Complete the sentence: Your performance _ our expectations.

Explanation

'Except' means not including; other than. 'Excelled' means being exceptionally good at or proficient in an activity or subject. 'Exceeded' means to be better than; surpass. 'Expected' means regarded as likely; anticipated. In this case, as the individuals were expecting a performance the most likely word should be 'exceeded' as they were wowed by the subject's performance.