Microsoft Excel Questions And Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the keyboard shortcut to insert the current date in an Excel cell?
- Ctrl + Shift + D
- Ctrl + ; (semicolon) (Correct answer)
- Ctrl + D
- Alt + T
Correct answer: Ctrl + ; (semicolon)
Ctrl + ; inserts the current date as a static value into the active cell. It does not update automatically like the TODAY() function would.
Question 2: Which function in Excel returns the number of cells in a range that contain numeric values?
- COUNTA
- COUNTIF
- COUNT (Correct answer)
- SUM
Correct answer: COUNT
COUNT counts only cells that contain numbers. COUNTA counts all non-empty cells regardless of data type, while COUNTIF counts cells meeting a specific condition.
Question 3: What does the $ symbol do when placed before a column letter or row number in a cell reference, such as $A$1?
- It formats the cell as currency
- It makes the reference absolute so it does not change when copied (Correct answer)
- It protects the cell from editing
- It links the cell to an external workbook
Correct answer: It makes the reference absolute so it does not change when copied
The $ sign makes a cell reference absolute, meaning the row, column, or both remain fixed when the formula is copied to other cells. Without it, references are relative and shift automatically.
Question 4: Which Excel feature automatically completes a data entry based on values already in the same column?
- Flash Fill
- AutoFill
- AutoComplete (Correct answer)
- Data Validation
Correct answer: AutoComplete
AutoComplete suggests the rest of a text entry based on existing entries in the column. Flash Fill recognizes patterns to fill a series, while AutoFill extends a series by dragging the fill handle.
Question 5: What is the purpose of the VLOOKUP function in Excel?
- To sort a column of values vertically
- To search for a value in the leftmost column of a table and return a value in the same row from a specified column (Correct answer)
- To count the number of rows in a dataset
- To merge two columns of data into one
Correct answer: To search for a value in the leftmost column of a table and return a value in the same row from a specified column
VLOOKUP (Vertical Lookup) searches the first column of a range for a match and returns a value from a specified column in the same row. The 'V' stands for vertical, meaning it searches down a column.
Question 6: How do you quickly apply the same formula to an entire column in Excel without typing it in each cell?
- Double-click the fill handle of the cell containing the formula (Correct answer)
- Press Ctrl + C then Ctrl + V across all cells
- Right-click and select 'Broadcast Formula'
- Use the Merge Cells option under Format
Correct answer: Double-click the fill handle of the cell containing the formula
Double-clicking the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right corner of a selected cell) automatically fills the formula down the column as far as there is adjacent data. This is faster than copying and pasting manually.
