Basic Excel Interview Questions for Data Analysis

What is a spreadsheet, and what are its fundamental components?

Excel spreadsheets are grids of cells used for data organization, analysis, and storage. Its fundamental components are cells, columns, rows, and calculation formulas.

What is a Ribbon in Excel?

The menu at the top of Excel is called the Ribbon, and it has tabs like “Home” and “Insert.” Common operations may be found there, including formatting, charting, and sorting.

How many cell formats are possible in Microsoft Excel?

Depending on the kind of workbook receiving the message determines the format limit: Excel XLS file has 4000 unique possible formats, and XLSX file has 64,000 cell formats.

How Do You Clear Formatting in Excel Without Removing the Cell Content?

• Select the cell(s) with formatting to clear.
• Go to the “Home” tab.
• Click on the “Clear” dropdown in the “Editing” group.
• Choose “Clear Formats.”

What are cell references?

Cell references in Excel are addresses that identify the location of a cell. They can be relative, absolute, or mixed. Relative references change when copied, absolute references stay constant, and mixed references combine both.

What is the difference between a function and a formula in Excel?

Excel formulas function similarly to math instructions, giving it how to add or compute things (for example, =C3+C4). Functions are shortcuts for typical calculations, with over 500 built-in options such as SUM and MULTIPLY, making difficult maths easy without typing everything out.

How do you split information in a column into two or more columns?

To divide the text, use the “Text to Columns” feature. To convert text to columns, choose the column, then click the “Data” tab, then choose “Text to Columns,” and last, choose a delimiter (such as a space or comma). Data will be separated into new columns in Excel.

Can You Add Annotations in a Cell?

Yes, I can add comments or annotations to a cell in Excel for additional information.

Can You Wrap a Text Within a Cell in Excel? If Yes, Then How?

It is simple to put text into a cell in Excel. To do this, select the cell or cells that you want to change, go to the “Home” tab, and finally, under the “Alignment” group, click the “Wrap Text” button.

What Are Freeze Panes in Excel?

Freeze Panes in Excel allows users to lock specific rows or columns for visibility while scrolling through a spreadsheet. This feature is useful for maintaining the visibility of headers or essential data labels, especially in large tables.

What is the difference between COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK, and COUNTIF functions?

• The COUNT function helps you find out how many number cells are in a certain area.
• The COUNTA function counts all cells inside a range that are not blank.
• Get the total number of empty cells inside a specified range with the COUNTBLANK function.
• The COUNTIF function checks a condition and then gives the number of values that meet it.

When working with Excel, what does the dollar symbol mean?

The dollar symbol ($) in Microsoft Excel references absolute cells in the formula. It fixes the reference so that it does not change when copied to other cells, ensuring that computations are constant.

Excel helps data analysts change and look at data to find patterns. It arranges and shows facts so that decisions can be made. It does data cleaning, transformation, report and dashboard creation, and more. Preparing for popular Excel interview questions can help you get the job. Here, you can find a collection of Excel interview questions and some example responses for data analysts.