Word 2013 – Tips and Tricks: Editing Skills

Overview

This concise, practice-focused guide from IT Services at the UCL Institute of Education teaches faster, more consistent editing in Word 2013. It emphasises hands-on techniques that reduce repetitive formatting work and improve document clarity — from efficient text selection and case changes to spacing controls, alignment shortcuts and working with styles. Clear examples and short exercises let you apply each method immediately so you can see time savings in real tasks.

What you will learn

The tutorial targets everyday editing challenges and shows how to replace manual fixes with built-in Word features. You will learn multiple selection methods to edit text quickly, keyboard shortcuts for line spacing and alignment, rapid case changes, and how to insert horizontal separators for cleaner layouts. The guide also shows how heading styles and the Navigation Pane support structured documents and how to create an automated table of contents that updates as your document evolves.

Key learning outcomes

• Adopt faster text-selection techniques and essential keyboard shortcuts to speed editing.
• Use paragraph and line spacing controls correctly instead of relying on manual breaks.
• Apply and customise preset styles to ensure consistent headings and body text across documents.
• Generate automated navigation and a dynamic table of contents using heading styles and the Navigation Pane.
• Polish layouts with alignment shortcuts, horizontal rules, and other simple formatting tips.

Who should use this guide

Ideal for learners at all levels, this guide helps beginners build core editing skills and helps intermediate or experienced users streamline routine workflows. It is particularly useful for students, academic staff, administrative teams, teachers and anyone producing reports, handouts or proposals in Word 2013 who wants more reliable, repeatable results.

Practical exercises and projects

Each section includes brief, practical exercises that reinforce the techniques. Typical tasks guide you through formatting a report with consistent styles, converting case and spacing across sections, and creating a simple automated contents area that reflects document structure. These short projects are designed to be applied to your own files so you practise using features in real-world scenarios.

Common pitfalls and expert tips

The guide highlights frequent mistakes — such as overusing manual line breaks, neglecting styles for headings, and inconsistent spacing — and provides simple corrective habits. Expert tips include adopting styles early, saving frequently, using the Navigation Pane to reorganise content, and memorising a handful of shortcuts to minimise repetitive mouse actions.

Why this approach works

By combining concise explanations, visual examples and active practice, the guide encourages durable skill development: you don’t just see a feature demonstrated, you apply it. This reduces time spent fixing formatting errors later and improves the professionalism and readability of your documents.

Next steps

Work through the exercises in sequence and then apply the techniques to a current document. Start by adopting one or two shortcuts and a small set of styles, then expand your workflow as those habits become automatic. Over time these small changes produce faster editing, fewer formatting problems and cleaner, more accessible documents.