Spreadsheet data entry test

The spreadsheet tasks

• Invoice lines: Enter eight invoice lines, work out each line total and the invoice total.
• Weekly timesheet: Copy a week of hours for seven staff and total each person’s week.
• Stock count: Record a shelf count against the system figures and find the differences.
• Expense claim: Enter receipts with dates, categories and amounts, then total the claim.
• Grade book: Enter three test scores for eight students and work out each average.

Every task uses new figures each time, so you can repeat it as often as you like.

What the test checks

Spreadsheet tasks in office assessments check three things: that you copy every figure exactly, that you keep each value in the right cell, and that totals are correct. This test gives you a source document on the left and a spreadsheet on the right. Each run uses new figures.

Formulas are allowed

The spreadsheet understands simple formulas, the same way common spreadsheet programs do: =C2*D2, =SUM(E2:E9), =AVERAGE(B2:D2), =ROUND(E2,1), MIN, MAX, COUNT and brackets. You can also type the result yourself. Either way, a cell is right when its value equals the expected figure to the column's decimal places.

Moving around quickly

Tab moves right, Enter moves down, and the arrow keys move when the cursor is at the edge of a cell. The name box shows the cell you are in, and the formula bar shows what you typed. Moving with the keyboard instead of the mouse is the biggest time saver in any spreadsheet test.