Bootcamp makes you the spreadsheet person on your team: 193 auto-graded exercises across 9 modules and 4 real projects, framed around the 10% of Sheets that does 90% of the work. Same graded Sheet, much bigger scope.
✅ 193 graded exercises 🎯 4 capstone projects 📓 7 bonus practice workbooks
Hey, I'm Ryan 👋
I create everything on Sheets Bootcamp. I built Basic Training because I kept watching people finish video courses, open a blank spreadsheet, and freeze. Typing real formulas and getting graded on the spot is what actually sticks.
If you get stuck anywhere in the lesson, reply to any email I send you. I read every reply.
Questions
How long does the course take?
About 40 minutes total. There are 7 lessons of 3 to 4 minutes each, plus a final challenge. You can stop and pick it back up anytime because your copy saves automatically.
Is it really free?
Yes. Basic Training is 100% free. No credit card, no trial. You get your own copy of the course Sheet and it is yours to keep.
Why is the Sheet called Lesson 0?
The Sheet you receive is titled "Lesson 0: Basic Training". It is lesson zero because it comes before Module 1 of the full Bootcamp course. Same grading engine, much smaller scope.
Do I need to install anything?
No. You only need a free Google account. The course is a Google Sheet, so it runs in your browser like any other spreadsheet.
How does a spreadsheet grade my answers?
Every exercise has an answer cell. Formulas built into the Sheet check your answer the moment you press Enter and show a green check or a specific nudge. The Sheet even checks that you used a real formula instead of typing the number by hand.
What if I get stuck?
Every exercise has an optional hint. Check the hint box and the hint appears, sometimes with the exact formula. You are never more than one checkbox away from the answer.
Who is this for?
Complete beginners and anyone shaky on the basics. If VLOOKUP already feels easy, skip this and browse the free tutorials instead.
40 minutes from now, formulas will make sense
Free, hands-on, and graded as you go. Get your copy of Basic Training.
✅ You're in.
Taking you to your copy of Basic Training now. If nothing happens in a few seconds, the link is in your inbox too.
Instant access, no confirmation step. No spam, ever.