Managing Worksheets
What you need to understand
A workbook can hold many worksheets, and you must know how to insert, delete, rename, move, copy and reorder them using the sheet tabs and their right-click menu. Renaming is done by double-clicking the tab (or Rename); tab colours can help organise a workbook.
Copying a sheet within the same workbook, or into another workbook, uses Move or Copy with the Create a copy box ticked. Remember that Move is the default - if the question says the original must remain in place, you must tick the box. When copying to a different workbook, that workbook must already be open for it to appear in the To book list.
You should also be able to navigate between sheets, group several sheets so an entry or format applies to all of them, and control the view: freeze panes so headings stay visible while scrolling, split a window, show or hide gridlines and headings, and adjust the zoom.
Traps
- Unticking or forgetting Create a copy leaves you with a moved sheet and an empty original position.
- Trying to copy a sheet to a workbook that is closed - it will not be listed.
- Confusing freezing panes with hiding rows; frozen panes still print and still scroll.
- Deleting the last remaining sheet is not allowed; a workbook must contain at least one visible sheet.
Rule of thumb: the sheet tab's right-click menu contains almost every worksheet command you will be asked about - insert, delete, rename, move or copy, tab colour, hide.