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https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/excel-tutorial/excel-interview-questions

Intermediate Level Excel Interview Questions

26. What are the wildcards available in Excel?

Wildcards only work with text data. Excel has three wildcards.
1. * (Asterisk)
This refers to any number of characters.
The example stated below filters the customers whose name ends with “a”.
For that, we use “*a”.

2. ? (Question mark)
It represents one single character.
The example below shows how to filter a particular customer name.

3. ~ (Tilde)
It is used to identify a wildcard character (~, *, ?) in the text.
In the following example, we are filtering How?* using the tilde (~) symbol.
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27. What is Data Validation? Illustrate with an example.

Data Validation restricts the type of values that a user can enter into a particular cell or a range of
cells.
In the Data tab, select the ‘Data Validation’ option present under Data Tools.

Select the kind of data validation you want to apply.

In the following example, we have applied data validation to the ‘Name’ column to accept only text
values. If you enter something other than a text, it will throw an error.

28. Given below is a student table. Write a function to add pass/fail to the results column based on
the following criteria.
If student marks > 60 and attendance > 75%, then pass else the student fails.
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29. Calculate your age in years from the current date.

Use the YEARFRAC() or DATEDIF() function to return the number of whole days between start_date
and end_date

30. How are nested IF statements used in Excel?

The function IF() can be nested when we have multiple conditions to meet. The FALSE value in the
first IF function is replaced by another IF function to make a further test.
Below, using nested IF statements, we are categorizing results based on the marks.

31. From the below table, find the descriptive statistics of the columns using the Data Analysis
ToolPak in Excel.
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Click on the Data Analysis option in the Data tab. Choose Descriptive Statistics.

Below is the summary table for the columns and their respective statistical measures.

32. Using the Coronavirus dataset, create a pivot table to find the total cases in each country
belonging to their respective continents.
First, drag the continent and country columns into rows. After that, drag the cases column on to the
values section.
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33. How do you provide Dynamic Range in ‘Data Source’ of Pivot Tables?
Dynamic Range in the data source of pivot tables is used to make your pivot table dynamic to adjust
to new data when refreshed automatically.
Create a Named table to provide a dynamic range. Go to the Insert tab and select Table.

34. Is it possible to create a Pivot Table using multiple sources of data?

Yes, you can create a pivot table from multiple worksheets. For this, there must be a common row in
both the tables. This will act as the Primary key for the first table and Foreign key for the second
table. Create a relationship between the tables and then build the pivot table.

35. Create a pivot table to find the top three countries from each continent based on the total cases
using COVID data.
Create a pivot table using the coronavirus dataset by dragging sales into values.
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Place the continent and country columns into rows.

Filter the table by selecting ‘Top 3’.
Below is the sequence of steps to follow.

36. How do you create a column in a pivot table?

For this, you have to go to the PivotTable Analyze tab and select ‘Fields, Items & Sets’ option. Under
that, you need to click ‘Calculate Field’ to create a new column.

The Insert Calculated Field box appears. Give a name to the column and insert the formula by
selecting the existing columns from the pivot table. Click Add ----> OK to create the column.

37. How does a Slicer work in Excel?

To filter data in a Pivot table, we can use slicers.
To create a slicer, go to the Insert tab, and select Slicer present under Filter.
Then, select the list of fields for which you want to create slicers.
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In the below example, we have created two slicers (months, countries, and territory) to filter the
pivot table.

38. Use the coronavirus dataset to find the percentage contribution of each country and continent to
the total cases?
Create the pivot table to show the total cases by country and continent.
Right-click on the sum of cases column and under Show Value As, select “% of Grand Total.”

39. How do you create a pivot chart in Excel?

To create a pivot chart, first, we need to create a pivot table.
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40. What are macros in Excel? Create a macro to automate a task.

Macro is a program that resides within the Excel file. The use of it is to automate repetitive tasks that
you would like to perform in Excel.
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13. What's the difference between SUM, SUMIF, and SUMIFS?

In Excel, SUM, SUMIF, and SUMIFS are functions used to calculate the sum of a range of
cells, but they differ in their calculation approaches.

