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Excel Tutorial: How To Make An Assignment Tracker In Excel

Introduction.

Are you struggling to keep track of your assignments? In this Excel tutorial, we will guide you through the process of creating an assignment tracker in Excel. Whether you're a student or a professional, keeping track of your tasks and deadlines is crucial for staying organized and on top of your workload. Using Excel for tracking assignments offers a dynamic and customizable solution for managing your to-do list effectively.

Key Takeaways

  • Creating an assignment tracker in Excel is a valuable tool for staying organized and on top of your workload.
  • Understanding the basics of Excel, such as layout and functions, is crucial for effectively using the software for tracking assignments.
  • Setting up the spreadsheet with properly named and formatted columns is essential for efficient assignment tracking.
  • Utilizing Excel's sorting, filtering, formulas, and functions can greatly streamline the process of organizing and analyzing assignment data.
  • Visual representations, such as charts and graphs, are effective for visually tracking and analyzing assignment data.

Understanding the basics of Excel

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for organizing, analyzing, and presenting data. In this chapter, we will discuss the layout and basic functions of Excel, as well as how to navigate through the software and use basic commands.

Excel is organized into a grid of cells, with each cell identified by a unique address composed of the column letter and row number (e.g., A1, B2, C3, etc.). The main components of the Excel interface include the Ribbon, which contains all the commands and tools necessary for working with your data; the Formula Bar, where you can enter and edit formulas and data; and the Worksheet Area, where you can input, manipulate, and visualize your data.

To navigate through Excel, you can use the mouse to click on different cells, columns, and rows. You can also use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move around. Basic commands include formatting cells, entering data, creating formulas, and using functions. You can also customize your spreadsheet using features such as conditional formatting, sorting, and filtering.

Setting up the spreadsheet

When it comes to tracking assignments, Excel is a great tool to efficiently organize and manage your tasks. Here's how you can set up a simple yet effective assignment tracker in Excel.

A. Create a new spreadsheet in Excel

Before you can start tracking your assignments, you'll need to create a new spreadsheet in Excel. Open Excel and select "Blank workbook" to start with a clean slate.

B. Name and format the columns for the assignment tracker

Once you have your new spreadsheet ready, it's time to set up the columns for your assignment tracker. Here's how you can name and format the columns:

  • Assignment Name: Create a column for the names of the assignments you need to track. This will be the main identifier for each task.
  • Due Date: Next, create a column for the due dates of each assignment. This will help you prioritize tasks based on their deadlines.
  • Status: Create a column to track the status of each assignment, such as "Not Started," "In Progress," or "Completed." This will give you a quick overview of where each task stands.
  • Priority: Add a column for the priority level of each assignment, such as "High," "Medium," or "Low." This will help you focus on the most important tasks first.
  • Notes: Lastly, create a column for any additional notes or details related to each assignment. This can include instructions, resources, or any other relevant information.

By naming and formatting the columns in this way, you'll have a clear and organized structure for tracking your assignments in Excel.

Data entry and organization

When creating an assignment tracker in Excel, it is essential to input the necessary data for each assignment and utilize Excel's sorting and filtering functions to organize the data effectively.

  • Start by creating a table in Excel with columns for assignment name, due date, status, priority, and any other relevant information.
  • Enter the data for each assignment into the respective columns, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
  • Consider adding additional columns for tracking progress, notes, or any other details that may be helpful for managing assignments.
  • Once the data is entered, utilize Excel's sorting function to arrange the assignments based on due date, priority, or any other relevant criteria.
  • Use filtering to display specific subsets of assignments, such as those with a particular status or priority level, to focus on specific tasks.
  • Explore the use of conditional formatting to visually highlight important information, such as approaching due dates or overdue assignments.

Using formulas and functions

When creating an assignment tracker in Excel, it is essential to understand how to use formulas and functions to calculate and analyze the data effectively. By utilizing these tools, you can automate the process of tracking progress and gaining valuable insights into your assignments. In this chapter, we will explore the basic formulas and functions that are vital for building an efficient assignment tracker.

Introduce basic formulas for calculating assignment progress

  • SUM: The SUM function is fundamental for adding up the scores or completion status of each assignment. It allows you to quickly calculate the total progress made on all assignments.
  • COUNT: The COUNT function is useful for counting the number of completed assignments or the total number of assignments in the tracker. This can give you a clear idea of the workload and completion rate.
  • IF: The IF function is a powerful tool for setting conditions based on the progress of assignments. You can use it to categorize assignments as "completed" or "incomplete" based on specific criteria.

Utilize functions such as SUM, COUNT, and IF for tracking and analyzing data

  • SUM: To track the overall progress of assignments, you can use the SUM function to add up the scores or completion status of each assignment. This will give you a comprehensive view of the total progress made.
  • COUNT: By utilizing the COUNT function, you can analyze the number of completed assignments and the total number of assignments in the tracker. This can help you assess completion rates and workload effectively.
  • IF: The IF function can be used to set conditions for tracking and analyzing data. For example, you can use it to categorize assignments as "completed" or "incomplete" based on certain criteria, allowing for easy analysis and decision-making.

Creating visual representations

When it comes to tracking assignments in Excel, making use of visual representations can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your tracker. Visual representations such as charts and graphs can provide a quick and easy way to understand and analyze the data.

Excel offers a wide range of chart and graph features that allow users to create visually appealing representations of their assignment data. Whether it's a simple bar chart or a more complex pie chart, Excel provides the tools to effectively visualize the progress and status of assignments.

Visualizing data is important for tracking assignments as it allows for quick and easy interpretation of the information. Instead of sifting through rows and columns of raw data, charts and graphs provide a clear and concise overview of the assignment status, deadlines, and progress. This visual representation can help users identify patterns, trends, and potential issues more efficiently.

In conclusion, creating an assignment tracker in Excel is a practical and efficient way to stay organized and on top of your workload. By following the key points we've discussed, including setting up a table, using formulas for automatic calculations, and utilizing conditional formatting for visual cues, you can easily keep track of all your assignments in one place.

Using Excel for organizing and tracking assignments offers numerous benefits, such as the ability to customize columns and rows to fit your specific needs, easily update and rearrange data, and generate insightful charts and graphs for progress analysis. Its user-friendly interface and powerful features make it an indispensable tool for students, professionals, and anyone looking to stay on top of their tasks.

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Creating an assignment tracker in Excel can greatly improve your project management and productivity. Excel's robust features like sorting, filtering, and formulas make it a commonly used tool for tracking tasks and assignments.

However, understanding Excel's complex functionalities can be overwhelming for many users. In this guide, we will provide step-by-step instructions to build a functional assignment tracker in Excel.

We'll also explore why Sourcetable, a user-friendly alternative to Excel, may be a more suitable solution for managing your assignments efficiently.

Creating an Assignment Tracker in Excel

Excel provides practical functionality for building a comprehensive semester assignment spreadsheet. Initiating this tool involves collecting syllabi across courses and utilizing Excel to meld due dates and pivotal information into one accessible list. This aids in prioritizing tasks and keeping abreast of personal grade tracking.

Initial Setup

Start with gathering all class syllabi and highlighting each assignment due date. Open Excel and launch a new spreadsheet, establishing it as the foundation for your tracker.

Organizing Data

Create a structured format by adding columns, intended for different categories of information. Populate rows with every assignment, integrating this data under relevant headings.

Enhancing Utility

For ease of reference, sorting the spreadsheet by due date is essential. Formatting to streamline the information onto one page enhances usability and promotes the document's printability for ongoing tracking.

Excel Templates

Leverage built-in Excel templates designed for assignment tracking to expedite the setup process. These can be found readily available within Excel and tailored to your specific needs through customization.

Tracking and Prioritization

This dynamic tool not only organizes assignments by date but also acts as a pivotal resource in determining which class requires immediate attention, thus enabling efficient time management.

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Common Use Cases

Track homework and project deadlines for students

Monitor task completion status for team projects in a corporate environment

Organize and manage freelance assignments and due dates

Plan and oversee editorial calendars for content creation

Schedule and control periodic maintenance tasks in facility management

Excel vs Sourcetable: Streamlined Data Management and Analysis

Excel, a robust spreadsheet tool developed by Microsoft, is an industry standard for data analysis, budgeting, and manipulation. It accommodates deep data analysis and complex calculations. However, its functionality for sharing, real-time collaboration, and seamless data integration from multiple sources is limited compared to Sourcetable.

Sourcetable, a specialized spreadsheet application, offers a unique advantage with its real-time sync across over 100 applications. Designed for growth teams and business operations, it provides a centralized solution that excels at data management and reporting without the need for coding skills.

Where Excel requires add-ons and macros for extended functionality, Sourcetable's AI copilot simplifies the creation of formulas and templates through an intuitive chat interface. This AI-powered feature streamlines complex tasks, enabling users to focus on strategic decision-making.

The contemporary and user-friendly interface of Sourcetable presents a compelling alternative for businesses seeking efficient collaboration and data analysis capabilities. With live models that auto-update and a comprehensive data sync, Sourcetable positions itself as a more efficient and approachable BI solution.

Maximize Your Assignment Tracking with Sourcetable

Creating an assignment tracker in Excel is a critical step for organizing your workload and deadlines efficiently. Sourcetable elevates this process by integrating AI to instantly answer any queries about your assignment data. With an easy-to-navigate spreadsheet, managing your tasks becomes seamless.

The real-time data access through Sourcetable's third-party tool integrations ensures that your entire team stays updated, facilitating collaboration. Automate your reports and decode intricate spreadsheet formulas effortlessly with the AI-driven capabilities of Sourcetable, saving precious time and resources.

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How to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel (3 Handy Ways)

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We have a dataset with a list of people and the percentage of their Task Completed . We’ll add progress bar to track their progress.

How to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel dataset

Method 1 – Using Conditional Formatting to Create a Progress Tracker

  • Select the range C5:C12 . Cells C5 and C12 are the first and last cells of the column Task Completed.
  • Go to Conditional Formatting from the Home tab.
  • Select New Rule .

using conditional formatting

  • From Select a Rule Type, select Format all cells based on their values .
  • Select Data Bar from Format Style .

using conditional formatting

  • For Minimum, select Number as Type and insert 0 as the Value .
  • For Maximum, select Number as Type and insert 1 as the Value .
  • For Color, choose the color you want the progress bar to be.
  • Put Solid Border in Border .
  • For Bar Direction, select Left to Right .
  • Click on OK .

using conditional formatting

  • You will have get a progress tracker as in the screenshot below.

using conditional formatting

Read More: How to Create a Task Tracker in Excel

Method 2 – Inserting a Bar Chart to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel

  • Select the range B5 : C12 .
  • Go to the Insert tab, select Insert Column or Bar Chart,  and choose Stacked Bar .

Inserting Bar Chart to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel

  • A chart will appear.
  • Double-Click on the Vertical Axis to go to Format Axis options.

Inserting Bar Chart to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel

  • From Axis Options, check the Categories in Reverse Order box.

Inserting Bar Chart to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel

  • Double-Click on the Data Series to go to the Format Data Series options.
  • Change the Gap Width to 90% .

Inserting Bar Chart to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel

  • Go to the chart and click on Chart Elements .
  • Check the Data Labels box.
  • Change the color of the bars to your preferences.
  • You will get a progress tracker like in the screenshot below.

Inserting Bar Chart to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel

Read More:  How to Create a Daily Task Sheet in Excel

Method 3 – Utilizing Checkboxes and a Circle Chart to Create a Progress Tracker

Suppose you have a dataset with a weekly to-do task. We’ll create a progress tracker for the tasks.

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart to Create a Progress Tracker

  • Create a new column for the checkboxes.
  • Select cell C5  and go to the Developer tab and click on Insert .

Cell C5 is the first cell of the Check Box column.

  • Choose Check Box (in Form Control) .
  • Drag the Fill Handle down to the remaining cells of the column.

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart to Create a Progress Tracker

  • Add another column to assign the result of the checkboxes.
  • Right-Click on the check box in cell C5 and select Format Controls .

