In Microsoft Excel, which worksheet function is used to display the current system date and time together in a single cell?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests practical knowledge of spreadsheet functions in Microsoft Excel. Excel provides several date and time functions that allow users to insert the current date, the current time or both into a cell. These functions are useful for stamping reports, logging entries or building time based formulas. The question asks specifically which function displays both the current date and the current time in a single cell, which is a distinction that often appears in computer awareness exams and office productivity courses.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The context is Microsoft Excel or a similar spreadsheet program.
• The task is to display the current date and current time together, not only one of them.
• Options list TIME(), NOW(), DATE(), TODAY() and CURRENT().
• We assume standard Excel function behaviour with automatic recalculation when the sheet is recalculated.

Concept / Approach:
Excel offers several related functions. TODAY() returns only the current date with no time portion. NOW() returns a serial value representing both the current date and current time. DATE() constructs a date from year, month and day arguments and does not automatically insert the current time. TIME() constructs a time from hour, minute and second arguments. CURRENT() is not a standard Excel function. Therefore, when you need to display both date and time in one cell based on the system clock, the correct function is NOW(), which updates whenever the worksheet is recalculated or opened, depending on settings.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Excel help documentation describes NOW() as a function that returns the current date and time formatted according to the cell's date and time settings. It explicitly notes that NOW() is volatile, meaning it recalculates when the sheet does. The TODAY() entry states that it returns only the current date. Guides and tutorials on time functions demonstrate NOW() for timestamping tasks that require both date and time, while recommending TODAY() for date only needs. There is no mention of a function named CURRENT() in official documentation. These references confirm that NOW() is the correct answer to this question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• TIME(): Creates a time value from specified hour, minute and second inputs, but does not automatically provide the current date and time.
• DATE(): Creates a date value from specified year, month and day inputs and does not return the current time.
• TODAY(): Returns only the current date without the current time.
• CURRENT(): Not a standard worksheet function in Excel, so it cannot be the correct choice.

Common Pitfalls:
Users often confuse TODAY() and NOW() because both seem related to current date and time. A simple way to remember the difference is that TODAY focuses on the date only, while NOW indicates the precise moment including time. Another pitfall is assuming that any natural sounding name like CURRENT() must be correct, even though Excel has specific function names. Reviewing Excel function lists and practising small formulas can help reinforce which functions exist and what they do. When a question asks for both date and time in one function, NOW() should immediately come to mind.

Final Answer:
In Microsoft Excel, the function that displays both the current date and current time is NOW().