As an increasingly popular skill for office jobs, many employers now require candidates to pass a Microsoft Excel skills assessment as part of the interview process. With Excel being such a versatile and complex program, a common question asked by job seekers is – is the Microsoft Excel assessment actually difficult?
The short answer
The short answer is – it depends. The difficulty of a Microsoft Excel assessment can vary greatly based on the level of the position you are applying for and the specific skills the employer is looking to test.
Entry-level roles
For entry-level office jobs or internships that only require basic Excel skills, the assessment is typically straightforward. Employers usually want to confirm you understand Excel fundamentals like:
- Navigating the interface
- Entering data
- Basic formulas and functions like SUM, AVERAGE, VLOOKUP
- Basic formatting
- Creating basic charts
As long as you have a solid grasp of Excel basics, this level of assessment should not prove overly difficult.
Intermediate roles
For mid-level office jobs that use Excel regularly, the assessment will likely cover a wider range of more advanced skills. Areas typically covered include:
- Complex formulas and functions like IF statements, INDEX/MATCH, data validation
- PivotTables and PivotCharts
- Data analysis features like Goal Seek and Scenario Manager
- Advanced conditional formatting
- Macros and VBA
There may also be tasks related to financial modeling, data visualization, what-if analysis, and other common Excel business applications. The assessment aims to determine if you can apply Excel tools to real-world business contexts. If you have at least intermediate Excel skills and experience, you should be able to succeed but may encounter some challenging questions.
Advanced roles
For specialized analyst, finance, or other data-intensive roles requiring advanced Excel expertise, the skills assessment will be extremely comprehensive. You can expect complex questions on:
- Advanced formulas, array formulas, troubleshooting errors
- Power Pivot, Power Query, Power BI integration
- VBA and macros for automation
- Connecting to external data sources
- Statistical analysis tools
- Advanced PivotTables and PivotCharts
The assessment aims to test your ability to leverage the full power and flexibility of Excel to accomplish robust data analysis and modeling. Only candidates with expert-level Excel skills are likely to perform well. Expect an intense and grueling test.
Question types
In addition to testing your knowledge of Excel features, employers use different question types to evaluate your skills:
Multiple choice
Multiple choice questions provide a scenario or problem and ask you to identify the correct formula, function, or feature to use from a list of options.
True/false
True or false questions assess your understanding of Excel functionality, principles, and best practices.
Fill in the blank
Fill in the blank questions prompt you to enter the correct formula, function or syntax required to accomplish a task in Excel.
Simulations
Simulation questions provide a spreadsheet file and business scenario, then ask you to accomplish tasks or answer questions by interacting with the live workbook.
Simulations most closely represent real-world Excel use and are the best assessment of true ability. However, they are more time consuming to complete.
Core skills assessed
While specific Excel assessment questions vary widely based on job level, certain core skills are universally evaluated:
Formulas and functions
Knowing which formulas and functions to use to accomplish calculations, summarize data, perform lookups, and complete other tasks is essential Excel proficiency.
Data analysis
Using Excel tools like filtering, sorting, PivotTables, Goal Seek, and others to gain insights from data is a critical skillset.
Data visualization
Creating clear, effective charts and visualizations to represent data in Excel is key for impactful reporting and presentations.
Workflow automation
Using features like macros and Power Query to automate repetitive tasks improves efficiency. Expect assessment questions on automation tools.
How to prepare
Succeeding on an Excel skills assessment requires thorough preparation. Here are useful tips:
- Carefully review the job description – understand exactly which Excel skills are required for the role.
- Take practice tests to identify knowledge gaps.
- Brush up on Excel using online courses and resources to strengthen weak areas.
- Practice completing tasks in Excel simulations to improve speed and fluency.
- Apply Excel skills to analyze relevant sample data sets.
- Review shortcuts, common formulas/functions lists, and other job aids to reinforce knowledge.
With deliberate, skills-based preparation, an Excel assessment does not need to be a daunting hurdle to clear in your job search. By developing and honing the key Excel abilities employers prioritize, you can confidently excel at the test.
Example assessment questions
To provide a sense of what Microsoft Excel skills assessment questions entail across entry, intermediate, and advanced levels, here are representative examples:
Entry-level
Multiple choice: You need to add up the totals for ten rows of numeric data. What is the most efficient formula to use?
A) Use the SUM() formula
B) Manually add each row
C) Use the AVERAGE() formula
D) Copy and paste the rows into a single column
True/False: Formulas and functions in Excel are not case sensitive.
Fill in the blank: To find the lowest number in a range, use the _____ function.
Intermediate
Multiple choice: You need to look up an order total based on matching a customer ID and order ID in two separate worksheet tables. What Excel function should you use?
A) VLOOKUP()
B) LOOKUP()
C) INDEX/MATCH()
D) FILTER()
True/False: The PivotTable Value Field Settings allow you calculate distinct count, % of total, running totals, and other custom aggregations.
Fill in the blank: The _____ function returns the largest value within a provided range.
Advanced
Multiple choice: You need to consolidate sales data from different regional worksheets into a master workbook. What feature allows linking to data in other workbooks?
A) Data Validation
B) Power Query
C) Consolidate
D) External References
True/False: Dynamic named ranges can automatically expand formulas to accommodate new data added to tables.
Fill in the blank: The ____ function calculates an exponential regression trendline coefficient.
Practice assessments
To demonstrate core Excel proficiency crucial for assessments, here are some practice questions to test your skills:
Difficulty Level | Question |
Beginner | Fill in the blank: The _______ function sums values in a range. |
Intermediate | True/False: You can use conditional formatting to highlight cells that are above or below a threshold value. |
Advanced | Multiple Choice: You need to run a macro on your Excel workbook whenever it is opened. Which would achieve this? A) Module Code B) Workbook Event C) Quick Access Toolbar D) Keyboard Shortcut |
Testing your Excel knowledge and practicing sample assessment questions are the best ways to prepare and build confidence for the actual test.
Conclusion
In summary, the difficulty of Microsoft Excel skills assessments varies greatly based on the job level and specific abilities employers target. For basic roles requiring straightforward Excel use, the assessment is reasonably simple. For advanced roles necessitating extensive Excel modeling and analysis expertise, expect a rigorous and thorough examination of your knowledge. With practice and dedicated preparation based on understanding the Excel skills needed for your target job, you can perform successfully on the Excel assessment.