What an Excel Assessment Should Include in the Different Competency Levels

If you are tasked to design an Excel Assessment that can identify the specific Excel competency levels through a written exam and hands-on applications, you should be able to classify the skills that belong to each proficiency level. There are three proficiency levels that can be tested. These are basic, intermediate and advanced skill levels. Below are some of the features that can be assessed in each of the levels mentioned.

Basic Excel proficiency test can be centered simply on the following: opening files and using the page setup feature, entering and correcting data, using save data, using the menu options, formatting cells, columns and rows, being able to navigate the worksheet and make references to cell locations and using simple mathematical operations.

Intermediate Excel proficiency can be demonstrated if the following skills are shown – creating, using, formatting and modifying charts, manipulating worksheets and charts, filtering and managing filtered data, sorting, using the different mathematical, statistical, logical and financial Excel functions, grouping data that are dissociate and performing the necessary interactive analysis and creating and revising macro commands.

Advanced Excel skills are shown when the person knows the customization of the work area, can use the advanced functions like lookup and reference functions, able to design and use pivot table, manipulate spreadsheet web components, create and use personalized toolbars, write programming codes using VBA and manage the more advanced macro commands.

With the defined skill sets, the design of the Excel Assessment material becomes easier and more specific. You can get the available online Excel test s to measure the skills in the three categories. It is important to note though that a higher level of proficiency will not be possible to get if the skills in the lower level are not demonstrated. Essentially, the lower skill levels are prerequisites to demonstrating the skills in the higher Excel skill level.