Questions And Answers 1 Flashcards

What is the keyboard shortcut to insert the current date in an Excel cell?

Answer: Ctrl + ; (semicolon)

Ctrl + ; inserts the current date as a static value into the active cell. It does not update automatically like the TODAY() function would.

Which function in Excel returns the number of cells in a range that contain numeric values?

Answer: COUNT

COUNT counts only cells that contain numbers. COUNTA counts all non-empty cells regardless of data type, while COUNTIF counts cells meeting a specific condition.

What does the $ symbol do when placed before a column letter or row number in a cell reference, such as $A$1?

Answer: It makes the reference absolute so it does not change when copied

The $ sign makes a cell reference absolute, meaning the row, column, or both remain fixed when the formula is copied to other cells. Without it, references are relative and shift automatically.

Which Excel feature automatically completes a data entry based on values already in the same column?

Answer: AutoComplete

AutoComplete suggests the rest of a text entry based on existing entries in the column. Flash Fill recognizes patterns to fill a series, while AutoFill extends a series by dragging the fill handle.

What is the purpose of the VLOOKUP function in Excel?

Answer: To search for a value in the leftmost column of a table and return a value in the same row from a specified column

VLOOKUP (Vertical Lookup) searches the first column of a range for a match and returns a value from a specified column in the same row. The 'V' stands for vertical, meaning it searches down a column.

How do you quickly apply the same formula to an entire column in Excel without typing it in each cell?

Answer: Double-click the fill handle of the cell containing the formula

Double-clicking the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right corner of a selected cell) automatically fills the formula down the column as far as there is adjacent data. This is faster than copying and pasting manually.