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

Most tests fall into one of two styles. Multiple-choice tests ask what a formula returns or where a command lives. Hands-on tests give you a real or simulated worksheet and ask you to do the work, such as adding a total or building a chart.

Hands-on tests are harder to bluff, because you can't reason your way to the answer. You need to know where things are and move quickly. Many are timed, so hesitation costs you points even when you know the answer.

Ask the recruiter what you can: how long the test takes, which skill level it targets, and whether it's hands-on. They may not be able to share details, but it's a normal question.

• Entering and editing data, and moving around a sheet
• Formatting cells, numbers, dates and currency
• Writing simple formulas with SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX and COUNT
• Copying a formula down a column with the fill handle
• Sorting and filtering a list
• Inserting and deleting rows and columns

• Absolute references, such as $B$2, so a formula copies correctly
• Logical formulas with IF, COUNTIF and SUMIF
• Lookups with VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP
• Text and date functions
• Conditional formatting
• Charts
• PivotTables

Reading about formulas helps less than you'd expect. The test measures whether your hands know what to do, so practice by doing real tasks and checking the result.

• Start with whatever the job description mentions, since that's the best clue you'll get
• Practice each skill until you can do it without looking anything up
• Learn the common shortcuts, which save time on every question
• Finish with a timed practice test so the clock doesn't surprise you

If you get stuck on a question on the day, move on if the test allows it. A question you can't solve shouldn't take time from three you can.