· Skillz · Excel & SQL
Formula Rush: practise Excel formulas and SQL, free game
Type the right spreadsheet formula or SQL query before the clock runs out: SUMIF, VLOOKUP, GROUP BY and more.
What is Formula Rush?
A task, a tiny table, a ticking clock. Type the spreadsheet formula or the SQL query that answers it. Case, spaces and ; or , don't matter: only the logic does.
Formula Rush is a speed drill for the two languages of data at work: spreadsheet formulas and SQL. Each round gives you a task (total the North region, look up a price, count the paid orders) and a tiny table to work from. Type the formula or the query before the clock runs out.
The checker is forgiving where it should be: case, spaces, ; or , separators, single or double quotes and a trailing ; don't matter, and equivalent answers are accepted (VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH). After each task you see every accepted answer and why it works.
At a glance
- Category
- Skillz
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Play time
- 5–8 min
- Price
- Free, in your browser, sign-up optional
How to play
- Read
- Each task comes with a small sheet (rows 2 to 7) or the orders table.
- Type
- Write the formula or query and press Enter. Several equivalent answers are accepted.
- Hint
- Stuck? A hint shows the shape of the answer, for half the points.
- Learn
- Every task ends with the accepted answers and why they work. 3 lives.
Strategy and tips
- Name the shape first
- SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE for totals; the IF versions (SUMIF, COUNTIF) as soon as there's a condition.
- Mind the argument order
- SUMIF(range to test, condition, range to add). SUMIFS puts the range to add first.
- Exact lookups
- VLOOKUP needs FALSE (or 0) as its last argument for an exact match; XLOOKUP is exact by default.
- SQL reads in order
- SELECT what, FROM where, WHERE which rows, GROUP BY, then HAVING for conditions on groups.
- Use the hint wisely
- Half points beats a lost life: take the hint when you can't picture the function.
Why play Formula Rush?
Spreadsheets and SQL are the most used data tools at work, and the same handful of patterns covers most daily needs. Formula Rush drills those patterns until you can type them without looking them up.
Frequently asked questions
Is Formula Rush free?
Yes. It is free and runs in your browser, with no download. Signing up is optional.
Do I need Excel installed?
No. Everything happens in the game, in your browser. The formulas work the same in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice.
Which SQL is used?
Standard SQL that works in PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite: SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, ORDER BY and LIMIT.
Does case matter?
No. Function names, keywords and spaces are checked loosely; only the logic counts.