When you start learning Excel, it is important to know how to select a range. In this tutorial, we will learn the various methods to select a range (a single cell, continuous and non-continuous cells) using the mouse and keyboard.
Select a Single Cell
To select a single cell, you need to click on the cell that you want to select. And the moment you select the cell, the address of the same cell displays on the Name box. Let’s see in the below snapshot we select cell A2.
Select the Range of Adjacent Cells
After selecting the single cell in Excel, let’s go through the quick steps to select multiple cells. Suppose you want to select A1:B5:
- First, place your cursor on the cell (A1).
- Then, select it by pressing the left mouse button.
- And now, drag the cursor while holding the mouse button from A1 to B5.
Select the Range of Non- Adjacent Cells
Sometimes, while working, you require to select the multiple non-continuous cells in the worksheet (such as A4 to A7, B3 to B8, and C2 to C5.)
- Click on the first cell (A4) and drag the cursor till A7.
- After that, hold the Control key and select the next non-adjacent range one by one.
- In the end, all the selected range of cells are highlighted.
You can hold Ctrl to select the non-continued rows or columns.
Select the Range of Cells in the Row
To select the range of cells in a single row, follow the below steps:
- Select the row first in which you want to select the multiple cells.
- Now, click on any of the cells of that row.
- Next, place the cursor on that cell and drag it to the last cell to select.
Like in the below example, we have selected the first four cells of Row 3.
Select the Range of Cells in the Column
You can also select the group of cells in a single column to apply any function by these steps:
- First, choose the column in which you want to select the range of cells.
- Then, click on any cell and drag the cursor till the last cell.
Let’s take an example of Column C, in which we have selected cells C3 to C10.
Select All the Cells in the Worksheet
Here, the common task for all the Excel users is to select all the cells in the worksheet. You have to click on the small-inverted triangle at the top left corner, and you’ll see the whole sheet is selected.
Next, you can use the shortcut keys also to select the cells in the worksheet.
- If you have selected the blank cell with no data from the sheet, press and hold the Control + A.
- And when you select the cell with data or value in it, you need to press and hold the Control + A + A (twice A) to select the whole sheet; otherwise, it will select only those cells with data in it.
