Candidates should at the very least have an understanding of the basic purposes of Microsoft Excel. Ask them to provide an overview of the primary functions and uses of Excel. They should be able to explain the importance of Excel for an organization, such as an accountant or bookkeeper. What to look for in an answer:

• Broad understanding of Excel

• Description of spreadsheets used for calculations and more

• Examples of uses within an organization

Asking your candidate Excel interview questions that cover basic components of the software will help you to gauge their experience. This type of broad question can also lead to more complex questions, such as how to copy spreadsheets, format cells and adjust rows and columns. What to look for in an answer:

• Clear definition of spreadsheets, rows, columns, cells and other basic components

• Elaboration on basic knowledge

• Examples of how to format or adjust spreadsheets

This question tests candidates’ knowledge of basic Excel functions, as well as their mathematical proficiency. Because this is more of a technical and mathematical question, it's not as important for a candidate to provide an example from their work history. However, you might present them with a formula and ask them to explain how Excel would calculate it. What to look for in an answer:

• Clear explanation of the order of operations in Excel

• Comprehension of order of operations application

• Technical and mathematical ability

Some of the data and reports at your organization that are stored in Excel might need to be protected, such as private information or data that shouldn’t be changed without the appropriate authorization. Ask your candidate to explain how they would password protect an Excel workbook to demonstrate understanding. What to look for in an answer:

• Demonstrates how to password protect Excel workbooks

• Understands when workbooks might need to be protected

• Concise explanation of the process

A Pivot Table is an essential tool in Microsoft Excel that's used to summarize large amounts of data. Your candidate should be able to explain how and why you might use a Pivot Table in the workplace. You can also ask them to provide an example or past experience of when they've used a Pivot Table. What to look for in an answer:

• Explanation of Pivot Tables

• Understands application of Pivot Tables in workplace context

• Provides example of Pivot Table use

This question investigates candidates’ more specific knowledge about Excel. VLOOKUP can help users easily look up data, so they can show other data relationships and insights. This is important for any organization or project that regularly organizes large amounts of data. What to look for in an answer:

• Explanation of VLOOKUP function

• Mathematical understanding of VLOOKUP

• Application of VLOOKUP to workplace scenario

Functions and formulas have separate purposes in Excel, and users should understand the difference, regardless of whether they're creating worksheets or analyzing data. Ask your candidate excel interview questions that demonstrate they understand the difference. They should also provide examples of both functions and formulas. What to look for in an answer:

• Definition of formula and functions

• How formulas and functions are used differently

• Examples of formulas and functions

Excel Macros are used to make spreadsheet operations more efficient. An advanced user will understand how to create and use Macros, so this is a great excel interview question to gauge the depth of your candidate’s expertise. Ask them to provide examples of Macros in addition to a summary of the tool. What to look for in an answer:

• Explanation of Macros

• Identification of Macro languages

• Example of Macro use

Whether a user is creating worksheets or using them to analyze and report data, it’s necessary to understand how various charts work. Excel charts are able to provide a visual report of data in a variety of ways. You can ask your candidate how charts are created, examples of the types of charts you can create and an example of using charts. What to look for in an answer:

• Definition of Excel charts

• Different types of Excel charts

• Application of charts tool in workplace context

While Excel has many different predefined functions available, an efficient Excel user should have at least basic knowledge of a few functions and how they might use them. Your candidate should be able to list several and explain what task they perform. What to look for in an answer:

• Definition and purposes of function

• Several examples of functions

• Explanations of function tasks