Microsoft Office Skills Assessment

To continuously learn and develop your skill set, it is important to first understand the criteria considered for demonstrating a basic, intermediate, or advanced skill level in the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

Pre-requisites for All Microsoft Office Programs

Before you begin your assessment to determine training options, you must be able to perform the following functions:

  • Use a personal computer, keyboard and mouse
  • Open and close applications
  • Navigate basic file structures
  • Manage files and folders

Microsoft Office Assessment

Note: Click the link and log in with your netID and password; then download to open the guide and learning plan. 

Follow the Microsoft Office Assessment Guide and identify your areas of strength and development. Then download and complete your Microsoft Office Learning Plan to address any skill gaps and plan how you will acquire, practice and demonstrate the skill. It’s a good idea to discuss your plan with your supervisor. 

Excel Basic

Categories

Tasks

Formulas

Insert simple formulas (total, add, subtract, multiply, divide, count) and functions, show/hide formulas, orders of operations

Worksheet Basics

Navigation, menus and ribbons, editing data, data entry: autofill, saving a workbook and managing versions

Modify a worksheet

Insert, delete, and adjust cells, columns, and rows, search and replace, add comments, create new worksheet from filtered worksheet

Formatting techniques

Fonts, borders, colors, numbering, aligning, naming ranges, using filters, applying styles and themes, templates

Printing workbooks

Preview, print, page layout, freeze panes, center/wrap header row

 

Excel Intermediate

Categories

Task

Function library

Set ranges, logical functions (if, and..), date and time, text functions (Left, Right, MID, concat, number value, …), Text-to-Columns, combining data, TRIM

Using lists

Sort, filter, query with database functions, outline and subtotal data

Analyzing data

Create and modify tables, apply intermediate and conditional formatting

Charts

Create, analyze Pivot Table data, present data with pivot charts, filter using timelines and slicers

Distribution techniques

Repeat file names, sharing documents, save options

Excel Advanced

Categories

Task

Working with multiple worksheets and workbooks

Use links and external references, 3-D references, consolidate 

Lookup functions and formula auditing

Use lookup functions, trace cells, evaluate formulas

Sharing and Protecting worksheets

Collaborate on a worksheet, protect worksheets and workbooks

Automating workbook functionality

Data validation, macros, search for invalid data and formulas

Creating sparklines and mapping data

Create Sparklines, map data

Forecasting data

Determine potential outcomes using data tables and scenarios, use goal seek feature, forecasting data trends

Distribution techniques

Repeat filed names, sharing documents, save options

Word Basic

Categories

Task

Insert and formatting text and paragraphs

Fonts, borders, colors, numbering, aligning, applying styles and themes, use templates

Modifying a document

Insert, delete, search and replace, spellcheck, thesaurus, add comments

Manage Lists

Sort a list, format a list

Tables

Insert, modify, format a table, convert text to a table

Inserting graphic objects

Insert symbols and special characters, add images

Controlling page appearance

Border, color, headers and footers, page layout, add watermark

Printing documents

Preview, print, page layout

Preparing to publish a document

Check spelling, grammar, readability, research tools, check accessibility, save document other formats

Word Intermediate

Categories

Tasks

Organizing content using tables and charts

Sort table data, control cell out

Perform a calculation in table, create a chart, add an excel table

Inserting content using quick parts

Create and modify, Insert Building Blocks

Manage lists

Sort a list, format a list

Tables

Insert, modify, format table, convert text to a table

Inserting graphic objects

Insert symbols and special characters, add images

Controlling Page Appearance

Border, color, headers and footers, page layout, add watermark

Printing documents

Preview, print, page layout

Preparing to publish a document

Check spelling, grammar, readability, research tools, check accessibility, save document other formats

Word Advanced

Categories

Tasks

Manipulating images

Integrate pictures and text, adjust image appearance, insert other media elements

Custom graphic elements

Create text boxes and pull quotes, add word art and other text effects, draw shapes, complex illustrations with SmartArt

Mail merge

Personalized letters and envelopes to labels and email messages, merge names and addresses

Collaborating on documents

Prepare a document for collaboration, mark up a document, review markups, merge changes from other documents

Adding document references and Links

Add captions, cross-references, bookmarks, hyperlinks, insert footnotes and endnotes, add citations and a bibliography

Securing a document

Suppress information, set formatting and editing restrictions, restrict document access, add a digital signature to a document

Forms to manage content

Create forms, modify forms

Automating repetitive tasks with macros

Automate tasks by using macros, create a macro

Outlook Intermediate

Categories

Tasks

Outlook calendar

Scheduling appointments /recurring appointments, changing appointments, printing

The meeting planner

Scheduling a meeting / inviting other to a meeting, tracking meeting responses

Using calendar tools

Using flags, color code categories, using email to create calendar appointment

Review of advanced mail features

Creating folders, attaching files, distribution lists and internet addresses, Out of Office Assistant, Auto Signatures

Automating mail handling

The Rules Wizard, managing junk e-mail

Managing others with Outlook

Share calendar with others, redirecting meeting request to a delegate, delegate / track tasks, share contact / groups

Managing Outlook data files

Backup outlook items, change data file settings

PowerPoint Basic

Categories

Tasks

Creating a presentation

Select a presentation type, edit text, build a presentation

Advanced text formatting

Characters, paragraphs, text boxes

Adding graphics

Images, shapes

Modifying objects

Edit, format, group, arrange, animate

Adding tables

Create, format, insert

Adding charts

Create, format, insert

Preparing for delivery

Review, apply transitions, print, deliver