The SUM function simply adds up all the numbers in the specified range.
Example: =SUM(A1:A10) will add all the numbers from cells A1 to A10.

SUMIF adds up cells that meet a single specified criterion. Example: =SUMIF(A1:A10,
">5") will sum all numbers greater than 5 in the range A1 to A10.

SUMIFS is an extension of SUMIF and allows for multiple criteria.

Example: =SUMIFS(A1:A10, B1:B10, "X", C1:C10, ">5") will sum all numbers in the
range A1 to A10 where the corresponding cells in range B1 to B10 equal "X" and those in C1
to C10 are greater than 5.

14. What's the difference between COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK, and COUNTIF?

In Excel, COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK, and COUNTIF are functions used for
counting cells in a range, but each serves a different purpose.

The COUNT function counts the number of cells in a range that contain numbers. It ignores
empty cells, text, or other non-numeric values. Example: =COUNT(A1:A10) will count only
the cells in the range A1 to A10 that contain numbers.
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COUNTA counts the number of non-empty cells in a range, regardless of the cell's content
(numbers, text, or other types). Example: =COUNTA(A1:A10) will count all cells in the range
A1 to A10 that are not empty.

COUNTBLANK specifically counts the number of empty cells in a given range.

Example: =COUNTBLANK(A1:A10) will count the number of empty cells in the range A1 to
A10.

COUNTIF counts the number of cells in a range that meet a specified criterion.
Example: =COUNTIF(A1:A10, ">5") will count the number of cells in the range A1 to A10
that contain numbers greater than 5.

15. What's the difference between SUBSTITUTE and REPLACE?

In Excel, both SUBSTITUTE and REPLACE are text functions used to modify string
contents, but the string replacement methods are different.

The SUBSTITUTE function replaces specified occurrences of a text string with another text
string.

It is particularly useful when you need to replace specific text within a string and can be used
to replace all occurrences or just a specific instance. Example: =SUBSTITUTE("Hello
World", "World", "Excel") will change "Hello World" to "Hello Excel". You can also
specify which occurrence of "World" to replace if it appears multiple times.

The REPLACE function, on the other hand, substitutes part of a text string based on its
position and the number of characters associated with the string. Example: =REPLACE("Hello
World", 7, 5, "Excel") starts at the 7th character (W), replaces 5 characters ("World")
with "Excel", also resulting in "Hello Excel".

16. What is a VLOOKUP? When is it useful?

VLOOKUP, short for Vertical Lookup, is a function in Excel used for searching for a
specific value in one column and retrieving a corresponding value from another column in the
same row. It's particularly useful in scenarios where you need to find and extract data from
large tables or datasets.

The basic syntax is VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num,

[range_lookup]), where lookup_value is the value you're searching for, table_array is
the range containing the value, col_index_num is the column number in the range containing
the return value, and [range_lookup] is an optional argument where TRUE, or 1, finds an
approximate match (default) and FALSE, or 0, finds an exact match.

Example: We're interested in returning the employee name (see mapping table E1:F11, where
column E stores the employee ID and column F stores the employee name) based on the
employee ID found in column A. =VLOOKUP(A2,$E$2:$F$11,2,0) will return "Sue", in the
example below.
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17. How do you create a pivot table?

To create a Pivot Table in Excel, first select the data range you want to analyze. Next, go to
the "Insert" tab on the ribbon and click on "PivotTable." In the dialog box that appears,
choose where you want the Pivot Table to be placed (new worksheet or existing worksheet).
After clicking "OK," the PivotTable Field List pane will appear, where you can drag fields to
the different areas (Rows, Columns, Values, and Filters) to organize your data.

18. How do you create a named range?

To create a named range in Excel, first select the cell or range of cells you want to name.
Click on the "Formulas" tab in the ribbon. Then click on "Define Name" in the "Defined
Names" group. In the "New Name" dialog box, enter a name for your range in the "Name"
field, and specify the scope and cell reference if needed. Finally, click "OK" to create the
named range.

