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Insert and Delete Rows, Columns, and Cells

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Microsoft Excel Microsoft 365 Apps

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1 Introduction & Exam Overview

About the MO-210 Exam Performance-Based Exam Strategy

2 Import Data & Navigate Workbooks

Import Data from Text Files Import Data from Online Sources Search and Navigate to Named Cells, Ranges, Elements Insert and Remove Hyperlinks

3 Format Worksheets, Views & Collaboration

Page Setup, Headers, Footers, Row Height & Column Width Quick Access Toolbar, Views, Freeze Panes, Properties, Display Formulas Print Area, Export Formats, Print Settings, Inspect, Comments & Notes

4 Manipulate Data in Worksheets

Paste Special and Auto Fill Insert and Delete Rows, Columns, and Cells Generate Numeric Data with RANDBETWEEN and SEQUENCE

5 Format Cells and Ranges

Merge, Alignment, Orientation, Indentation, Wrap Text Number Formats, Format Painter, Format Cells Dialog Cell Styles, Clear Formatting, Group Worksheets

6 Named Ranges & Visual Summaries

Define and Reference Named Ranges Insert and Manage Sparklines Apply and Remove Conditional Formatting

7 Create and Format Tables

Create Excel Tables from Cell Ranges Apply Table Styles and Convert Tables to Ranges Add or Remove Table Rows and Columns

8 Table Options, Filter & Sort

Configure Table Style Options Insert and Configure Total Rows Filter Table Records Sort Data by Multiple Columns

9 Formula References

Relative, Absolute, and Mixed References Structured References in Tables

10 Calculate and Transform Data

SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, and MAX COUNT, COUNTA, and COUNTBLANK Conditional Operations with IF SORT and UNIQUE Functions

11 Format and Modify Text

LEFT, RIGHT, and MID UPPER, LOWER, LEN, CONCAT, and TEXTJOIN

12 Create Charts

Create Charts from Data Create Chart Sheets

13 Modify and Format Charts

Add Data Series and Switch Rows/Columns Add and Modify Chart Elements Chart Layouts, Styles, and Alternative Text

Insert and Delete Rows, Columns, and Cells

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Insert or delete entire rows and columns from Home → Insert/Delete, right-click row/column headers, or Ctrl+Shift++ / Ctrl+- with the correct selection

You can insert or delete multiple rows or columns at once by selecting that many headers first—Excel inserts the same count

Inserting or deleting cells (not whole rows/columns) requires choosing shift direction: Shift cells right, Shift cells down, entire row, or entire column

Deleting cells is not the same as clearing contents (Delete key)—Clear leaves structure; Delete Cells removes cells and shifts neighbors

Watch exam traps: wrong sheet, inserting above the wrong row, shifting the wrong way, and breaking tables or named ranges by deleting structure carelessly

Last updated: August 2026

Structural edits on the Associate exam

Domain 2 includes insert and delete cells, rows, and columns . Performance tasks rarely stop at typing values—they reshape the grid so a new employee fits between existing rows, an obsolete product column disappears, or a blank column appears for a new metric. Graders verify where data sits after the edit, not merely that something was inserted somewhere.

Typical descriptors:

  • "Insert two blank rows above row 5 on the Roster sheet."
  • "Delete columns D and E."
  • "Insert cells at B3:B6 and shift existing cells to the right."
  • "Remove the empty cells in C10:C14 and shift cells up."

Read the sheet name, the exact row/column letters or numbers, the count of rows/columns, and whether you must shift cells versus entire rows/columns.

  • Inserting rows and columns
  • Entire rows

Select the row header where the new row should appear (new rows insert above the selected row).

To insert multiple rows, select that many consecutive row headers first (for example, select rows 5–7 to insert three rows above the original row 5 block).

Use one of:

  • Right-click the header → Insert
  • Home → Insert → Insert Sheet Rows
  • Keyboard: Ctrl+Shift++ (plus) when entire rows are selected

Excel inserts the same number of rows as you selected. Selecting one row inserts one; selecting five inserts five.

Entire columns

Select the column header where the new column should appear (new columns insert to the left of the selection).

Select multiple headers to insert multiple columns.

Right-click → Insert , or Home → Insert → Insert Sheet Columns , or Ctrl+Shift++ with columns selected.

Memory aid: Insert rows → above. Insert columns → to the left. If the task says "insert a column between B and C," select column C (or the column that should move right), then Insert.

  • Exam walkthrough — multiple rows
  • Descriptor: "On Expenses, insert three blank rows above the Totals row, which is currently row 20."

