Improve your computer awareness skills for SSC and Banking exams with these essential keyboard shortcuts. They’ll help you navigate and format data more efficiently in spreadsheets and other applications. They cover a wide range of functions, including formatting, navigation, and data manipulation.
Navigating Between Worksheet Tabs
- Ctrl+PgDn: Switch between worksheet tabs from left-to-right
- Ctrl+PgUp: Switch between worksheet tabs from right-to-left
Formatting Cells
- Ctrl+Shift+&: Apply outline border to selected cells
- Ctrl+Shift+_: Remove the outline border from selected cells
- Ctrl+Shift+~: Apply General number format
- Ctrl+Shift+$: Apply Currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers in parentheses)
- Ctrl+Shift+%: Apply Percentage format with no decimal places
- Ctrl+Shift+^: Apply Scientific number format with two decimal places
- Ctrl+Shift+#: Apply Date format with day, month, and year
- Ctrl+Shift+@: Apply Time format with hour, minute, and AM or PM
- Ctrl+Shift+!: Apply Number format with two decimal places, thousands separator, and minus sign (-) for negative values
Selecting and Editing Data
- Ctrl+Shift+*: Select the current region around the active cell or the entire PivotTable report (if in a PivotTable)
- Ctrl+Shift+: Enter the current time
- Ctrl+Shift+”: Copy value from cell above the active cell into the cell or Formula Bar
Inserting and Deleting Cells
- Ctrl+Shift+Plus (+): Display Insert dialog box to insert blank cells
- Ctrl+Minus (-): Display Delete dialog box to delete selected cells
Entering Data
- Ctrl+;: Enter the current date
- Ctrl+’: Copy the formula from the cell above the active cell into the cell or Formula Bar
Displaying Data
- Ctrl+`: Alternate between displaying cell values and displaying formulas in the worksheet
- Ctrl+6: Alternate between hiding and displaying objects
- Ctrl+8: Display or hide the outline symbols
Formatting Cells
- Ctrl+1: Display Format Cells dialog box
- Ctrl+2 / Ctrl+B: Apply or remove bold formatting
- Ctrl+3 / Ctrl+I: Apply or remove italic formatting
- Ctrl+4 / Ctrl+U: Apply or remove underlining
- Ctrl+5: Apply or remove strikethrough
Selecting and Editing Data
- Ctrl+9: Hide selected rows
- Ctrl+0: Hide selected columns
- Ctrl+A: Select the entire worksheet
- Ctrl+C: Copy selected cells
- Ctrl+D: Fill Down the command to copy the contents and format of the topmost cell into the cells below
- Ctrl+E: Add more values to the active column using the surrounding data
- Ctrl+F: Display the Find and Replace dialog box with the Find tab selected (Shift+F5 also displays this tab, Shift+F4 repeats last Find action)
- Ctrl+G: Display Go To dialog box (F5 also displays this dialog box)
- Ctrl+H: Display Find and Replace dialog box with Replace tab selected
- Ctrl+K: Display Insert Hyperlink dialog box for new hyperlinks or Edit Hyperlink dialog box for existing hyperlinks
- Ctrl+L: Display Create Table dialog box
- Ctrl+N: Create new, blank workbook
- Ctrl+O: Display Open dialog box to open or find a file (Ctrl+Shift+O selects all cells containing comments)
- Ctrl+P: Display Print tab in Microsoft Office Backstage view (Ctrl+Shift+P opens Format Cells dialog box with Font tab selected)
- Ctrl+Q: Display Quick Analysis options for selected data
- Ctrl+R: Fill Right command to copy contents and format of leftmost cell into cells to the right
- Ctrl+S: Save active file with current file name, location, and format
- Ctrl+T: Display Create Table dialog box
- Ctrl+V: Paste contents of Clipboard at insertion point and replace any selection (Ctrl+Alt+V displays Paste Special dialog box)
- Ctrl+W: Close selected workbook window
- Ctrl+X: Cut selected cells
- Ctrl+Y: Repeat last command or action, if possible
- Ctrl+Z: Undo last command or delete last entry typed
Accessing Help and Tools
- F1: Display Excel Help task pane
- F2: Edit active cell and position insertion point at the end of cell contents
Working with Names and Formulas
- F3: Display Paste Name dialog box (available if names have been defined in the workbook)
- Shift+F3: Display Insert Function dialog box
- F4: Repeat last command or action, if possible (cycles through absolute and relative references when a cell reference or range is selected in a formula)
Navigating and Managing Windows
- F5: Display Go To dialog box
- Ctrl+F5: Restore window size of the selected workbook window
- F6: Switch between worksheet, ribbon, task pane, and Zoom controls (includes split panes when switching)
- Shift+F6: Switch between worksheet, Zoom controls, task pane, and ribbon
- Ctrl+F6: Switch to next workbook window when more than one workbook window is open
Checking Spelling and Moving Windows
- F7: Display Spelling dialog box to check spelling in active worksheet or selected range
- Ctrl+F7: Perform Move command on the workbook window when not maximized (use arrow keys to move window)
Selecting and Sizing Cells
- F8: Turn extend mode on or off (arrow keys extend selection)
- Shift+F8: Add nonadjacent cell or range to a selection using arrow keys
- Ctrl+F8: Perform Size command when a workbook is not maximized
Working with Macros
- Alt+F8: Display Macro dialog box to create, run, edit, or delete a macro
Calculating Worksheets
- F9: Calculate all worksheets in all open workbooks
- Shift+F9: Calculate active worksheet
- Ctrl+Alt+F9: Calculate all worksheets in all open workbooks, regardless of changes since last calculation
- Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F9: Recheck dependent formulas and calculate all cells in all open workbooks
Using Key Tips and Shortcut Menus
- F10: Turn key tips on or off
- Shift+F10: Display shortcut menu for a selected item
- Alt+Shift+F10: Display menu or message for Error Checking button
- Ctrl+F10: Maximize or restore selected workbook window
Creating Charts and Worksheets
- F11: Create a chart of data in the current range in a separate Chart sheet
- Shift+F11: Insert new worksheet
- Alt+F11: Open Microsoft Visual Basic For Applications Editor to create macros using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
Saving Files
- F12: Display Save As dialog box