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Is there a way to prepare for a job requiring Microsoft Excel knowledge without having to buy an Office license? Is there a free alternative that is nearly identical, or is there a way to get a legal copy at low or no cost? The job in question gives a test in Excel to candidates.

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    You're up for a job that requires you pass an excel test, but you don't have excel? This is because all the other times you've used excel it's been on a company or school machine? Oct 23, 2014 at 16:30
  • It's not me, its' a friend... they have not used Excel... they want to learn it, then apply for the job
    – JoelFan
    Oct 23, 2014 at 16:31
  • This is off topic because it is "asking for a product, service or learning material recommendation" as per the help center. Has your friend tried an Internet search? There are a lot of resources available.
    – CharlieRB
    Oct 23, 2014 at 18:54
  • For a more than a very "basic" job Learning Excel to the level that is required is a task that may require quite some time. Excel may appear as quite simple, but allows very complex tasks.
    – Hannu
    Oct 23, 2014 at 20:10
  • OpenOffice....unless you are trying to do things very microsoft excel specific way. You can even use common formulae in OpenOffice. It's completely free.
    – ha9u63a7
    Oct 24, 2014 at 7:19

4 Answers 4

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A low-cost option is Office 365. A monthly subscription starts at USD6.99, including rights to download and install Excel on a PC.

http://products.office.com/en-us/compare-microsoft-office-products

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There is always a free trial that expires after a month. This would certainly give you enough time to go through some tutorials.

If you are a student or know one, most universities partner with Microsoft to give students free or cheaper versions of Office.

Finally, LibreOffice is a free alternative that at least works similarly with respect to worksheet functions and basic commands. However, don't rely on it being equivalent. Moreover it cannot do Microsoft macros, which may however be too advanced for you if you're just starting with Office.

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  • IIRC office trials weren't per month, its X number of uses.
    – Journeyman Geek
    Oct 24, 2014 at 7:03
  • products.office.com/en-us/try — "Sign up using a Microsoft account. Credit card required. First month free. Your credit card will be automatically billed after the first month. "
    – slhck
    Oct 24, 2014 at 7:23
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The short answer is probably NO.

But if the question is really "MS Excel is a spreadsheet program. What are some programs with similar functionality that are free?", then OpenOffice/LibreOffice Calc is a free and open source program with many of the same capabilities.

The general category is "Spreadsheet". And the core functions of any spreadsheet program are the same. But the user interface is a little different in each program, and the "additional features" are very different from program to program. And often quite different from one release to the next of the same program.

If the job REQUIRES knowledge of EXCEL, then you will have to have knowledge of Excel. Did you mis-represent yourself in a job interview?

But you don't have to buy the entire Office suite in order to get Excel; you can buy just Excel for about US $100; and for personal/home use, you can get the "Home and Student" edition for somewhere in the US $150 to US $200 price range.

Good luck!

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  • There has not been an interview yet... the person wants to apply for a job requiring Excel... they will not misrepresent themselves... they will say they have learned Excel and hopefully pass the test... they won't say they've used it before in a job... it's an entry-level position so hopefully not having experience will be ok
    – JoelFan
    Oct 23, 2014 at 16:32
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There is Office online https://office.live.com/start/excel.aspx I believe most functionality is the same.

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    I checked this out, it's missing tons of integral features. Oct 23, 2014 at 16:34

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