It will not only help you to be quicker, but it will also give you an insight into what questions take you the longest to answer, pinpointing what you need to practice more. The Excel Test will likely be timed, so use a timer during your practice tests as well. Practice does make perfect and you never know what questions may come up during your actual test - being ready for anything may just be the key to ace the test. There are plenty of Excel practice tests online, so make sure you’re taking as many as possible. Before taking the test, make sure you’ve covered all of the basics: There is no certain way to prepare for an Excel test, but there are definitely ways to prepare effectively. Some tests will be timed, some will have multiple choices some tests will have straightforward questions and some will try to trick you. Perhaps the five most important functions you need to know are SUM (which returns the sum of the values supplied), TEXT (which returns a value converted to text in a specific format), VLOOKUP (to get data from a table organised vertically), AVERAGE (which returns the average of a range of cells) and CONCATENATE (to join together up to 30 pieces of text or values). You can use them to highlight duplicate values or store a backup for a workbook, running the same action as many times as you want. Macros allow you to record and save a sequence of actions, which can save you much time when you need to carry out repetitive tasks or actions in Excel. They make it quicker and easier to sort, summarise or repurpose data, especially when tracking and comparing sums and creating reports. Filled maps, dynamic visuals and form controls are all Excel features you should be well acquainted with if your job involves data presentation.Ī tool used to organise data from more extensive tables. If you’re working on a project and want to share your findings, graphs and charts will be useful. If you’re aiming to develop Excel skills before looking at jobs, here is a list of key Excel skills that are frequently in high demand: Does the job require budgeting? Data formatting? Presentations? Research into the company and the specifics of the position to gain useful insight. So how should you prepare for the job you want? Each job will have its own requirements, prioritising some Excel skills over others. It’s important you prepare for the Excel Test knowing what is expected of you. Employers will ask you to take an Excel Test to make sure you’re up for the task (perhaps in conjunction with a Microsoft Word test). You may think you’ll be able to learn on the job, but with budgeting and calculating expenses, there is no room for mistakes. Imagine applying to be a financial analyst or project manager. And although the phrase ‘fake it until you make it’ may be useful sometimes, there are situations where employers will use aptitude tests to assess a prospective employee’s suitability.
It’s not unusual for candidates to exaggerate their skill levels when applying for a job. An advanced-level test, which requires intricate knowledge of pivot tables, conditional formatting and charts.An intermediate-level test, which will introduce questions about functions and specific formatting.