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart to Create a Progress Tracker

  • Go to the Control tab in the Format Control box.
  • Insert the cell reference $D$5 in the Cell link .

Cell D5 will return logic TRUE as the check box is checked. Also, cell D5 is right next to C5 in the same row.

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart to Create a Progress Tracker

  • Assign every other check box to the next cell in the row.
  • Select cell F6 and insert the following formula.

Cell F6 is the cell indicating the Task Completed percentage. We use the   COUNTIF function to count the number of tasks completed and the total number of tasks.

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart to Create a Progress Tracker

  • Select cell G6 and insert the following formula.

Cell G6 is the cell indicating the Task Remaining percentage.

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart to Create a Progress Tracker

  • Select the range F4:G6 .
  • Go to Insert tab, choose Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart and pick Doughnut .

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart to Create a Progress Tracker

  • Double-Click on the Data Series to go to the Format Data Series option.
  • From Series Options, change the Doughnut Hole Size to 50% .

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart

  • Click on the Data Point for the Task Completed and change the color to your choice.
  • Change the color for the Data Point of Task Remaining .

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart

  • Insert a Text Box inside the Doughnut .
  • Click on the Text Box and insert the following formula:

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart

  • You will get a progress tracker. Check the box to mark the task as complete and the results will change accordingly.

Utilizing Check Boxes and Circle Chart

Read More: How to Create Real Time Tracker in Excel

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How to Make a Tracker in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Creating a tracker in Excel is simpler than it sounds. It starts with opening a new workbook, setting up columns for data, and then using Excel’s powerful features like conditional formatting and formulas to keep track of whatever you need. Whether it’s project deadlines, expenses, or workout plans, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the process.

How to Make a Tracker in Excel

Here’s a quick and easy way to set up a basic tracker in Excel. By the end of these steps, you will have a functional tracker that can help you manage your tasks, projects, or any other data you need to monitor.

Step 1: Open a New Workbook

Open Excel and create a new workbook.

A fresh workbook sets the stage for your tracker. Starting with a blank slate helps you customize everything as per your needs.

Step 2: Set Up Column Headers

In the first row, type in the headers for the data you want to track.

Your headers could be anything from "Date," "Task," "Status," to "Deadline." These columns will guide how you enter and organize your data.

Step 3: Enter Your Data

Start filling in the rows under your column headers with the data you want to track.

Make sure your information is consistent. If you’re tracking tasks, list each task in a separate row and fill in the specifics under each column.

Step 4: Use Conditional Formatting

Select the cells you want to format, go to the “Home” tab, click on “Conditional Formatting,” and choose your rules.

Conditional formatting lets you highlight cells based on their content. For example, you could automatically turn a cell red if a deadline is overdue.

Step 5: Apply Formulas

Utilize Excel formulas like SUM, AVERAGE, and COUNT to process your data.

For instance, using =COUNTIF(range, “Completed”) can help you keep track of how many tasks have been completed.

Step 6: Create a Dropdown List

Go to the “Data” tab, click on “Data Validation,” choose “List,” and then enter your dropdown options.

Dropdown lists are great for keeping your data entry consistent. You can create lists for statuses like “Not Started,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.”

Step 7: Insert Charts (Optional)

Select your data, go to the “Insert” tab, and choose a chart type.

Charts can visually represent your data, making it easier to see trends and patterns.

Step 8: Save Your Workbook

Click on “File,” then “Save As,” and choose a name and location for your tracker.

Always save your work to avoid losing any data. Regular saves are a good practice when working with Excel.

Once you’ve completed these steps, your Excel tracker will be ready for use. You’ll be able to input, track, and analyze your data efficiently.

Tips for Making a Tracker in Excel

  • Use Templates: Excel has built-in templates that can save you a lot of time.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn common shortcuts like Ctrl+C (copy) and Ctrl+V (paste) to speed up your work.
  • AutoFill: Use the AutoFill feature to quickly fill in repetitive data.
  • Freeze Panes: Keep your headers visible by using the Freeze Panes option.
  • Backup Your Work: Regularly save a backup copy in case something goes wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i create a tracker in excel.

Open a new workbook, set up your column headers, enter your data, use conditional formatting and formulas, and save your workbook. Follow the detailed steps in this article for more guidance.

Can I use Excel to track expenses?

Absolutely, Excel is great for tracking expenses. Set up columns for date, description, amount, and category. Use formulas to sum up your totals.

What is conditional formatting?

Conditional formatting changes the appearance of cells based on specific conditions. For example, you can highlight overdue tasks in red.

How can I share my Excel tracker with others?

You can share your workbook by saving it to a cloud service like OneDrive and sharing the link, or by emailing the file directly.

Is it possible to automate updates in my Excel tracker?

Yes, you can use macros to automate repetitive tasks. However, this requires some knowledge of VBA (Visual Basic for Applications).

  • Open a new workbook.
  • Set up column headers.
  • Enter your data.
  • Use conditional formatting.
  • Apply formulas.
  • Create a dropdown list.
  • Insert charts (optional).
  • Save your workbook.

Creating a tracker in Excel is an invaluable skill that can streamline both your personal and professional life. By following the steps outlined above, you’ll have a robust system for managing your data. Excel’s features like conditional formatting and formulas not only make tracking easy but also allow for insightful data analysis.

Taking the time to master this tool can lead to more organized and efficient workflows. If you’re interested in diving deeper, there are countless resources and tutorials available online. Happy tracking!

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How to create a task tracker in Excel to manage tasks?

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Introduction

Excel seems like old-school magic.

You can do almost anything in Excel if you know how. You need to remember a few formulas (probably 50 minimum) and along with a little knowledge of creating tables, graphs, charts, and formatting data- you are all set to manage your work with Excel.

Nowadays, with the integration of AI functions such as AI.ASK, AI.TABLE, and AI.FORMAT in Excel, your life is a bit easier. You do not even have to remember all the formulas. AI can do that for you.

Despite all this, Excel is still an old-school magic that takes time and extensive manual effort, is prone to errors, and is the most basic option for managing tasks.

There is much better and more powerful project management software available today to manage complex projects with multiple dependencies and constraints.

In this post, we will look at how to create a task tracker in Excel to manage tasks for simple projects and explore how you can manage complex projects with ease using advanced project management software like ProofHub.

What is a task tracker in Excel?

A task tracker in Excel is a to-do list of tasks in an Excel spreadsheet or workbook with all the key details you need to track a task.

It includes details or information about a task like task name, task ID, start and due dates, priority, project name, task owner, percentage completion, and budget, to name a few.

Creating a to-do list of tasks with all the details helps you keep track of tasks at work in Excel. This helps you keep the team on track and complete the project on time.

How to create a task tracker in Excel?

Creating a task tracker in Excel is easy. A few key elements should be present in a task-tracking spreadsheet. I have provided a step-by-step guide on how to create a task tracker in Excel based on those elements.

Learn how to make a task list in Excel to track project progress, manage resources, and complete projects on time in easy and simple steps.

Step 1: Open the Excel app and create a new workbook

Click the Excel app or access Excel over the internet in your browser. It will take you to the Excel home page. Click on the Blank Workbook to create a new workbook.

Blank Workbook to create a new workbook

Step 2: Add column headers

Add the column headers in the first row of the Excel workbook. You can right-click on the first cell in ‘Row 1’ and under ‘Column A’ to select a cell and start adding column headers across the first row horizontally in the Excel spreadsheet.

Column headers will include the items you want to track for your tasks. It can include task name, task ID, task priority, task start date, task due date, task owner, task status, and notes.

Add column headers

Step 3: Add the task details

Add the information under each column header. It provides you with task details and allows you to organize information.

Here is what the above-mentioned column headers include:

  • Task name: It includes the name of the task to make it easy to remember.
  • Task ID: It includes assigning the task ID to make it easy to share and track the tasks.
  • Task start date and due date: Enter a task start date and due date to track task progress and complete tasks on time.
  • Task priority: It includes assigning a priority level to the task to prioritize tasks based on urgency.
  • Task owner: It includes the details of to whom a task is assigned.
  • Task status: It tells you about the progress status of a task.
  • Notes: In this field, you add any additional remarks you want to share about a task.

Step 4: Use conditional formatting to highlight the priority

Conditional formatting in Excel makes it easy to identify and highlight certain cells. It is generally used in task management to highlight the priority of tasks.

To do this, select the “Priority” column and click on the Conditional formatting.

Conditional formatting is placed in the Ribbon under the “Home” tab or you can search “Conditional formatting” in the Excel search toolbar.

Use conditional formatting to highlight priority

Click on the “Conditional Formatting” > Highlight Cell Rules > Text that contains > Type “High”, and keep red as the fill color.

Select the row

Select ‘Done’ to apply the rule.

set priorities according to you

Similarly, you can assign yellow as the fill color to tasks with “Normal” priority and green as the fill color to tasks with “Low” priority.

get highlighted value based on the rule

Now, every entry in the “priority” column will automatically be assigned color and get highlighted based on the rule.

Step 5: Apply filters

You can apply filters to the columns in the Excel workbook to filter the information you want to view.

To do so, simply search the filter in the search bar and click on it. You will see a drop-down list appearing in the header of each column.

Apply filters

Click on the drop-down menu at the extreme right of the column header if you want to apply a filter and uncheck the boxes next to the information you don’t want to view.

For example, in the image below, we have selected the “priority” column and unchecked the boxes “low” and “normal”.

Click Apply to apply filters

Click “Apply” to apply filters.

View applied filtered sheet

Step 6: Sort data

You can sort data in Excel to gain a better understanding of your work.

To sort information, you can click in the drop-down on the column header and sort the information.

sort data in Excel

You can sort the information in various ways based on the column header selected.

Some examples of sort include:

  • Oldest to Newest or Newest to Oldest
  • A to Z or Z to A
  • Sort by color

You can also Custom sort. Here you need to add three things:

  • The column you want to sort
  • Sort on cell values
  • Order you want to sort

Custom sort data

Step 7: Customize

We have created a basic Excel spreadsheet or workbook. You can add as many tasks as you want, edit fields, and add custom colors and fonts to make your workbook customized to your needs.

customize workbook according to your needs

Keep in mind these are just the basic elements of a task tracker. You can add pivot tables, tables, pictures, shapes, graphs, comments, links, and task timelines in Excel to create a workbook for complete task management.

View charts in excel

Want to go one step ahead and learn how to create a Gantt chart in Excel?

Effortlessly visualize project timelines with ProofHub’s Gantt chart tool. Plan, adjust, and track project progress with ease

Tips for using Excel as a task manager

There is no one standard way to use an Excel task manager. Each individual has their way of using Excel.

Here are some tips to effectively use Excel as a task manager:

1. Create multiple sheets in a workbook

Do not try to manage all the aspects of your tasks in one sheet. Create multiple sheets in a workbook to easily organize and analyze data. You can even create one master sheet and create others sheets for easy data and task management in Excel. It provides you with the capability to consolidate data from each sheet and summarize and report results from separate worksheets into a master worksheet.

2. Use conditional formatting

Conditional formatting is the best way to highlight certain aspects of your tasks that are important to track. Use conditional formatting to highlight tasks based on their status, priority, or deadlines.

3. Use data validation  

Data validation is the best way to prevent errors in data entry in Excel spreadsheets. It restricts data entry to certain cells. When a user enters invalid data, data validation displays an error message and prompts users to enter valid data.

4. Use task tracker templates

There are hundreds of task tracker templates available out there. If you need help getting started with Excel, you can use pre-made templates. Microsoft itself provides a range of templates to create a task tracker. You can click here to download Excel task management templates .

5. Customize your spreadsheet

Templates are good for getting started quickly. But to make most of the Excel for task management, you need to customize your spreadsheet based on your business needs. The best way to create an effective Excel task tracker customized to your business needs is to do it yourself from scratch.

Read more: 13 best Microsoft Excel alternatives & competitors for your teams

Benefits of using Excel for task tracking

Benefits of using Excel for task tracking

There are many benefits of using Excel for task tracking. Have a look at some of them.

