Microsoft Excel 
ITTraining@sgul.ac.uk Page 15 St. George’s Information Services 
SELECTING COLUMNS 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
If you want to make changes to an entire 
column, such as bolding all of the headings in a 
column or changing the font of all the cell entries, 
you must first select the column. This is done by 
clicking on the column header directly above the 
column. Remember that any changes you make 
will apply to every cell in the column all the way 
down to row 1,048,576! 
 
Try This Yourself: 
Same 
File Continue using the previous 
file with this exercise, or open 
the file E705 Ranges_1.xlsx... 
 
Press  +  to make 
cell A1 the active cell 
 
Move the mouse pointer to the 
column heading for column B 
Notice that the mouse pointer 
changes to a black arrow 
pointing down the column… 
 
Click once to select the column 
This time the row headers 
change to orange to indicate 
that at least one cell (but not 
all) in each row is selected… 
 
Click in cell D6
 and press  
+  
This key combination also 
selects an entire column… 
 
Click on the column header for 
column B to select it 
 
Hold down  and click on the 
column header for column D 
This time, columns B, C, and D 
are all selected… 
 
Click in the column header for 
column A, then hold down the 
left mouse button and drag the 
mouse pointer across the 
column headings to column E 
 
For Your Reference… 
To select an entire column: 
1. Click on the column heading of the column 
that you want to select 
OR 
1. Click in any cell in the column and press 
 +  
Handy to Know… 
 Make sure that you check your worksheet 
carefully after you’ve made changes to entire 
columns. Remember that all of the cells in 
that column are affected – even those in 
rows below the visible area. 
2 
3 
4 
6