19. How do you protect a Workbook?

To protect an entire workbook in Excel, navigate to Tools > Protection > Protect
Workbook. Enter a password in the dialog box that appears, and then re-enter it when
prompted for confirmation. This will encrypt the workbook, requiring the password to open it
in the future.
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26. What is an Excel chart, and how many types of charts are there?
A chart in Excel is a feature that allows you to display data through
a range of visually intuitive graphs. These charts and graphs can
make it easier and quicker to comprehend data, in comparison to
just looking at the numbers on the worksheet. Available charts on
Excel include:

 Bar graphs
 Line graphs
 Pie charts
 Area graph
 Scatter graphs
 Surface graphs
 Doughnut graphs
 Radar charts

Each of these charts have their advantages and disadvantages,

based on the story you wish to tell your audience. Make sure you
have a reason for choosing a specific chart, and that it is not
emotion or random.

27. What is a Macro in Microsoft Excel?

A macro is a sequence of performable actions in Excel which have
been recorded, saved, and named for easy use in the future.

A macro can then be called on whenever necessary to complete the

sequence of actions without the user having to replicate each step
manually. This saves valuable time and effort when performing
repetitive tasks with larger sets of data. You might, for example,
need to manipulate a data set in the same way every week, but it
involves 15 steps to complete. By recording a macro, you can
manipulate the data in a consistent way extremely quickly, with just
a click of the button.

28. How do you standardize the formatting in the sheets of a workbook?

Formatting will automatically be copied to all selected sheets, so to
apply a single format to all the sheets in a workbook, simply hold
down Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) to select every sheet. Only formatting
edits will be copied over with this method, not data.
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29. What is a relative cell address?

A relative cell address (or relative cell reference) is a cell address
within a formula that does not include a $ symbol before the row
number or column letter. This means that when the formula is
copied one column over, the cell address will change accordingly.
The formula will calculate relative to its position, rather than
displaying the calculation from the original position. This is why
making formulas with absolute cell references is so important, as
you often do not want your equations to roll forward automatically.

30. What is a drop-down list?

A drop-down list allows the creator of a spreadsheet to control the
data inputted into certain cells. In other words, when the creator
only wants one of four predetermined options to be used, instead of
relying on potentially unreliable user inputs (misspellings, non-
standard categories), they can ensure it is adhered to by having the
users click an option from a drop-down list. Good inputs equal good
outputs, and reducing the opportunities for manual entry will allow
for better analysis down the line.

31. How do you use the Name Box function?

The Name Box is an input box above the Excel sheet, to the left of
the formula bar. Its default mode displays the address of the
currently selected cell, but it has other uses too. Firstly, the Name
Box can be used to quickly select a specific cell or range of cells:
typing in a cell reference like G8 will automatically navigate to the
cell G8, and typing in a range of cells like G8:G30 will select all
cells within that range. Secondly, the Name Box can be used to
create a named range, and then can be used as a drop-down menu
to navigate between your assorted named ranges.

32. What is the LOOKUP function in Microsoft Excel?

The LOOKUP function allows the user to find exact or partial
matches in the spreadsheet. The VLOOKUP option lets the user
search for data located in the vertical position. The HLOOKUP
option functions in the same way but in the horizontal plane.

33. Can you use multiple data formats in Pivot Tables?

Data can be imported from a variety of sources by selecting the
Data tab and clicking Get External Data > From Other Sources.
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Excel worksheet data, data feeds, text files and other such data
formats can be imported, but you will need to create relationships
between the imported tables and those in your worksheet before
using them to create a pivot table.

34. How do you create a hyperlink in Excel?

To create a link in Excel, select the element you wish to use as the
anchor (this can be a cell or an object like a picture). You can then
use a variety of pathways: select Link from the Insert tab, right-
click and select Link on the menu, or press Ctrl+K. This will bring up
a series of options that will allow you to indicate what kind of
content you would like to link to, such as a file, a web page, a
specific location or an email address.

35. How do you find the day of the week for a particular date in an Excel sheet?
You can do this by using the WEEKDAY function. First, enter the
formula in the required cell, WEEKDAY(A1,1). The second argument
(1) determines to what day excel will assign the value. Press Enter,
and the Formula will return 3, meaning that your date is the 3rd day
of the week.