1. Easy to use

First of all, Excel is super easy to use. People even use Excel for their personal assignments in school and universities. Thus, most are familiar with Excel. To use it in the professional world, you need to learn a few advanced formulas and functions, and that too is not difficult. This is because a huge number of free learning resources are available due to the popularity of Excel.

2. Free software

The biggest benefit of using Excel is that it is free software. There are paid plans available to access premium features, but you do not need them when you have a small team or you are working individually. Excel offers a great free alternative to project management software.

3. Cloud-based software

Excel is now available on the cloud just like Google Sheets. You can create a workbook and multiple team members can co-edit the workbook at the same time from their laptops. Thus, you can easily share and access files from any location.

4. Powerful task management capabilities

Excel provides you with a vast range of task management capabilities. You can create as many tasks as you want, store data in multiple workbooks, add filters to view desired data, sort data for easy understanding, create reports, track progress, collaborate with team members, analyze data, and much more.

5. Customizable software

You can customize Excel to a great extent to suit your needs. You can use different colors for each column, create additional columns to add information and apply rules and filters to visualize data. This helps you design and modify your spreadsheet to meet your specific needs.

Downsides of using Excel as a task tracker

Excel is an amazing free tool to create a task tracker, but it comes with some serious shortcomings. Have a look at them.

1. Prone to errors

Excel is prone to human error. You can easily make errors in making entries or copying and pasting data. In 2012, a trader for JPMorgan Chase & Co. lost at least $6.2 billion for the company after errors in copying and pasting data across multiple spreadsheets.

2. Manual efforts

Excel is not a time-efficient method for task management. You have to carefully add task data, add information in each column header, and update and track the changes made by team members manually. This can eat up your hours in administrative work and you are not able to focus on the core tasks.

3. Need additional tools for communication and collaboration

Excel does not come with amazing built-in communication and collaboration capabilities. You can add comments and share links to files in the Excel sheet but it gets too clumsy if you have to be involved in discussions with team members. You either have to rely on email or chat apps for team communication and cloud-based storage apps for document collaboration.  

4. Issues with version control

You can track changes in Excel with version history but when more than 10 people are using the sheet at the same time, it gets difficult to track changes. Also, when a massive amount of data is involved in the spreadsheet, Excel gets slow.

5. UI gets messy for complex projects

Last but not least, Excel gets messy when a large amount of data is inserted into the workbook. You will crave the white space on the sheet as from tasks to reports and comments all are on the same spreadsheet.

Read more: 5 Reasons why it’s time to ditch Excel for project management

What’s the solution? Track and manage tasks with project management software

Project management software allows you to perform every function you perform in Excel but with much more ease and efficiency. It provides you with a comprehensive range of features to create and manage tasks, share information and documents with the team, plan projects and create workflow, track progress with reports, and communicate with the team.

ProofHub is all-in-one project management and team collaboration software that brings all your tasks, teamwork, and team communication to one place.

For those who are using project management software for the first time, the interface may look unfamiliar, but it is worth investing time in learning it.

Track and manage tasks with project management software

  • Defined hierarchy to organize data: ProofHub follows a clear and well-defined hierarchy for easy organization of data : Project > Task lists > Task > Subtasks. You can create a project, break a project into tasks, and create subtasks required to complete an individual task.
  • Create and delegate tasks without emails: You can create tasks and delegate tasks to the team members from your dashboard . Every team member can log in to their account and access the details of the tasks. There is no need to rely on emails and chat apps to share details of the task.
  • Easily identify your tasks with a unique ID: You can easily organize all the tasks in a project in one place. Each task has a unique task ID and space under the project. Thus, it significantly reduces the chances of errors due to misunderstanding.
  • Share and organize documents for each task: You can directly attach the files to a task . This makes it easy to share files with team members and find the files quickly when needed; resulting in saved time.
  • Real-time notifications for every change in a task: ProofHub automatically sends notifications to the task assignees for any change in a task. This ensures every change is noticed and tracked.
  • Ensure every step in task completion is followed: You can create a workflow for a series of tasks. This allows you to streamline the company’s operations.
  • Communicate with a team from the same app: You can communicate with team members in real-time with built-in chat . There is no need to switch apps. It also avoids the clumsiness of spreadsheets by keeping the team communication separate from the task details.
  • Create project reports automatically: This is probably the biggest time saver. ProofHub automatically creates project reports from the data in the project. You can overview and analyze the progress by various filters.
  • Take control of productivity with a time tracker: You can track the time spent on tasks of every team member with a built-in time tracker . ProofHub automatically creates timesheets that can be customized.

All of these features are designed to improve productivity, enhance work efficiency, ensure accountability, and make task management easy.

The offering of the day for you is that you can try all the features of ProofHub for free with a free trial and find out whether ProofHub works for you or not!

Organize, manage, and collaborate seamlessly with ProofHub – All-in-one solution for projects, tasks, and teams

Conclusion: choose the right option

Excel is one of the earliest options to create a to-do list of tasks digitally and convert them into a task tracker in Excel. It was an evolution from physical whiteboards and sticky notes, but project management software is an evolution from Excel. No doubt Excel is good for basic task tracking and management, but for complex projects and easy organization of data, you need more competent and advanced technology of project management software. With the right tool like ProofHub , you can save time and manage tasks with ease.

Is Task Tracker in Excel suitable for team collaboration?

Task tracker in Excel is suitable for basic team collaboration teams. If you want team discussions and frequent sharing of files related to a project, you need dedicated platforms that can help you communicate and share files for easy and organized team collaboration.

Is it possible to track task dependencies in Task Tracker in Excel?

Yes, you can track task dependencies in a task tracker in Excel. You have to create a Gantt chart in Excel from scratch to track the task dependencies. Whereas, project management software comes with a built-in Gantt chart. You just have to add the details.

Can you automate tasks in Excel?

Yes, you can automate repetitive tasks in Excel. You have to create and apply the rules to automate tasks in Excel.

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how to create an assignment tracker in excel

How to Create a Task Tracker in Excel: Free Template

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Checking tasks off your to-do list feels pretty awesome, right? If only everything in life gave you that instant sense of accomplishment!

A task list earns its keep by helping you schedule, assign, and track all the work that needs to be done for a project. You can also use it to give stakeholders and team members at-a-glance updates on project progress.

With our free Excel task checklist template, you can keep up with all the to-dos you need to knock out—whether you’re focused on an important work assignment or just want to finish up a few projects around the house. We’ve done all the hard work so you can have all the fun marking things done.

Ready to get started? We’ll show you just how easy it is to take your task list from to-do to ta-da! Here’s what we'll cover:

How to create a task tracker in Excel

How to customize your task list template, how to create an online task tracker in teamgantt.

Let’s start with a simple tutorial on how to keep track of tasks at work using Excel.

1. Download our free Excel task tracker template

At TeamGantt, we know how important it is to ensure projects get done on time and on budget. That's why we created this Excel task list template to make tracking project progress a breeze.

Make this task tracker template your own by adding to-do list items and tasks, assigning task owners, and tracking task status, budgets, and costs.

Download your free Excel task tracker template

2. Add to-do list items and tasks

First, find the T ask Name column on your worksheet, and enter a descriptive name for each task you want to track for a particular day of the week.

3. Indicate the status of each task

This sample to-do list template features four different status options—with icons as easy visual cues—so you can see where each task is at a glance: Not Started , In Progress , Complete , and On Hold .

To assign a status to a task, click on the status dropdown menu in that task’s row, and choose the status that applies to the task you’re working on.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

4. Set task due dates

Set clear expectations for your team by entering the deadline for each task in the Due Date column.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

5. Assign task owners

Start by specifying which team or department will carry out the work using the Task Type column. Then pair each task with its rightful owner by entering the team member’s name into the Assigned to column.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

6. Include task budgets and costs

Use the Hours Budgeted column to let team members know how much time has been budgeted for each task.  

‍Once a task is complete, log the time spent on it in the Actual Hours column.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Tracking daily and monthly tasks in Excel

We’ve designed this task tracker template to track your weekly to-do list. But you can create additional task lists for monitoring daily and monthly to-dos.

Click Insert > Sheet > Blank Sheet to add a new worksheet. Then give each row and column a header label, and use the formatting tools to design your own daily or monthly task tracker.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Once you’ve got the basics squared away, feel free to customize your Excel task list template to ensure it fits your project needs. You can add a title, switch up the colors, add or delete new rows and columns, or even dress your to-do list up with your company logo.

Adding titles

We’ve titled this checklist template “Weekly Task List.” As exciting as that moniker may be, we bet you’ll want to give your to-do checklist your own snazzy (and specific) name.

1. To add or edit the title of your project task list template, double-click your cursor into cell A-2.

2. Enter a new title for your task list. Feel free to include the project name and date range in your title so there’s no doubt what this task tracker covers.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

3. Format the header text using the same formatting tools you’d use to format any other text in the worksheet.

Changing colors

Want to apply your own brand colors to your task list? Or make it easy to tell Tom’s tasks from Bill’s? No problem!

1. Click to highlight the cell, row, or column you want to change.

2. Go to Format > Cells , and select the Fill tab.

3. Click on the Background Color dropdown, and choose the new color you want to apply to the cell, row or column you’ve highlighted.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Adding rows/columns

We’ve outlined a few basic to-do list categories to get you started. But there may be other details you need to track along the way. For example, you might want to add a priority column. Or maybe your Monday has a lot more to-dos than the other days of the week.

1. To insert a new row, click Insert > Rows . A new row will be added above the one you currently have selected, using the same formulas and formatting of the row above.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

2. To insert a new column, go to Insert > Columns . A new column will be added to the left of the one you currently have selected, using the same formulas and formatting of the column to the left.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Removing rows/columns

We may have included details you simply don’t need to track. That’s okay! Deleting extra info won’t hurt our feelings a bit.

1. To delete an existing row, click on the row you want to remove. Go to Edit > Delete , and choose Entire Row .

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

2. To delete an existing column, click on the column you want to remove. Go to Edit > Delete , and choose Entire Column .

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Adding a company logo

Want to give your project task list template some more flair? Add your company logo to the worksheet.

1. Right-click on the TeamGantt logo/header image in row 1, and select Change Picture .

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

2. Choose the image file you want to add to the worksheet, and click the Insert button.

Printing the to-do list template

By the time you finish customizing your to-do list template, it’ll be so pretty you just might want to print it out and pin it to the wall—and we don’t blame you.

1. First, let’s set the print area. Simply click and drag your cursor to highlight all the cells you want to print out. Then go to File > Print Area > Set Print Area.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

2. If you want to adjust the scale of the checklist to fit on a single page, click on the Page Layout tab. Then go to Margins > Custom Margins and select the Page tab.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

3. Once you’ve set the print area and adjusted the scale of your checklist, you’re ready to send your task list to the printer. Click File > Print.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Additional resources

  • Project management template library : Use these simple templates in any industry to plan and manage projects, identify and mitigate risk, and communicate effectively at every project step.
  • ‍ Gantt chart Excel template : Save time organizing your project plan with our premade Excel gantt chart template! Simply plug in your tasks and dates, and you'll have a presentation-quality Excel gantt chart.

Want to take the tedium out of task lists? Give TeamGantt’s online gantt chart software a try , and create a customized task tracker in minutes.

With TeamGantt, it’s easy to collaborate on work and streamline workflows. Here are just a few of the handy features you—and your team—will have at your fingertips:

  • Drag-and-drop simplicity
  • Reusable project plan templates
  • Project dependencies
  • File storage
  • Time tracking
  • Resource management
  • Planned vs. actual timelines

And because TeamGantt is all online, everyone on the team can update tasks in real-time. No more juggling a million different spreadsheets or scrambling to capture last-minute updates before a big meeting!

Sign up for your free account and get started. (No strings attached, we promise!) Once you’re in, here’s a sneak peek at just how easy it is to create and manage task lists in TeamGantt.

