Spreadsheets: formulas, pivot tables, charts, Power Query, VBA.
Before starting, we run a 1-minute tech check — microphone, ambient noise, connection. If your setup isn't good enough, the test is fully refunded.
Stop claiming 'Advanced Excel' on your resume and actually prove it — formulas, pivot tables, Power Query, VBA — with an AI-verified badge in 15 minutes.
The Plume Excel badge is a 15-minute oral exam where an AI examiner probes the Excel skills that actually matter at work: advanced formulas (INDEX/MATCH, XLOOKUP, dynamic array functions like FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE), pivot tables with slicers and timelines, Power Query for automating data import and transformation, conditional formatting, dynamic charts, and the basics of VBA for task automation. Questions adapt in real time based on your answers — closer to a technical interview with a senior analyst than a multiple-choice quiz.
What sets this badge apart from a self-declared LinkedIn skill or an online quiz score is the evaluation method. An AI model (Claude Opus) reads the full transcript of your oral and scores you on reasoning, accuracy, and depth — not just whether you remembered a syntax. It compares approaches (VLOOKUP vs XLOOKUP, Power Query vs Power Pivot), tests edge cases, and assesses whether your Excel knowledge is surface-level or genuinely production-ready. The output: a score out of 100, a certified level, a detailed breakdown by skill area, and a public badge URL you can share anywhere.
This badge is built for anyone whose job involves Excel in a meaningful way: financial analysts, project managers, management consultants, data analysts who work alongside non-technical teams, executive assistants, and students targeting finance or ops roles. Whether you're job hunting, pitching a client, or just want to quantify a skill you've built over years, the Plume Excel badge gives you verifiable, auditable proof.
Here are the concrete dimensions the AI examines during the 15-minute oral.
INDEX/MATCH, XLOOKUP, nested IFs, SUMPRODUCT, dynamic array functions (FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE, SEQUENCE) — the AI checks whether you can pick the right tool and explain why, not just recite syntax.
Building and structuring pivots, grouping, calculated fields, slicers and timelines, auto-refresh — including classic traps like source data duplicates, blank rows, or incorrect grand totals.
Connecting to multiple sources, transformations (pivot/unpivot, merge, custom columns, data type handling), and scheduled refresh — the workflow that separates casual users from power users.
Recorded macros vs hand-written VBA, manipulating sheets and ranges with code, error handling, For/Each loops — the AI judges your conceptual grasp, not your ability to recite code from memory.
Data tables, Scenario Manager, Goal Seek, Solver — Excel's decision-support toolkit that's often overlooked but highly valued in finance, supply chain, and operations roles.
Formula-based rules, data bars, color scales, combo charts, secondary axes, sparklines — the ability to turn raw numbers into readable, actionable visuals.
Separating data, logic, and presentation layers; named ranges; sheet protection; version control habits — what separates a maintainable workbook from a spreadsheet nightmare.
Multi-table relationships, basic DAX measures (CALCULATE, SUMX), comparison with Power Query — for candidates handling large volumes without jumping to Power BI.
Final scoring is performed by Claude (Anthropic), which reads back the full transcript and applies this weighted criteria grid.
The AI evaluates your concrete knowledge of Excel formulas, tools, and workflows: syntax, behavior, edge cases, and common errors. This is the core of the badge and carries the most weight.
Knowing a feature isn't enough. The AI tests whether you can justify your choices — why Power Query over a formula? why XLOOKUP over VLOOKUP? — and identify the limits and tradeoffs of each approach.
Practical scenarios drawn from actual work situations (consolidating 12 monthly tabs, cleaning a messy CRM export, building an auto-updating dashboard) to assess whether your knowledge translates into solutions.
Since the exam is audio-only, the AI also evaluates your ability to describe Excel manipulations clearly and unambiguously — a skill that matters for anyone who trains, manages, or collaborates cross-functionally.
Understanding where Excel fits relative to Power BI, Power Automate, and Microsoft 365 Copilot — showing that your perspective goes beyond the spreadsheet and reflects a modern professional context.
A Plume session takes about 20 minutes, from tech check to badge delivery.
Your microphone and connection are tested before the exam starts. Recording begins only once you confirm everything is working. No screen sharing required at any point.
