The keyboard shortcuts to learn before an office skills test
On a timed test, shortcuts save seconds on every question, and those seconds add up. You don't need many. Learn the ones below until your fingers know them, and you'll feel the difference. These are the Windows keys. On a Mac, most use Cmd instead of Ctrl.
Shortcuts that work almost everywhere
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+C / Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V | Copy, cut, paste |
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | Undo, redo |
| Ctrl+S | Save |
| Ctrl+B / Ctrl+I / Ctrl+U | Bold, italic, underline |
| Ctrl+A | Select all |
| Ctrl+F | Find (in Outlook, this forwards a message) |
Excel
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| F2 | Edit the active cell |
| F4 | Switch between relative and absolute references while editing |
| Alt+= | AutoSum |
| Ctrl+; | Insert today's date |
| Ctrl+Shift+L | Turn filters on or off |
| Ctrl+1 | Open Format Cells |
| Alt+Enter | New line inside a cell |
Word
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+E / Ctrl+L / Ctrl+R | Center, left or right align |
| Ctrl+H | Find and replace |
| Ctrl+Enter | Page break |
| Ctrl+K | Insert a link |
| F7 | Spelling and grammar check |
PowerPoint
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+M | New slide |
| Ctrl+D | Duplicate the selection |
| Ctrl+G | Group objects |
| F5 | Start the slide show from the beginning |
| Shift+F5 | Start from the current slide |
Outlook
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | New item, such as a message from your inbox |
| Ctrl+R | Reply |
| Ctrl+Shift+R | Reply all |
| Ctrl+F | Forward |
| Ctrl+1 / Ctrl+2 | Go to Mail or Calendar |
How to make them stick
Reading a list won't do it. Pick five, use them all day, and add more once those feel automatic. Drills help because they ask for the action first, so you have to recall the keys rather than recognize them.
One caution: some online tests run in a browser, where a few shortcuts may not work or may trigger the browser instead. Know the Ribbon route as a backup.
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DeskReady is an independent practice tool, not affiliated with any software vendor or employer. Tests vary, so use this as a general guide.