Setting up your task list project

Before you can set up tasks, you’ll need to answer a few quick onboarding questions and then create a new project.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

1. Start by entering a descriptive name for your project on the project setup page. We called our example project “Weekly Task List.”

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

2. Then, choose a new Start Date , if you want your list to begin on a day other than today.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

3. Next, decide whether you want to start from scratch with a blank project or choose a template from our handy library of pre-built options . To make things super easy for you, we created a Weekly Task List template .

Simply click on the Preview templates icon, expand the Admin & Personal category, and select Weekly Task List to preview the template. If you’d like to use it, select Use Template in the bottom right corner of the window.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

4. If not, feel free to choose a different template option or click anywhere outside of the preview window to return to the Create a new project page.

5. Next, select which days of the week you want to assign and track work for this project. The default is Monday through Friday, but you can choose any configuration of days that make sense for your work schedule.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

6. Finally, select Create new project to save your changes and get to work.

Adding and editing task lists

Now that you have a project, it’s time to set up your task list! We chose the Weekly Task List template for our example, which gives us a labeled task group for each day of the week.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

1. Simply click on each task group field, if you want to rename it.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

2. If you need to add more task groups, click +Group of Tasks , and enter the name of your new task group in the blank field that appears below.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

3. To add a new task, click +Task and enter a name in the blank that appears below. Then, use the drag-and-drop features to adjust the timelines for each task .

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

4. To delete a task, hover over it and select the trashcan icon that appears to the right of the task name.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Assigning team members

To invite other users to your project, select the People tab in the top navigation bar of your project. Then, select Invite People to add new users by name and email address.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Once a user has been added to your project, designate them to a task by clicking assign in the Assigned column and selecting the checkbox next to their name.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Here’s an in-depth tutorial on how to invite users and assign them to tasks .

Creating dependencies

Dependencies enable you to control the order of tasks in your project. If one task has to wait for another to get done before it can begin, the dependency will account for that. For example, a designer may not be able to design a landing page until the content’s been written.

1. To add a dependency, click on the gray dot to the right of the first task in the gantt chart.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

2. Then drag the dependency line to connect it to the dependent task below.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Changing task colors

To change the color of a task, hover over the task, and choose a new color by clicking on the colored square that appears to the right of the task.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Ready to discover just how easy and fast task tracking can be?

This is just a preview of all the fun you can have with task lists on TeamGantt—but there’s so much more to see!

Sign up for your free TeamGantt account today to learn all about the project management possibilities you could have at your fingertips.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

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20 Excel Spreadsheet Templates for Tracking Tasks, Costs and Time

ProjectManager

Successfully managing businesses, teams and projects means meeting deadlines and staying on budget, and Excel tracker templates and spreadsheets can help you do just that. While not as dynanmic as project management software , free templates for tracking tasks, time and costs are a great way to start reporting on progress.

Using Excel to Track Tasks

Managers have more control over their projects and operations with Excel tracking templates. Because of their quantitative nature, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet templates are a great tool to track data-rich metrics. Whether it’s a KPI dashboard for an overview of progress or a timeline template to visually organize tasks in one place, Excel task trackers can help you deliver on time and on budget.  Without such tools, you risk joining the 78% of projects that reportedly go over budget.

Best Free Excel Tracker Templates & Spreadsheets

We’ve collected ProjectManager’s 20 best Excel spreadsheet templates for tracking that you can download and use for free. Want more than task trackers for Excel? Visit our project management templates page where we’ve created over 100 free templates for Excel and Word.

1. Dashboard Template

A dashboard is how you keep track of your work, including the time spent on tasks, what you’re spending and if you’re making progress as planned. ProjectManager’s free dashboard template for Excel gives you an overview of how you’re doing on your work. This information is vital to know if you’re overspending or running behind on your schedule.

Project Dashboard Template for tracking

ProjectManager’s free dashboard template has several widgets that monitor metrics in your work. For example, there’s a color-coded task graph that shows if your tasks are complete, in progress, not started or overdue. There’s also a workload chart for managing teams and making sure their workload is balanced.

There’s another task graph that measures the duration of the tasks, which is helpful in seeing what’s getting done on time and what’s taking too long. Finally, there’s a cost bar chart to help you stay on budget.

This Excel dashboard template can manage your work, but it’s a static document that must be updated manually. Project tracking software automates that process. ProjectManager is better than Excel spreadsheet templates as it helps to accumulate real-time data, crunch the numbers and display it. Get started with ProjectManager free today.

Tracking dashboard in ProjectManager

Not all project management software offers the same project dashboards. ProjectManager’s project dashboard comes equipped with the right project management features to help you keep track of time, tasks, costs and more.

2. Task Tracker Template

ProjectManager’s free task tracker for Excel template can organize and keep track of your work. It’s similar to a to-do list, where you just need to add the work and manage it. Having a task list is the first step to controlling your work.

This task tracker spreadsheet captures the details of your work. Add the name of the task and include dependent tasks. You can assign it to yourself or someone on your team.

free task tracking template

Next, set the priority and when you expect to finish. Finally, there’s a column to mark its status, which is essential to track your work. It has everything you need to track your tasks at a basic level with an Excel spreadsheet.

3. Budget Spreadsheet for Cost Tracking

Managing costs in your work is as important as meeting deadlines. ProjectManager’s free budget template for Excel helps you keep to your budget by tracking your financial details on one spreadsheet.

Project budget spreadsheet for tracking

Tasks cost money, and the budget defines the costs of the resources you’ll employ to deliver those tasks to completion. First, the spreadsheet template has a numbered list that corresponds to your work breakdown structure (WBS) . Then, there are labor costs including planned vs. actual hours plus the cost per hour. Materials are broken down by units and cost per unit.

There’s also room for other line items on your budget, which include travel, equipment, fixed and miscellaneous costs. Finally, there are columns to collect the budgeted and actual cost for each line item, then a balance showing if the line item is above or under budget.

Related: How to Track Project Expenses

4. Timeline Template for Tasks

ProjectManager’s free timeline template in Excel is perfect for scheduling your project from start to finish in Excel. It’s a way to view all your tasks and keep on schedule. You can even add milestones!

Timeline template for tracking

To get started with this free timeline template, you first need to list your tasks and give them a name. Each task must have a start date and an end date, plus the time you think it’ll take to complete.

You add all that data to the left side of the template, which is a normal tracking spreadsheet. Then, on the right, you’ll see the timeline that lays out your tasks as horizontal bars across a timeline. It’s easy to see how long it’ll take to complete each task.

Excel spreadsheet templates are good for beginners, but if you want to take your planning even further, upgrade to online software that lets you build timelines in minutes. ProjectManager has online project timelines that update instantly as the team collaborates on tasks. Track costs, workload, planned vs actual progress and more. Get started for free.

Project timeline for tracking projects, tasks, costs and time

5. KPI Dashboard

An Excel tracker template will ideally provide an overview of key metrics across an organzation. This free KPI dashboard template for Excel is designed to display a high-level view of progress to track the key performance indicators. This allows managers to make sure campaigns and operations are performing as planned.

KPI dashboard template

This Excel task tracker displays project data imputed by the team. This data is then automatically translated from data to easy-to-read graphs and charts that make it simple to see the status of the KPIs at a glance.

This task tracker for Excel keeps tabs on everything from timelines to the budget and even provides a cost summary. There are graphs and charts that analyze workload to keep teams productive, task status and much more.

6. Action Plan Spreadsheet

Managing work means outlining the steps you must complete to achieve your goals. Use ProjectManager’s free action plan spreadsheet for Excel to track tasks and detail the strategy you’ll use to complete your work on time and within budget.

Action plan spreadsheet for task and project tracking

We’ve broken up this action plan template into three sections. The first is the action steps, which note the priority and list tasks, phases and assignments. There’s also space to note the status of your tasks and track their progress.

Section two of this Excel spreadsheet template is a timeline, with start and due dates, including planned hours. Finally, section three focuses on resources; for example, which department is responsible for which task, what materials are needed and what are the resource costs?

7. Status Report Template

Knowing where you are at any particular point in the project life cycle is how you manage time and costs. Our free status report template is a great tool to track your progress and stay on schedule.

Status report template for tracking in Excel

This free status report template is made up of five sections: project information, project status summary, project health, risk management overview and a conclusion that includes recommendations for the future.

A status report is a cornerstone of tracking your work. It’s used in project management and work management alike because it gives managers a picture of their planned vs actual progress. It’s also a powerful tool when presenting to stakeholders.

8. Risk Tracking Spreadsheet

No matter how well-planned your work is, there are unknowns that can impact your progress. Use ProjectManager’s free risk register spreadsheet to help you plan for risks in your work.

Risk tracking spreadsheet for Excel

This free risk register for Excel has columns to ID the risk to make it easier to track. There’s a column to describe the risk and explain how it’ll impact the work you’re doing if it goes from a risk to an actual issue .

For each risk you identify on the template, you can add a risk response, which is the response you’ll take if the risk actualizes. You can also note the risk level. Then, if you’re working in a team, you can assign the risk so that the team member is responsible for identifying and rectifying it.

9. Change Tracking Spreadsheet

Download ProjectManager’s free change tracking spreadsheet for Microsoft Excel to manage change when it impacts your work management. It’ll help you control change so it doesn’t make you spend too much overtime or incur additional costs.

Change log template for tracking changes

A change log Excel spreadsheet is one of the most important Microsoft Excel templates we offer. It’s a spreadsheet template that captures change when it happens. You can number changes for better tracking and note when the change first came up and who discovered or requested it.

You can then prioritize the change, and you or a team member can take ownership to see it through to completion. The Excel spreadsheet tracks the change from discovery to recovery and ensures that no change order is lost in the cracks.

10. Time Tracking Spreadsheet

There’s no better template to track the time you spend on your tasks than with ProjectManager’s free time tracking spreadsheet . This timesheet is great for you or team members to record the amount of time spent on work.

Timesheet template for time tracking

This timesheet Excel spreadsheet template has space for your name or the name of the employee, their department, supervisor and hourly rate. The template collects their hours, such as their start time and end time for their workday. There’s even a place to add overtime and lunch.

Then, the total for the week is added and multiplied by the pay rate to show the total amount the employee is owed. Finally, there’s a line for the employee to sign and the supervisor to look it over and sign it, if accurate.

11. Bug Tracker Template

The QA process is ideal for an Excel tracking template. When a problem is identified in a software product, a bug report is generated and sent to developers. They follow the instructions therein to fix the problem. This process is tracked by the free bug report template for Excel . It tracks one bug at a time to avoid confusion and make sure that the issue is resolved before the product is delivered to the public.

bug report tracking template for Excel

This Excel task tracker does so by collecting all the pertinent information a developer will need to replicate and remove the bug. There’s space to add a summary, screenshot and define the environment in which the bug occurred. There’s also bug tracking to define the severity and priority of the problem.

12. Multiple Project Tracking Template

When you’re managing a portfolio or program, you have to monitor all your projects in one place to make insightful decisions as to how to allocate resources. Using our free multiple-project tracking template for Excel gives you a high-level overview of every project for which you’re responsible.

ProjectManager's multiple project tracking template for Excel

Once you download the free Excel template, you’ll find it’s formatted with three projects, one stacked on top of the other. You can copy and paste to add as many projects as needed. You can also add columns if you need to track something not already on the template.

Each project spreadsheet allows you to list all the project tasks by name and description, as well as if they’re dependent on another task. There’s space to add who’s assigned to each task. Each task has a start and planned end date, and planned cost, with an actual end date and actual cost to help you track the project.

13. Issue Tracking Template

Issues are problems that arise while executing your project. These issues must be quickly identified and resolved to keep the project on schedule and within its budget. With our free issue-tracking template for Excel , you have the tools to monitor the progress of resolving those issues.

ProjectManager's free issue tracking template for Excel

The free template is ideal to capture risks, which become issues if they in fact show up in your project. When they do, you already have them described in the template and what their potential impact is. Next, you can define its priority, from low to critical, which helps you determine which risks need your immediate attention.

