Basic Excel test

What the test looks like

"Basic" is the level employers usually ask for in admin, customer service, retail and other entry-level office jobs. The test is often short and timed:

• Multiple-choice questions about what a button does, what a formula returns, or how to select or sort something.
• Small tasks in a spreadsheet, real or simulated: total a column, fill a formula down, make the header bold, sort by date.
• Sometimes a short file to tidy and total, sent back by a deadline.

Basic tests also ask about entering data, formatting and printing. This site covers formulas, sorting and filtering; for the other menus, open Excel and try each step once.

How to prepare

• Use a formula for every number you work out. A total typed in from a calculator can be marked wrong, even when it is right.
• Fill down instead of retyping. Write the formula in the first row and copy it. Practise fill-down.
• Learn when to use $. A rate or a total that every row needs gets a $, or it slides when you fill down. Practise absolute references.
• Check the edge case in IF. "50 or more" is >=50. Test what happens at exactly 50.
• Know the difference between COUNT and COUNTA. One counts numbers, the other anything that isn't empty.
• Practise against the clock. The tasks are easy on their own; the test is doing them quickly and without slips.

Other Excel tests

Excel test for data analysts, Excel test for finance jobs, Excel test for accounting jobs, Excel test for administrative assistants, Advanced Excel test, Excel quiz. Or start from what Excel interview tests check, with the formats and the test providers.

FAQ

What is on a basic Excel test?

Usually SUM, AVERAGE, MIN and MAX, counting, filling a formula down, simple percentages, a basic IF, formatting, sorting and filtering. Some add a simple VLOOKUP. The exact mix depends on the employer.

How do I pass a basic Excel test?

Practise each basic move until you can do it without thinking, always use formulas rather than typed-in numbers, and do a few timed tasks in a row before the real test.

What is the difference between a basic and an advanced Excel test?

A basic test checks single formulas and everyday tasks. An advanced test adds lookups such as INDEX and MATCH, logic with several conditions, summaries built in steps and often pivot tables. See the advanced Excel test page.

Is a basic Excel test multiple choice?

Often partly. Many mix multiple-choice questions with small tasks in a real or simulated spreadsheet. The invitation usually says.

Is this the test employers use?

No. Hands-On Excel is not connected to any employer or testing company. The tasks here practise the skills these tests are built on.

Is the basic practice test free?

Yes. The timed test, the two tasks on this page and every linked challenge are free and need no sign-up. Pro adds the task-by-task report after the test.