36. What are the benefits of using the SHEET formula?

When working in a massive workbook with many sheet tabs, it can
be helpful to know that you are looking at the correct sheet and not
missing any hidden tabs. The SHEET formula returns the number of
the sheet you are in, such that the second sheet tab would return a
value of 2. This is beneficial as an organizational tool.

37. How do you build a Pivot Table?

 Click on the Data tab in the ribbon section.
 Then, click the Data Validation button in the Data Tools group
 Navigate to Configurations>Allow>List
 Select an array for the source list

38. What is the default value of the last parameter of the VLOOKUP function?
If the last parameter is not specified via TRUE or FALSE, the return
value will default to TRUE (approximate), and show an approximate
match for your request. This is usually not what you are looking to
accomplish, as the typical use case for VLOOKUP is to find an exact
match.
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39. How do you refresh a Pivot Table?

There are several methods to refresh a pivot table without making a
new one from scratch:

1. Click the pivot table, select Analyze, and then select Refresh from the pivot table tools menu.
2. Right-click the pivot table and select Refresh.
3. Use the keyboard shortcut Alt+F5.

You can also refresh all pivot tables within a workbook at once by
selecting the arrow underneath the Refresh button in the pivot table
tools menu, and select Refresh All.

40. What is the most common error message in Excel?

The most common error message in Excel is the #### error
message, which is displayed when a cell is not large enough to
display all the data that has been inputted into it. To solve this error
message, simply drag the cell to increase its width or depth.

Other common errors include #VALUE! , which results when a

portion of the data you are trying to analyze has a different format
than the rest, or #NAME! , when the formula was written incorrectly
and is not processing as it should.

41. How do you find duplicate values in a column in Excel?

To find but not delete duplicates in a column, select the target
range of data and navigate to the Style group on the Home tab.
Here, click the arrow next to Conditional Formatting. You will then
be able to choose Highlight Cell Rules, Duplicate Values, and enter
the values you wish to find duplicates of. This will highlight
duplicates of the values you entered, but will not manipulate the
data within.

42. What are Macro languages in Excel?

Macros for Excel are written in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications).
You can use VBA to manually type out actions for a macro yourself,
or you can “record” actions using the Macro Recorder in Excel, and
the software will convert these to VBA code for you. Once you
become stronger in VBA, you can review recorded macros and
perform the updates yourself to tweak your use cases.
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43. How do you extract unique values in Excel?

You can find unique values by selecting the desired range of data
and navigating to Data > Sort & Filter > Advanced. To permanently
delete duplicate values and create a list of unique values only, click
Data > Data Tools > Remove Duplicates.

44. How do you create Cross-Tabulation in Excel?

The product of the pivot table feature in Excel is often referred to in
other software as a contingency table or cross-tabulation. To create
a “crosstab” use the PivotTable option on the Insert tab.

45. What are Freeze Panes?

The Freeze Pane function in Excel serves to lock rows or columns of
a sheet so that they are always visible. This can be found on the
View Tab of the ribbon. This is often helpful when you want to keep
headers of columns in view, or perhaps the identifier of a row while
scrolling right.

Bonus Question: What is the difference between “Relative”, “Absolute”, and “Mixed” cell
references in Excel?
In Excel, when copying formulas from one cell to another, the way
cell references are treated can differ depending on their type:

 Relative reference (e.g., A1): When copying this type of reference from one cell to another, it adjusts
based on the relative position of the cell. For instance, if you copy a formula from cell B2 that
references A1 to cell B3, the reference will automatically change to A2.
 Absolute reference (e.g., A1): This reference type remains constant regardless of where you copy the
formula. It will always refer to the specified cell.
 Mixed reference (e.g., A1 or A1): In this type, one part (either row or column) remains constant
while the other part adjusts. If you copy the formula with A1 from cell B2 to B3, it will still reference
A1. However, if copied from B2 to C2, the reference will change to B1.

By understanding and using these references effectively, data

analysts can make their spreadsheets more dynamic and reduce
errors during data manipulation. It also helps if they need to quickly
scale formulas across dozens or hundreds of columns and rows.

Advanced Level Excel Interview Questions

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41. What is the What-If Analysis in Excel?

