ABYAS SERIES 2025

UPSC EPFO 2025 (APFC & EO/AO)

MICROSOFT EXCEL
In Excel 2019 and later versions, files are saved by default with which extension?
A. .docx
B. .xlsx
C. .pptx
D. .xls

Answer: Option B
In Excel, the smallest unit of data entry is called:
A. Workbook
B. Worksheet
C. Cell
D. Column

Answer: Option C
Microsoft Excel Ribbon

Title Bar

Cell

Formula Bar

Ribbon
Which tab in Excel provides options like Conditional Formatting, Format Painter, and
AutoSum?
A. Home
B. Insert
C. Data
D. Review

Answer: Option A
 Home Tab

•Clipboard: Cut, Copy, Paste, Format Painter.

•Font: Bold, Italics, Borders, Fill Color.
•Alignment: Wrap Text, Merge & Center.
•Number: Apply Currency, Date, Percentage formats.
•Styles: Conditional Formatting, Cell Styles.
•Editing: AutoSum, Sort, Find & Replace.

Insert Tab
To add charts, PivotTables, shapes, and SmartArt graphics, which tab of excel should be
used?
A. Formulas
B. Page Layout
C. Insert
D. View

Answer: Option C
 Insert
Home Tab
Tab

•Tables: Table, PivotTable.

•Illustrations: Pictures, Shapes, Icons, SmartArt.
•Charts: Column, Line, Pie, Bar, Combo, etc.
•Sparklines: Mini-charts inside a cell.
•Text: Text Box, Header & Footer, WordArt.
Which of the following chart types is available in Excel?
A. Histogram
B. Pie Chart
C. Scatter Plot
D. All of the above

Answer: Option D
A user wants to adjust page margins, set orientation to landscape, and prepare the sheet
for printing. Which of the following tab in Excel provides these options?
A. Page Layout
B. Review
C. Data
D. Formulas

Answer: Option A
Page Layout Tab

•Themes: Colors, Fonts, Effects for consistent design.

•Page Setup: Margins, Orientation (Portrait/Landscape), Size, Print Area.
•Scale to Fit: Shrink or enlarge content to fit a page.
•Sheet Options: Show/Hide gridlines and headings.
•Arrange: Position and align objects.
In Excel, which tab provides access to the Function Library, Name Manager, and Formula
Auditing tools?
A. Data
B. Insert
C. View
D. Formulas

Answer: Option D
 Formulas Tab

•Function Library: Houses all categories of functions — Financial, Logical, Text, Date & Time, Lookup &
Reference, Math & Trig, etc. Also includes AutoSum and Recently Used functions.
•Defined Names: Tools like Define Name and Name Manager, which assign names to ranges for easier formula
writing.
•Formula Auditing: Commands like Trace Precedents, Trace Dependents, Evaluate Formula, and Watch Window
— useful for analyzing how formulas are connected.
•Calculation: Lets you control whether calculations are Automatic or Manual, and provides Calculate
Now/Calculate Sheet options.
In Excel, which tab contains tools like Sort, Filter, Remove Duplicates, and Data Validation?
A. Help
B. Review
C. View
D. Data

Answer: Option D
 Data Tab

•Get & Transform: Import data from external sources (Text, Web, Database).
•Sort & Filter: Sort ascending/descending, Custom Sort, Apply Filters, Clear filters.
•Data Tools: Text to Columns (split data), Remove Duplicates, Data Validation (control input values), Flash Fill.
•Forecast: What-If Analysis, Forecast Sheet.
•Outline: Group, Ungroup, Subtotal.
To restrict a column so that only numbers can be entered, which feature is used?
A. Data Validation
B. Conditional Formatting
C. Filter
D. Goal Seek

Answer: Option A
In Excel, which tab provides options for spelling check, adding comments, protecting a
worksheet, and translating text?
A. Insert
B. Data
C. View
D. Review

Answer: Option D
 Review Tab

•Proofing: Spelling check, Research, Thesaurus.

•Language: Translate and set language preferences.
•Comments/Notes: Insert, Edit, Delete comments or notes for collaborative editing.
•Protect: Protect Sheet, Protect Workbook, Allow Edit Ranges — essential for restricting changes.
To automate repetitive tasks in Excel, which feature is used?
A. Conditional Formatting
B. Macros
C. Data Validation
D. Pivot Charts

Answer: Option B
 View Tab

•Workbook Views: Normal, Page Layout, Page Break Preview, Custom Views.
•Show: Toggle display of Gridlines, Formula Bar, and Headings.
•Zoom: Zoom In, Zoom Out, 100% zoom.
•Window: New Window, Arrange All, Freeze Panes, Split screen.
•Macros: Record Macro, View Macros, Use Relative References.
To calculate the average marks of students in cells A1 to A10, which function is used?
A. =SUM(A1:A10)
B. =COUNT(A1:A10)
C. =AVERAGE(A1:A10)
D. =MAX(A1:A10)

Answer: Option C
A student’s score is in A1. If score ≥ 40, Excel should show “Pass”; otherwise “Fail”. Which
formula is correct?
A. =IF(A1>=40,"Pass","Fail")
B. =AVERAGE(A1,"Pass","Fail")
C. =SUM(A1,"Pass","Fail")
D. =VLOOKUP(A1,"Pass","Fail")

Answer: Option A
VLOOKUP in Excel is used to:
A. Search horizontally in a row
B. Search vertically in a column
C. Count the number of cells
D. Calculate average

Answer: Option B
Category Function Description / Example
SUM(A1:A10) Adds numbers from cell A1 to A10.
Mathematical ROUND(A1,2) Rounds the value in A1 to 2 decimal places.
INT(15.9) Returns the integer part → 15.
AVERAGE(A1:A10) Calculates the mean value.
MAX(A1:A10) Returns the highest value.
Statistical
MIN(A1:A10) Returns the lowest value.
COUNT(A1:A10) Counts numeric entries only.
LEN(A1) Returns length of text in A1.
LEFT(A1,5) Extracts first 5 characters.
Text Functions
RIGHT(A1,3) Extracts last 3 characters.
CONCAT(A1," ",B1) Combines text in A1 and B1 with a space.
IF(A1>50,"Pass","Fail") Returns Pass if A1 > 50, else Fail.
AND(A1>50,B1<100) Returns TRUE if both conditions are met.
Logical Functions
OR(A1>50,B1<100) Returns TRUE if at least one condition is met.
NOT(A1>50) Reverses the logical value (TRUE→FALSE).
VLOOKUP(value, table, col, FALSE) Searches vertically in a table.
HLOOKUP(value, table, row, FALSE) Searches horizontally in a table.
Lookup Functions
INDEX(table, row, col) Returns value from row & column of a table.
MATCH(value, range, 0) Returns the position of a value in a range.
TODAY() Returns current date.
NOW() Returns current date and time.
Date & Time DAY(A1) Returns the day from a date.
MONTH(A1) Returns the month from a date.
YEAR(A1) Returns the year from a date.