Interview Friday with an Excel skills test - help!

[GardenGladness23]

I have an interview on Friday for a role I am really interested in. But, now completely have the fear as I have been told I will need to complete a 20 minute data handling, communications and prioritisation test using Word and Excel.

Word fine, but it has been so long since I've properly used Excel, I used to be a bit of a whizz but my roles since 2013 have all used bespoke CRM systems and industry specific databases for data management and for the past two years (after having my children) I have been doing contract work for an events production agency and they use Google for everything. I feel very rusty.

I am more than qualified and able to do the role but worried this is going to let me down

Does anyone know what the test might entail and how I could do some practice, I have had a search but the results are really quite broad.

I don't think anyone can know tbh.

When I've set them I've wanted to know someone can do a VLOOKUP (now x lookup), a SUMIF/SUMIFS/COUNTIF/COUNTIFS, a concatenate, a pivot table.

Maybe some conditional formatting though I don't think I've ever put that in a test.

I'm also a big fan of subtotal but again never put it in a test, same for if statements.

What industry/ level is the role you are applying for?

We ask for something similar at interview but it really is just to check basic computer skills after we had someone who claimed to be computer literate appointed to a post but who itvturned out couldn't even copy & paste/ highlight text/ total figures in a column/ save a file etc.

I would just have a play around in both word and excel. ChatGPT is great for formula in excel and between microsoft help and Google/ YouTube you'll answer most of the questions you have.

do you know how to filter and sort some data, maybe do some functions like IF / vlookup, create a pivot table or chart?
it’s unlikely to be something more complex like macros. There is a course online, my DD did one recently. You might have time to complete it before Friday.

@AltitudeCheck it's in Education. Not schools. It isn't an admin based role but but isn't in teaching/core service provision, there will be accessing/recording data I'm sure but this is a huge establishment, 'd be surprised if they're using Excel for everything and not a specific CRM platform. I suppose you might want to download reports from that into Excel tho. Hmmm

You could do the free Santander online Excel course to practice.

I would say v lookup, pivot tables and conditional formatting are advanced excel. Hardly anyone where i work even knows what these are!

Focus on wrap text in a cell, freezing and unfreezing panes so you can see the top on a really long document. Using autofill, how to enter data and execute a simple formula like SUM or AVERAGE. How to hide columns and unhide, insert a new column etc.

Look up about exporting or importing reports from into excel.
Take a look on you tube (master excel basics in no time)

Same as others have said- xlookup,vlookup, pivot tables(bonus if you add a slicer)
Another thing may be text split

There are free excel courses on open classroom.com

What kind of data do you think you’d be handling and how do you think you’d need to handle it?

Just thinking if it’s names, addresses, date of birth etc, you might need the basics of keeping data clean, validated, sorting it e.g. alphabetically, filters.

If it might need comparing datasets, then maybe vlookup.

If it’s likely to be numbers, trends over time, then swat up on graphs, pivot tables.

I think Linked In has some basic excel courses for free, used to a few years ago anyway.

Get familiar with how to use the excel help menu, then you should be fine doing anything.

Excel also gives you the format of a formula when you start to type it eg if you type =lookup it will give you a text bar with where the brackets, source data etc should go, so follow that order.

Get familiar with what each basic formula does, then even if your formula goes wrong (which happens all the time), just having a knowledge that that formula exists and that it would have been suitable will get you points.

If all else fails, a bit of simple formatting will make the sheet look nice! It’s easy to train people on excel and I doubt it will be a dealbreaker.

@Hurumphh it will be student data, like I said I'd be surprised if they're strong and recording in Excel in the first instance so I am wondering if this is just a v generic test they give to to people interviewing for all none specialist roles?

It's not an analysts or data management role.

I work in a University and we have an excel test as part of the interview process for new administration staff.

The last one we did, the candidates were asked to sort data into the correct order, total a few columns and use weighted component marks to calculate an overall module mark.

I don't think any of the candidates got 100% but it weeded out the ones who couldn't even use the SUM finction to add numbers together in a column.

In addition, a key point will be whether you know how to create, handle, store and share data safely and appropriately in line with legislation / guidance. Whether you are able to identify potential risks. And a knowledge of what to do if you believe there has been a data breach.