Comments on: A Real-Life Excel Test from a Job Interview: Can You Pass??

By: Courtney

Courtney — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 19:38:04 +0000

For age, you could have used ROUNDDOWN().

By: Roy

Roy — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 03:20:00 +0000

Ann, how to download the file?

By: Ann K. Emery

Ann K. Emery — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 14:59:47 +0000

In reply to Rasmus Harboe. Thanks for weighing in, Rasmus!

By: Rasmus Harboe

Rasmus Harboe — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 15:01:20 +0000

I am probably a minority, but I disagree on using pivot tables is better.

for smaller dataset, by using formulas, you get much more transparency in where the numbers come from, and the output is easier to work with, if you at a later stage need to make some additional calculations, or if your underlying dataset is structurally changing

For larger dataset, where formulas tend to take too much time to recalculate, I much prefer to put it all into Access or maybe PowerBI. To a large extent, I think too many people are using overusing excel, and do not use better suitable tools enough

By: Tinashe

Tinashe — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 21:26:33 +0000

Thanks Ann, i am practicing excel tests these days in anticipation of an interview. I was a bit hesitant in using pivot tables as i viewed them as complex . After going through your presentation , i felt more confident in myself and can face interview tests now. I now believe that learning is a process that will continue in our lives if we are willing to take it!

By: Ann K. Emery

Ann K. Emery — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 17:28:50 +0000

In reply to Jennifer.

I haven’t come across any Excel job tests recently, unfortunately! After that particular job interview ~10 years ago, I actually starting working part-time as an Excel certification instructor, so having that on my resume was more than enough to help employers trust that I had mastered Excel.

That being said… I’ve never actually taken an Excel certification test myself, despite working as an instructor, ha! I’m scheduled to take an exam tomorrow — January 5, 2021 — so stay tuned to hear how it goes. I’ll likely share my insights about the test-taking process on my newsletter and inside the “Simple Spreadsheets” Full Course.