Spreadsheet lab: a free starter lesson for working with AI

Spreadsheets become less intimidating when you treat them as small questions instead of one giant grid.

This free lab uses a copy of a sheet. Never start by letting an AI tool change the original.

Lab setup

Create a duplicate and replace sensitive values with examples. Keep columns called Date, Category, and Amount. Add a few rows you know are correct.

Ask for the formula in plain English

I have columns Date, Category, and Amount.
I need the total Amount for Category = "Training"
and dates in September 2026.
Explain the formula, then give it to me.
If a value is missing, tell me how that affects the result.

Paste the formula into the copy. Compare it with a small hand calculation. If the answer is different, stop and inspect the ranges.

Use AI for cleanup, not blind trust

It can suggest a way to split a full name, remove extra spaces, standardise dates, or find duplicate rows. Test the suggestion on five rows first. Look at the first, middle, and last rows in the range.

Evidence for an Emply activity

A learner can submit the original sample, the formula explanation, and two checks they performed. That shows more than a screenshot of a final number. It shows whether they can work safely.

Keep this lab as a free worksheet. Emply gives employers a way to assign it, review the evidence, and add the next spreadsheet skill when the basics are secure.