The What-If Analysis in Excel is a powerful tool to perform complex mathematical calculations,
experiment with data, and try out different scenarios.
Consider the following example:
If you get $10,000 worth of sales over the next few months, how much profit can you expect?”

Such scenarios can be solved using the What-If Analysis.

Go to the Data tab and click on What-If Analysis present under Forecast.
Scenario Manager is used for a comparison of different scenarios.
The Goal Seek performs reverse calculations.
The Data Table is used for sensitivity analysis.
To learn more about how What-If analysis works, click on this link: “IQ video link”

42. What is the difference between a function and a subroutine in VBA?

43. What is the difference between ThisWorkbook and ActiveWorkbook in VBA?

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44. How will you pass arguments to VBA Function?

Arguments can be passed to a VBA function as a reference or as a value.
Below is an example to illustrate both the usages.
Dim x As Integer
x = 10
MsgBox Triple(x)
MsgBox x

If you run the cells by passing the values as a reference, it will display 40 both the times. When we
pass arguments by reference, we are referencing the original value. The original value of x is
changed in the function.
When we pass the arguments by value, we are passing a copy to the function. The original value is
not changed. Hence, the second MsgBox will display the original value 10.

45. How do you find the last row and column in VBA?
To find the last row, use the below lines code in the VBA module:
Sub FindingLastRow()
Dim lastRow As Long
lastRow = ActiveSheet.Cells.SpecialCells(xlLastCell).Row
MsgBox (lastRow)
End Sub
To find the last column, use the below lines code in the VBA module:
Sub FindingLastColumn()
Dim lastRow As Long
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lastColumn = ActiveSheet.Cells.SpecialCells(xlLastCell).Column
MsgBox (lastColumn)
End Sub

46. How do we check whether a file exists or not in a specified location?

Sub CheckFileExists()

Dim strFileName As String

Dim strFileExists As String

strFileName = “File location\file_name.xlsx”

strFileExists = Dir(strFileName)

If strFileExists = “” Then
MsgBox “The selected file doesn't exist”
Else
MsgBox “The selected file exists”
End If

End Sub
47. Explain how to debug a VBA code?
To debug a VBA code line by line, you can use the F8 key. You can also create a breakpoint to
terminate the execution wherever you want.
The execution will start from the beginning of the code, and every time you press F8, it will execute
the next line and continue until the end of the code. The yellow arrow and the highlighted line tells
you the current point to execution.

48. Write a VBA function to calculate the area of a rectangle.

Function Area(Length As Double, Optional Width As Variant)
If IsMissing(Width) Then
Area = Length * Length
Else
Area = Length * Width
End If
End Function
49. Write a VBA function to check if a number is a prime number or not.
Sub Prime()
Dim divisors As Integer, number As Long, i As Long
divisors = 0
number = InputBox(“Enter a number”)
For i = 1 To number
If number Mod i = 0 Then
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divisors = divisors + 1
End If
Next i
If divisors = 2 Then
MsgBox number & “ is a prime number”
Else
MsgBox number & “ is not a prime number”
End If
End Sub
50. Write a VBA code to create a bar chart with the given data.
Consider the below data that has two features. You can use the lines of code below to create a bar
chart.

20. What's the benefit of using INDEX-MATCH instead of VLOOKUP?

Using INDEX-MATCH in Excel instead of VLOOKUP offers several advantages: it

provides greater flexibility, as it can return a value in a column to the left of the lookup
column, unlike VLOOKUP, which only works left-to-right. INDEX-MATCH is also more
efficient in processing, especially for large datasets, as it only looks at specific columns rather
than the entire row. It's less prone to errors when columns are added or deleted,
since INDEX-MATCH uses column references that don't change with column modifications.
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21. How do you create a drop-down list from a data validation?

To create a drop-down list in Excel using data validation, first select the cell or cells where
you want the drop-down list to appear. Then, go to the "Data" tab on the ribbon and click on
"Validation". In the Data Validation dialog box, under the "Settings" tab, select "List" from
the "Allow:" dropdown menu.

