Access 2013: Intermediate to Advanced Queries

Overview — Access 2013: Intermediate to Advanced Queries

This practical workbook sharpens your Microsoft Access 2013 query skills so you can analyse, summarise and automate data workflows more effectively. Focusing on intermediate-to-advanced techniques, the guide combines clear explanations with hands-on exercises to help you write and edit Access SQL, design grouping and parameter queries, build crosstabs and use action queries safely. Emphasis is on transferable query logic and everyday reporting tasks rather than theoretical database design.

What you will learn

Through stepwise examples and practice tasks you will gain confidence to:

• Read, modify and author Access SQL for queries the visual designer cannot produce.
• Create grouped queries with aggregate functions (SUM, AVG, COUNT, MIN, MAX) to summarise data.
• Build parameterised queries that prompt for input, making reports and searches reusable and flexible.
• Construct crosstab queries to compare two dimensions and reveal trends across categories or time periods.
• Use action queries (Update, Append, Delete, Make Table) with safe workflows, backups and testing strategies.
• Apply expressions, conditional logic (IIf) and relational operators to customise output and filtering precisely.

Key concepts explained

The workbook clarifies how Access SQL differs from other SQL dialects and how core clauses (WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, UNION) and joins are applied within Access. Grouping and aggregation are presented with real examples—totals, averages and custom ranges such as age brackets—plus methods to maintain those ranges as data changes. Parameter queries and user prompts are shown in practical reporting scenarios. Action queries are introduced alongside recommended safety practices so you can automate updates confidently.

Practical applications

Examples map each technique to common workplace needs: consolidating sales by customer or period, generating run-time filtered reports for patients or students, and creating crosstabs to compare monthly performance across categories. Step-by-step tasks encourage adapting exercises to your own tables and relationships so learning transfers directly into real reporting and small workflow automations.

How to use this guide

Open the accompanying practice database and review table structures before building queries. Attempt tasks on your own first, then compare with suggested solutions and variations. Tweak SQL and query properties to observe how results change. For action queries, always work on a copy of your data and use test scenarios to validate outcomes before applying changes to production data.

Who benefits most

Level: Intermediate to advanced. This workbook suits Access users who already understand tables, keys and basic select queries and want to extend reporting and automation skills. It is useful for analysts creating repeatable reports, administrators maintaining mid-size Access applications, and technically literate beginners with some relational database experience.

Quick FAQs

Do I need prior SQL experience? Basic SQL familiarity helps, but the guide teaches SQL constructs alongside visual examples so you can learn both approaches together.

Are the techniques applicable outside Access 2013? Yes—SQL logic, grouping and parameter principles transfer to later Access versions and many relational systems; interface details may vary.

Next steps

Work through the exercises in sequence, adapt examples to your own data, and build a small reporting project that uses parameter and crosstab queries. Regular practice and experimentation will turn these intermediate techniques into reliable tools for faster, more insightful data work in Access.