The AI asks how you use Excel day-to-day: your industry, how often you work in it, what kinds of files you build. This calibrates the depth and direction of the questions that follow.
The core of the exam: advanced formulas, pivot tables, Power Query, VBA, modeling best practices. The AI adjusts difficulty based on your answers — if you nail the basics, it pushes toward edge cases and architectural decisions.
A concrete challenge — for example, consolidating 12 monthly tabs into one dynamic report, or cleaning a poorly formatted export — where you walk through your approach out loud without needing to open Excel.
Claude Opus analyzes the transcript and generates your score out of 100 and your certified level. Your detailed report and badge URL land in your inbox within 10 minutes of finishing the exam.
Your score out of 100 translates into a level a recruiter can grasp at a glance.
You use Excel for data entry, basic SUM formulas, and simple tables. VLOOKUP feels tricky, pivot tables are still fuzzy, and everything you do is essentially manual with no automation in sight.
You're comfortable with VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, basic pivot tables, conditional formatting, and standard charts. You build recurring reports but each refresh is still manual. Power Query and VBA are on your radar but not in your toolkit yet.
You use Power Query to automate data import and transformation, you're fluent in dynamic array formulas (FILTER, UNIQUE, SORT), you write or modify VBA macros, and your files follow real best practices: separated layers, named ranges, documented logic.
Excel's full stack is in your toolkit: Power Pivot with DAX measures, multi-table data models, object-oriented VBA, Solver for optimization, and live connections to external sources (SQL, APIs via Power Query). You also know when Excel hits its ceiling and when to hand off to Power BI.
No degree or years of experience required to take the badge. Here are the profiles it makes the most sense for.
Excel is your primary tool for budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis. This badge proves your command of advanced pivots, financial formulas, and Power Query in a way your job title alone cannot.
You can write Python or SQL, but recruiters also want to know you can work in Excel alongside non-technical stakeholders. This badge differentiates you from purely BI or code-first profiles.
Schedules, budget trackers, KPI dashboards — you live in Excel. This badge validates that you go well beyond basic usage and that your files are reliable, structured, and built to last.
You're applying for internships or grad roles where strong Excel is a baseline requirement. An AI-certified badge carries far more weight than 'Excel: Advanced' on a resume, and you can earn it in 15 minutes.
Clients expect flawless Excel skills on analysis or reporting engagements. This badge is third-party proof you can display on your website, LinkedIn profile, or proposal deck.
Where and how your Microsoft Excel badge will help you day to day.
You're applying for a financial controller role. The job posting says 'advanced Excel required.' Your Advanced or Expert badge on your resume settles the question before the first interview — no test needed.
A client asks whether you can build an automated Excel dashboard for their monthly reporting. You share your Expert badge URL. They don't need an additional skills test to trust you with the project.
You're gunning for a business analyst role at your current company. Your manager knows you use Excel, but the badge gives them an objective, detailed evaluation to support your internal application.
You run Excel training sessions at your company. The badge validates your expertise level to future participants and their HR managers, who can also listen to the audio excerpt to form their own view.
You're switching industries and need to show your Excel skills are transferable. The badge's detailed report specifies exactly what you can do, giving hiring managers in an unfamiliar field the confidence to move forward.
You're updating your LinkedIn or freelance marketplace profile. Dropping your Plume Excel badge link into your skills section instantly sets you apart from the dozens of profiles claiming 'Excel: Expert' with zero evidence.
A few minutes to check you have everything you need.
At the end of your session you don't just get a score — here's everything that awaits you.
You get a precise numeric score and a certified level (Novice / Proficient / Advanced / Expert) that genuinely reflects your Excel command — produced by AI from your actual answers, not self-declared.
Claude Opus generates structured feedback on every evaluated dimension: formulas, pivot tables, Power Query, VBA, best practices. You know exactly where you shine and what to work on next.
Your exam audio is stored securely and only accessible to people you explicitly authorize. You stay in full control of who can listen to your session.
Your badge has a verifiable public page you can paste into your resume, LinkedIn profile, portfolio, or application email. No Plume account required to view it.
Discover related skills you can validate with Plume.
A 15-min oral exam with an AI, a shareable badge for your recruiters.
Choose this badge · €19.99