In the "Source:" box, either type in the list items separated by commas, or click the up arrow
button to select a range of cells containing the items you want in your list. Ensure that the
"In-cell dropdown" box is checked. Click "OK" to apply the data validation and create your
drop-down list.

22. Can you extract the domain name from an email address?

Assume the email address is example@email.com in cell A1. Enter the following formula in
another cell (e.g., B1): =RIGHT(A1, LEN(A1) - FIND("@", A1)), which will yield
email.com.

 FIND("@", A1) locates the position of the "@" character in the email address.
 LEN(A1) calculates the total length of the email address.
 Subtracting the position of "@" from the total length gives us the length of the
domain part.
 Finally, RIGHT(A1, LEN(A1) - FIND("@", A1)) extracts the domain part from the
right side of the email address.
23. What are wildcards in Excel? How do you apply them?

In Excel, wildcards are special characters used in text searches and functions to represent one
or more characters, allowing for more flexible and powerful searching and matching.

The three main wildcards are the asterisk (*), which represents any number of characters, the
question mark (?), which represents a single character, and the tilde (~), which is used to
escape wildcard characters.

You can use wildcards in various Excel functions

like SEARCH, FIND, REPLACE, SUBSTITUTE, and in features like filters or conditional
formatting. For example, using =COUNTIF(A1:A10, "*test*") will count all cells in the
range A1 to A10 that contain the word "test" anywhere in the text.

24. Can you apply a slicer to filter the data?

To apply a slicer to filter data in Excel, first, ensure your data is formatted as a table or is part
of a PivotTable. Click anywhere inside the table or PivotTable, then go to the ‘Insert’ tab on
the Ribbon and click on ‘Slicer’ in the Filters group. In the dialog box that appears, select the
checkbox for the column(s) you want to use for slicing, and then click ‘OK’. A slicer will
appear in your worksheet, which you can use to filter the data in the table or PivotTable by
simply clicking on the various options in the slicer.
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25. What is Goal Seek?

Goal Seek in Excel is a tool that allows you to find the input value needed to achieve a
specific goal or target in a formula. It works by adjusting a single input value to make the
formula result match the desired outcome. You can access Goal Seek from the "Data" tab,
under the "What-If Analysis" button, where you specify the cell with the formula, the target
value, and the cell to change to achieve this target.

In the example below, we want to know what interest rate we'd pay if we made monthly
payments of $900 over a period of 15 years on a $100,000 loan. Goal Seek can help us figure
it out!
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46. What is conditional formatting?

Conditional formatting is a method that allows us to identify the
characteristics (conditions) of a cell’s contents that are of interest
to us, and superimpose highlighting of cells or ranges that meet that
criteria. When a cell is updated with new information, the
conditional formatting will recognize and update itself. For instance,
if you wanted to apply a green highlight to any cell that contains the
letter Z, and you update Randolph to Ziggy, the conditional format
would automatically apply.

47. What is the limitation of the VLOOKUP function?

The VLOOKUP function can only move in one direction, from left to
right. Therefore, the information you wish to seek out must be
located in a column to the right of the lookup value’s location. In
newer versions of Excel, a successor to VLOOKUP has been added,
called XLOOKUP. This new function works in any direction and
defaults to exact matches rather than approximate. At some point
in the future, XLOOKUP will completely replace VLOOKUP, but this
will not happen until the majority of users have moved away from
using older versions of Excel.

48. Does VLOOKUP use case sensitive values?

VLOOKUP is not case-sensitive, and will always return the first
value of the match irrespective of the case. In other words, the
name Apgar and the acronym APGAR would be viewed as the same
by VLOOKUP. It is, however, possible to manipulate VLOOKUP into
returning case-sensitive values by using a helper column, or by
sorting your data in an ascending or descending order so that the
value you want is always the first to be encountered by VLOOKUP.

49. How do the INDEX and MATCH functions work in Excel?

You can use two MATCH functions within an INDEX formula to
specify a cell reference and return the value of that cell. The
dynamic formula will return the corresponding data of any two
MATCH values you input. For example, if you have a table detailing
the price per unit and the number of units sold for a variety of
products, you can use the match index function to return a specific
piece of information about a specific product.
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50. What is the difference between COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK and COUNTIF
functions?
COUNT: This function counts how many cells within a specified
range contain numerical data. It will ignore (not count) any cells
that are blank or contain text or symbols only.