There’s also a place to note the date the issue first was discovered and when it was closed, as well as the team member who’s responsible for resolving it. Finally, the free template states the department that’s handling the issue and there’s a column to note its status when tracking the issue.

14. Operating Budget Tracking Spreadsheet

Tracking costs is critical to keeping a business operating. An operating budget is used to forecast revenue and expenses over a period of time. Download the free operating budget template for Excel to create an accurate operating budget.

Operating budget tracking spreadsheet for Excel

Managers can use this Excel tracker template at the end of each month to see if the actual results match the figures forecast in the operating budget. It can also help to go back over the month or quarter and see if sales were correctly predicted. Managers can analyze financial results and adapt to changing business conditions.

The free template tracks income and expenses, identifies cost drivers and helps to show where there is room for cost efficiency and greater profitability.

15. To-Do List Template

Everyone has work to do, and getting that work done efficiently requires task management. At its most basic, that means having a list of your tasks. It’s the first step to getting organized. That’s where our free to-do list for Excel comes in handy.

Free to-do list template in ProjectManager

A to-do list is a simple but highly effective tool. Simply list the tasks you’ve been assigned or you can even use it for household chores. Next, you’ll want to give each task a start and due date. This is the duration or timeframe in which you want the work completed.

Now, you’ll want to track your progress. The free to-do list template shows the percentage complete for each task. It’s a satisfying feeling to see the cell move from 25 percent to 100 percent. Then there’s a column to note the progress. Before you know it, your work is done.

16. Inventory Template

If you’re a manufacturer or have a company with which you carry stock that you need to run your business, then you need our free inventory template for Excel . Use it to prevent production delays by keeping track of what you’re warehousing.

Inventory tracking template for Excel by ProjectManager

Use this free template to record the level of your inventory and track its turnover. First, each line is numbered to make it easier to find the item you want. Then the item is listed and described, with the unit price noted and the quantity you have in stock.

Now you can calculate the inventory price, which is the unit price multiplied by the number in stock. This Excel spreadsheet template does this automatically. There’s a column to note whether you need to reorder, what level to reorder, how long it takes to restock and what that reorder quantity should be.

17. Progress Report Template

Project reports are essential for a number of reasons. One, they help you monitor your progress and performance, and two, they’re a great tool for keeping stakeholders updated. Our free progress report template for Word captures an overview of the activities and tasks that occurred over a specific period.

ProjectManager's progress report template for Excel

The free progress report is broken up into a number of different sections. There’s a summary, which provides a quick overview of what’s to follow, including pertinent data, such as the project scope, schedule, cost and risk for the time period being reported on.

Then there’s a section in this Excel spreadsheet template that goes over the tasks that have been executed over a period of time covered in the report. There’s space to note the status of tasks that aren’t yet completed and a section to list issues, talk about the budget and more. It’s a great way to capture a snapshot of the project in time.

18. Punch List Template

Construction project management can’t deliver a project until everything is completed properly. To ensure that the work is done as planned, the crew does a walkthrough and adds any incomplete or incorrect work to a punch list.

To keep track of that last-minute work, download this free punch list template for Excel . Property owners are often contractually allowed to withhold the final payment until the punch list is completed. Using this task tracker for Excel ensures the general contractor gets paid and the client is happy with their work.

Punch list Excel tracker template

The punch list template will avoid miscommunication between contractors, subcontractors, architects, builders, et al. This document is collaborative and that means better productivity. All the information necessary for the work is collected on the template, from a description and who’s assigned to task dates and status.

19. Work Schedule Template

Need help managing your human resources or operations planning? Check out our free work schedule template for Excel . This free template lists all your employees and their working hours, including responsibilities, over a day, week or month.

ProjectManager's free monthly work schedule template for Excel

Use the work schedule template to keep your employees productive and help with tracking your resource utilization and scheduling. You can also use it to prioritize tasks and balance your team’s workload, which leads to greater productivity and happier employees.

Our free spreadsheet template has a weekly and monthly work schedule. Both list your employees, their tasks, which project they’re working on and then their hours, either day-by-day or over the course of a month. This will help most organizations and even long-term projects.

20. Workload Analysis Template

Beyond tasks, costs and time, one of the essential metrics to track is workload. Workload tracks resource allocation. Using an Excel tracker template to calculate workload is going to help teams work more efficiently and avoid burnout. Download this free workload analysis template for Excel to manage the project workforce. It identifies the amount of work that must be done and determines how to balance that workload evenly across the project team.

Workload tracker template for Excel

Using this Excel task tracker ensures that the team is working at capacity and no one is overallocated or underutilized. This delivers the best possible performance and highest-quality deliverables.

Use ProjectManager to Track Time, Costs and Tasks Better Than Excel

Templates and Excel spreadsheets for tracking are great, but as noted, they can only do so much. ProjectManager is online work management software that connects everyone, no matter where they work, what time, department or skill level. It does so in real-time to ensure that everyone is collaborating and working on the most recent data.

Automatically Fill Out Timesheets

Take timesheets, for example. Instead of having your employee fill out the timesheet, ProjectManager’s timesheets autofill their tasks and update the time they’ve spent. This streamlines payroll but also offers a window into tracking the time they spend on their tasks. That way, you know if they’re meeting their quota. Once submitted, timesheets are locked and secure.

ProjectManager's timesheet for time tracking

Work the Way That Suits You

Multiple project views allow everyone on the team to work how they want. Managers can plan ahead on Gantt charts that show all their tasks on a timeline. The duration bar that connects each task’s start and end dates automatically shows progress based on how much of it is shaded. Teams can use task lists, kanban boards or calendars if they prefer, all of which are updated and show progress. No tool is more flexible for planning and tracking work.

Calendar in ProjectManager for task tracking at a monthly level

Generate One-Click Reports in Seconds

Tracking time, costs and more is easy with ProjectManager’s one-click reports. Get status reports, reports on tasks, timesheets, expenses and more. These reports take complicated data and turn it into insightful and easy-to-read reports to monitor progress and more. Reports can also be filtered to see only the data you want and then shared to keep stakeholders updated.

ProjectManager's reporting tools for tracking tasks, costs, time and progress

Related Excel Project Management Content

While Excel is not a project management software, it can still be a very helpful for managing various aspects of your projects. That’s why we’ve created dozens of blogs, templates and guides to help you use Excel for project management.

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ProjectManager is award-winning project management software for teams. Our real-time tool tracks time, costs and more to ensure you’re always on schedule and never spending over your budget. Join the 35,000+ people using our software to track tasks, cost and time. Get started with ProjectManager free today.

Click here to browse ProjectManager's free templates

Deliver your projects on time and on budget

Start planning your projects.

Free Assignment Tracking Template for Google Sheets

  • Last updated December 14, 2023

Are you looking for an assignment tracking template? When your tasks begin to pile up into several imaginary towers, it’s easy for you to be overwhelmed, not knowing where to start. Moreover, you might not even be able to keep track of all of them, resulting in missed assignments and potentially bad marks.

Having an assignment tracker to keep every task means you’ll be able to organize, stay on top, and complete all your assignments on time. All you need to do is open our Assignment Tracking Template , hit the  “Make a copy”  button and start sorting out your to-do list.

Access Template

While it’s easy to navigate, make sure you read ahead to discover how to use our assignment tracking template to the fullest. We also have another assignment tracking template  that lets you map out your assignments throughout the semester—a perfect fit for your syllabus.

Table of Contents

What Should a Good Homework Spreadsheet Have?

In general, you’ll want a few fields that will help describe your assigned tasks and some markers for better organization. Here are some essential components to look for:

  • Assignment description: An efficient assignment tracking template will have space so you can jot down assignment notes. This avoids confusion and lets you anticipate the difficulty of your to-dos.
  • Dates:  Having dedicated fields for your due dates lets you plan your schedule better. This way, you know how much time you have to complete a task. Additionally, when paired with your assignment notes, you can sort them according to priority levels.
  • Completion status: Keeping track of task statuses lets you know which tasks have started, are in progress, are accomplished, or need revision. Moreover, it’s also a great way to remember which tasks you need to return to.
  • Subject and type:  You also want to categorize your assignments into their respective subjects. Another way to group them is by assignment type, including papers, lab reports, collaborative work, and similar tasks.

The components above are only a few useful fields in an assignment tracking template. For example, some spreadsheets also include monthly views or trackers for semester-wide assignment lists . Templates such as these will undoubtedly have other categories you’d need to explore.

Basic Assignment Tracking Template

With all the considerations laid out above, we created a simple but effective assignment tracking template you can use for free. While it may only feature a single functional tab, it has nine named columns you can organize according to your tasks.

If you haven’t already, you can download our free assignment tracking template here:

Let’s discuss the template in more detail .

Column A—Days Remaining

This is self-explanatory, but you can refer to this column to see the number of days you have left to do or submit your assignment. Depending on the days remaining, you can also decide which tasks to prioritize according to their deadlines.

The cells under this column are automatically updated using our pre-loaded formulas , so avoid modifying them. Instead, you can change the values under the last two columns of this template.

Assignment tracking template—days remaining column

Columns B to D—Tags for Status, Subject, and Task Type

Under these columns, you can set the categories of your assignments either by their completion status, class, or assignment type. You can select the values from the drop-down lists that come with the template based on the American curriculum.

Additionally, these statuses are associated with specific colors, making them more visual so that you can view and handle multiple ongoing tasks more efficiently. If the subjects listed differ from what you’re currently taking, you can modify the options.

To modify the subject options, follow the steps below:

  • First, click on a cell’s drop-down list and locate the pen icon at the bottom.

Assignment tracking template—drop-down list pen icon

  • Click the pen icon to open the drop-down settings on the left-hand side of your screen.
  • Change the values listed on the options, such as editing Math  to Physics.
  • Once you’ve set your preferred selection, click the “ Done” button.

Assignment tracking template—data validation on Google Sheets

  • Upon clicking, a pop-out might appear on your screen asking whether to apply the changes to a wider cell range.
  • Simply click “Apply   to all”  to replicate the changes to the other cells.

Assignment tracking template—apply data validation to all

Another handy feature is the filter option in the “Status”  column. You can use this to view your tasks based on their completion level. For example, you can choose to see only the in-progress tasks. Here’s how you do it.

  • To get started, click on the filter icon next to the “Status”  label.

Assignment tracking template—filter icon on Google Sheets

  • You should see a list of values with checkmarks on their left side once you scroll down.
  • To deselect all of them, click on “ Clear.”

Assignment tracking template—clearing filter values on Google Sheets

  • Next, begin selecting the tasks you want to see per status, such as To start  and In-progress.
  • Finally, click “OK.”

Assignment tracking template—change filter value on Google Sheets

  • To revert the view, simply follow steps one to five, ensuring to select all the categories again.

Columns E to I—Assignment Details

You can start entering the information you know about the tasks at hand. The columns E to G are divided into three categories: Assignment Title, Description, and Files/Links. If your assignment has attachments and URLs, such as resources, you can keep them in the last column mentioned.

Assignment tracking template—assignment details tracker

Meanwhile, columns H to I serve as fields where you can input the dates when your task is given and when you need to submit it. Take note that these are installed with data validation rules—you can’t enter values that aren’t valid dates. These values are also used to calculate the Days Remaining column.

Semester Assignment Spreadsheet

If you are looking to plan your entire semester ahead of time with your potential tasks, this is a helpful assignment tracking template. It’s much simpler than the previous spreadsheet discussed and gives you a semester-wide overview of your assignments.

Get the template here:   Semester Assignment Spreadsheet

This assignment tracking template has only three fields that you can update. The first field is the (1) Date , which is located under the seven days of the week (with a total of fifteen weeks in the spreadsheet as per the American semester.)

Assignment tracking template—semester assignment spreadsheet

The second is the (2) Tags  field, which allows you to categorize your tasks according to the subject. As with the other template, these tags are color-coded for an easier view. Lastly, you can also populate the (3) Assignment Details , the blank spaces beside the tags.

