Excel charts that tell the truth: axes, scales and labels
For anyone who builds charts in Excel for reports, dashboards or slide decks: office, finance, operations, sales and service staff. Prerequisite: 'Spreadsheet fundamentals for office work'. If you've taken 'Summary tables and charts for office reports', this goes further on scales and labelling. You'll choose a chart that fits the message, set axis scales in Excel so bars start at zero and line-chart breaks are visible, recognise misleading set-ups (dual axes, log scales, text axes for uneven dates, gaps joined across missing data, small multiples with different scales), and write titles, axis labels, units and source lines. Based on the UK Government Analysis Function's charts guidance and Microsoft's Excel chart documentation. Your organisation's report style guide applies on top.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 90 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Choose a chart type that matches the message and the statistical relationship in the data
- Set the value-axis minimum, maximum and display units in Excel so bar and column charts start at zero, and mark any break on a line chart
- Identify misleading scale choices: dual axes, logarithmic scales, text axes for uneven dates, joined gaps and small multiples with different scales
- Write chart titles, axis titles, units and source lines that say what was measured, where and when
- Check a chart against a pre-sharing checklist and correct the problems it finds
Course outline
- 1.Choosing a chart type that matches the messageLesson · 15 min
- 2.Setting value-axis scales so bars start at zeroLesson · 18 min
- 3.Identifying misleading scales: dual axes, log scales, uneven dates and gapsLesson · 18 min
- 4.Writing titles, axis titles, units and source linesLesson · 14 min
- 5.Checking a chart before sharingLesson · 10 min
- 6.Excel charts that tell the truth: axes, scales and labels: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 15 questions
- 7.Excel charts that tell the truth: axes, scales and labels: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- UK Government Analysis Function: Data visualisation: charts (guidance, published 19 May 2022)
- Microsoft Support: Change the scale of the vertical (value) axis in a chart
- Microsoft Support: Change the scale of the horizontal (category) axis in a chart
- Microsoft Support: Display or change dates on a category axis
- Microsoft Support: Add or remove titles in a chart
- Microsoft Support: Add or remove a secondary axis in a chart in Excel
- Microsoft Support: Display empty cells, null (#N/A) values, and hidden worksheet data in a chart
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