Microsoft Office Specialist: Excel Exam Preparation: Manage data cells and ranges

1. Question 1 of 20

   You need to copy the formatting of cell A1 to three different ranges, one after another. What is the best way?

   • ASingle-click Format Painter and click all three ranges
   • BCopy A1 and press Ctrl+V on each range
   • CDouble-click Format Painter, then click each range
   • DUse Merge & Center on each range
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Double-click Format Painter, then click each range

   Double-clicking Format Painter keeps it on until you press Esc. A single click applies it only once. Ctrl+V would paste the contents too.

2. Question 2 of 20

   A long comment in B4 runs into the next cells. Which option shows it on several lines inside B4?

   • AOrientation
   • BIncrease Indent
   • CMerge & Center
   • DWrap Text
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Wrap Text

   Wrap Text breaks long text onto more lines inside the same cell and makes the row taller.

3. Question 3 of 20

   A1 contains "Report" and B1 contains "2026". You select A1:B1 and choose Merge & Center. What does the merged cell show?

   • A2026
   • BNothing; both values are deleted
   • CReport
   • DReport 2026
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Report

   When you merge cells, Excel keeps only the value in the upper-left cell and discards the others.

4. Question 4 of 20

   Column C has formulas. You want to paste only their current results into column F, with no formulas. Which Paste Special option do you use?

   • AValues
   • BFormats
   • CPaste Link
   • DFormulas
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Values

   Paste Special > Values pastes the displayed results without formulas or formatting.

5. Question 5 of 20

   Your data runs down A1:A12 and you want the same data across a row instead. Which Paste Special option does this?

   • ASkip blanks
   • BColumn widths
   • CTranspose
   • DValues
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Transpose

   Transpose swaps rows and columns, so data in a column is pasted across a row.

6. Question 6 of 20

   You copy D2, select B2:B5 and choose Paste Special > Multiply. What does B4 show afterwards?

   	A	B	C	D
   1	Item	Price		Increase
   2	Gloves	12.40		1.05
   3	Vests	38.00
   4	Radios	145.00
   5	Lights	22.60

   • A7.25
   • B152.25
   • C138.10
   • D146.05
   Show answer

   Answer: B. 152.25

   Multiply multiplies each destination value by the copied value: 145.00 × 1.05 = 152.25.

7. Question 7 of 20

   You type Mon in A2 and drag the fill handle down to A6. What appears in A6?

   • AThu
   • BSat
   • CFri
   • DMon
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Fri

   Auto Fill continues a known list such as weekdays. A2 to A6 is five cells: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri.

8. Question 8 of 20

   You select A2:A3 and drag the fill handle down to A7. What does A7 show?

   	A
   1	Week
   2	5
   3	10
   4
   5
   6
   7

   • A35
   • B25
   • C30
   • D10
   Show answer

   Answer: C. 30

   With two numbers selected, Auto Fill continues the step (+5): 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.

9. Question 9 of 20

   Which values can =RANDBETWEEN(1,6) return?

   • AAny whole number from 1 to 6
   • BAny whole number from 2 to 5
   • CAny decimal number between 1 and 6
   • DOnly 1 or 6
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Any whole number from 1 to 6

   RANDBETWEEN returns a random whole number between bottom and top, and both limits are included.

10. Question 10 of 20

    You fill 20 cells with =RANDBETWEEN(100,999) for test ID numbers. You do not want them to change again. What should you do?

    • AFormat them as Number with no decimal places
    • BPress F9
    • CApply Wrap Text
    • DCopy them and paste back as Values
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Copy them and paste back as Values

    RANDBETWEEN gives a new number every time the sheet recalculates (for example when you press F9). Pasting as Values keeps the numbers fixed.

11. Question 11 of 20

    You enter =SEQUENCE(3,1,100,10) in A2. What is in A4?

    • A30
    • B130
    • C120
    • D102
    Show answer

    Answer: C. 120

    SEQUENCE(3,1,100,10) gives 3 rows starting at 100 and stepping by 10: 100, 110, 120. A4 is the third value.

12. Question 12 of 20

    You enter =SEQUENCE(2,3) in A1. What is in A2?

    • A3
    • B4
    • C6
    • D2
    Show answer

    Answer: B. 4

    SEQUENCE(2,3) fills 2 rows and 3 columns across each row first: row 1 is 1, 2, 3 and row 2 is 4, 5, 6. A2 starts row 2.

13. Question 13 of 20

    You want to remove the bold, fill colour and borders from A1:D10 but keep the values. What do you use?

    • APress Delete
    • BHome > Clear > Clear Contents
    • CHome > Clear > Clear Formats
    • DHome > Clear > Clear All
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Home > Clear > Clear Formats

    Clear Formats removes formatting only. Clear Contents and Delete remove values; Clear All removes both.

14. Question 14 of 20

    You Ctrl+click the tabs Jan, Feb and Mar, then make row 1 bold in Jan. What happens?

    • ARow 1 becomes bold on all three sheets
    • BOnly Jan changes
    • CThe three sheets are merged into one
    • DExcel asks you to copy the format to the other sheets
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Row 1 becomes bold on all three sheets

    Clicking tabs with Ctrl groups the sheets ([Group] shows in the title bar). Formatting you apply then changes every grouped sheet.

15. Question 15 of 20

    Which of these is a valid name for a named range?

    • A1stQuarter
    • BTax_Rate
    • CTax Rate
    • DB12
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Tax_Rate

    Names cannot contain spaces, cannot look like a cell reference such as B12, and must start with a letter, underscore or backslash.

16. Question 16 of 20

    A1:C1 holds the headings Site, Guard and Hours, with data in rows 2–10. You select A1:C10 and use Formulas > Create from Selection with Top row checked. What range does the name Hours refer to?

    • AA2:C2
    • BA1:C10
    • CC1:C10
    • DC2:C10
    Show answer

    Answer: D. C2:C10

    Create from Selection names each column's data using its label in the top row, so Hours refers to the data cells below that heading.

17. Question 17 of 20

    You want Excel to highlight the 3 highest sales in B2:B30 automatically. Which built-in conditional formatting do you use?

    • ATop/Bottom Rules > Top 10 Items (set to 3)
    • BData Bars > Gradient Fill on the top three cells
    • CHighlight Cells Rules > Duplicate Values
    • DTop/Bottom Rules > Below Average
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Top/Bottom Rules > Top 10 Items (set to 3)

    Top 10 Items lets you set how many top values to highlight, such as 3.

18. Question 18 of 20

    A sheet has several old conditional formatting rules in different places. How do you remove all of them at once?

    • AConditional Formatting > Manage Rules > New Rule
    • BHome > Clear > Clear Contents
    • CClear Rules > Clear Rules from Entire Sheet
    • DUndo several times
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Clear Rules > Clear Rules from Entire Sheet

    Clear Rules from Entire Sheet removes every conditional formatting rule on the sheet but keeps the data.

19. Question 19 of 20

    Which three sparkline types does Excel offer?

    • ALine, Pie and Area
    • BColumn, Bar, Scatter and Area
    • CLine, Column and Win/Loss
    • DLine, Column and Pie
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Line, Column and Win/Loss

    Excel sparklines come in three types: Line, Column and Win/Loss.

20. Question 20 of 20

    You inserted a line sparkline in F2. How do you remove it?

    • AClear on the Sparkline tab
    • BDelete the data in B2:E2
    • CPress Backspace in F2
    • DUse Home > Clear > Clear Formats
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Clear on the Sparkline tab

    A sparkline is a tiny chart in the cell background; you remove it with Clear on the Sparkline tab.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.