Top Interview Questions on Advanced Excel (With Answers)

Introduction

Advanced Excel skills are highly valued in today’s job market. Whether you’re applying for roles in finance, HR, MIS reporting, data analysis, or business intelligence, interviewers often test your knowledge of Excel’s advanced features. Excel Training in hyderabvad

In this blog, we’ll cover the most frequently asked Advanced Excel interview questions with answers and examples to help you prepare with confidence

🔹 1. What is the difference between VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP?

VLOOKUP searches for a value in the first column of a table and returns data from a specified column.

XLOOKUP is more flexible—it can search in any direction (vertical or horizontal), allows exact match by default, and provides error-handling.

Example:

=VLOOKUP(101, A2:D20, 3, FALSE)
=XLOOKUP(101, A2:A20, C2:C20, “Not Found”)

🔹 2. What is the use of INDEX and MATCH?

Answer:
INDEX returns the value of a cell based on its row and column number, while MATCH returns the position of a value.
When combined, INDEX + MATCH can replace VLOOKUP for more flexibility.

Example:

=INDEX(C2:C20, MATCH(101, A2:A20, 0))

🔹 3. What are Pivot Tables and why are they used?

Answer:
A Pivot Table is a tool in Excel that summarizes large datasets, allowing you to analyze, group, and filter information quickly.

Use Cases:

• Summarizing monthly sales data
• Finding department-wise employee counts
• Creating quick reports without formulas

🔹 4. What is Conditional Formatting in Excel?

Answer:
Conditional Formatting changes the appearance of cells based on rules or conditions.

Example:

• Highlight sales greater than ₹50,000
• Color-code student scores (red for <40, green for >80)

🔹 5. Explain the difference between Absolute, Relative, and Mixed Cell References.

In Excel, Absolute Reference Means That A Cell Reference Does Not Change When A Formula Is Copied To Another Cell.

🔹 Syntax:

Use the $ sign before the column letter and/or row number:

• $A$1 — Locks both column A and row 1
• A$1 — Locks only row 1
• $A1 — Locks only column A

✅ Examples

1. Absolute Reference: $A$1

= $A$1 * B1

• When copied, $A$1 will not change, only B1 will change according to its new row.

2. Relative Reference: A1

= A1 * B1

• When copied, both A1 and B1 change relative to their new position.

3. Mixed Reference: $A1 or A$1

= $A1 * B$1

• $A1 keeps column fixed, row changes.
• B$1 keeps row fixed, column changes.

🎯 Use Case Example

A	B	C
2	5	=A1*$B$1 (copy down)
3	5
4	5

Formula in C1: =A1*$B$1
Copying the formula down keeps $B$1 fixed, multiplying each A value by B1.

🎓 Shortcut to Insert $ Symbol:

• Select the cell reference in the formula bar and press F4
  • Press repeatedly to toggle:
    1. $A$1 (absolute)
    2. A$1 (row locked)
    3. $A1 (column locked)
    4. A1 (relative)

🔹 6. What is the use of the IF and IFS functions?

Answer:

• IF checks one condition and returns results accordingly.
• IFS allows multiple conditions without nesting.

Example:

=IF(B2>=60,"Pass","Fail")  
=IFS(B2>=80,"Excellent",B2>=60,"Pass",B2<60,"Fail")

🔹 7. What is Power Query in Excel?

Answer:
Power Query is a data transformation tool that allows importing, cleaning, merging, and automating data from multiple sources without using formulas.

🔹 8. How do you remove duplicates in Excel?

Answer:

• Use the Remove Duplicates option under the Data tab.
• Use the formula:

=UNIQUE(A2:A100)

🔹 9. What is the difference between COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTBLANK, and COUNTIF?

Answer:

• COUNT: Counts numeric values only.
• COUNTA: Counts all non-empty cells.
• COUNTBLANK: Counts empty cells.
• COUNTIF: Counts cells that meet a condition.

🔹 10. What are some advanced charting options in Excel?

Answer:

• Combo charts (Bar + Line)
• Sparklines
• Waterfall charts
• Treemap and Sunburst charts

Conclusion

These are the top Advanced Excel interview questions with answers that professionals are most often asked. Preparing these will not only help you clear interviews but also boost your Excel productivity at work.

👉 Want to practice these concepts with real-world datasets and case studies?
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