Microsoft Excel MCQ Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Which tab on the Excel ribbon contains the Sort and Filter commands?

Data (Correct answer)
Home
View
Insert

Correct answer: Data

The Data tab contains Sort and Filter commands along with other data management tools like Data Validation, Text to Columns, and Remove Duplicates.

The Data tab is the primary location for data management tools in Excel. It houses Sort (ascending, descending, custom), Filter (AutoFilter), Advanced Filter, Data Validation, Text to Columns, Remove Duplicates, Consolidate, What-If Analysis, and connections to external data. While the Home tab has basic Sort & Filter buttons in the Editing group, the Data tab provides the full suite of data tools. Understanding ribbon organization is essential for efficient Excel use and is commonly tested in certification exams.

Question 2: What file extension does a macro-enabled Excel workbook use?

.xlsm (Correct answer)
.xlsx
.xlsb
.xltm

Correct answer: .xlsm

The .xlsm extension indicates a macro-enabled workbook that can contain VBA macros, while .xlsx files cannot store macros.

Excel uses distinct file extensions to indicate macro capability: .xlsx (standard workbook, no macros), .xlsm (macro-enabled workbook), .xlsb (binary workbook, can contain macros), .xltm (macro-enabled template), .xltx (template without macros), and .xlam (add-in). If you save a workbook containing VBA macros as .xlsx, the macros will be stripped out. This separation was introduced in Excel 2007 as a security measure, making it immediately clear which files might contain executable code. The older .xls format could always contain macros.

Question 3: How many worksheets does a new Excel workbook contain by default in Excel 2016 and later?

1 (Correct answer)
3
5
10

Correct answer: 1

Starting with Excel 2013, new workbooks default to 1 worksheet. Earlier versions defaulted to 3 worksheets.

Excel 2013 and later versions create new workbooks with just 1 worksheet by default, changed from the previous default of 3 in Excel 2003-2010. You can change this default in File > Options > General > "Include this many sheets." New worksheets can be added at any time by clicking the + button next to the sheet tabs or pressing Shift+F11. A workbook can contain as many worksheets as memory allows. This change was made because many users never used all three default sheets, and it reduces file size for simple workbooks.

Question 4: Which of the following is NOT a valid Excel chart type?

Matrix Chart (Correct answer)
Waterfall Chart
Treemap Chart
Sunburst Chart

Correct answer: Matrix Chart

Matrix Chart is not a built-in Excel chart type. Waterfall, Treemap, and Sunburst charts were all added in Excel 2016.

Excel offers many chart types including Column, Bar, Line, Pie, Area, Scatter, Map, Stock, Surface, Radar, Funnel, and several types added in Excel 2016: Treemap (hierarchical data visualization), Sunburst (multi-level pie chart), Waterfall (running totals showing increases and decreases), Histogram, Box & Whisker, and Pareto. There is no built-in Matrix Chart type in Excel, though you could create a similar visualization using conditional formatting on a grid of cells or by using a third-party add-in.

Question 5: What does pressing F2 do when a cell is selected in Excel?

Enters edit mode for the active cell (Correct answer)
Opens the Save As dialog
Copies the cell content
Inserts a new row

Correct answer: Enters edit mode for the active cell

F2 puts the active cell into edit mode, placing the cursor in the cell so you can modify its contents without overwriting them.

F2 toggles the active cell into Edit mode, placing the cursor at the end of the cell's contents. This is different from simply typing, which enters Enter mode and replaces the cell's contents entirely. In Edit mode, you can use arrow keys to move within the cell text and click to position the cursor precisely. F2 also makes formula cell references visible with color-coded range highlights, which is invaluable for auditing formulas. Pressing Escape exits edit mode without saving changes, while Enter confirms changes.

Question 6: Which feature allows you to restrict what values users can enter into specific cells?

Data Validation (Correct answer)
Cell Protection
Input Mask
Format Cells

Correct answer: Data Validation

Data Validation lets you create rules that restrict input to whole numbers within a range, dates, list selections, text length limits, or custom formulas.

Data Validation (Data tab > Data Validation) allows you to create input rules for cells. Options include restricting to whole numbers, decimals, dates, times, text length, or custom formula criteria. You can create dropdown lists for selection, set input messages that appear when the cell is selected, and configure error alerts (Stop, Warning, or Information) for invalid entries. A common use is creating dropdown lists with =list_range. Data Validation does not prevent pasting invalid data by default; you need the circle invalid data feature or VBA for complete enforcement.

Microsoft Excel MCQ Questions and Answers 2

Which tab on the Excel ribbon contains the Sort and Filter commands?