Technology & IT Skills

Intermediate Excel Test: VLOOKUP and Pivot Tables

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This intermediate Excel test helps you practice VLOOKUP and Pivot Tables, plus filters, charts, and more. Work through real tasks and get instant feedback to spot gaps and build speed. For extra practice, try the pivot table practice questions, take our intermediate excel skills test, or review basics with a free excel practice test.

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1What Excel fun<wbr>ction is used to sum a range of cells?
2What does the cell reference $A$1 represent?
3Which keyboard shortcut inserts a new Excel table?
4Which chart type is best suited for illustrating the parts of a whole in Excel?
5You want to sum values in column B only where column A equals "East". Which fun<wbr>ction correctly achieves this?
6In VLOOKUP, what does setting the range_lookup argument to FALSE enforce?
7Which Excel fun<wbr>ction conducts a case-insensitive search for a substring within text?
8In a PivotTable Field List, to display a field's unique items as row labels, you would drag the field into which area?
9What is a key advantage of the XLOOKUP fun<wbr>ction compared to VLOOKUP?
10What result does the formula =SUMPRODUCT((A1:A10>5)*(B1:B10<10)) return?
11Which fun<wbr>ction would you use to extract the third largest value from a range in Excel?
12Which fun<wbr>ction introduced in recent Excel versions allows you to assign names to calculation results within a single formula to improve readability?
Learning Goals

Study Outcomes

  1. Apply Advanced Excel Formulas -

    Use functions like VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, and nested IF statements to manipulate and analyze data effectively.

  2. Create and Customize PivotTables -

    Build and format PivotTables to summarize large datasets and gain insights with dynamic data views.

  3. Use Data Analysis Tools -

    Leverage features such as Goal Seek, Data Tables, and Solver to perform what-if analyses and optimize solutions.

  4. Interpret and Troubleshoot Complex Formulas -

    Identify errors in formulas, use auditing tools, and refine calculations for accurate results.

  5. Analyze Data with Conditional Formatting -

    Apply rules and custom formats to highlight trends, outliers, and key metrics in your spreadsheets.

  6. Evaluate and Optimize Spreadsheet Performance -

    Assess workbook efficiency, remove redundancies, and implement best practices for faster calculations.

Study Guide

Cheat Sheet

  1. SUMIFS and COUNTIFS for Conditional Aggregation -

    SUMIFS and COUNTIFS let you perform multi-criteria sums and counts in your excel test intermediate scenarios with precision. For example, =SUMIFS(C2:C100, A2:A100, "East", B2:B100, ">1000") sums sales over 1000 in the East region. According to Microsoft support, these functions are essential for advanced data filtering.

  2. INDEX-MATCH for Dynamic Lookups -

    INDEX-MATCH is a powerful alternative to VLOOKUP, offering left-side lookups and better performance on large tables. Use =INDEX(B2:B100, MATCH("Widget", A2:A100, 0)) and remember the mnemonic "Match first, then Index." Leading university Excel courses (e.g., Harvard's data science toolkit) recommend this duo for reliability.

  3. Pivot Tables for Rapid Data Summaries -

    Pivot Tables transform raw data into meaningful reports in seconds - just drag fields to Rows, Columns, Values, and Filters. They power your excel test intermediate by enabling dynamic grouping, subtotals, and drill-downs. The official Microsoft Excel guide highlights Pivot Tables as a cornerstone of data analysis.

  4. Data Validation for Input Control -

    Use Data Validation to restrict cell entries and reduce errors, such as creating a drop-down list with =INDIRECT("ListRange"). This tool is crucial for maintaining data integrity in intermediate to advanced spreadsheets. Top institutions like Stanford emphasize its role in professional reporting.

  5. Conditional Formatting with Custom Formulas -

    Conditional Formatting lets you highlight trends or outliers using formulas, e.g., =B2>AVERAGE($B$2:$B$100) to flag above-average values automatically. It adds visual cues to your excel test intermediate exercises and speeds up pattern recognition. Industry best practices from Gartner cite its impact on decision-making speed.

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Updated Feb 18, 2026