Practice by topic / Excel / Fundamentals
Every Excel formula is built from the same basics: cell references, operators and the order Excel calculates them in. Get these right and the rest of Excel stops feeling like guesswork. These 10 exercises build up step by step, starting with lock a tax rate, lock a fixed shipping fee, lock an exchange rate.
3 of 10 free · no sign-up needed · graded on the formula you write
B1 holds a tax rate that should never shift. A2 holds a price. Write a formula in C2 that multiplies A2 by the locked tax rate in B1.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.08 | ||
| 2 | 100 | ? |
Lock the tax rate cell so it doesn't shift when copied: =A2*$B$1
Exactly — locking B1 with dollar signs keeps that reference fixed when the formula is copied down, while A2 still shifts normally.
Expected result in C2: 8
B1 holds a flat shipping fee that applies to every order. A2 holds an order subtotal. Write a formula in C2 that adds the locked shipping fee to A2.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.99 | ||
| 2 | 40 | ? |
Lock the shipping fee: =A2+$B$1
Good — locking B1 means every copied row still adds the same shipping fee instead of shifting to a blank cell.
Expected result in C2: 45.99
B1 holds a fixed exchange rate. A2 holds an amount in USD. Write a formula in C2 that converts A2 using the locked rate in B1.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.92 | ||
| 2 | 250 | ? |
Lock the exchange rate: =A2*$B$1
Right — locking the exchange rate cell means every row converts against the same rate when copied down.
Expected result in C2: 230
B1 holds a fixed commission rate. A2 holds a sales amount. Write a formula in C2 that calculates the commission using the locked rate.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.05 | ||
| 2 | 3000 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →B1 holds a fixed target value. A2 holds this row's actual value. Write a formula in C2 that returns TRUE if A2 meets or exceeds the locked target.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | ||
| 2 | 120 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →B1 holds a fixed conversion factor (e.g. kg to lbs). A2 holds a weight in kg. Write a formula in C2 that converts it using the locked factor.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.20462 | ||
| 2 | 10 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →B1 holds a fixed bonus threshold. A2 holds this row's score. Write a formula in C2 returning TRUE if A2 is above the locked threshold.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 90 | ||
| 2 | 95 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →B1 holds a fixed total (e.g. total budget). A2 holds this department's spend. Write a formula in C2 for this department's share of the locked total.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10000 | ||
| 2 | 2500 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →B1 holds a fixed base price. A2 holds this row's discount percentage as a decimal. Write a formula in C2 for the discount amount off the locked base price.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 | ||
| 2 | 0.1 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →B1 holds a fixed annual interest rate. A2 holds a principal amount for this row. Write a formula in C2 for the interest using the locked rate.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.045 | ||
| 2 | 5000 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →