Weekly Workplace Skills Challenge Solutions
Every week, College Africa Group publishes a free workplace skills challenge based on the kind of problems we find in South African businesses.
One week it may be a spreadsheet with hidden errors, the next a Word document, a Microsoft 365 task or an AI output that needs checking.
You find the problems yourself, then come back here to check your answers against the worked solution.
Found a different way to solve it?
Share your alternative solution with College Africa Group at sales@collegeafricagroup.com. The best ones will be featured on this page, with credit to you.
Get the next College Africa Group workplace skills challenge by email
Subscribe and College Africa Group will send each new challenge straight to your inbox. It is a quick, practical way for managers to test their team’s everyday work skills.
This week’s workplace skills challenge
Week 1 – 6 November 2026 (Excel): Would Your Team Catch These Spreadsheet Errors Before They Reach You?
A report that looks right can still be wrong. This College Africa Group Excel challenge hides several common spreadsheet errors that slip past busy reviewers.
Read the article | Download the exercise | Download the solution
What does the weekly workplace skills challenge cover?
The College Africa Group workplace skills challenge covers the tools South African teams use every day: Microsoft Excel, Word and other Microsoft 365 apps, and AI tools such as Copilot and ChatGPT. Each challenge is built around a realistic workplace task, not a textbook exercise.
Why should managers care about errors in everyday work?
Managers should care because decisions, quotes and reports are built on work they do not have time to check line by line. A wrong spreadsheet range, an outdated figure in a Word report or an unchecked AI summary can reach a client or the board without anyone noticing. The College Africa Group challenges train people to check before they trust.
Can AI not just find these problems for us?
AI can help, but it does not replace checking. Tools like Copilot and ChatGPT can miss problems or explain them confidently and incorrectly. College Africa Group teaches a simple rule: Source Data → Process → Required Output → AI → Validate Against the Source. These challenges build the validation skill that makes AI output safe to use.
Our team found problems like these in our own work. What now?
If your own files and processes have the same problems, College Africa Group helps South African businesses with practical training and consulting: Excel training and workbook audits, Microsoft 365 and Copilot training, and AI in the Workplace training for safe, validated AI use.
Excel training | Copilot and Microsoft 365 training | AI in the Workplace | Email sales@collegeafricagroup.com
Frequently asked questions
Is the College Africa Group workplace skills challenge free?
Yes. College Africa Group’s weekly workplace skills challenge and its worked solution are free for anyone in South Africa or elsewhere to use.
Do I have to subscribe to get the challenge solution?
No. The solutions are available on this page, but subscribers receive each new College Africa Group challenge by email as soon as it is published.
How often does College Africa Group publish a new challenge?
College Africa Group publishes a new workplace skills challenge every week. New solutions are added at the top of this page, and earlier weeks stay available below.
Which tools do the challenges use?
The College Africa Group challenges use Microsoft Excel, Word and other Microsoft 365 apps, and AI tools such as Copilot and ChatGPT. Each challenge states which tool it uses.
Do I need AI to solve the challenges?
Not usually. Most College Africa Group challenges are designed to be solved with sound skills and careful checking. Where a challenge involves AI, the focus is on checking the AI output against the source.
Can managers use the challenges to test their team?
Yes. South African managers can use the College Africa Group workplace skills challenge as a quick team exercise or meeting discussion point. For a structured view of team skills, College Africa Group offers practical Excel, Microsoft 365 and AI training.
What does each solution show?
Each College Africa Group solution shows the corrections and explains where and how each problem can be found, so readers learn the checking method, not just the answer.
Previous workplace skills challenges
Earlier weeks will be listed here as the series grows.