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Description

Excel VBA for Beginners: Record, Edit and Secure Your First Macros

Automate repetitive Excel tasks without ever having written a line of code

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Every month the same files are opened, the same columns deleted, the same formatting rebuilt from scratch. This manual work takes time and introduces errors that nobody spots before the file is circulated. The macro recorder is already in Excel but remains largely unused because few people know how to read and correct what it produces.

These two days take you from your first recording to writing simple but reliable macros: reading generated code, variables, conditions, loops and triggering by button. Each participant automates a real task from their own role and has someone else run it to confirm it holds up.

Learning objectives

  • Record a macro and understand the generated code
  • Edit a recorded macro to make it reusable
  • Write simple instructions using variables, conditions and loops
  • Trigger a macro from a button or a keyboard shortcut
  • Identify and correct the most common runtime errors

What makes this programme different

Each participant automates a real task brought from their own workstation
Recorded code is reviewed line by line before being edited
A progressive exercise workbook remains usable after the programme

Programme

1First steps with the macro recorder

Producing code without writing it

  • Displaying the Developer tab and setting security options
  • Recording a macro and choosing the destination workbook
  • Relative and absolute references while recording
  • Running a macro and saving in the required file format

2Reading and correcting the code

Understanding what the recorder has written

  • Discovering the editor and the project explorer
  • Structure of a procedure and the instructions generated
  • Removing unnecessary instructions produced by recording
  • Step-by-step execution to follow the sequence

3Writing your own instructions

Moving from recording to programming

  • Declaring and using variables
  • Working with cells, ranges and worksheets
  • Conditions to handle exceptions
  • Loops to run through rows or files
  • Messages and user input prompts

4Making the macro usable by others

From personal code to a team tool

  • Triggering by button, shortcut or on opening the workbook
  • Validating input to avoid interruptions
  • Clear error messages for the end user
  • Organising macros and sharing them within the team

Who is it for

Regular Excel users, administrative assistants, officers, accountants and technicians who wish to automate repetitive processing tasks.

Prerequisites

Confident use of Excel including formulas, sorting and filtering.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.