Word documents, Excel formulas and worksheets, PowerPoint presentations and checked AI assistance.
What you will cover
Word documents
Excel formulas
worksheets
PowerPoint presentations
checked AI assistance
Topic list from the institute's programme record.
Certification
Certificate terms for this programme are confirmed by the institute at admission. Any ADIVAS course-completion certificate is an institute certificate; it is not a university degree, an externally accredited qualification or a vendor certification (such as AWS or Microsoft) unless the institute states so in writing.
Curriculum 0.1 · Draft: written for ADIVAS and awaiting academic review and approval. Topics and weeks may change before your batch starts.
Your skill trail
You move through 5 stations. Each week builds one skill you can show, not just a topic you have heard.
1
Word essentials
Produce clean, correctly formatted documents.
Week 1 Word: write and format a document
Week 2 Word: tables, pictures and page layout
2
Professional Word documents
Use styles, structure and mail merge for long and repeated documents.
Week 3 Word: styles, headers and a table of contents
Week 4 Word: mail merge, review tools and sharing
3
Excel calculations
Calculate and make decisions with formulas and functions.
Week 5 Excel: worksheets, formulas and references
Week 6 Excel: logic and lookup functions
4
Data and presentation
Summarise data visually and present it.
Week 7 Excel: tables, charts and PowerPoint basics
5
Office pack and AI checks
Combine all three tools in one checked deliverable.
Week 8 Capstone: office pack with checked AI help
★
Neighbourhood Shop Office Pack
Your project, reviewed by a trainer.
The ADIVAS mastery ladder: how each skill is recognised
Explored You have seen the idea and tried a first example.
Practising You can do it with hints and keep improving.
Proficient You complete the weekly practical task correctly on your own.
Proven You apply it in a project reviewed by your trainer.
Skill-level tracking is being added to the learner workspace. Your trainer already reviews weekly practical work.
What you will be able to do
Create a well-formatted Word document using fonts, paragraphs, lists and tables.
Build a long document with styles, headers, page numbers and a table of contents, and run a mail merge.
Enter and format worksheet data and calculate with formulas using correct cell references.
Use IF, COUNTIF, SUMIF and lookup functions to answer business questions from data.
Sort, filter, chart and summarise data and present it in a PowerPoint deck with a clear message.
Use an AI assistant to draft or explain, then check the result and protect private data.
Who it suits
School Class 9 to 12 students who want a head start in documents, marks sheets and project presentations.
College College students who need tidy assignments, data tables and seminar presentations.
Professional Office staff, shop owners and job seekers who must produce letters, sheets and decks quickly and accurately.
Prerequisites: Basic computer use: mouse, keyboard and saving files (the Computer Basics course is enough). Tools: Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, or LibreOffice Writer, Calc and Impress, A PDF viewer, A free AI assistant for the checked-use exercises, Sample data files supplied by the trainer.
Weekly plan
Word essentials Weeks 1–2
Week 1: Word: write and format a document
Theory
Screen layout, saving, file names and versions
Font, size, alignment, line spacing and paragraph spacing
Bulleted and numbered lists, cut/copy/paste, find and replace
Lab
Type a one-page leave application and a shop notice; format both with a heading, aligned paragraphs, a list and consistent spacing; save as DOCX and PDF.
Homework
Re-create a printed notice (given as a photo) as closely as you can.
Deliverable
Two formatted documents (leave letter, shop notice) in DOCX and PDF.
Weekly checkpoint
Timed task: format a rough paragraph into a clean notice in 20 minutes; five questions on formatting terms.
You will be able to
Create a well-formatted Word document using fonts, paragraphs, lists and tables.
Week 2: Word: tables, pictures and page layout
Theory
Inserting and formatting tables, merging cells
Pictures, shapes and text wrapping
Margins, orientation, page breaks and print preview
Lab
Build a price list for a stationery shop with a table, a logo picture and a footer with the phone number; fit it on one printed page.
Homework
Make a weekly class timetable table for yourself.
Deliverable
A one-page price list and a class timetable.
Weekly checkpoint
Fix a broken table (misaligned columns, split page) and print-preview it.
You will be able to
Create a well-formatted Word document using fonts, paragraphs, lists and tables.
Professional Word documents Weeks 3–4
Week 3: Word: styles, headers and a table of contents
Theory
Heading styles and why they beat manual formatting
Headers, footers, page numbers and section breaks
Automatic table of contents and cross references
Lab
Take a 6-page unformatted study report; apply Heading 1/2 styles, add page numbers, a cover page and an automatic table of contents.
