Question 1

What are Excel VBA and Macros?

Accepted Answer

VBA stands for Visual Basic for Applications. It is a programming language that makes it possible to automate tasks in Office Applications. Excel VBA is the version for Microsoft Excel. So if there is a task you do regularly in Excel, you can code and store the steps with VBA. This stored set of steps or instructions is the macro. A macro is like a saved action. Basically, Excel VBA lets you assign the steps, and the macro runs those steps. You can also create a macro by recording steps with Excel's Macro Recorder; you often will use a combination of the two. You can record with Macro Recorder and then add special steps with VBA. You can have more than one macro you create and run. Excel experts use these VBA and macros to do complicated tasks and get the most out of Excel.

Question 2

Is VBA worth learning?

Accepted Answer

If you use Microsoft Excel for repetitive and complex tasks regularly, it is worth learning VBA. You can do more with the application because Excel VBA lets you automate tasks through macros. This allows you to do more complex tasks, and you can also store tasks you do on a regular basis so that they are faster and easier. Knowing VBA can let you do more complex analysis with your Excel spreadsheets, too. In essence, learning VBA can make your job faster and easier.

Question 3

How long does it take to learn Excel VBA?

Accepted Answer

You can learn the basics of Excel VBA in a few hours but it depends on what you want to learn and be able to do. If you are already very comfortable with Microsoft Excel, that will save you time. If you want to learn how to create macros for the tasks you do most often, you can learn that in a few hours or a day. If you want to learn to write VBA code or analyze complex data sets and automate results, that can take longer. You might want to spend a week, or around 20 hours plus practice time. Like with many programs, becoming an expert might take you years of practice. For the average user's needs, somewhere between two and 25 hours of learning should be enough to give you a solid grounding in Excel VBA and get you on your way.

Question 4

What careers is Excel VBA useful for?

Accepted Answer

Excel VBA is useful for a wide range of careers. Knowing VBA can help in any profession where you use Microsoft Excel on a regular basis — this means almost any career where you use spreadsheets. These careers can include finance, sales, marketing, project management, and more in a variety of industries. In particular, data analysts use Excel VBA frequently. Data analysis jobs often demand that you know VBA and are comfortable with using macros. Excel VBA is also key for other analysis jobs, including marketing, investment, and systems analysis. There are programming jobs that focus largely or solely on programming in VBA. Software analysts and consultants often need to know VBA to develop macros specifically for their clients. If you use Excel, VBA can range from a bonus skill to a necessity for your career.

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