Last updated: December 2024
Excel proficiency is key in today’s job market, from analysts to managers. Employers often use an Excel assessment test to evaluate your skills. This page will get you started with practice questions of varying difficulty.
Are you preparing for an Excel Assessment Test? Our Prep course will help you assess your knowledge and sharpen your Excel skills with questions on various topics.
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Amit, Microsoft Excel Test Expert at JobTestPrep
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Today, data analysis is required in more positions than you could imagine. To make the best data-oriented decisions, employers expect you to be skilled at manipulating data and developing insights and action points.
Microsoft Excel allows you to perform various operations, from basic functions such as wrapping text to more advanced skills like analyzing data on humongous Excel spreadsheets of dozens of variables and thousands of lines using pivot tables and dynamic dashboards.
This is why many employers require an Excel Assessment Test to evaluate your proficiency as part of the hiring process. These tests usually include getting a massive spreadsheet and asking you to run some basic, mid, and high-level data manipulations.
Below are basic and intermediate-level sample Excel test questions and answers to give you a sense of what you will face on your test.
To get started, copy the table below and paste it into a new Excel spreadsheet. Make sure the table is aligned correctly and that the top left cell is pasted in cell A1 on the spreadsheet.
Maker | Type | Class | Full Model Name | Year | Annual Sales (Mil $) |
Missam | SLX | Business | Missam SLX | 2014 | 55 |
Dubaru | Double | Van | 2015 | 60 | |
Tia | Jet | Van | 2013 | 76 | |
ZMV | Cruise | Compact | 2016 | 75 | |
Fonda | Life | Compact | 2015 | 60 |
How do you add a new worksheet to your Excel document?
To add a new worksheet, click the plus (+) sign next to the existing worksheet tabs at the bottom of the Excel window. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Shift + F11.
How would you calculate the total Annual Sales for all car makers in the table?
How would you sort the table by Annual Sales in descending order
Which of the following actions will select an entire column?
Correct!
Correct!
Wrong
Wrong
Answers A and B are correct.
Clicking the column letter selects the entire column
CTRL + Space also selects the entire column
Shift + Space selects an entire row
Alt + A is not a standard Excel column selection shortcut
The main difference between the COUNT and COUNTA functions in Excel is:
Correct!
Wrong
Wrong
Wrong
The correct answer is A. This question highlights a common misconception about the COUNTA function.
COUNT function: Counts only cells containing numeric values, including dates and times.
COUNTA function: Counts all non-empty cells, regardless of their content type. This includes numbers, text, logical values (TRUE/FALSE), error values, and even empty text strings.
Option D is incorrect because it misrepresents the COUNTA function. COUNTA does not limit itself to counting only character strings; it counts any non-empty cell, including those with numbers.
What are the three main ways to create a table from raw data in Excel?
Correct!
Correct!
Correct!
Wrong
Answers A,B and D are correct. Here's how:
A. Inser Tab
B. Home Tab
D. CTRL+T shortcut
The button of option C does not exist.
You are creating a C column in your sales report to calculate total sales by multiplying the sales quantity in column A by a fixed price per unit in B2.
You want to copy this formula down the rows so that it calculates the total sales for each row, with the price per unit remaining fixed in B2 and the quantity adjusting for each row.
Which of the following formulas will allow you to do this correctly?
Wrong
Wrong
Wrong
Correct!
The correct answer is D.
A2 is a relative reference that will change as you copy the formula down to rows 3, 4 onward.
B$2$ is an absolute reference, which will stay fixed on B2 when you copy the formula to other cells. This is because the dollar signs lock both column (B) and row (2).
Dollar signs can lock either the column, the row, or both, providing flexibility in how your formulas behave when copied across different cells. This allows you to control which dimensions (column or row) remain fixed while others adjust.
How would you highlight all cells with yearly sales above 70 mil $?
Such action would require Conditional Formatting, and here's how it can be done:
Which function can help you combine the data from the "Type" and "Class" columns under "Full Model Name"?
Explain how it can be done.
The function is CONCATENATE.
To apply a function to the cells in the column, position your mouse at the bottom-right corner of the cell containing the function until a black cross appears. Then, click and drag the cross to select all the cells you want to apply the function to, and release the mouse. The cells will be updated based on the data in the corresponding columns.
This is called Fill Handle.
How would you organize the information to display a table showing annual sales for each year?
