10 Google Sheets Interview Questions and Answers

Google Sheets has become an essential tool for data management and analysis, offering a cloud-based alternative to traditional spreadsheet software. Its real-time collaboration features, extensive functions, and seamless integration with other Google Workspace applications make it a versatile choice for both personal and professional use. The platform’s ability to handle complex data sets and automate tasks through scripting has made it indispensable in various industries.

This article provides a curated selection of interview questions designed to test your proficiency with Google Sheets. By working through these questions, you will gain a deeper understanding of the platform’s capabilities and be better prepared to demonstrate your expertise in a technical interview setting.

Google Sheets Interview Questions and Answers

1. Explain how you would use the SUMIF function to sum values based on a specific condition.

The SUMIF function in Google Sheets sums values in a range that meet a specified condition. It’s useful for tasks like financial analysis and reporting where you need to sum values based on criteria.

The syntax for the SUMIF function is:

SUMIF(range, criterion, [sum_range])

• range: The range of cells to apply the criteria to.
• criterion: The condition for a cell to be included in the sum.
• sum_range (optional): The range of cells to sum. If omitted, the function sums the cells in the range.

Example: Suppose you have sales data in column A and sales amounts in column B. To sum the sales amounts for “Product A”:

A          B
1 Product  Sales
2 Product A 100
3 Product B 200
4 Product A 150
5 Product C 300

Use the formula:

=SUMIF(A2:A5, "Product A", B2:B5)

This formula checks each cell in A2:A5 for “Product A” and sums the corresponding values in B2:B5.

2. Describe the steps to apply conditional formatting to highlight cells that contain text starting with the letter “A”.

To apply conditional formatting to highlight cells with text starting with “A”:

• Select the range of cells.
• Go to “Format” and select “Conditional formatting”.
• Choose “Custom formula is” and enter =LEFT(A1, 1) = "A", replacing “A1” with the first cell in your range.
• Select the formatting style, such as a background color.
• Click “Done”.

3. How do you set up data validation to restrict input to a list of predefined options?

Data validation in Google Sheets controls the type of data entered into a cell. To restrict input to a list of predefined options:

• Select the cell or range.
• Go to “Data” and select “Data validation.”
• Choose “List of items” from the “Criteria” dropdown.
• Enter the options, separated by commas, in the “List of items” field.
• Optionally, check “Show dropdown list in cell” for easier selection.
• Click “Save”.

4. Explain how to create a pivot table to summarize sales data by region and product category.

To create a pivot table summarizing sales data by region and product category:

1. Open your Google Sheets document with the sales data.
2. Select the data range.
3. Click on Data, then Pivot table.
4. In the Pivot table editor, configure the rows, columns, values, and filters.

For summarizing by region and product category:

• Drag Region to Rows.
• Drag Product Category to Columns.
• Drag Sales to Values and set to SUM.

This creates a pivot table showing total sales for each product category within each region.

5. Write an array formula to multiply each value in column A by the corresponding value in column B.

An array formula in Google Sheets performs operations on a range of cells. To multiply each value in column A by the corresponding value in column B:

=ARRAYFORMULA(A:A * B:B)

This formula multiplies each element in column A by the corresponding element in column B.

6. Describe how to use the IMPORTRANGE function to import data from another Google Sheet.

The IMPORTRANGE function imports a range of cells from one spreadsheet to another. The syntax is:

IMPORTRANGE(spreadsheet_url, range_string)

• spreadsheet_url: The URL of the spreadsheet to import data from, in quotation marks.
• range_string: The range of cells to import, including the sheet name and cell range, in quotation marks.

Example:

=IMPORTRANGE("https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aBcD2EfGhIjKlMnOpQrStUvWxYz/edit", "Sheet1!A1:D10")

This imports the range A1:D10 from “Sheet1” of the specified document. The first time you use IMPORTRANGE, you’ll need to grant permission to access the other spreadsheet.

7. Write a QUERY function to filter rows where the value in column A is greater than 100.

The QUERY function in Google Sheets uses SQL-like syntax for data manipulation. To filter rows where the value in column A is greater than 100:

=QUERY(A1:B10, "SELECT * WHERE A > 100")

Here, A1:B10 is the data range, and the query string specifies selecting all columns where the value in column A is greater than 100.

8. Explain how to use the INDEX-MATCH function as an alternative to VLOOKUP.

The INDEX-MATCH function combines INDEX and MATCH. INDEX returns a value from a specified row and column, while MATCH returns the position of a value in a range.

The syntax is:

=INDEX(range, MATCH(search_key, search_range, 0))

Example: To find the price of “Banana” in a table with “Product” and “Price” columns:

A        B
1 Product Price
2 Apple   1.00
3 Banana  0.50
4 Cherry  2.00

Use:

=INDEX(B2:B4, MATCH("Banana", A2:A4, 0))

This searches for “Banana” in A2:A4 and returns the corresponding value from B2:B4, which is 0.50.

9. Describe the process of sharing a Google Sheet with specific permissions.

To share a Google Sheet with specific permissions:

1. Open the Google Sheet.
2. Click “Share” in the top-right corner.
3. Enter the email addresses of the people to share with.
4. Set the permission level: Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
5. Optionally, add a message to notify recipients.
6. Click “Send”.

You can manage permissions further by clicking “Advanced” in the sharing window.

10. Write an example of using the IF function to return different values based on a condition.

The IF function returns one value if a condition is true and another if false. The syntax is:

IF(condition, value_if_true, value_if_false)

Example:

=IF(A1 > 10, "Greater than 10", "10 or less")

This checks if the value in A1 is greater than 10. If true, it returns “Greater than 10”; otherwise, it returns “10 or less”.