EXCEL CRASH COURSE EXAM FROM
WALL STREET PREP - WALL STREET
PREP QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
UPDATED 2026
This Wall Street Prep Excel Crash Course Exam is a comprehensive assessment of
essential Excel keyboard shortcuts, functions, and financial modeling techniques. It
covers worksheet navigation and manipulation, including grouping sheets, splitting
and freezing panes, and moving between panes using F6. The exam tests
proficiency in formatting shortcuts (bold, italic, number formats, borders), data
tools (Paste Special, AutoFilter, sorting, subtotals, PivotTables), and formula
auditing (trace precedents with Ctrl+[, Go To Special with F5). Key financial
functions are examined, including EOMONTH, EDATE, YEARFRAC, PV, NPV,
XNPV, IRR, XIRR, and logical tests with IF and AND. Lookup and reference
functions such as VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, OFFSET,
CHOOSE, INDIRECT, and ADDRESS are covered, with emphasis on combining
MATCH with other functions for dynamic two-way lookups. Text manipulation
functions (LEN, SEARCH, FIND, SUBSTITUTE, Flash Fill with Ctrl+E,
VALUE, DATEVALUE) and mathematical rounding functions (ABS, CEILING,
FLOOR) are also included. The exam emphasizes grouping columns and rows with
outlining shortcuts, inserting and deleting worksheets, renaming sheets, and
understanding automatic vs. manual calculation settings. Overall, it tests both basic
productivity shortcuts and advanced financial modeling functions required for
investment banking, corporate finance, and other Wall Street roles.
1
,1. If i want to add the title "company financials" in cell a1 and ensure that all
columns are the same width across all the worksheets in my workbook, how would
i do that?
**correct answer: ** 1. Group the worksheets by hitting ctrl + shift and use the
page up/down keys to select the worksheets. 2. In the active sheet type in
"company financials" in a1 and apply the desired width to all columns. 3.
Remember to hit ctrl + page up or page down to make sure that future edits only
apply to the active sheet.
**rationale: ** grouping worksheets applies the same formatting and data entry to
all selected sheets simultaneously. Changing column width while grouped affects
every sheet in the group. Ungrouping afterward prevents accidental edits across all
sheets.
2. What is the keyboard sequence to: 1) group highlighted columns (but not hide
the group) 2) hide the group (will show a + sign above the column) 3) show the
group (will show a + sign above the column)
**correct answer: ** 1. Shift + alt + right arrow 2. Alt + a + h 3. Alt + a + j
**rationale: ** shift+alt+right arrow creates an outline group. Alt+a+h hides the
grouped columns, displaying a + sign to expand. Alt+a+j shows/unhides them.
These are excel's legacy outlining shortcuts.
3. What is the keyboard shortcut to open the paste special dialog box?
**correct answer:** alt + e + s or alt + h + v + s
**rationale:** alt+e+s is the legacy excel 2003 shortcut. Alt+h+v+s follows the
ribbon path: home → paste → paste special. Both open the dialog for pasting
values, formats, transpose, etc.
4. Which of the following keys is not a way to trace precedent cells?
**correct answer:** ctrl + alt + [
2
, **rationale:** ctrl+[ traces precedents, ctrl+] traces dependents, and alt+m+p is the
ribbon path for trace precedents. Ctrl+alt+[ has no standard function for tracing
precedents in excel.
5. What is the keyboard shortcut to freeze panes within a worksheet?
**correct answer:** alt + w + f + f
**rationale:** this follows the ribbon: view tab (alt+w) → freeze panes (f) →
freeze panes (f). It freezes rows above and columns left of the active cell.
6. Please select the answer that best describes the shortcut to: split (not freeze) an
excel sheet into just two panes (top and bottom). To navigate from pane to pane.
**correct answer:** 1. With the active cell on any row but in column a, hit alt + w
+ s to split the panes into top and bottom. 2. Hit f6 to jump from pane to pane (in
some versions of excel you will need to hit f6 several times).
**rationale:** alt+w+s splits the window horizontally when active cell is in
column a. F6 cycles through panes, ribbon, and status bar; multiple presses may be
needed.
7. You are in cell a1 and start a formula by typing = in a worksheet with split top
and bottom panes. In order to jump to the bottom pane while working on the
formula:
**correct answer:** hit f6
**rationale:** while editing a formula, f6 moves the cursor between split panes
without exiting the formula bar, allowing you to select a cell reference from
another pane.
8. &
**correct answer:** concatenate words and data
**rationale:** the ampersand is excel's concatenation operator, joining text strings,
numbers, and cell references (e.g., ="total: " & a1).