Activate Expenses.

Select row headers 20, 21, and 22 (three rows) or select row 20 three times via insert repeated—fastest is select three headers starting at 20.

Insert Sheet Rows.

Confirm Totals moved down to row 23 and three empty rows sit above it.

If you only select row 20 once, you get one blank row—not three. The count of selected headers is the count inserted.

Deleting rows and columns

Select the row or column headers to remove (multiple allowed).

Right-click → Delete , or Home → Delete → Delete Sheet Rows / Columns , or Ctrl+- (minus) with full rows/columns selected.

Deleted structure is gone; cells below shift up (for rows) or cells to the right shift left (for columns). This is different from pressing Delete/Backspace on cell contents, which clears values but leaves empty rows/columns in place.

  • Action Structure Contents
  • Delete key / Clear Contents Rows/columns remain Values/formulas cleared
  • Delete Sheet Rows/Columns Rows/columns removed Neighbors shift into the gap
  • Clear All Cells remain Values, formats, notes cleared

If the task says "delete the empty rows," removing the row headers is required. If it says "clear the values in column F but keep the column," use Clear Contents—not Delete Sheet Columns.

Inserting and deleting cells (shift options)

Sometimes you must change only a block of cells , not an entire worksheet row or column.

Insert cells

Select the range where new blank cells should appear (same size as the block you need).

Home → Insert → Insert Cells… (or Ctrl+Shift++ when a cell range—not full row/column—is selected).

Choose how existing cells move:

  • Shift cells right
  • Shift cells down
  • Entire row
  • Entire column

Descriptor: "Insert cells at D4:D8 and shift the existing cells to the right." → Select D4:D8 → Insert Cells → Shift cells right. Five blank cells appear in D; former D values move to E, and so on for those rows only—not the whole sheet columns.

Delete cells

Select the cells to remove.

Home → Delete → Delete Cells… (or Ctrl+-).

Choose:

  • Shift cells left
  • Shift cells up
  • Entire row
  • Entire column

Wrong shift direction is a top exam trap: shifting up when the task said left pulls values from below into the wrong columns and breaks horizontal records.

Tables, merged cells, and protected sheets

Associate projects often use Excel tables . Inserting or deleting table rows/columns is sometimes done from the table resize handle or Table Design options, but many tasks still use ordinary insert/delete on sheet rows that the table expands to include. If Insert is grayed out:

Check for worksheet protection (Review → Unprotect if the project allows).

Check whether you selected a pivot, filtered range, or merged block that blocks structural edits—unmerge first if the task permits.

Confirm you are on the correct sheet.

Deleting a column that a chart or named range references may produce #REF! later in the same project. Prefer deleting only what the descriptor names; do not "clean up" extra columns unless asked.

Shortcut and ribbon cheat sheet

  • Goal Reliable method
  • Insert rows above selection Select row header(s) → Insert / Ctrl+Shift++
  • Insert columns to the left Select column header(s) → Insert / Ctrl+Shift++
  • Delete rows/columns Select headers → Delete / Ctrl+-
  • Insert cells with shift Select range → Insert Cells → choose shift
  • Delete cells with shift Select range → Delete Cells → choose shift
  • Clear values only Select cells → Delete key or Clear Contents

On Mac keyboards, chord equivalents may use Control/Command differently; use the Home ribbon Insert/Delete menus if a shortcut conflicts in the exam VM.

Performance strategy

Navigate first — Go to the named sheet and row/column before inserting.

Select the right unit — Entire header vs cell range changes the dialog you get.

Match the count — Highlight three headers to insert three rows.

Verify after — Check that a known label (Totals, headers, IDs) moved exactly as expected.

Undo once if wrong (Ctrl+Z) and redo carefully—chained wrong inserts are harder to untangle under time pressure.

Common traps

Inserting on the wrong worksheet because two sheets look similar.

Selecting cells in the grid and choosing Entire row when you only meant to shift a small block—or the reverse.

Using Clear Contents when the task required deleting rows so lower data moves up.

Inserting below the Totals row when the task said above it (selecting the row under Totals by mistake).

Deleting column D when the instructions meant the column currently labeled "Region" after earlier inserts shifted letters— use the header labels in the task , and re-check letters after prior structural edits in the same project.

Shifting cells down when adjacent columns must stay aligned horizontally with a record (usually need shift right, or insert full rows).

Master header-based multi-row/column insert and delete, plus the four shift options for cells. Those mechanics unlock clean data layouts for later formatting, tables, and formulas on MO-210.