Homework
Apply styles to a family or club newsletter text of your own.
Deliverable
A six-page report with cover page, page numbers and a working contents page.
Weekly checkpoint
Update the table of contents after adding a section; five questions on styles.
You will be able to
Build a long document with styles, headers, page numbers and a table of contents, and run a mail merge.
Week 4: Word: mail merge, review tools and sharing
Theory
Mail merge: main document, data source and merge fields
Spelling and grammar, track changes and comments
Exporting to PDF, document properties, protecting a file
Lab
Merge a fee-reminder letter with an Excel list of ten students to produce ten personalised letters; review a classmate's file with tracked changes.
Homework
Write a merge letter for a Pongal sale invitation using five customers.
Deliverable
Ten merged letters (as one PDF) and a reviewed document with comments.
Weekly checkpoint
Explain mail merge steps in order; fix a field that shows the wrong name.
You will be able to
Build a long document with styles, headers, page numbers and a table of contents, and run a mail merge.
Excel calculations Weeks 5–6
Week 5: Excel: worksheets, formulas and references
Theory
Cells, rows, columns, number formats and column width
Formulas, operator order, SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX
Relative and absolute references ($)
Lab
Build a mark sheet for 10 students with total, average and percentage; then a GST bill where a rate cell is absolute (=B2*$F$1).
Homework
Create a monthly household budget with a total row.
Deliverable
Mark sheet and GST bill workbooks with correct formulas.
Weekly checkpoint
Copy a formula down a column and explain why one reference needs a $ sign.
You will be able to
Enter and format worksheet data and calculate with formulas using correct cell references.
Week 6: Excel: logic and lookup functions
Theory
IF and nested IF for grades and pass/fail
COUNTIF, SUMIF and AVERAGEIF
VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP for rate and price lookups
Common errors: #N/A, #REF!, #DIV/0!
Lab
Add pass/fail and grade columns to the mark sheet; build a product price lookup so typing a code fills the item name and price.
Homework
Create a fine calculator: 2 per day after a due date, with a cap of 50.
Deliverable
Workbook with grade logic, a lookup bill and an error log.
Weekly checkpoint
Debug three formulas that return errors, stating the cause of each.
You will be able to
Use IF, COUNTIF, SUMIF and lookup functions to answer business questions from data.
Data and presentation Weeks 7
Week 7: Excel: tables, charts and PowerPoint basics
Theory
Sorting, filtering and Excel tables
Column, line and pie charts and choosing the right one
PivotTable basics for summaries
PowerPoint: slide layouts, one message per slide, readable design
Lab
Summarise a 60-row sales list with a pivot by month and product; chart it; then build a 6-slide deck that presents the finding.
Homework
Pick a chart type for three different questions and justify each.
Deliverable
A sales workbook with pivot and chart, and a six-slide deck.
Weekly checkpoint
Present the deck in 3 minutes; classmates check title, chart clarity and message.
You will be able to
Sort, filter, chart and summarise data and present it in a PowerPoint deck with a clear message.
Office pack and AI checks Weeks 8
Week 8: Capstone: office pack with checked AI help
Theory
Using AI to draft text or explain a formula, and checking facts and numbers
Privacy: what not to paste into an AI tool
Packaging work: consistent file names, folders and PDF export
Lab
Prepare a small business pack: a letter in Word, a monthly sales workbook in Excel and a 5-slide summary in PowerPoint; use an AI assistant for one draft and record what you corrected.
Homework
Finalise the pack and the correction log.
Deliverable
Complete office pack plus a half-page AI-check log.
Weekly checkpoint
Mini viva: show one place where the AI was wrong or vague and how you fixed it.
You will be able to
Sort, filter, chart and summarise data and present it in a PowerPoint deck with a clear message. Use an AI assistant to draft or explain, then check the result and protect private data.
Sample lessons
Week 6
IF and lookup: making a worksheet decide
A formula can choose an answer. IF checks a condition and returns one value when it is true and another when it is false. A lookup function finds a value from a table, so you type a product code and the item name and price appear. Both stop you typing the same thing again and again, and both reduce mistakes because the rule is written once.
1Marks entered
2IF checks the rule
3True: Pass
4False: Fail
Step by step
Put marks in column B and write =IF(B2>=35,"Pass","Fail") in C2.
Copy the formula down the column.
Create a small price table with Code, Item, Price in another area.
In the bill, use XLOOKUP (or VLOOKUP) to fetch the price from the code.