3
WALL STREET PREP - WALL STREET
PREP QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
UPDATED 2026
This Wall Street Prep Excel Crash Course Exam is a comprehensive assessment of
essential Excel keyboard shortcuts, functions, and financial modeling techniques. It
covers worksheet navigation and manipulation, including grouping sheets, splitting
and freezing panes, and moving between panes using F6. The exam tests
proficiency in formatting shortcuts (bold, italic, number formats, borders), data
tools (Paste Special, AutoFilter, sorting, subtotals, PivotTables), and formula
auditing (trace precedents with Ctrl+[, Go To Special with F5). Key financial
functions are examined, including EOMONTH, EDATE, YEARFRAC, PV, NPV,
XNPV, IRR, XIRR, and logical tests with IF and AND. Lookup and reference
functions such as VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, OFFSET,
CHOOSE, INDIRECT, and ADDRESS are covered, with emphasis on combining
MATCH with other functions for dynamic two-way lookups. Text manipulation
functions (LEN, SEARCH, FIND, SUBSTITUTE, Flash Fill with Ctrl+E,
VALUE, DATEVALUE) and mathematical rounding functions (ABS, CEILING,
FLOOR) are also included. The exam emphasizes grouping columns and rows with
outlining shortcuts, inserting and deleting worksheets, renaming sheets, and
understanding automatic vs. manual calculation settings. Overall, it tests both basic
productivity shortcuts and advanced financial modeling functions required for
investment banking, corporate finance, and other Wall Street roles.
1
,1. If i want to add the title "company financials" in cell a1 and ensure that all
columns are the same width across all the worksheets in my workbook, how would
i do that?
**correct answer: ** 1. Group the worksheets by hitting ctrl + shift and use the
page up/down keys to select the worksheets. 2. In the active sheet type in
"company financials" in a1 and apply the desired width to all columns. 3.
Remember to hit ctrl + page up or page down to make sure that future edits only
apply to the active sheet.
**rationale: ** grouping worksheets applies the same formatting and data entry to
all selected sheets simultaneously. Changing column width while grouped affects
every sheet in the group. Ungrouping afterward prevents accidental edits across all
sheets.
2. What is the keyboard sequence to: 1) group highlighted columns (but not hide
the group) 2) hide the group (will show a + sign above the column) 3) show the
group (will show a + sign above the column)
**correct answer: ** 1. Shift + alt + right arrow 2. Alt + a + h 3. Alt + a + j
**rationale: ** shift+alt+right arrow creates an outline group. Alt+a+h hides the
grouped columns, displaying a + sign to expand. Alt+a+j shows/unhides them.
These are excel's legacy outlining shortcuts.
3. What is the keyboard shortcut to open the paste special dialog box?
**correct answer:** alt + e + s or alt + h + v + s
**rationale:** alt+e+s is the legacy excel 2003 shortcut. Alt+h+v+s follows the
ribbon path: home → paste → paste special. Both open the dialog for pasting
values, formats, transpose, etc.
4. Which of the following keys is not a way to trace precedent cells?
**correct answer:** ctrl + alt + [
2
, **rationale:** ctrl+[ traces precedents, ctrl+] traces dependents, and alt+m+p is the
ribbon path for trace precedents. Ctrl+alt+[ has no standard function for tracing
precedents in excel.
5. What is the keyboard shortcut to freeze panes within a worksheet?
**correct answer:** alt + w + f + f
**rationale:** this follows the ribbon: view tab (alt+w) → freeze panes (f) →
freeze panes (f). It freezes rows above and columns left of the active cell.
6. Please select the answer that best describes the shortcut to: split (not freeze) an
excel sheet into just two panes (top and bottom). To navigate from pane to pane.
**correct answer:** 1. With the active cell on any row but in column a, hit alt + w
+ s to split the panes into top and bottom. 2. Hit f6 to jump from pane to pane (in
some versions of excel you will need to hit f6 several times).
**rationale:** alt+w+s splits the window horizontally when active cell is in
column a. F6 cycles through panes, ribbon, and status bar; multiple presses may be
needed.
7. You are in cell a1 and start a formula by typing = in a worksheet with split top
and bottom panes. In order to jump to the bottom pane while working on the
formula:
**correct answer:** hit f6
**rationale:** while editing a formula, f6 moves the cursor between split panes
without exiting the formula bar, allowing you to select a cell reference from
another pane.
8. &
**correct answer:** concatenate words and data
**rationale:** the ampersand is excel's concatenation operator, joining text strings,
numbers, and cell references (e.g., ="total: " & a1).
3
