GEI1001/GET1050 Computational Reasoning

Guide Reference Guide: Excel Formulae

EXCEL FORMULAE HOW TO USE THEM

To find the total expenditure:

1. Click on an empty cell and

Excel Formula type =sum(
=SUM(range) 2. Highlight the cells you wish
to sum
3. Close the bracket )
Calculate the sum of all 4. Enter to get the total sum
Result: 480
numbers in a selected of all the numbered cells
range.
Interpreting what D2:D7 means:
• Excel will select column D, row 2 TO column D, row 7
• “:” refers to the whole range from the selected cell to
another selected cell, as seen by the dotted section

Excel Formula
=COUNT(range) To find the no. of days apples were eaten:

1: Click on an empty cell and type =count(

Counts the no. of cells 2: Highlight the cells you wish to count
containing numbers 3: Close the bracket )
4: Enter to get the total count of numbered cells
Excel Formula
=COUNTA(range) Result: 5

Counts cells containing Unlike COUNT, the COUNTA function also

any type of data. This counts the “Nil” values on this table as well.
includes error values and
text. Result: 7

Excel Formula
=MEDIAN(range)

Calculates the median of all

numbers in a range Result: $600

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Excel Formula
=MODE(range)

Calculates the number which

appears the most among all
the numbers in a given range Result: $1200

Excel Formula
=AVERAGE(range)

Calculates the average of all

numbers in a selected range Result: $650

Using the $ sign before the

row and/or column keeps
the cell reference constant
when the formula is copied
or moved to other cells

E.g.
• P15 – No locking
• $P15 – $ in front of the P locks Column P. So if you copy
the formula into cells on the left or right, Excel will not
automatically update the column in the formula. It will still
reference Column P (the row number will still update
Excel Formula accordingly)
Absolute Cell • P$15 – $ in front of the 15 locks Row 15. So if you copy
Reference ($) the formula into cells above or below, Excel will not
automatically update the row in the formula. It will still
reference Row 15 (the column letter will still update
accordingly)
• $P$15 – Locks the reference to cell P15. No matter where
you copy the formula, Excel will not update the reference
at all. It will always look to cell P15.

TL;DR: If your Excel formula doesn’t work as planned, just try

putting the $ sign to lock. Usually, if you do something like
$P$15, it will solve the problem.

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Excel Formula
=SUMIF(range, criteria,
[sum_range])

Sums all numbers in the

selection based on a Result: $2000
condition/criteria
To find the total price of all balls:

1. Click on an empty cell and type =sumif(

2. Under range, select the cells you wish to evaluate
3: Input the criteria (within inverted commas, see above)
4. Select the cell range for summing

Excel Formula
=AVERAGEIF(range,
criteria, [sum_range])

Returns the average of all the Result: $667

cells in a range that meets the
criteria

Excel Formula
=COUNTIF(range,
criteria)

Counts the number of cells

with values that match a
specific criteria

Protip: After you have Result: 3

mastered these, try the
=SUMIFS / AVERAGEIFS /
COUNTIFS formula to input
multiple criteria

Excel Formula
=TEXT(value,
format_text)

Converts a number to text.

Result: Sat
format_text must be in
quotation marks (e.g. “ddd”)

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Converting Date to Text in Excel Using Text()

(You can find more online!)

Excel Formula
=RIGHT(text, num_chars)

Truncates cell values from

the end of a cell to remove
unnecessary characters/digits Result: 632G

Excel Formula
=LEFT(text,
num_chars)

Truncates cell values from

the start of a cell to remove
unnecessary characters/digits Result: T015

Excel Formula
=IF(logical_test, [value
if true], [value if false])

Checks to see if a logical test

is true or false (aka if criteria
is met), then returns a value
accordingly.
Result: No
Once you’ve mastered
this, try nesting
conditionals! Nested conditional placed
under [value if true]
Do this by inserting an
IF/AND/OR formula
under Result: Very
[value if true] and/or
[value if false].

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Excel Formula
=OR(logical 1, logical
2, logical 3, …)

Tests for multiple criteria

(aka logical statements) at
the same time. Returns true if Result: TRUE
ANY criteria are met.

Excel Formula
=AND(Condition 1 to
evaluate, condition 2 to
evaluate)

Tests for multiple criteria

(aka logical statements) at Result: FALSE
the same time. Returns true if
ALL criteria are met.

Price

Excel Function $1,400

$1,200

Creating charts for $1,000

$800

visual representation $600

$400

$200

$0

Charts allow you to better Boké Ball Grate Ball Ultron Ball Potion Duper
Potion
Uber Potion Rebel

see patterns and detect Price

anomalies. $1,400

$1,200

$1,000

1. Select the range of data $800

(including headers) $600

$400

2. Under the “Insert” tab, $200

click on the desired chart

$0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Excel Function
Sort and Filter 1. Select the entire table
to be sorted (including
Allows for a more fine- headers)
grained analysis, making it 2. Under the “Home” tab,
easier to find patterns or click “Sort & Filter) on the
anomalies far right
Sorted by Stock

You can sort by

ascending/descending order,
or a custom order using
Custom Sort.

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This symbol indicates

You can add Filters as well. that the table is being
filtered by this column.

Excel Function
Conditional Formatting

Colours cells that fulfill a

specific criterion. This is
useful for identifying
anomalies.

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IMPORTANT TIPS
VERY IMPORTANT:
• Ensure that every parameter is separated by a comma [e.g. =AND(T6="Ball", U6<400)]
• There must be an equal sign in front of every formula
• Text Values must be surrounded by quotation marks “” in formulae (e.g. “potato”). Note
that TRUE and FALSE are not text values and should not have quotation marks.
• ##### Values mean that the column width is not wide enough. Expand the column width
and the value should show.

Pro Tip 1: Excel can help you fill a series of numbers.

To do so, hold CTRL while dragging the dot on the bottom-right hand corner of the cell
downwards. To fill a date series, don’t hold CTRL.

CTRL+Drag Just Drag

Pro Tip 2: To select multiple cells separately, hold CTRL and click on the cells you want

Pro Tip 3: To auto-resize column width to contents, double-click in between column headers.

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Pro Tip 4: You can hide columns by right-clicking the column header and clicking “Hide”. To
unhide hidden columns, right-click the space between the adjacent column headers and click
“Unhide”. Formulae that reference cells in hidden columns will still work.

Pro Tip 5: Easily copy formulae down a column for an entire table by selecting the cell and
double-clicking the dot at the bottom right.

Handout created and designed by Audrina Tan & Tan Yi Jia