Understanding Excel Shortcuts for Repeating Actions 

In Microsoft Excel 365, using shortcut keys can significantly speed up your work by allowing you to perform common actions quickly. One frequent task is repeating the last action you performed, such as applying a specific format, inserting a row, or entering a particular value. Knowing the correct shortcut for repeating the last action or command is very useful for efficiency.

Let's look at the options provided and understand what each shortcut typically does in MS-Excel 365:

• Ctrl + Z: This is the universal shortcut for "Undo". It reverses the last action you took, allowing you to step back through recent changes.
• Shift + Z: This combination does not have a standard predefined function in MS-Excel for repeating or undoing actions.
• Ctrl + Y: This is the shortcut for "Redo" or "Repeat". If you have undone an action using Ctrl + Z, pressing Ctrl + Y will redo that action. More importantly, if you have *not* just used Ctrl + Z, pressing Ctrl + Y will typically repeat the *last command or action* that was possible to repeat. For example, if you just typed something in a cell, Ctrl+Y won't repeat the typing itself, but if you just applied a bold format, Ctrl+Y will apply bold to another cell. If you just inserted a row, Ctrl+Y will insert another row.
• Shift + Y: Like Shift + Z, this combination does not have a standard predefined function in MS-Excel for repeating or undoing actions.

Based on the standard functions in MS-Excel 365, the shortcut key used to repeat the last command or action, if possible, is Ctrl + Y.

Comparing Undo, Redo, and Repeat Shortcuts

It's helpful to distinguish between Undo and Redo/Repeat. Undo (Ctrl + Z) goes backward in your action history, while Redo (Ctrl + Y) goes forward after an Undo. The "Repeat Last Action" functionality is often linked to the Redo shortcut (Ctrl + Y) when no Undo has just occurred.

Therefore, when you want to quickly repeat a command or action you just performed in MS-Excel 365, the shortcut key you should use is Ctrl + Y.

Revision Table: Excel Shortcut Review

Additional Information: Repeating Actions in Excel

While Ctrl + Y is the primary shortcut for repeating the last action in MS-Excel 365, another key often performs a similar function, especially for certain actions like applying formatting, inserting rows/columns, or deleting rows/columns. This shortcut is F4.

The behaviour of Ctrl + Y and F4 can sometimes differ slightly depending on the specific action performed. Ctrl + Y is generally the more consistent shortcut for repeating the last *command*, including ribbon commands. F4 is very effective for repeating simple edits or structural changes.

Understanding both Ctrl + Y and F4 provides you with more options for quickly repeating tasks in your Excel workflow.