Once a candidate successfully clears the combined cut-off of Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III, he is subjected to a Computer Proficiency Test (CPT). CPT is the last and final examination in the recruitment process of SSC CGL. However, few candidates take it lightly and end up losing their precious chance of acquiring CGL jobs. In the CPT, three modules are asked, mainly testing the basic skills of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. While Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint are easy to learn and score, MS Excel is a hard nut to crack for CGL Aspirants.
Many of the candidates perform well in MS Word and MS Powerpoint but couldn’t perform well in MS Excel that risks their chances of getting the job. MS Excel is a powerful tool for making accounting and analytics tasks easy. It might seem intimidating and complex, but it is an easy-to-learn tool if you practice it for a couple of days.
How to prepare MS Excel for SSC CGL Tier 4
- Focus More on Basic Calculation Operations: In SSC CGL in module 2 of the CPT, an assignment is given to create a table in MS Excel. In the module test, basic calculation operations are required to be used like addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. Anyone with basic exposure to Excel can perform those tasks easily. But, if you haven’t practiced well, then you might face great difficulties. And, if you are a beginner, you should learn basic arithmetic operations like how to divide values in excel, how to add values, etc positively. These functions are repeated very often.
- Learn Excel Formulas At tips: Instead of learning every single formula, you should focus more on mathematical operations formulae. In the Excel test, you will be required to calculate simple arithmetic operations like percentage, profit, increase or decrease, and average. Instead of just mugging up formulae, you should practically use them. Just in case, you have learned how to use the average function in Excel then try to apply it in Excel multiple times before you achieve perfection in it.
- Learn Creating Tables and Charts: Creating tables and charts is a basic yet important feature of MS Excel and can be asked in SSC CGL CPT. You should learn the basics of creating and editing Excel Tables, like adding rows and columns to a table. Along with the tables, you should learn how to create charts in MS Excel. In the CPT Assignment, sorting the data into a graph can be easily asked as it is a very fundamental feature of Excel.
- Practice more and more Excel Features: You can predict what will come in the Excel Module of the CPT. As Excel is a very common tool and is used widely, SSC expects its aspirants to be well aware of it. Excel is packed with powerful tools like locking formulas, absolute referencing, pivot tables and conditional formatting, etc. The more you explore, the better you will learn. While you don’t need to become an expert in Excel, you should also not ignore its fundamental operations. Your main focus should be to implement what you have learned through multiple practice sessions.
- Skratch a Bit of Advance Excel for Confidence: If you don’t have enough time for CPT, you should focus only on basic Excel Operations. But, if you have started early, you should not fancy your chances and learn a bit of Advance Excel to play Safe in the CPT. You would not want all of your hard work to go in vain due to some Excel. So, explore a few of Advance Excel Operations like index match formulas, converting columns into rows vice versa, automating and editing Excel Formulas, etc.
Since you have reached the final stage of CPT in your journey of this competitive Exam- You should not fancy your chances by ignoring CPT. Give your last stroke of hard work to CPT- CGL Jobs are awaiting you.
