Technology & IT Skills

Excel Quiz: Test Your Spreadsheet Skills

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This Excel quiz helps you check your skills with formulas, functions, charts, and data tools, then shows you instant results with tips on what to review next. Keep building with excel quiz questions, try an office skills assessment, or switch gears with a Microsoft Word quiz to round out your toolkit.

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1Which symbol makes a cell reference absolute in Excel formulas?
2The SUM fun<wbr>ction can add numbers across non-adjacent ranges separated by commas.
3Which fun<wbr>ction returns the average of numbers, ignoring text?
4In Excel, Ctrl+Z performs which action by default?
5A PivotTable can summarize data without changing the original dataset.
6Which fun<wbr>ction directly returns the single largest value in a range without specifying an n argument?
7Which fun<wbr>ction is best to look up a value by column with an exact match, returning from a column to the right by name?
8Structured references appear when you convert a range to an Excel Table (Ctrl+T).
9Which formula counts cells with multiple criteria across different columns?
10What is the purpose of the $ in the reference $A$1 within a formula?
11The fun<wbr>ction TEXT(value, format_text) changes how a value is displayed without changing the underlying value.
12Which fun<wbr>ction filters a range based on a boolean include array?
13Dynamic array formulas spill results into adjacent cells if space is available.
14Which combination replicates VLOOKUP but works left-lookup as well?
15What does LET do in Excel formulas?
16INDIRECT is a volatile fun<wbr>ction that recalculates whenever the worksheet recalculates.
17Solver can optimize a target cell subject to constraints on other cells.
18A data model PivotTable can use DAX measures created in Power Pivot.
19TEXTAFTER can return text following the nth occurrence of a delimiter.
20TAKE and DROP can extract top or bottom rows from a spill or range without sorting.
Learning Goals

Study Outcomes

  1. Understand essential Excel formulas and functions -

    Master how to use and differentiate between common formulas and functions, reinforcing your knowledge through targeted Excel quiz questions.

  2. Apply practical data analysis techniques -

    Learn to sort, filter, and summarize data sets effectively, practicing key skills found in our MS Excel assessment quiz for real-world scenarios.

  3. Evaluate spreadsheet troubleshooting skills -

    Identify and fix common errors like #DIV/0! and #REF! by testing your problem-solving abilities with interactive Excel trivia questions.

  4. Develop efficient worksheet workflows -

    Discover shortcuts and best practices to streamline tasks, enhancing productivity and time management in your daily Excel use.

  5. Assess overall Excel proficiency -

    Benchmark your skills against a variety of difficulty levels in this free Excel quiz online, pinpointing areas for further improvement.

Study Guide

Cheat Sheet

  1. Master Cell References -

    Understanding how relative (e.g., A1) versus absolute (e.g., $A$1) references work is crucial for replicating formulas across cells; remember "$ locks" both column and row. Named ranges (Formulas > Define Name) add clarity, so you can use SalesTotal instead of $B$2:$B$20. This tip is backed by Microsoft's official Excel documentation.

  2. Use Basic Aggregation Functions -

    Functions like SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, and MAX let you quickly calculate totals and trends; try =SUM(B2:B10) to total sales. Pair SUM with SUMIF (e.g., =SUMIF(A2:A10,"East",B2:B10)) for conditional aggregation to target specific criteria. Many academic courses cite these as foundational in spreadsheets.

  3. Leverage Logical and Conditional Formulas -

    Logical functions such as IF, AND, OR help make decisions directly in cells; for example =IF(A1>100,"High","Low") returns text based on criteria. Use nested IFs or combine with functions like SUMIF/SUMIFS to aggregate conditional results efficiently. Best practices from data analysis research emphasize clean logical tests for transparent models.

  4. Implement Efficient Lookup Functions -

    XLOOKUP (e.g., =XLOOKUP("ProdA",A2:A100,B2:B100,"Not found")) replaces older VLOOKUP/HLOOKUP by effortlessly searching left or right. Practice with INDEX/MATCH combos too - INDEX returns a value by position and MATCH finds its location, ensuring flexible lookups. Microsoft's official resources and various data science journals note XLOOKUP as the modern standard.

  5. Create and Customize PivotTables -

    PivotTables enable you to summarize and analyze large datasets without writing complex formulas; go to Insert > PivotTable and drag fields to rows, columns, and values areas. Adjust filters and value field settings (e.g., Show Values As % of Total) for dynamic reporting, and use slicers or timeline controls for interactive filtering. Universities often teach PivotTables as the cornerstone of business intelligence in Excel.

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Reviewed by
Michael HodgeEdTech Product Lead & Assessment Design SpecialistQuiz Maker
Updated Feb 24, 2026