Test with one wrong code and see the error, then handle it with IFERROR.
In real life
A stationery shop in Madurai keeps 40 item codes. The cashier types the code and the bill fills name and price automatically instead of typing prices by hand.
Worked example
Problem. Marks are in B2:B6. Show 'Distinction' for 75 or more, 'Pass' for 35 to 74 and 'Fail' below 35 in C2.
Solution. =IF(B2>=75,"Distinction",IF(B2>=35,"Pass","Fail")). The first test catches 75+, the second catches 35 to 74, everything else is Fail.
Common mistakes
Writing the conditions in the wrong order so 80 shows as Pass.
Typing numbers inside quotes so Excel treats them as text.
Not locking the lookup table range with $ before copying down.
Try it yourself
Add a 'Grade' column with A, B, C, F bands.
Build a lookup that returns a fee when you type a course code.
Week 3
Heading styles and an automatic table of contents
Styles are saved formatting rules such as Heading 1 or Normal. When you apply a style, every heading looks the same and you can change them all at once. Word also reads the styles to build a table of contents with page numbers that update at a click. Formatting by hand with bold and big font looks similar but Word cannot use it to build the contents or navigation.
Heading 1: chapters
Heading 2: sections
Body text style
Automatic table of contents
Step by step
Select a main heading and apply Heading 1; do the same for each main section.
Apply Heading 2 to sub-sections.
Modify the Heading 1 style once (font, colour) and watch all headings change.
Place the cursor on page 2 and insert an automatic table of contents.
Add a section, then right-click the contents and choose Update field.
In real life
A student's project report has 25 pages. The guide asks for chapters and a contents page; with styles this is done in five minutes and stays correct after edits.
Worked example
Problem. Your report has 5 chapters. After adding a new chapter on page 7, the contents page does not show it. What do you do?
Solution. Check the new chapter title uses Heading 1, then update the table of contents (Update entire table). If it still does not appear, the title was manually formatted instead of using the style.
Common mistakes
Using bold and large font instead of a heading style.
Forgetting to update the table after editing.
Typing page numbers by hand in the contents.
Try it yourself
Convert a plain 3-page text into a styled document with contents.
Change the Heading 2 colour in one step.
Try the questions
The same skills are asked at three levels: School (Classes 6–12), College and Professional. Switch the level and the language (English or Tamil), and say how sure you are before you check: knowing what you are unsure about is part of learning.
Classes 6–12: everyday examples, no prior knowledge. Practice only. Nothing here is graded or saved.
Question 1 / 4 · Choose the right formatting
A notice heading should stand out from the paragraph below it. What is the best way?
Projects
Neighbourhood Shop Office Pack
A small stationery shop wants a simple office pack: a customer letter, a monthly sales workbook with totals, GST and a summary chart, and a short presentation for the owner. Build the pack from the sample data and document how you used any AI help.
Tasks
Write a formatted offer letter in Word and mail-merge it for five customers.
Build the sales workbook with item totals, 18% GST on a rate cell, an IF discount rule and a pivot by month.
Add a column chart and write one sentence of insight below it.
Create a 5-slide deck: title, problem, data chart, finding, next step.
Export all three to PDF and keep consistent file names in one folder.
Sample input
Items: Notebook 40 x 120, Pen box 25 x 80, File 18 x 210, Chart paper 60 x 15. Discount: 5% if bill is above 5000.
Expected output
Workbook totals match a hand calculation; five merged letters; deck with a readable chart; three PDFs in a tidy folder.
How it is assessed
Criterion
Weight
Correct formulas and totals
30%
Document and slide formatting
25%
Chart and message clarity
20%
Organisation and file names
10%
AI check log
15%
Stretch challenge: Add a lookup sheet for item prices and protect formula cells.
How you are assessed
Every week: five short questions (one diagram or screenshot based), one timed file task done on the lab computer and saved with a clear name, and a two-line reflection on what you would improve.
Practical work. Learners submit real files: Word documents, an Excel workbook and a PowerPoint deck. The trainer opens each file, checks formulas and formatting against a checklist and asks the learner to explain one formula and one slide.
What trainers look for
Weight
Correct, working files
40%
Formatting and professional look
20%
Formula and data accuracy
20%
Explanation and AI checking
20%
Where this can lead
Prepares you for office-assistant, data-entry and front-desk documentation tasks.
Builds a base for the Diploma in Office Automation and accounting software courses.
These describe skills you will build. ADIVAS does not guarantee jobs, placement or salary.
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