Excel shortcut test: free, 10 minutes, scored

Most Excel tests ask what a shortcut is. This one asks you to do it, on a live sheet, with the mouse off and a clock running. Ten minutes, twenty-five drills and one timed task, scored out of 100 with a breakdown by group. Sign in to take it; a free account gets one attempt.

What the test covers

Navigation (weighted). Ctrl+Arrow jumps, Ctrl+Home and Ctrl+End, Go To by address and by name, next sheet, precedents and dependents.
Selection (weighted). Ctrl+Shift+Arrow, whole rows and columns, the current region, selecting to the end of the data.
Editing (weighted). AutoSum, fill down and right, undo, insert and delete rows, cut and paste, filters.
Alt ribbon chains (weighted). Autofit, sort, borders, paste special, freeze panes, font color, wrap, hide and unhide.
Formula editing (weighted). F2, F4 reference locks, F9, Ctrl+Enter, AutoSum on a block, names, Insert Function, notes.
Formatting and structure. A few drills from the remaining groups.
One timed task. A start sheet and a target: clean an export, total a table, paste values, color the inputs, fill a schedule, build subtotals, hunt errors, or transpose and name.

How it is scored

Every drill has a key-press limit, the number of presses the shortcut needs. Solve it within the limit and it counts. Twenty-five drills share 80 points equally. The task is worth 20 points, scored as par time divided by your time, capped at 100 percent. Skipping a drill counts it as missed. When the ten minutes end, whatever is done is scored.

Sample questions

You are in D2. Jump to the last number in the Units column. Limit: 1 press.
The header row A1:E1 is selected. Put a bottom border under it. Limit: 1 chain.
C13 holds =B13*B12. Make the B12 reference absolute, then fill C13 down to C16. Limit: 8 presses.
F2:F11 pull values from another sheet. Copy them and paste as values into H2:H11. Limit: 4 presses.
Rows 5 to 9 are selected. Group them. Limit: 1 press.
Timed task: bold the header with a bottom border, autofit column C, format the amounts with separators, the margin column as percent, freeze the header. Par: 60 seconds.

How to prepare

Run the 20-day Analyst track, or at least the free drills in the five weighted groups. Then do two or three timed tasks so the clock does not surprise you. People who score under 60 almost always lose their points to the Alt chains and to F4; both are learned in a few sessions.

The result card

Every attempt produces a result card with the score, the breakdown and the date, as a PNG you can download, plus a public result page you can link from a CV or a LinkedIn post. The card carries the Shortcutdrill mark so a recruiter can see what the score means.

Questions

Is the Excel shortcut test free?

Yes. A free account can take it once; Pro accounts can retake it as often as they like. The drills in it come from the same set as the practice sheet.

What does it test?

Navigation, selection, editing, the Alt ribbon chains and formula editing, which is what Excel assessments for analyst, finance and admin roles concentrate on, plus one timed task where you format a sheet to match a target.

How is it scored?

Each of the 25 drills counts when you solve it within its key-press limit (80 points together). The timed task is scored against par time (20 points). The total is out of 100 with a breakdown by group.

Is it the same as the Excel test employers use?

No test is. Employer tests (Indeed, TestGorilla, SHL, Prove It) mix knowledge questions with live tasks. This test covers the live-task part, which is where candidates lose marks, and it is harder than most because the mouse is off.

Can I share the result?

Yes. Every test produces a result card (a PNG you can post) and a public result page with the score and breakdown.

Excel shortcut test: ten minutes, 25 drills, scored out of 100