Electronic Spreadsheet
Electronic Spreadsheet
This domain tests spreadsheet structure, formulas, functions, charts and data handling. Expect questions on cell references, operator precedence, common functions, error values, sorting, filtering and what-if analysis.
Core rules
- A cell address combines column and row, such as C5. A range such as A1:A10 includes all cells between the endpoints.
- Relative references change when copied; absolute references use $ to stay fixed; mixed references fix only the column or only the row.
- Formulas begin with = and follow precedence: parentheses, exponent, multiplication and division, then addition and subtraction.
- SUM adds, AVERAGE divides the sum by the count of numeric cells, COUNT counts numbers, and COUNTA counts non-empty cells.
- Common errors include #DIV/0! for division by zero, #REF! for an invalid reference, #VALUE! for wrong data type, and #NAME? for an unrecognised name.
Worked example
Cell D3 contains =$B$2C3. Copy it to E4. The column moves one step right and the row moves one step down. $B$2 is absolute, so it stays $B$2. C3 is relative, so it becomes D4. The copied formula is =$B$2D4. The reasoning is that the dollar signs lock the intended parts of the reference while the unlocked parts shift with the copy.
Traps
Do not use COUNT when you need non-empty cells; use COUNTA. Numbers stored as text do not calculate correctly. Sorting only part of a table can separate rows from their labels. A circular reference occurs when a formula refers to its own cell. Copying without checking absolute references is a frequent source of wrong totals.