COUNTA: This function counts how many cells within a specified

range contain data of any type (the cell is filled). It will count all
cells that are not blank.

COUNTBLANK: This function will count the number of blank cells

within the designated range.

COUNTIF: This function will count only the cells whose value meets
a certain condition specified by the user.

51. What is Data Validation?

Data Validation limits the type of values that can be inserted into a
single cell or a set of cells by a user. It again works to limit user
input errors and keep the data inputs clean.

52. How can you measure an Excel percentage?

 Select the destination cell to display the percentage
 Then, type a “=” sign.
 Type in your reference, say A1/ A2, then hit the Enter key.
 Click on the Home tab, select the % symbol from the numbers group. This converts the value into a
percentage format.

53. Can you build Excel feature shortcuts?

Yes. It is possible to configure the ‘Easy Access Toolbar’ above the
home button to display your most commonly used shortcuts.

54. What are the alignments for Left, Right, Fill and Distributed?
 The left/right alignment aligns the cell’s contents to the left and right.
 Fill the cell with the same text repetitively, as the name suggests.
 Distributed spreads the text over the cell width.

55. How do you use Advanced Filters?

You can extract a unique list of items using Advanced Filters, or you
can also extract a particular item from various worksheets. It may
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be assumed that the Advanced Filter is an advanced Auto Filter

variant.

56. What is an Excel Array formula?

With an array, a user can perform multiple calculations on multiple
items using just one formula. For instance, if you want to multiply
A1 by B1, A2 by B2, A3 by B3, and so on, instead of writing a formula
for each calculation, you can write =A1:A10*B1:B10 in cell C1, and
the results for each calculation will spill down the C column.

This is called a multi-cell array, as the results will be stored in

multiple cells. You can also create a single-cell array if, for
example, you wanted to sum the entirety of the values calculated by
the above array. This would look like: =SUM(A1:A10*B1:B10) and
return a single value calculated by adding the results of all ten
multiplications together.

57. How do you extract the first name from a full name in Excel?
The FIND function will return the numerical location of this target
(with the first character of the text being 1). The LEFT function can
then extract the number of characters specified by the FIND
function from the beginning of the text (i.e the left).

However, the value returned by FIND will include the space itself, so
we need to subtract 1 from the value in order to find the actual
ending point of the first name. The formula would look like
this:=LEFT(A1,FIND(“ ”,A1)-1).

A second method would separate the first names and last names
and deposit them into separate new columns, using the Text to
Columns feature found in the Data tab. We covered this earlier
under how to split information in a column. The Text to Columns
dialogue box will allow you to select the delimiter separating each
field (e.g space) and show you a preview of the result. The last step
will allow you to choose where you want the result to be displayed.

58. What is the difference between a function and subroutine in VBA?

It is the duty of a function to return the value of the mission it
performs. Subroutines, meanwhile, do not return the importance of
the assignment they perform. Functions are used as formulas, as
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they are in spreadsheets. Subroutines are not used as formulas

directly inside spreadsheets.

59. What’s the distinction in VBA between thisworkbook and activeworkbook?

The name of the workbook from which the code is running is
provided by ThisWorkbook. ActiveWorkbook is as the name implies,
the workbook that is actually active in the numerous open
workbooks.

60. What is the easy way to go back to a specific area of a worksheet?

Using the name box is a fast way to return to a particular section of
the worksheet. To return to a particular area of a worksheet, you
can type the cell address or name of the range in the name box.

61. How do you handle circular references in Excel?

Circular references occur when a formula in a cell refers back to
itself either directly or indirectly. Excel will display a warning
message if it detects a circular reference, because it can cause the
program to calculate endlessly while never generating a result. It is
therefore critical to address the circular references immediately to
prevent them from potentially interfering with other formulas. To
identify and correct circular references:

 Go to the “Formulas” tab.

 In the “Formula Auditing” group, click on “Error Checking.”
 Choose “Circular References” to see where they exist.
 Check the formulas in the identified cells and adjust them to eliminate the circularity.