Keyboard Shortcuts
🔒 Log in to trackMS Excel and PowerPoint shortcuts
🔒 Log in to trackMS Excel:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Home / Ctrl+End | Go to A1 / last used cell |
| Ctrl+Arrow | Jump to the edge of the data region |
| Ctrl+PageDown / Ctrl+PageUp | Next / previous worksheet |
| Ctrl+Space / Shift+Space | Select entire column / row |
| Ctrl+D / Ctrl+R | Fill down / fill right |
| Ctrl+Enter | Fill every selected cell with the same entry |
| Ctrl+; / Ctrl+Shift+; | Insert current date / time |
| Alt+= | AutoSum |
| Alt+Enter | New line inside a cell |
| F2 | Edit active cell |
| F4 | Cycle $ reference types (or repeat last action) |
| Shift+F3 | Insert Function dialog |
| F9 | Recalculate all workbooks |
| F11 / Alt+F1 | Chart on a new chart sheet / embedded chart |
| Shift+F11 | Insert new worksheet |
| Ctrl+1 | Format Cells dialog |
| Ctrl+Shift+$ / % / # | Currency / percentage / date format |
| Ctrl+9 / Ctrl+0 | Hide rows / hide columns |
| Ctrl+- / Ctrl+Shift++ | Delete / insert cells |
| Ctrl+T | Create a table |
| Ctrl+E | Flash Fill |
| Ctrl+Shift+L | Toggle filter |
| Ctrl+` | Show formulas instead of results |
MS PowerPoint: F5 show from slide 1; Shift+F5 show from the current slide; Esc ends the show; B/W black/white screen; N/P next/previous; number+Enter jumps to a slide; Ctrl+P pen and E erases ink during a show; Ctrl+M new slide; Ctrl+D duplicate; Alt+F5 presenter view.
Excel: moving around
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Home | Jump to cell A1 |
| Ctrl+End | Jump to the last used cell |
| Ctrl+Page Down / Up | Next / previous worksheet |
| Ctrl+Arrow key | Edge of the current data region |
| F5 / Ctrl+G | Go To a named cell |
| Ctrl+F | Find |
Excel: selecting and editing
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Space | Select the whole column |
| Shift+Space | Select the whole row |
| Ctrl+A | Select the worksheet/data region |
| F2 | Edit the active cell (also double-click) |
| Alt+Enter | New line inside a cell |
| Ctrl+D | Fill down from the cell above |
| Ctrl+R | Fill right from the cell on the left |
| Ctrl+; | Insert today's date |
| Ctrl+Shift+; | Insert the current time |
| F4 | Cycle absolute and relative references; repeat last action |
| Ctrl+1 | Format Cells dialog |
| Ctrl+Shift+L | Toggle AutoFilter |
| Alt+= | AutoSum |
| Shift+F11 | New worksheet |
Memory hooks: Ctrl+Space = one column tall and thin; Shift+Space = one row flat. The semicolon gives the timestamp pair — plain ; is date, with Shift it is time (': ' shares the key, time is the shifted thing).
PowerPoint: running the show
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| F5 | Start the slideshow from the beginning |
| Shift+F5 | Start from the current slide |
| Esc | End the slideshow |
| B | Black screen (press again to return); W = white screen |
| N / Space / Right | Next slide; P / Left = previous |
| number + Enter | Jump to that slide number |
| Ctrl+M | New slide |
| Ctrl+D | Duplicate the current slide |
Trap set: Ctrl+D duplicates a slide in PowerPoint but fills down in Excel and opens the Font dialog in Word — the same key with three jobs.
Everyday anchors and worked pairs
| You want to… | Press |
|---|---|
| Put "Total" under every month's column | Type once, then Ctrl+D down the column |
| Jump to the last cell you ever filled | Ctrl+End |
| Type an address over two lines in one cell | Alt+Enter between the lines |
| Stamp today's date on a report | Ctrl+; |
| Check one slide without running the whole deck | Shift+F5 |
| Keep the audience looking at you, not the slide | B (black) during the show |
Ten-second method: the stem gives an action ("select the row", "fill down", "start the show") → recall the family (selection = Space pair, filling = D/R, show = F5/Shift+F5) → eliminate options that swap row/column or F5/Shift+F5.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Excel navigation shortcuts
'Ctrl+Home in Excel takes you to…', 'jump to the last cell', 'move to the next worksheet'.
Ctrl+Home = A1, Ctrl+End = last used cell — corner recall.
Worksheets: Ctrl+PgDn next, Ctrl+PgUp previous.
Ctrl+Arrow jumps to the data edge; F5 opens Go To.
In MS Excel, Ctrl+Home moves the cursor to:
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Cell A1 — the home of every worksheet. Ctrl+End goes the other way, to the last used cell.
Row/column selection shortcuts
'Select the entire column', 'select the whole row', 'which selects the entire sheet?' — the Space pair.
Ctrl+Space = column, Shift+Space = row; Ctrl+A = whole sheet.
Trap: options swap the two, or offer plain Space (which just extends selection by a cell in some modes).
Anchor line: 'Control the column, Shift the row.'
Which shortcut selects the entire column of the active cell in Excel?
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Ctrl+Space — 'Control the column'; Shift+Space selects the entire row instead.
Excel editing and data-entry shortcuts
'Edit the contents of a cell', 'enter a new line within a cell', 'fill down', 'insert current date with a shortcut'.
F2 edits the cell; Alt+Enter puts a line break inside it; Ctrl+D fills down, Ctrl+R fills right.
Ctrl+; stamps today's date; Ctrl+Shift+; stamps the time.
F4 cycles dollar signs in a formula (and repeats the last action).
Which key edits the contents of the active cell in Excel?
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F2 — it turns the cell into edit mode (the same as double-clicking it).
PowerPoint slideshow shortcuts
'Start the slide show from the beginning', 'shortcut to end a presentation', 'black screen during a show', 'new slide shortcut'.
F5 = show from slide 1; Shift+F5 = from the current slide; Esc = end the show.
B black / W white (press again to come back); N or Space = next; P = previous.
Ctrl+M inserts a new slide; Ctrl+D duplicates the current one.
The shortcut to run a PowerPoint presentation from the beginning is:
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F5 — full show. Shift+F5 starts from whichever slide you are on.
Shortcuts that save time
Shift+F3: change case in Word, Insert Function in Excel. Ctrl+D: Font dialog in Word, fill down in Excel, duplicate in PowerPoint, bookmark in a browser. F5: Go To in Word/Excel, slide show in PowerPoint, refresh in a browser. Always read which application the question names.
Shift+F3 in MS Excel opens?
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The Insert Function dialog (not change case).
In Excel, Ctrl+PageDown moves to the next sheet and Ctrl+PageUp to the previous one, as if turning pages of the workbook.
Move to the previous worksheet?
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Ctrl+PageUp.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Choosing Ctrl+Shift+; for the date - that inserts the time; the date is Ctrl+;.
Mixing Ctrl+Space (column) with Shift+Space (row).
Answering F11 for 'insert worksheet' - F11 makes a chart sheet; Shift+F11 inserts a worksheet.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Excel corners: Ctrl+Home → A1, Ctrl+End → last cell; sheets via Ctrl+PgDn/PgUp.
Whole column Ctrl+Space, whole row Shift+Space; F2 edits, Alt+Enter breaks a line.
Fill down D, fill right R; date Ctrl+;, time Ctrl+Shift+;.
Show: F5 from start, Shift+F5 from here, Esc to stop, B black, W white, Ctrl+M new slide.
Practice: 19 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 4 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.