Why Use Our Assignment Schedule Templates?

You can virtually make a never-ending list of benefits from using a homework spreadsheet, but to name a few, here are some reasons why they’re beneficial for managing your workload.

  • Organization: As repeatedly emphasized, these assignment tracking templates help you categorize your tasks according to subject, type, and completion status, making it easier to organize your workload.
  • Time Management:  You can keep track of your due dates better with the automated counting of the days remaining for a task. You can manage your time better and learn to prioritize tasks according to deadlines.
  • Easy Access:  Our spreadsheets run on Google Sheets , which you can easily access anywhere, as long as you are connected to the internet. On top of that, they’re also ready to be filled out as soon as you make a copy for yourself.

Wrapping Up

Sticking to your deadlines and organizing your tasks doesn’t need to be complicated. You can easily do this with the help of our assignment tracking template on Google Sheets. Access more of these excellent templates by visiting our other blogs too!

If you want to learn about Google Sheets to the next level, consider checking out relevant courses at Udemy .

  • 5 Useful Google Sheets Project Management Templates [Free]
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how to create an assignment tracker in excel

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

  • Excel Howtos , Templates

How-to create an elegant, fun & useful Excel Tracker – Step by Step Tutorial

  • Last updated on March 17, 2020

Picture of Chandoo

Do you want to create a simple, elegant and useful tracker using Excel? You can make trackers with features like tables, data validation rules and conditional formatting. In this page, I will explain the process for creating an Excel tracker. 

Demo of the Excel tracker we will be creating...

Download the tracker demoed here.

Click here to download the Excel Tracker explained in this page. Use it to understand the process or change it to suit your needs.

Purpose of the tracker

You can't track what you don't know... Someone wise Tweet

Let’s say you want to build a tracker to keep track of the visitors to the corporate office of Big Large Inc. You need to capture below details for compliance purpose.

  • Type of person (Full time, Temporary or Visitor)
  • Department visiting (one of the 7 departments if the person is Full time or Temporary)
  • SOP status (Not started, read, read  & signed)

It is a fairly straight forward tracker, except for this bit:

If the person is a visitor, then no need to get “department”. 

Thanks to Colette , who emailed me with a description of this template. 

Steps for creating Excel tracker

Step 1: create a table with below columns..

Just type the headings, select them and press CTRL+T. 

step 1 - create a table for excel tracker

Learn more about Excel Tables

Excel tables can help you build trackers, plans, lists or data. They make data analysis, charting or pivoting a breeze too. If you are new to this powerful feature, check out this getting started with tables guide .

Step 2: Set up data validation rules

This is the important bit. We don’t want garbage data in our tracker. So set up simple rules on each column.

Data validation rule for Type column:

This is rather simple. Just select the Type column, go to Data > Validation and set up the validation type as “List”. Type out the possible values – Full time, Temporary, Visitor and click ok. Here is a screenshot of the process.

data validation rules for type column

Learn more about Data Validation Drop Down List

Data validation makes it easy to set up a list of allowed values for a cell or table column. Learn more about setting up data validation list .

Data validation rule for Department column:

Now this is a tricky one. We want to show a list of departments if type  = Full time or Temp. Else we want to leave it blank.

Start by setting up a list of departments in a range and give it a name like  lstDepts 

List of departments

Now, we will create a  dynamic named range  that will return either lstDepts or blank depending on what is picked in [@Type] (the current row’s type value).

We can use the trusty IF formula for this.

Create availableDepts named range (Formulas > Define Name) like this:

step 2 - conditional named range for departments

Once the named range is created, use it as  List for data validation on the Department column as shown below.

Data validation rule for department column

Data validation rule for “SOP Status” column:

This is similar to the rule for “Type” column.

Step 3: Highlight what matters with conditional formatting

Let’s say Big Large Inc. is fussy about the SOP status and want to quickly monitor anyone not starting the SOP process or half-done it.

You can use conditional formatting to easily spot these. 

Just set up rules to highlight the Status column based on what matters to you.

For example, if you want to highlight all “Read” statuses, you can use below rule.

conditional formatting rule to highlight "Read" values

Here are few more rules. 

more CF rules for excel tracker

That is all. Our tracker is ready. Go ahead and roll it out.

Learn more about Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting is a great way to keep an eye on important bits of information. You can set up rules to highlight missed deadlines, top 5 values or values meeting a criteria. Getting started with conditional formatting .

Video - How-to create an Excel tracker

If you are still fuzzy over the details of how to create a tracker in Excel (or you just want an earful of my sweet voice) you can watch below video. I explain the process with greater detail on the data validation rules. 

You can also watch this video on Chandoo.org YouTube channel .

Download Excel tracker - Demo file

Tips for creating awesome trackers.

Trackers are a big part of spreadsheet life. Here are my top tips for creating long-lasting, friendly and useful trackers.

  • Use Tables for inputs:  Tables are natural for keeping data like this. So use the liberally.
  • Apply validation rules:  to prevent unwanted data from getting in. You can use data validation to allow lists, valid dates or even complex conditions. See this demo.

Either or condition in data validation

  • For large trackers, create a settings tab:  If you have a large tracker with several columns and rules, create a separate worksheet to maintain the rule data (like validation lists, boundaries for valid values etc.)
  • Apply conditional formats:  People like to know when their inputs are right. So use conditional formatting features like icons to highlight (in)valid data entries. See this demo.

using conditional formatting to highlight valid and invalid data entries

Awesome data entry forms with conditional formatting + data validation

  • Consider Excel Forms instead of shared workbooks: If you need multiple people to access the tracker to update or input data, consider using Excel Forms. This online features works great for collecting data in a secure manner. Click here for more info .

More Excel trackers for you

  • Annual Calendar & Daily To do list template
  • Goal tracker
  • Project Plan & Gantt Chart
  • To-do list template
  • Meeting Agenda Template
  • 20 Excel Templates & Trackers for you

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  • Tagged under custom data validation , data validation , downloads , dynamic named ranges , if() excel formula , Microsoft Excel Conditional Formatting , screencasts , tables , trackers , videos
  • Category: Excel Howtos , Templates

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

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3 responses to “how-to create an elegant, fun & useful excel tracker – step by step tutorial”.

' src=

Hi Chandoo, I am responsible for tracking when church reports are submitted on time or not and the variations from the due date for submission. Here is the Scenario; The due date for the submission of monthly reports is on the 5th of each month. and I would like to know how many reports have been submitted on time (i.e, those that have been submitted on or before the due date) I would also want to track those reports that have been submitted after the due date has passed. How can I create such a tracker?

' src=

Hi Chandoo, I am a member of your excel school. I was trying to create SOP Tracker I follow all your steps but I keep this error below.

The list source must be a delimited list, or a reference to a single row or cell.

I try looking on YouTube for answer but no luck.

can you help on this?

thanks Carl.

' src=

Dear Mr. Chando,

Rakesh, I'm working in a private company in the UAE. Recently, I'm struggling to get more details about the staff sick, annual, unpaid, and leaves. I would like to get a tracker in excel. Could you please help me in this situation?

I also watching your videos in YouTube. i hope you can help me on this situation.

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How-To Geek

How to track almost anything with excel list templates.

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Microsoft Office vs. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides: Which Is Best?

6 steps to ensure you never lose a microsoft office file again, saying goodbye to nova: the launcher that changed how i use android, quick links, how to access templates inside of excel, weekly chore schedule template, vacation items checklist template, movie list template, wine collection template, book collection template, video game tracker template, subscription and membership tracker template, conversational ice breaker tracker template, car repair tracker template.

Microsoft Excel is known for being an excellent tool for tracking things like a budget , inventory, or sales and revenue. But there are so many templates available you might not realize exist that can help you track just about anything.

You might use a list app to track chores or to keep track of the movies you want to watch. If you already use Excel, why not take advantage of it for tracking these types of things too? It just might save you some time.

You can access the below templates in the Excel desktop app or via the Microsoft template website . On your desktop, open Excel and go to the Home section. Select "More Templates" and then use the Search box or browse the categories.

Template area in Excel on the desktop

In our examples below, we'll include web links to the templates so that you can view them online. Some templates are available for use in Excel for the web or as a download to use in the desktop application.

Does everyone in your home pitch in with chores? If so, making sure everybody knows what they're responsible for is key to getting it all done . Try this Weekly Chore Schedule template that you can print and then pop up on the fridge or family bulletin board.

This weekly chore list gives you spots for all the tasks along the left. Then, it's easy to add the person who's responsible for each task on any given day. Each family member can then add a checkmark when they complete the chore.

Chore Schedule Excel template

Booking flights, scheduling rental cars, finding accommodations--- planning a vacation takes work. When it's time to get ready for your trip, make sure you've got everything you need with this  Vacation Items Checklist .

Add to-dos to the list such as confirming hotel reservations or notifying neighbors you'll be away. Then, assign a category to the item so you can use the filters on the right to see all the items in that category.

The template also has spots to mark items complete as you prepare for your trip.

Vacation Items Checklist Excel template

It can be hard to remember every movie you've seen and those you want to watch too. Create a list of the movies you've watched or those you want to watch next with the Movie List template .

Related: How to Keep Track of the TV Shows You're Watching

Simply add the movie details including year, starring actors, director, genre, and rating. Then, include your own review from one to five stars and enter notes about the movie you don't want to overlook.

Movie List Excel template

If you're a wine connoisseur or simply want to keep track of the wines you've tried, the Wine Collection template is a handy tool.

This template features a table where you simply add the details for each wine, including the vineyard or winery, vintage, color, country of origin, and region. Then, mark your favorites and add notes.

Wine Collection Excel template

Similar to the wine collection template is one for listing books . This list gives you a convenient way to log all of the books you've read and add notes about the plot, characters, or conflicts.

The Book Collection List template  offers tons of space for basic details such as author, publisher, date, and edition. You can then add extras like language and translator, cover type, number of pages, the condition of the book, and its location on your shelf.

Book Collection Excel template

Gamers usually have a good mental list of the games they've played or want to play. But with the Video Game Tracker template in Excel, you can log those other details that may not be as easy to remember.

Include the platform, the character you played, your high score, any achievements, the highest level achieved, and the percentage of levels completed inside the tracker.

Then, use the additional sheets to track friends of yours who play as well. You can include their gamer tags and notes. The other sheet allows you to log details for gaming events, including the cycle and date.

Video Game Tracker Excel template

From application subscriptions to memberships for clubs or teams, you can keep track of it all with this Subscription and Membership Tracker template .

Related: How to Add Loyalty and Membership Cards to Google Pay

Add the name of the subscription or membership , the date you paid, the amount, length, and renewal date along with the payment method. You can also include notes for choosing a lengthier renewal or not renewing at all.

Subscription and Membership Tracker Excel template

While many people are pros in social situations, others may struggle. Using this Conversational Ice Breaker Tracker template , you can prepare for business or personal conversations ahead of time.

Create your list of ice breakers or the things you can say to start a conversation. Then, include the type of situation, whether professional or personal. After you use the ice breaker, come back to your sheet to track how well it worked.

Add details for when you used it and if you'd use it again. Be sure to enter any notes about the ice breaker to help in the future.

Ice Breaker Excel template

Keeping a log of car repairs or vehicle maintenance is important. You'll want to know when a service was performed, by whom, and how much it cost. These are the types of things you can track with the Car Repair Tracker template .

Related: How to Track Your Routine Car Maintenance With Dash

Include the date, cost, vehicle (if your household has more than one), the service or repair center, and a description. Whether your family has only one vehicle or several, you can stay on top of repairs and maintenance right in Excel.

Car Repair Tracker Excel template

These templates are just scratching the surface of what you'll find in Excel. Other templates exist such as a Credit Card Tracker , a Weekly Assignment Schedule , and a Gas Mileage Tracker .

With these Excel templates, you can stay on top of things. And if this sparks an idea for another option, look at how to create a custom template of your own in Excel.

