Word Processing and Spreadsheet Applications
This domain tests practical document creation and spreadsheet calculation: formatting, page layout, formulas, cell references, functions, and charts.
Word processing rules
- Character formatting changes font, size, bold, italic, and colour; paragraph formatting changes alignment, line spacing, indents, and bullets.
- Styles apply consistent headings; page setup controls margins, orientation, and paper size; headers and footers repeat page information.
- Mail merge combines a main document with a data source to produce personalised letters.
- Track Changes records edits for review.
Spreadsheet rules
- Every cell has an address such as B3 (column B, row 3); a range is written B2:B6.
- A formula must begin with =; operators include +, -, *, /, and ^.
- Relative references adjust when copied; absolute references use $, as in $B$2, and stay fixed.
- SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, and IF are common functions; charts display data graphically.
Worked example
In a fees sheet, B2 holds the annual fee and C3 holds the number of instalments. The formula =$B$2/C3 divides the annual fee by instalments and, when copied down, keeps B2 fixed while C3 changes to C4, C5, and so on. Without the $ signs, B2 would shift and produce wrong results.
Traps that cost marks
- Typing a formula without the leading = sign.
- Forgetting $ when a fixed cell must remain constant.
- Confusing transition with animation in presentation questions; in spreadsheets, confusing a formula with plain text.
- Treating numbers stored as text as numeric values.