In Excel, which keyboard shortcut locks an absolute reference?

In Excel, which keyboard shortcut locks an absolute reference?

• A. Ctrl+C
• B. F4
• C. Ctrl+V
• D. F2

Answer: (B)

Locking an absolute reference means fixing both the column and the row so the reference doesn’t change when you copy the formula. In Excel, that’s done with the F4 key while editing a formula; each press cycles through four states: A1 (relative), $A1 (absolute column), A$1 (absolute row), and $A$1 (absolute both). The state with both dollars makes the reference absolute, which is exactly what you need to keep a constant cell address. The other keys listed are for copying, pasting, or editing, and don’t affect reference anchoring.

Locking an absolute reference means fixing both the column and the row so the reference doesn’t change when you copy the formula. In Excel, that’s done with the F4 key while editing a formula; each press cycles through four states: A1 (relative), $A1 (absolute column), A$1 (absolute row), and $A$1 (absolute both). The state with both dollars makes the reference absolute, which is exactly what you need to keep a constant cell address. The other keys listed are for copying, pasting, or editing, and don’t affect reference anchoring.