C268 Practice Exam Questions and Answers
| Spreadsheets Western Governors University
| 2026/2027 Edition | Complete Solutions
Study Guide
SECTION 1: BASIC EXCEL SKILLS (Questions 1-8)
Q1: In Excel, a cell reference that changes when a formula is copied to another cell is
called a:
A) Absolute reference
B) Relative reference
C) Mixed reference
D) Static reference
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Rationale: Relative references (e.g., A1, B2:C10) automatically adjust when
copied to new locations. When you copy a formula containing A1 down one row, it
becomes A2; across one column, it becomes B1. This is Excel's default behavior and
allows for efficient formula replication across large datasets. Absolute references (A)
use dollar signs
,($A1)tolockbothrowandcolumn.Mixedreferences(C)lockonlyonecomponent( A1 or
A$1). "Static reference" (D) is not an Excel term.
Q2: Which formula correctly uses an absolute reference to cell B1 so that when copied,
the reference to B1 remains unchanged?
A) =A1B1
B) =A1$B
1C)=
A$1B1
D) =A$1B$1
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Rationale: $B$1 is an absolute reference using dollar signs before both the
column letter and row number. This ensures B1 remains fixed regardless of where the
formula is copied. Option A uses relative references throughout. Option C makes A1
absolute but leaves B1 relative. Option D uses mixed references (locking only rows).
Absolute references are essential when referring to constants like tax rates, lookup
tables, or fixed multipliers that shouldn't change when formulas are copied.
Q3: To select an entire column in Excel, you would:
A) Click the row number
B) Click the column letter
,C) Press Ctrl+A
D) Double-click any cell
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Rationale: Clicking the column letter (A, B, C, etc.) at the top of the worksheet
selects the entire column. Clicking row numbers (A) selects entire rows. Ctrl+A (C)
selects all cells in the worksheet (or current data region if used within data).
Double-clicking a cell (D) enters edit mode for that cell. Selecting entire columns is
useful for formatting, deleting, or inserting columns.
Q4: Which keyboard shortcut is used to open the Format Cells dialog box?
A) Ctrl+F
B) Ctrl+1
C) Ctrl+Shift+F
D) Alt+Enter
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Rationale: Ctrl+1 (Ctrl and the number 1) opens the Format Cells dialog,
providing access to:
● Number formatting (currency, percentage, date, custom)
● Alignment (horizontal, vertical, text control)
● Font and border options
● Fill colors and patterns
● Protection settings
, Ctrl+F (A) opens Find. Ctrl+Shift+F (C) opens font formatting in some Excel versions.
Alt+Enter (D) inserts a line break within a cell (useful for multi-line text).
Q5: What is the correct way to enter a formula in Excel?
A) Start with an equals sign (=)
B) Start with a plus sign (+)
C) Start with a minus sign (-)
D) Both A and B are acceptable
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Rationale: Excel accepts formulas beginning with = (equals sign) or + (plus
sign). The equals sign is standard and preferred. The plus sign is a legacy compatibility
feature from Lotus 1-2-3 (an early spreadsheet program) and works identically. Starting
with a minus sign (C) would indicate a negative number rather than a formula. Some
international versions also accept formulas starting with @, though this is less
common.
Q6: To insert a new worksheet in Excel, you would:
A) Click the + icon next to sheet tabs
B) Press Shift+F11
C) Right-click a sheet tab and select Insert
D) All of the above
Correct Answer: D
| Spreadsheets Western Governors University
| 2026/2027 Edition | Complete Solutions
Study Guide
SECTION 1: BASIC EXCEL SKILLS (Questions 1-8)
Q1: In Excel, a cell reference that changes when a formula is copied to another cell is
called a:
A) Absolute reference
B) Relative reference
C) Mixed reference
D) Static reference
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Rationale: Relative references (e.g., A1, B2:C10) automatically adjust when
copied to new locations. When you copy a formula containing A1 down one row, it
becomes A2; across one column, it becomes B1. This is Excel's default behavior and
allows for efficient formula replication across large datasets. Absolute references (A)
use dollar signs
,($A1)tolockbothrowandcolumn.Mixedreferences(C)lockonlyonecomponent( A1 or
A$1). "Static reference" (D) is not an Excel term.
Q2: Which formula correctly uses an absolute reference to cell B1 so that when copied,
the reference to B1 remains unchanged?
A) =A1B1
B) =A1$B
1C)=
A$1B1
D) =A$1B$1
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Rationale: $B$1 is an absolute reference using dollar signs before both the
column letter and row number. This ensures B1 remains fixed regardless of where the
formula is copied. Option A uses relative references throughout. Option C makes A1
absolute but leaves B1 relative. Option D uses mixed references (locking only rows).
Absolute references are essential when referring to constants like tax rates, lookup
tables, or fixed multipliers that shouldn't change when formulas are copied.
Q3: To select an entire column in Excel, you would:
A) Click the row number
B) Click the column letter
,C) Press Ctrl+A
D) Double-click any cell
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Rationale: Clicking the column letter (A, B, C, etc.) at the top of the worksheet
selects the entire column. Clicking row numbers (A) selects entire rows. Ctrl+A (C)
selects all cells in the worksheet (or current data region if used within data).
Double-clicking a cell (D) enters edit mode for that cell. Selecting entire columns is
useful for formatting, deleting, or inserting columns.
Q4: Which keyboard shortcut is used to open the Format Cells dialog box?
A) Ctrl+F
B) Ctrl+1
C) Ctrl+Shift+F
D) Alt+Enter
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Rationale: Ctrl+1 (Ctrl and the number 1) opens the Format Cells dialog,
providing access to:
● Number formatting (currency, percentage, date, custom)
● Alignment (horizontal, vertical, text control)
● Font and border options
● Fill colors and patterns
● Protection settings
, Ctrl+F (A) opens Find. Ctrl+Shift+F (C) opens font formatting in some Excel versions.
Alt+Enter (D) inserts a line break within a cell (useful for multi-line text).
Q5: What is the correct way to enter a formula in Excel?
A) Start with an equals sign (=)
B) Start with a plus sign (+)
C) Start with a minus sign (-)
D) Both A and B are acceptable
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Rationale: Excel accepts formulas beginning with = (equals sign) or + (plus
sign). The equals sign is standard and preferred. The plus sign is a legacy compatibility
feature from Lotus 1-2-3 (an early spreadsheet program) and works identically. Starting
with a minus sign (C) would indicate a negative number rather than a formula. Some
international versions also accept formulas starting with @, though this is less
common.
Q6: To insert a new worksheet in Excel, you would:
A) Click the + icon next to sheet tabs
B) Press Shift+F11
C) Right-click a sheet tab and select Insert
D) All of the above
Correct Answer: D