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How to Organize Assignments In Excel

  • / How to Organize Assignments In Excel

How to Organize Assignments In Excel

In today’s fast-paced world, effective organization and time management are crucial for success, especially when dealing with numerous assignments and tasks. Microsoft Excel, a powerful and versatile spreadsheet application, can be an invaluable tool for organizing assignments . This article will delve into the significance of organizing assignments in Excel, provide a step-by-step guide on how to organize assignments in excel, and discuss the pros and cons of using Excel for this purpose.

Significance of Organizing Assignments in Excel

Organizing assignments in Excel offers several benefits:

Enhanced Productivity:

With a clear overview of tasks, deadlines, and progress, you can manage your time more efficiently and prioritize effectively.

Improved Time Management:

Excel allows you to set deadlines and reminders, ensuring that you stay on track and meet your targets.

Customization:

Excel’s flexibility enables you to tailor your assignment tracker to fit your specific needs and preferences.

Data Analysis:

By organizing your assignments in Excel, you can easily analyze patterns and trends, helping you to optimize your workflow and identify areas for improvement.

Centralized Information:

Having all your assignments in one place reduces the risk of losing track of tasks and ensures that all relevant information is easily accessible.

Step-by-Step Process to Organize Assignments in Excel

Step 1: create a new workbook.

Open Excel and create a new workbook. This workbook will serve as your assignment tracker.

  • Open Excel.
  • Click on “File” in the top left corner.
  • Select “New” and choose “Blank Workbook.”

Step 2: Set Up Your Spreadsheet

Create a structured layout for your assignments by setting up columns for essential information. Common columns include:

  • Assignment Name : The title or description of the assignment.
  • Due Date : The deadline for the assignment.
  • Priority : The importance level of the assignment (e.g., high, medium, low).
  • Status : The current status of the assignment (e.g., not started, in progress, completed).
  • Notes : Any additional information or comments about the assignment.

In your blank workbook, label the columns in the first row:

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Step 3: Enter Assignment Details

Begin entering the details of your assignments into the respective columns. For example:

Step 4: Apply Conditional Formatting

Conditional formatting can help you quickly identify high-priority tasks and approaching deadlines.

  • Select the cells you want to format (e.g., the “Due Date” column).
  • Click on “Home” in the top menu.
  • Select “Conditional Formatting.”
  • Choose “Highlight Cells Rules” and then “Less Than.”
  • Enter a date that is a few days from today to highlight approaching deadlines.

You can also use conditional formatting to color-code priorities. For instance, high-priority tasks can be highlighted in red, medium in yellow, and low in green.

Step 5: Add Data Validation

To maintain consistency and accuracy, use data validation for columns like “Priority” and “Status.”

  • Select the cells in the “Priority” column.
  • Go to “Data” in the top menu.
  • Click “ Data Validation .”
  • In the “Settings” tab, choose “List” from the “Allow” dropdown menu.
  • Enter your priority options (e.g., High, Medium, Low) in the “Source” box.
  • Repeat these steps for the “Status” column with options like “Not Started,” “In Progress,” and “Completed.”

Step 6: Create a Dashboard

A dashboard provides a visual summary of your assignments, helping you to monitor progress at a glance.

  • Create a new sheet in your workbook and name it “Dashboard.”
  • Use charts and graphs to display key metrics, such as the number of assignments per priority level or the percentage of completed tasks.
  • To insert a chart, go to “Insert” in the top menu, select “Chart,” and choose the type of chart that best represents your data (e.g., pie chart, bar chart).

Step 7: Automate with Formulas

Excel’s formulas can automate calculations and updates, saving you time and reducing errors.

  • SUM: Calculate the total number of assignments.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

  • COUNTIF: Count assignments based on their status.

Step 8: Set Up Reminders

Use Excel’s built-in features to set up reminders for upcoming deadlines.

  • Highlight the “Due Date” column.
  • Apply conditional formatting to change the cell color when the due date is approaching.
  • Alternatively, integrate Excel with Outlook to receive email reminders for upcoming deadlines.

Pros and Cons of Organizing Assignments in Excel

Versatility:.

Excel’s flexibility allows for a high degree of customization, enabling you to create a tracker that meets your specific needs.

Excel’s powerful data analysis tools, such as pivot tables and charts, help you identify trends and optimize your workflow.

Centralization:

Keeping all your assignments in one place reduces the risk of losing track of tasks and ensures easy access to all relevant information.

Automation:

Excel’s formulas and macros can automate repetitive tasks, saving you time and reducing errors.

Collaboration:

Excel supports collaboration, allowing multiple users to update and manage the assignment tracker simultaneously.

Learning Curve:

For beginners, Excel’s vast array of features can be overwhelming, and it may take time to learn how to use the application effectively.

Complexity:

As the number of assignments grows, the spreadsheet can become complex and difficult to manage.

Manual Updates:

Although Excel supports automation, some updates and entries may still need to be done manually, which can be time-consuming.

Limited Notifications:

Unlike dedicated task management software, Excel does not have built-in notification features, which means you may need to rely on external reminders.

File Management:

Managing multiple Excel files or sharing them across different devices and platforms can sometimes be cumbersome.

Conclusion:

  • Understanding how to organize assignments in excelis a powerful method for managing tasks, enhancing productivity, and improving time management. By following a structured approach and leveraging Excel’s features, you can create an effective assignment tracker that meets your needs.
  • While Excel offers numerous benefits, it is essential to be aware of its limitations and consider complementary tools or strategies to address these challenges.
  • With practice and customization, Excel can become an indispensable tool in your assignment management toolkit.

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Free Office Templates

Free Assignment Schedule Tracker for Excel

Whether you are a student in high school, college or post-graduate studies, assignments are inevitable. If you need a way to keep track of your assignments in all your subjects and classes, then you will find this Free Assignment Schedule Tracker for Excel very useful.

Ensure You Submit Assignments on Time Using this Template

Submit Your Assignments on Time

The Free Assignment Schedule Tracker for Excel is a template that you can download for free from the Office portal. It is professionally designed and looks sleek yet still highly functional. This is just one of the many spreadsheet templates that you can use for school purposes, especially for ensuring that you are on top of your class and activities.

This free assignment schedule tracker is a simple, no-frills assignment tracker you can use for Mac and Windows. You can record, track and segregate your assignments according to categories such as instructor, course, assignment, and many more.

Assignment Detail Gives a More Elaborate View of the Tasks

Track Your Assignment Submission Status

This free Office template contains a table that already contains headings for your assignments. It allows you to write down your assignments for your instructor, course, assignment name, and when you started the assignment, as well as when it is due. The dates allow you to track your progress and ensure that you pass your assignments on time. This also lets you know if you are progressing slowly or none at all in any course.

A unique feature for this assignment template is that it allows you to highlight the assignments due within a certain period of time. This way, you can set your priorities and focus on more pressing tasks, especially those which are due soon.

Easily Track Progress Using the Completion Bar

This template can also be used outside the classroom setting. It can also be used in project management, where majority of the tasks are time-bound and need to be finished within a set deadline. Instead of assignments, project tasks and schedules will be written and project managers can use this to see the persons involved in each task, and when they are due.

Go to  Download Free Assignment Schedule Tracker for Excel

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Home » Report Templates » Organize Your Study Schedule with this Assignment Planner Template (Excel / PDF)

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Organize your study schedule with this assignment planner template (excel / pdf).

An assignment planner template is a useful tool that enables you to organize your assignments and complete them on time. Having this tool is beneficial for both the students and the people who are assigned to work on a specific project over a specific period.

Furthermore, the assignment planner streamlines your process of planning the assignment and ensures an organized approach to your work. Using this template improves time management, reduces stress, and enhances the quality of your assignment.

Why should you use the assignment planner template?

The assignment planner template provides you with an effective way to manage your assignments. Anyone whose aim is to achieve academic or professional success should use this template. It ensures that your assignment is comprehensive and aligned with the set objectives. The planner helps you improve time management skills and key competencies that are crucial in both academic and professional settings. In addition, it enables you to break down complex tasks into manageable steps so that you can complete your task systematically. Also, it improves the quality of your final product by reducing the last-minute rushes.

Important components of the assignment planer:

The assignment planner should include the following details;

Assignment overview

In this section, you have to specify the assignment’s main topic or question. Describe your assignment precisely to avoid confusion.

Mention the due dates in front of each assignment so that you know how much time you have to complete them. You can organize them according to your priority level.

Completion status

When you keep track of your assignment status, it informs you which work you have started, are in progress, is completed, or require revision.

Subject and type

Classify your assignments into their respective subjects or group them by type.

monthly assignment planner template for student

School assignment planner:

An assignment planner is very important for the students as they are mostly bound to have assignments. It provides them with due dates for different assignments that they have to do. The planner can be used as a timeline that makes sure the students are on time in terms of the assignments.

Assignment Planner Excel Template

weekly assignment planner excel template

Assignment Planner Template Excel

assignment planner template excel

Assignment Schedule Template

assignment schedule template

Free Printable Assignment Planner

free printable assignment planner

Printable Weekly School Assignment Planner Template

printable weekly school assignment planner template

School Assignment Schedule Template

school assignment schedule template

Student Assignment Planner Template

student assignment planner template

Weekly Assignment Planner Template

weekly assignment planner template

Work assignment planner:

Professionals can use the work assignments planner to record special projects if they are assigned to do a lot of tasks daily . Also, they use it to write additional responsibilities that are assigned to them by the company. The planner also helps them in managing their time.

The assignment planner template can be used by students , researchers, and professionals who have been assigned different assignments along with the due dates.

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how to create an assignment tracker in excel

How to Create a Semester Assignment Spreadsheet

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

(Read: How to Make a Daily, Prioritized Study List )

1. Gather the syllabi from all of your classes

That would be completely catastrophic. 

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

2. Open a Spreadsheet in Excel

(Read: How to Organize Your Class Binders )

3. Create Columns

4. put in every assignment due date.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Then, check it (23 times, if you’re me) to make sure you didn’t skip over any.

5. Sort by due date

A. select the due date column.

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

B. Order the list the old fashioned way

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

6. Format it so that it all fits onto one page

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

(Read: How to Get Better Grades in College )

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

7. Print it out

(Related: Your Ultimate Back to School Checklist )

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

8. Track your progress

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

Here is what I do:

(Related: 5 Must-Know Time Management Tips for College )

how to create an assignment tracker in excel

What are some ways that you keep track of your assignments?  How do you prioritize your projects? 

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10 Powerful Excel Project Management Templates for Tracking Anything

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Project management templates are an essential tool for replicating successful projects. With Microsoft Excel's free templates, you can turn your simple spreadsheets into powerful project management tools.

In this article, you'll find some of the most useful and free Microsoft Excel project management and project tracking templates you'll want to use for your next project.

Microsoft Excel Project Timeline Templates

Let's take a look at the best Microsoft Excel project management templates.

We cover both native and third-party templates here. To find the pre-installed Excel spreadsheet templates, open Excel and search for the respective keyword from the New document screen.

If you're already in Excel, go to File > New to bring up the template search. Check the Managing Microsoft Excel Templates section below for more details.

Excel comes with several timelines and Gantt chart templates provided by Microsoft, but it also integrates templates from Vertex42, one of the most popular third-party resources for spreadsheets.

1. Work Plan Timeline

Blank Work Plan Template in Microsoft Excel.

The Work Plan Timeline template is suitable for a basic project with multiple phases. When you enter your data into the worksheet, the roadmap will update automatically. This template comes pre-installed in Microsoft Excel 2016 and up.

2. Date Tracking Gantt Chart

Blank Date Tracking Gantt Chart template in Microsoft Excel

Gantt charts are a staple in every project manager's toolset. They help you visualize the flow of your tasks and track progress.

With this template, you can create a comprehensive Gantt chart with minimal effort. Just enter each task, complete with a description, who it's assigned to, a percentage to indicate progress, a start date, and allocated days until completion. This template is a Microsoft Excel default.

