MCAS Formulas, Functions & Calculations

Question 1

In Microsoft Excel, which symbol must begin every formula?

Accepted Answer

=

Answer

Every Excel formula must begin with an equal sign (=) to signal that what follows is a calculation, not plain text.

Question 2

What is the result of the Excel formula =SUM(A1:A5) if cells A1 through A5 contain the values 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10?

Accepted Answer

30

Answer

SUM adds all values in the range: 2+4+6+8+10 = 30.

Question 3

In Excel, what does a cell reference like $A$1 (with dollar signs) indicate?

Accepted Answer

An absolute reference that does not change when the formula is copied to another cell

Answer

Dollar signs in a cell reference create an absolute reference, fixing both the column letter and row number when the formula is copied.

Question 4

Which Excel function returns the largest value in a range of cells?

Accepted Answer

MAX

Answer

The MAX function returns the largest numeric value found within the specified range.

Question 5

In Excel, what does the IF function do?

Accepted Answer

Returns one value if a condition is true and another value if it is false

Answer

The IF function evaluates a logical condition and returns one value for TRUE and a different value for FALSE.

MCAS - Microsoft Certified Application Specialist Practice Test