Excel and Access questions...?

Question

I'm conducting an interview tomorrow and need some questions that will help me determine whether or not the candidate really knows Access and Excel or if they just say they know it. Anyone have any ideas?

Answer 1

I assume that there is a requirement for some sort of proficiency in Excel and Access for the job. In which case, use an example of something they will be doing and ask them how they would do it. Perhaps even have a PC set up in the interview room with some example data to manipulate.

Alternatively, you can be pretty sure someone is good with Excel if they are comfortable using functions/formulas so pick some functions (like VLOOKUP) which are used quite a bit but not used at all by basic Excel users, and ask questions about them.

Answer 2

I would ask them how to convert an Excel spreadsheet into an Access table, and then have them create a query in Access. Also, in Excel, have them create a chart from prepared data. These two programs work so well together that anyone who claims to know them both should know how they interact.

Answer 3

Tough question... If knowing Excel & Access are part of the job, then perhaps you could have a previous excel example to give them and have them complete it.

Excel questions:
"How proficient would you say you are on Excel?"
"Give me an example of a problem you were given in Excel and what the solution was?"
"How long did it take you to come to this solution?"
"Do you typically use formulas or have you used Visual Basic for more complicated formulas?"

Access questions:
"How proficient would you say you are on Access?"
"Give me an example of a problem you were given in Access and what the solution was?"
"How long did it take you to come to this solution?"
"What is the largest database you've worked on?"
# of tables
# of rows
# of reports

Answer 4

Well, you could ask them if they brought any examples of their work.. or ask for it next time and then have them go through how they reached this.

For Excel, have a small scenario where they have to give the formula. Like: what formula do you use when you want to _______

Or, how do they "unmerge cells, split, or merge cells"

I don't know access very well, sorry.