Excel test for a job interview
Some employers ask candidates to complete a short Excel task during or before an interview. It is usually a single workbook with a few jobs to do in a set time. The task tests whether you can work with real data quickly and accurately, not whether you know every function.
This guide covers what to expect and how to practise for it. For the wider list of skills, see the guide on preparing for an Excel skills test.
1. Expect a small, practical workbook
A typical task is a table of sales, orders or staff, with a few questions to answer in new cells: a total for one group, a lookup from a second sheet, a count above a threshold. Read every instruction before you type anything, because a detail in the last line often changes the formula.
2. Practise under a time limit
Set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and do a practice workbook from start to finish. Do not stop to look things up. Afterwards, note which steps took longest. Those are the ones to practise next, using the lessons on SUMIFS, VLOOKUP and IF.
3. Know the keys you will use
Speed comes from keys, not from the mouse. Learn how to fill a formula down, jump to the edge of a table, select a whole column and enter a formula into several cells at once. The navigation and formatting shortcut lessons cover these.
4. Be ready to explain your work
Interviewers often ask how you got an answer. Practise saying, in one sentence, which function you used and why, and how you checked the result. A clear explanation counts for as much as a correct number.
5. On the day
Save your work as you go, and never type over the source data if the task asks for new cells. If you are stuck, skip the task, finish the rest, and return to it. If you are unsure what is allowed (for example, using the help menu), ask before you start.
Common mistakes
Overwriting the source data. Later answers may then be calculated from changed numbers, so the results are wrong.
Fix: Write answers in new cells, and label them.
Spending the whole time on the first question. The later questions are usually easier and still count.
Fix: Give each question a time budget and move on when it runs out.
Forgetting to save. An unsaved file can lose the whole test.
Fix: Press save after each answer, and check the file name before you close it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know VBA or macros?
Most job tests focus on formulas, tables and shortcuts. Macros are rarely required, but read the job description and ask the employer if it is unclear.
How long do I have to practise?
A few sessions over one or two weeks are enough for most people, if you practise under a time limit each time.
Related functions
- SUMIFSSUMIFS adds up values that meet several conditions at once, such as paid orders from one region.
- COUNTIFSCOUNTIFS counts the rows that meet several conditions at once, such as a region and an amount range.
- VLOOKUPVLOOKUP finds a value in the first column of a table and returns a value from the same row in another column.
- XLOOKUPXLOOKUP searches one column or row and returns the matching value from another, in any direction, with a built-in 'not found' message.
- IFIF checks a condition and returns one value if it's true and another if it's false.
- IFERRORIFERROR returns a value you choose when a formula produces an error such as #N/A or #DIV/0!, and the normal result otherwise.