3. Milestone and Task Project Timeline

Milestone and Task Project Timeline template in Microsoft Excel

If you want to integrate milestones into a basic timeline, this template provided by Vertex42 is ideal. It combines the best elements of a Gantt chart, i.e. the visualization of the task flow, with milestones hovering above the timeline.

Just fill in the respective tables to populate the visual. You can find this template by searching in Excel.

Excel Project Plan Templates

A project plan is a document that may require Excel charts, but is otherwise composed in Microsoft Word. For basic projects, however, you may get away with only a Microsoft Excel document.

4. Simple Gantt Chart

Simple Gantt Chart template in Microsoft Excel

When you search Excel's template repository for project plan templates, you'll mainly find different Gantt chart variations, including this Simple Gantt Chart from Vertex42. What sets it apart from the Gantt chart above is the inclusion of project phases. This template is included in Microsoft Excel.

5. Event Planner Template

Event planner template in Microsoft Excel

A project plan really isn't something you typically put together in Excel. However, if you are planning a small project, like a party, you just need a one-page template that lists the essential tasks and lets you define a schedule and a budget. This template from Office Templates Online is a great start.

Excel Project Tracker Template

A search for a tracker will bring up a wild mix of personal and business-related Excel spreadsheet templates for tracking. However, you can narrow down your search by selecting categories that relate to the project management task you're dealing with.

6. Activity-Based Cost Tracker

An Excel template to track indirect and direct product costs.

This tracking template can help you get an overview of direct, indirect, and general and administrative product costs.

7. Project Tracking Template

An Excel template to track multiple clients, projects, or deliverables.

This Vertex42 template is essential if you are handling multiple different clients, projects, and/or deliverables. It combines project details, expenses, task statuses, and due dates.

Business Plan Templates

Microsoft Excel 2016 had its own category for business plans. You could search for the keyword business and select the Business Plans category on the right.

In Excel 2019 and onwards, you can perform either query, but the latter misses some templates, while the former might be overwhelming. We recommend looking into the following.

Business Plan Checklist

Microsoft Excel 365 Business Planning Checklist With SWOT Analysis

Creating a business plan can be a complex project in and of itself. This checklist will help you cover all your bases by guiding you through the process using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis.

Note that you'll find two similar templates in Excel, but they're both identical SWOT analysis checklists, differing only in their formatting.

Startup Expenses

MIcrosoft Excel 365 Startup Expenses Template

This template is a great starting point for a budding business owner who needs some help with projecting the costs of their endeavor. The template will guide you through the most common assets and services your new business might require.

Once you've filled in all the potential expenses, you'll have a much better idea of how much funding you'll need to raise to get your business up and running. For more business plan templates , take a look at our dedicated article.

Search for Online Templates

Couldn't find the exact project management template you need in Excel? Turn to a third-party online resource for a wide selection of Excel spreadsheet templates. We recommend the following sites.

Vertex42 Critical Path template for project management

This website has a few great project management templates for Microsoft Office 2003 and up. The site notes that its templates are mostly related to project scheduling. Anything more complicated might require Microsoft Project or other project management software.

On the page dedicated to project management , you'll find a list of useful material, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Project Budgeting
  • Critical Path Method

Each page contains a quick rundown of what the template does, one or more templates, and further tips and tricks for the respective project management tool. It's a great resource for budding project managers.

Project Cost Tracking Worksheet Excel template

TidyForm has a respectable selection of Microsoft Excel project management templates. The most popular categories are listed on the homepage. If you can't immediately spot what you need, switch to the Business section or try the search feature.

When you scroll to the bottom of a section, you'll see a list of popular categories and related categories. This can be helpful when trying to find just the right template. We recommend the following pages:

  • Project Budget
  • Project Proposal
  • Work Breakdown Structure

Still looking for the perfect template? You might have to create custom Excel templates to get exactly what you want.

Managing Microsoft Excel Templates

First, let's see what templates you already have installed in Microsoft Excel. For the purpose of this demonstration, we've used Excel 2019, but the procedure is similar in Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 2016.

Default Templates

When you start up Microsoft Excel, the first window you see will contain a search field for online templates. When you're starting from an existing workbook, go to File > New to arrive at the same view.

Search and select an Excel template

Microsoft Excel comes with a selection of pre-installed templates. They are listed underneath the search field. You can pin your favorite ones by clicking the respective symbol in the bottom right of the listing.

Pin an Excel template for later use

Search Online for More Project Templates (Excel 2016)

Searching for the type of template you need is the fastest way to locate it. For example, if you search for the term "project," you may also see template categories listed next to the templates that match your search. The category feature no longer appears in Excel 2019.

Template search with category list in Excel 2016.

Narrow Down Your Search (Excel 2016)

A neat feature is that you can narrow down your search by selecting multiple categories. This helps you exclude templates that may match your keyword, but not your desired category. On the downside, you may find that the perfect template is not available in Microsoft Excel.

Template search trick in Excel 2016.

Preview & Create Your Template

When you click a template, you'll see a preview with a brief description of what the template provides. You can also pin the template from its preview; the symbol sits in the top right.

Preview of an Excel template

To download and use a template, click the Create button, which will open a new Microsoft Excel workbook with the template pre-filled.

Template Ready, Set, Go

Now that you have all the project management templates you could ever need, maybe you're interested in additional tools, tips, and tricks. For example, you could build a custom interactive Excel dashboard to manage data within your projects. The possibilities are endless.

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Templates for college and university assignments

Include customizable templates in your college toolbox. stay focused on your studies and leave the assignment structuring to tried and true layout templates for all kinds of papers, reports, and more..

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Keep your college toolbox stocked with easy-to-use templates

Work smarter with higher-ed helpers from our college tools collection. Presentations are on point from start to finish when you start your project using a designer-created template; you'll be sure to catch and keep your professor's attention. Staying on track semester after semester takes work, but that work gets a little easier when you take control of your scheduling, list making, and planning by using trackers and planners that bring you joy. Learning good habits in college will serve you well into your professional life after graduation, so don't reinvent the wheel—use what is known to work!

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  2. How to Create a Task Tracker in Excel (Download Free Template) (2022)

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  3. Assignment Planner Excel Template

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  4. This excel Task Assignment Schedule Template is used for making a

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  5. Free Assignment Schedule Tracker for Excel

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  6. Set Up Your Excel Task Tracker... in UNDER 20 MINUTES?

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COMMENTS

  1. Excel Tutorial: How To Make An Assignment Tracker In Excel

    Here's how you can name and format the columns: Assignment Name: Create a column for the names of the assignments you need to track. This will be the main identifier for each task. Due Date: Next, create a column for the due dates of each assignment. This will help you prioritize tasks based on their deadlines.

  2. How to Create a Task Tracker in Excel (Download Free Template)

    Step 1 - Making a Dataset for a Task Tracker in Excel. Insert the following headers in the dataset. Select cell B5 and go to Home. Select Conditional Formatting from the Styles tab and choose New Rule from the drop-down list. In the New Formatting Rule box, select Format only cells that contain in the Select a Rule Type.

  3. How To Make An Assignment Tracker In Excel

    Excel's robust features like sorting, filtering, and formulas make it a commonly used tool for tracking tasks and assignments. However, understanding Excel's complex functionalities can be overwhelming for many users. In this guide, we will provide step-by-step instructions to build a functional assignment tracker in Excel. We'll also explore ...

  4. Tracker in Excel (Task Tracker, Progress Tracker and so on)

    Create a Real Time Tracker in Excel. Design the dataset in the following way. Enter the value of hourly payment in cell C4. Fill up the Employee ID and Name columns. Select range D7:E16 >> go to the Home tab >> select Time format from the Number group. Fill up the Start Time and End Time columns for each employee.

  5. How to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel (3 Handy Ways)

    Method 2 - Inserting a Bar Chart to Create a Progress Tracker in Excel. Steps: Select the range B5: C12. Go to the Insert tab, select Insert Column or Bar Chart, and choose Stacked Bar. A chart will appear. Double-Click on the Vertical Axis to go to Format Axis options.

  6. Set Up Your Excel Task Tracker... in UNDER 20 MINUTES?

    Download the sample excel sheets from here:https://1drv.ms/u/s!AiCngpZDOaPzhIt5DOFIGUMxfhyvbQ?e=vmMc1eHow to create an All-in-One Excel Task tracker and Dash...

  7. How to Create a Task Tracker in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

    Step 3: Enter Your Tasks. List all the tasks you need to track under the "Task Name" column. Type each task name in the "Task Name" column. Be specific to make the tracker useful. For example, instead of "Homework," you might write "Math Homework Chapter 1."

  8. How to Make a Tracker in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

    How to Make a Tracker in Excel. Here's a quick and easy way to set up a basic tracker in Excel. By the end of these steps, you will have a functional tracker that can help you manage your tasks, projects, or any other data you need to monitor. Step 1: Open a New Workbook. Open Excel and create a new workbook.

  9. Create A Task Tracker in Excel With 7 Easy Steps

    Add the column headers in the first row of the Excel workbook. You can right-click on the first cell in 'Row 1' and under 'Column A' to select a cell and start adding column headers across the first row horizontally in the Excel spreadsheet. Column headers will include the items you want to track for your tasks.

  10. Free Excel Task Tracker Template & To-Do List

    Free Excel Task Tracker Template & To-Do List

  11. 20 Excel Tracker Templates for Tracking Tasks, Costs and Time

    15 Excel Spreadsheet Templates for Tracking Tasks, Costs ...

  12. Free Assignment Tracking Template for Google Sheets

    This assignment tracking template has only three fields that you can update. The first field is the (1) Date, which is located under the seven days of the week (with a total of fifteen weeks in the spreadsheet as per the American semester.) The second is the (2) Tags field, which allows you to categorize your tasks according to the subject.

  13. How To Use a Task Tracker in Excel in 5 Simple Steps

    How To Use a Task Tracker in Excel in 5 Simple Steps

  14. How-to create an elegant, fun & useful Excel Tracker

    Step 2: Set up data validation rules. This is the important bit. We don't want garbage data in our tracker. So set up simple rules on each column. Data validation rule for Type column: This is rather simple. Just select the Type column, go to Data > Validation and set up the validation type as "List". Type out the possible values - Full ...

  15. How to Track Almost Anything with Excel List Templates

    How to Track Almost Anything with Excel List Templates

  16. Assignment Tracker Excel Template

    With this Assignment Tracker Excel Template, you can track your homework and tasks by category. First of all, you need to do; is to create the lesson - cours...

  17. How to Organize Assignments In Excel

    Step 1: Create a New Workbook. Open Excel and create a new workbook. This workbook will serve as your assignment tracker. Open Excel. Click on "File" in the top left corner. Select "New" and choose "Blank Workbook." Step 2: Set Up Your Spreadsheet. Create a structured layout for your assignments by setting up columns for essential ...

  18. Organizing Assignments in Excel: Beginning of the Semester Success

    In this video, Master Tutor Victoria Ritter shows students how to organize all of their coursework into an easily accessible Excel spreadsheet. This is a gre...

  19. Free Assignment Schedule Tracker for Excel

    The Free Assignment Schedule Tracker for Excel is a template that you can download for free from the Office portal. It is professionally designed and looks sleek yet still highly functional. This is just one of the many spreadsheet templates that you can use for school purposes, especially for ensuring that you are on top of your class and ...

  20. Organize Your Study Schedule with this Assignment Planner ...

    The assignment planner template provides you with an effective way to manage your assignments. Anyone whose aim is to achieve academic or professional success should use this template. It ensures that your assignment is comprehensive and aligned with the set objectives. The planner helps you improve time management skills and key competencies ...

  21. How to Create a Semester Assignment Spreadsheet

    3. Create Columns. Ok, so in the top of the spreadsheet, the columns are labeled by letters. Just click on one and start typing. Make individual columns out of whatever information is most important to you. I made 4 columns out of the following: -Due Date. -Class. -Assignment.

  22. 10 Powerful Excel Project Management Templates for Tracking Anything

    10 Powerful Excel Project Management Templates for ...

  23. Templates for college and university assignments

    Templates for college and university assignments