What's on an Access skills test, and how to prepare

Everything in a database starts with tables. Each field has a data type, and a primary key gives every record a unique identity.

• Adding, editing and deleting records
• Sorting and filtering
• Choosing data types such as Short Text, Number, Currency and Date/Time
• Setting a primary key
• Field rules: default values, required fields and validation rules

Queries are the heart of most Access tests. They answer questions like which orders were over $1,000 in March. Learn to write criteria in the query design grid.

Beyond criteria, practice calculated fields, Totals queries that sum or count by group, and queries that combine two tables.

• Linking tables with a one-to-many relationship
• Enforcing referential integrity, which stops orders pointing at customers who don't exist
• Creating a form for entering records
• Creating a report, including one grouped by a field

• Practice with a small example, such as customers and orders, until the structure makes sense
• Write queries by hand in the design grid rather than copying them
• Check every query by running it and reading the results
• Save objects with the exact name the instructions give

Access is strict about details, and so are its tests. A missing quote or wrong table name can make a query fail, so check them first when something goes wrong.