FIN 220 Excel Spreadsheet Skills Test
Access to Excel Software
If don’t yet have Excel on your personal computer, you can download it for free using your
Menlo account.
1. Go to the following website and enter your full Menlo email address:
https://portal.office.com/signup?sku=Education
2. When presented the choice between Student or Teacher, choose Student.
3. Once you get the confirmation email from Microsoft, activate and finish creating your
Microsoft account.
4. The landing page will display a link to download the Office installer matching the platform
(Mac or Windows) of the computer you’ve used to log into Office365. You also have the ability to
download and install older versions of Office by clicking on the “Other installs” link.
Note: In addition to the desktop software you can download and install, Office 365 gives you
access to an online, browser-based version of Excel. However, this is a pared-down version that
lacks many of the features you will need for your Finance 320 coursework. Make sure you
download and install the desktop version of Excel to have access to all of the tools and
features you need.
Excel Test Info
The main objective of the Excel Spreadsheet Skills Test is to understand and assess students’
ability to manipulate data and successfully apply the formulas or features available in Excel to
perform calculations and create target views or visual representations.
Skills Covered:
1. Graph a function using scatter plot and trendline
2. Create a table, sort data, and apply filters
3. Use cell references effectively, including for formula update (absolute vs. relative cell
references)
4. Use common functions [AVERAGE (MEAN), MEDIAN, MODE, MAX, MIN, COUNT,
AND, OR / XOR, ISNUMBER, SLOPE, INTERCEPT, IF, Nested function with IF (IF in
combination with another function)]
5. Create a bar graph and manipulate how the graph displays information (e.g. transpose
rows and columns)
6. Create a scatter plot; add linear trendline (w/ equation and R-squared)
An Excel workshop for students in Finance 220 will be hosted by the Course Tutoring
Program to review these skills, as well as provide introduction to the basics of Excel,
where necessary.
There is also a video version of the workshop available:
For Windows: https://youtu.be/x2_lGHncjm8
For Mac: https://youtu.be/5qjNP5ICaqA
LinkedIn Learning:
Students can access Excel courses on LinkedIn Learning for additional support.
You should be able to log in to LinkedIn Learning using your Menlo credentials; instructions are
available here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qFYLDKTyaPRkjHf9KKmYSZ4sbYXKiFGV3-ionA49AQg/
edit?usp=sharing
If you have trouble accessing LinkedIn Learning, we can enable your account manually; contact
Dr. Lisa Villarreal, Executive Director for Academic Success.
The following LinkedIn Learning content has been reviewed and evaluated for quality; they
provide a good overview that covers most of the skills you will need for your Finance 220, and
provides additional Excel tips. Students can choose the course that is designed for the version
of Excel you have installed on your personal computer:
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Excel 2016 Essential Training (Dennis Taylor)
Excel 2019 Essential Training (Dennis Taylor)
Excel Essential Training (Office 365/Microsoft 365) (Dennis Taylor)
Excel for Mac 2016 Essential Training (Curt Frye)
Excel for Mac Essential Training (Office 365/Microsoft 365) (Curt Frye)
Excel 2019 for Mac Essential Training (Curt Frye)
Excel: Introduction to Formulas and Functions (Curt Frye)
These courses give an overview of many Excel features, but also include a table of contents
that will allow you to review specific topics.