Excel shortcut speed-run
10 Excel shortcuts, one after the other, in a real grid. Press each one as fast as you can and see how long it takes you. It's free, there's nothing to sign up for, and your best time stays in this browser.
Ready?
- 10 rounds. Each one names a shortcut for you to press in the sheet.
- The clock starts when you press Start and stops after the last round.
- A wrong key counts as a miss and puts the round back. Stuck? The keys appear after a few seconds.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 120 | 30 | ||||
| 3 | 95 | 25 | ||||
| 4 | 140 | 45 | ||||
| 5 | 110 | 20 | ||||
| 6 | 80 | 35 | ||||
| 7 | ||||||
| 8 | ||||||
| 9 | ||||||
| 10 |
How the speed-run works
Each round sets up a small sheet the way the shortcut needs it: a cell to start from, a block of numbers, a formula to copy or an entry you're halfway through typing. Then it names the shortcut, and pressing it is the whole task. The sheet behaves like Excel for Windows; on a Mac, Cmd takes the place of Ctrl.
The rounds are drawn from the shortcuts listed below, in a new order every run. A miss costs you time, because the round starts over, but nothing else. If you don't know a shortcut, wait a few seconds and its keys appear, so a first run teaches as much as it tests.
Shortcuts stick when you press them often, not when you read about them. Do a few runs a day for a week and the slow ones turn into reflexes. The table at the end shows which shortcut held you up, with a link to its own page and drill.
The shortcuts in the speed-run
Each run picks from these 19. Open one to read what it does and practice it on its own.
- Jump to the last filled cell in a columnCtrl+Down
- Select to the last filled cellCtrl+Shift+Down
- Extend the selection by one cellShift+Right
- Select the whole rowShift+Space
- Select the whole columnCtrl+Space
- Select the current region or the whole sheetCtrl+A
- Go to cell A1Ctrl+Home
- Go to the last used cellCtrl+End
- Edit the active cellF2
- Cancel the entryEsc
- Confirm and move downEnter
- Confirm and move rightTab
- Fill downCtrl+D
- Fill rightCtrl+R
- Enter the same value in every selected cellCtrl+Enter
- Toggle absolute and relative referencesF4
- Insert AutoSumAlt+=
- UndoCtrl+Z
- RedoCtrl+Y
Questions
Is the shortcut speed-run free?
Yes. It's free and needs no account. Your best time is saved in this browser only.
Does it work on a Mac?
Yes. On a Mac the speed-run shows the Mac keys, and Cmd works where Windows uses Ctrl, as in Excel for Mac. Some Mac laptops need Fn for keys like Home and End.
Why aren't Ctrl+N, Ctrl+T and Ctrl+W in it?
Your browser keeps those combinations for itself (new window, new tab, close tab), so no web page can catch them. Their shortcut pages explain them instead.
What is a good time?
There's no fixed target. Aim to beat your own best and to finish without misses. Once every round takes about a second, you know the shortcuts by heart.