Line total for one item
What is the cost of the notebooks, quantity in B2 times unit price in C2?
Formula: =B2*C2 → 18
Hands-on Excel exercises
Basic Excel Skills Test Practice
Practice basic Excel skills with a small supplies order: totals, row calculations, a bulk-order rule, and a maximum, with worked answers.
A basic Excel test checks that you can work without help on the ground floor: type data into cells, write a formula that starts with an equals sign, copy it down, and total a column. The questions look easy, which is why careless mistakes cost points. A formula that points one row too high or a range that stops a row early looks fine until someone checks it.
The live sheet is a supplies order with a quantity and a unit price for five items. Your task is the total cost of the order, which multiplies each quantity by its price and adds the results. After you solve it, change a quantity in B2 and confirm that the answer moves. That small test is how you prove a formula uses cell references and not typed numbers, which stop working the moment an input changes.
The worked answers cover the other foundations: a line total for one item, the average quantity per item, a simple rule that labels the order as bulk or standard, and the most expensive unit price. Take your time. At this level, accuracy matters more than speed, and a calm check, such as adding two rows by hand, protects you from silly errors. The next step is the intermediate page.
Your turn
Your turn: in F2, calculate the total cost of the order: each quantity in B2:B6 times its unit price in C2:C6, added up.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Quantity | Unit price | |||
| 2 | Notebook | 12 | 1.5 | |||
| 3 | Pen | 30 | 0.4 | |||
| 4 | Folder | 8 | 0.75 | |||
| 5 | Marker | 6 | 1.25 | |||
| 6 | Tape | 4 | 2 |
Not yet solved.
Answer: =SUMPRODUCT(B2:B6,C2:C6)
Practice under a time limit
Try the free Sample mock exam with 4 tasks in 8 minutes, or browse the level and interview mock exams included with Pro + Exams.
Related exercises
Open a task in its lesson.
- In B4, enter the population of Phoenix: 1600000.
- In D2, calculate the total for bread: price × quantity.
- In D7, calculate the total amount of the purchase.
- In E2, count how many employees have a number in the sales column (B).
- In C2:C8, write "Pass" if the score is at least the passing score (F1), otherwise "Fail".
- In H1, calculate the order total.
Worked answers
Try the spreadsheet first, then compare your formula and result.
Average quantity per item
What is the average quantity per item in B2:B6?
Formula: =AVERAGE(B2:B6) → 12
Label the order size
Return Bulk if the total quantity is above 50, otherwise Standard.
Formula: =IF(SUM(B2:B6)>50,"Bulk","Standard") → Bulk
Find the highest unit price
What is the highest unit price in C2:C6?
Formula: =MAX(C2:C6) → 2
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a basic Excel skill?
Entering data, writing formulas with cell references, copying formulas, using SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT, and writing a simple IF.
Why use cell references instead of numbers?
References keep the formula alive when inputs change. A typed number silently goes stale.
How do I check my answer quickly?
Change one input and see whether the result moves in the direction you expect, then add two rows by hand to compare.
When am I ready for the intermediate page?
When you can write these formulas without looking at the answers and explain what each reference points to.