Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Practical Skills Test for Admin Job

5 replies

HoxtonBonnet · 02/06/2021 15:33

I've been given an interview for an admin job; part of it will include a timed 30 mins skills test in Word and Excel. I can get by in both (less so in Excel). Does anyone have any tips for particular things I could brush up on for both Word and Excel?

Thank you in advance? Smile

OP posts:
merryhouse · 02/06/2021 15:47

Columns. Mail merge. Multi-layer bullets and numbering.

Sorting by various fields; finding an average, and other formulae including complex ones; producing a graph (bar and line); formatting the cells (type, eg date or currency)

HoxtonBonnet · 02/06/2021 15:59

Thank you Merryhouse - I will get started!

OP posts:
ICouldHaveCheckedFirst · 02/06/2021 16:00

Basic things I would expect would include:
EXCEL:
Applying a filter to a column.
Sorting the contents of a spreadsheet on a filter.
Sorting on more than one condition.
Creating a simple formula, such as calculating VAT or something.
Using things like SUMIF/SUMIFS, COUNTA, COUNTIF/COUNTIFs etc to select subsets of data.
Pivot Tables, if you already use them.

WORD:
Formatting;
Spellcheck;
Knowing how to input those tricky characters you have to hunt for, like " e acute" in French;
Spacing of lines inside paragraphs and between paragraphs;
Knowing how to ensure 2 pieces of text stay together and don't end up on two different pages (the answer is NOT to insert a page break);
Applying 'styles' to titles and using them to help structure a document;
Creating a Table of contents, or an Index, to a document (once you've mastered styles).

Check the job specification: if there are any features and functions mentioned, there's your answer. (It's surprising how many people don't do this!)

I once gave such a test. To start with, the applicant had to decide whether to use Excel or Word this was actually important . One woman who claimed she used all sorts of functions in Excel, had never created a spreadsheet from scratch, and actually didn't know how to create a new file in Excel. (She didn't get the job, in case you are wondering!)

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

ICouldHaveCheckedFirst · 02/06/2021 16:01

Sorry, I drifted off the 'basics' there!

HoxtonBonnet · 02/06/2021 16:23

Thanks ICouldHaveCheckedFirst! gulps nervously I can do a lot of this but am clueless on some.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread