Excel is everywhere in London. Anyone who handles data from finance and consulting thruoghto operations, and HRneeds solid Excel skills. Good training can make all the difference and get you home earlier. Excel is huge and growing every month so whether you’re already an advanced user or a complete novice you still have lots to learn.
I reviewed six leading Excel training providers in London using the factors that would matter most to me: content, instructor quality, credibility, feedback, flexibility, and value.
My Top 3 Picks AtA Glance
Here are my favourites among the six.
Top Pick: Acuity Training
- They provide strong, hands-on courses from beginner through advanced, with CPD certification.
- You get small classes, expert trainers, and post-course support.
- They ask for your learning focus ahead of time, they don’t just run identical agendas for each of their courses.
Second: Seven Institute (Best For Advanced Users)
- They offer deep Excel specialisation, including VBA, dashboards, Power Pivot and BI features.
- The training is very suitable for serious learners and analyst-focused roles.
Third: City Lit (Best For Flexible Training)
- They offer flexible evening, weekend, and hybrid courses for working professionals.
- Pricing is affordable, covering advanced features including pivot tables and macros.
- The provider is recognised for accessibility and community engagement.
How I Chose These 6 Providers
I started with providers frequently mentioned in London Excel-course guides or in “best of” listings. I then filtered that list to select those that
- Offer multiple course levels (intro, intermediate, advanced) and good instructor credentials or public feedback.
- had consistent availability in London or offered a hybrid format.
- offered a mix of big providers (many dates), smaller specialist options, public-sector/community education, and providers who offer both corporate and individual courses.
Variables I Used to Compare Them
To choose between these training providers I looked at a variety of variables:
- Course Content & Specialisation: Do their courses go beyond basics? Does it cover data analysis, dashboards, macros/VBA, pivot tables, and conditional formatting?
- Instructional Quality & Expertise: This covers trainer experience, class size, hands-on exercises, and whether you receive feedback or review.
- Customer Feedback & Sentiment: I checked reviews and recommendations, looking at whether people felt the outcomes matched the marketing.
- Value Proposition & Market Fit: This compares price versus what you get (duration, content, extras), and if the course suited to business users, power users, or casual users?
- Delivery & Flexibility:I compared in-person versus online versus hybrid training options, evening/weekend options, and corporate/onsite options.
- Industry Recognition & Credentials: Do they have CPD accreditation, Microsoft partnership, or otherrecognised accreditation?
Provider Profiles (Alphabetical)
Acuity Training
Acuity Training offers a full range of Excel courses in London and is my top choice. Their courses are CPD certified and include post-course support. They let delegates indicate which areas they want to emphasise in their training in advance. You get small, interactive classes with expert trainers. It costs more thanbudget providers, reflecting the hands-on nature of the training and support they provide.
- Pros: Strong content depth and CPD accreditation. Trainer quality and consistent small class sizes are excellent. Good support after the course helps embed what you learned.
- Cons: Cost is higher than basic options. Customisation is possible but limited within the structured syllabus.
City Lit
City Lit offers evening, weekend, and hybrid Excel courses in London. Their advanced courses cover macros, pivot tables, and advanced formulas. This is a community education setting, so pricing is moderate and certain learners receive concessions. They are great if you are looking to upskilling without paying a corporate price tag.
- Pros:Affordable and flexible (evening or hybrid) courses. Widely recognised for accessibility and community engagement.
- Cons: The class format over multiple sessions means a slower pace than intensive courses. The content is notbusiness-tailored. Little provision for ongoing support,
Media Training Ltd
Media Training offers in-person and onlinecourses at different levels. Offerings include beginner, intermediate, advanced, and specialist topics like macros and pivot tables. Class sizes are capped, and they have strong satisfaction ratings.
- Pros:Attractive training environment gets good reviews. Full range of Excel courses.
- Cons:Expensive compared to budget options. is moderate-high relative to basic providers. Less post-course support compared to some providers.
STL Training
STL offers a wide variety of dates and venues. As an experienced provider they have a large number ofcustomer reviews with good recommendation rates. They offer good post-course support.
- Pros: They never cancel courses and have large numbers of positive reviews. They offer a wide range of levels and good support after courses.
- Cons: Large-venue classrooms mean less individual attention in some settings.
Seven Institute
Seven Institute offers Excel courses, including advanced formulas, VBA, and business intelligence tools. They offer onsite options, public courses, and strong trainer credentials. Their rooms are well-equipped, and they offer support and follow-up materials. They are very strong for advanced learners and those aiming to develop advanced skills.
- Pros:Specialist Excel training providers using Microsoft Certified Trainers. Their materialsand follow-up help is good.
- Cons: They are more expensive than simpler or shorter providers and their classes are less frequent which could make scheduling difficult. They aren’tappropriate for total novices. Old fashioned website
WeAreExcel
WeAreExcel is smaller specialist training provider. They offer small groups and provide post-course support and homework. They offer flexible formats (in person, virtual, onsite).
- Pros:Post-course homework and support help you build confidence. CPD accreditation adds credential value.
- Cons: They offer less choice of super-advanced/VBA-heavy content compared with big providers. They appear to be moving beyond Excel courses and so may be more focused on their new courses.
The ROI on Excel Training Courses
Excel training delivers a strong return on investment (ROI)as skilled Excel users are more efficient and make far fewer errors. One study puts the return at 143% in the first year alone. A key part of maximising the ROI on the training this is figuring out the best way to deliver the Excel training so that itmatches the delivery method to the existing skills and and requirements your colleagues.
Why Excel Training Matters in London
London is the most competitive job market in the UK. Employers expect more than “can use Excel” and want people with demonstrable skills able build reports, automate work and clean and audit data.
London’sconcentration of finance, consultancy and tech firms means that the demand for advanced Excel skills is especially high. Being an advanced Excel user makes people more in demand, safer in job transitions, and gives them career options beyond data and analyst roles. Excel is a backbone data tool even in “crossover” roles that also include BI tools. In today’s data driven environment Excel makes a good complement for almost any other skill set.
Recommendations for Different Learner Types
Next steps: Choose the provider that fits your needs:
- Beginners or those building on basic Excel skills:Choose Acuity Training for structured, well-reviewed courses with small class sizes.
- Individuals aiming to move into analyst roles using advanced skills:Choose Seven Institutefor certified training or WeAreExcel if that is not required.
- Busy professionals, limited time:Choose City Lit for evening or hybrid scheduling and moderate pricing or Acuity Training for training during work hours.
- Corporate teams or departments:Choose STL Training,MediaTraining or Acuity Training for their onsite options.
Final Thoughts
All the providers I looked at offer quality training. If I had to choosea provider for my own Excel course in London, I’d pick Acuity Training for its interest in my learning objectives, hands-on support, and credible instructors. Seven Institutewould be my choice if I wanted to learn very advanced Excel which makes it my second choice.If I could only study outside work then my choice would be City Lit for its flexible evening and hybrid courses.
