Excel: record time - how it works

For example, to record your daily working hours, you can use MS Office Excel. Time calculation is easy with the spreadsheet and, above all, done quickly.

Record time with Excel

You only need four columns for a simple and clear time table.

• The date is in the first column.
• In the second column, write down the time at which you started working.
• In the third column, enter the time at which you stopped working.
• The fourth column shows the working hours.
• Tip: Always take breaks of the same length and deduct the corresponding time later in the formula. Alternatively, add a pause column and include it in the formula.

Record the time in Excel

After the floor plans of the time recording table are in place, you should format the columns accordingly. This practical tip describes the column formatting in detail.

• If you want to calculate the time very precisely, you should use the format hh: mm: ss for the three columns start and end of work as well as hours worked. Normally, the hh: mm format, which is easier to grasp, should suffice.
• In the fourth column, let the spreadsheet Excel calculate the working hours. Assuming that the first start time is in column C5 and the end time in column D5, the formula in cell E5 would look like this: = D5-C5.
• Tip: If you don't feel like creating a table yourself, you can also download an Excel time account from us.