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, Intermediate, Advanced
- Word: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced
- Outlook: Intermediate
- PowerPoint: Basic
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 |