This calls for a PivotTable. Here's how to use it:
What does the VLOOKUP function do in Excel?
Correct!
Wrong
Wrong
Wrong
The correct answer is A.
VLOOKUP searches for a value in the leftmost column of a table and returns a value in the same row from a column you specify. It's commonly used to find corresponding values in large datasets.
Which of the following formulas will correctly calculate the number of days between two dates in Excel?
Wrong
Correct!
Correct!
Wrong
The correct answers are B and C.
Option B (=B1-A1) directly subtracts two dates, giving the number of days between them.
Option C (=DAYS(B1,A1)) is a function specifically designed to calculate the number of days between two dates.
DATEDIF is used for more complex date calculations, and NETWORKDAYS only counts workdays.
You have a spreadsheet with employee data.
You need to create a formula that looks up an employee's department based on their ID. Which function would be more suitable, and why?
Wrong
Correct!
Wrong
Wrong
Answer B is correct.
XLOOKUP can search for values in any column and return results from any other column, regardless of position. VLOOKUP, however, is limited to searching in the leftmost column and returning values from columns to the right.
XLOOKUP is more flexible, so if columns are rearranged, it will still work correctly, while VLOOKUP might break or return incorrect results. XLOOKUP can also perform vertical and horizontal lookups, making it more versatile for various data layouts.
As part of your duty as an analyst, you need to calculate commissions based on the sales columns B in a spreadsheet. The commission structure is as follows:
Which of the following IF formulas correctly calculates the commission for each sale based on the sales amount in column B?
Wrong
Correct!
Wrong
Wrong
The correct answer is B:
=IF(B2>=5000, B2*0.1, IF(B2>=3000, B2*0.05, 0))
This formula works as follows:
First, it checks if the sales amount in B2 is greater than or equal to $5000. If true, it calculates 10% of the sales amount.
If the sales amount is not greater than or equal to $5000, it then checks if it is greater than or equal to $3000. If true, it calculates 5% of the sales amount.
If neither condition is met (i.e., the sales amount is less than $3000), the commission is set to 0.
Option A: This formula is incorrect because it incorrectly sets the commission rate of 5% for sales amounts less than $3000. According to the question, the commission for sales under $3000 should be 0%. The formula mixes the conditions and doesn't apply the correct logic for sales amounts between $3000 and $4999.
Option C: This formula has a logical error. The second IF statement checks if the sales amount is less than $5000, but this condition is already covered by the first IF (which checks for greater than or equal to $5000). The second condition should check if the sales amount is between $3000 and $4999, but instead, it incorrectly handles all amounts less than $5000, including those under $3000, which results in an incorrect calculation.
Option D: This formula is incorrect because it does not account for sales amounts less than $3000. It calculates 5% commission for all sales amounts under $5000, without checking whether the sales are under $3000, which should have a 0% commission. The formula needs a third condition to handle the case where the sales amount is below $3000.
Accurately analyzing complex data in MS Excel requires knowing the right functions and understanding when and how to use them for maximum impact. Without this balance, even the best tools can fall short, leading to inefficient workflows and missed opportunities.
Our Excel Practice Tests, powered by ProdigyLearning, will give you just that. A clear path toward Excel proficiency. Practice 180 questions of different topics and full tests, and gain confidence in your Excel skills.
Below you will find several tips for acing your Excel test.
Our full MS Excel PrepPacks™ include all the practice you need to pass your assessment. With two practice modes (testing and learning), full-length tests with dozens of practice questions, detailed answer explanations and score reports, you’re bound to pass with flying colours.
Our Excel Assessment Test Prep is powered by Prodigy Learning / Gmetrix, a Microsoft Global Training Partner that supports academic institutes with Microsoft Certifications. You can't get better than this.
Our preparation includes three levels of Excel tests: basic, intermediate, and advanced. The tests are designed to give you an idea of what to expect during your actual assessment. It also includes two modes (testing and learning) full of sample Excel test questions and answers to stimulate your learning process and bring you to the desired skill level.
Some employers use interviews to assess your Excel skills by asking you to explain how you would handle various Excel or data scenarios, or when and how to use different functions.
It's important to note that this is similar to a hands-on Excel assessment, but it can be even more challenging for some. The interview format requires you to recall information without the context provided in a test, making it crucial to practice your Excel knowledge and ability to articulate your process clearly.
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