If you want to become a data analyst, two tools come up in almost every job description: Excel and Power BI. Freshers often ask which one to learn first. This short guide gives a practical answer.
Start with Excel
Excel is where most beginners first meet data. You learn to clean a table, sort and filter, use formulas and build simple summaries. These habits carry over to every other analytics tool, so it is a sensible first step.
Then move to SQL and Power BI
Once you are comfortable with tables, SQL lets you pull data from a database, and Power BI lets you turn that data into reports and dashboards that other people can read. Power BI now includes Copilot, which can help you build report pages and visuals, but you still need to check and edit the results yourself. For that you need to understand your data first, which is why Excel and SQL come before it.
A simple order for beginners
- Excel: cleaning data, formulas and summaries.
- SQL: reading and filtering data from tables.
- Power BI: reports and dashboards.
- Python, step by step, once the basics feel easy.
How ScholarLogic teaches it
The Data Analytics course at BTM Layout, Bangalore runs for 5 months. Excel and SQL come first, and Python is taught step by step. Freshers and graduates from any stream can join. You can attend a free demo class first; see what to expect in the demo class.
Before you join any course
Read what to check in an IT course with placement support. For more on Power BI, see our Blogger posts: Power BI October 2026: what changed and Using Copilot in Power BI as a beginner.
To book a free demo, call 78923 93639.
