Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet that is used for organising, analysing and visualising data. Through various features like data entry, data manipulation, charting and calculation, this makes it an ideal tool for project management, data handling and reporting, financial analysis, budgeting and so much more.

Simply put, Microsoft Excel is not entirely free. If you want full access then you will require a subscription or purchase. Otherwise, you can get it’s versions for free online and you can run it directly in your web browser. The free version is sufficient for most Excel users.

First you will need to sign in to your Microsoft account and find out the Microsoft 365 portal and select the option to install Microsoft Excel. Use the instructions provided to download and install it to your device. To activate the software, you will need to sign in to your Microsoft account again.

The five most basic functions that every student must know is the SUM, which adds up values in range; COUNT, which counts the numer of cells containing the data, AVERAGE, which calculates the average of valus; and lastly, MAX and MIN, which finds the highest or lowest possible values in a range.

There are over hundreds of Excel functions that perform certain calculations or operations on data. The exact number depends on the version of Excel one is using but there is way more than enough to make sure a person takes years after years to master them.

There are many uses of Microsoft Excel. Any function you want to perform on a data, you can do it on Excel. However, the most common are data entry, data management, accounting, data analysis, financial analysis, charting and graphing, task management, time management, presentations and CRM.

Microsoft is considered to be one of the easiest tools to use out there. Mainly due to its user-friendly interface with hundreds of features. Another reason why it is easier for beginners boils down to the fact that it’s been there for years hence the thousands tutorials and courses available online. However, mastering the advanced features and functions will require a lot of practice, time and effort.

Yes certainly. In fact, Microsoft Excel is considered as one of the most valuable skills no matter what job you are applying for. Being proficient in Excel will instantly enhance your productivity and efficiency. Many employers look for candidates with strong Excel skills when hiring for certain positions.

While it not a true database management system, it can be used to store and organize data like a database. However, it lacks some of the advanced features of database softwares.

To password protect an Excel document, open the file and click on "File" > "Info" > "Protect Workbook" > "Encrypt with Password." Then enter a password, confirm it and save the document. The next time you open the file, you will have to enter the password to access it.