CES Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CES exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CES Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CES Topics to Study (18)
✍️ Sample CES Questions & Answers
1. In Certified Excel Specialists, which client relationship management approach is MOST effective for achieving long-term goals?
Strategic planning with measurable objectives and regular reviews provides direction, accountability, and the ability to adapt strategies based on progress.
2. What does the PMT function in Excel calculate?
PMT calculates the fixed periodic payment required to pay off a loan or annuity over a specified number of periods at a constant interest rate.
3. How do you protect a worksheet so that users cannot edit locked cells?
Review > Protect Sheet applies a password-protected lock to all cells marked as Locked in Format Cells.
4. What error value does Excel display when a formula references an empty cell that is expected to contain a number?
#N/A indicates that a value is not available, often when a lookup finds no match in an empty or mismatched range.
5. What key advantage does XIRR have over the standard IRR function?
XIRR calculates the internal rate of return for cash flows that occur at non-periodic (irregular) dates, while IRR assumes all cash flows are equally spaced in time.
6. In the PMT function =PMT(rate, nper, pv), what does the argument 'nper' represent?
'nper' stands for number of periods, representing the total number of payment periods in the loan or annuity.