Key facts

  • Formula rule: every Excel formula begins with =; for example, =B2+C2 adds the values in cells B2 and C2.
  • Relative reference rule: A1 changes when copied, absolute reference $A$1 stays fixed, and mixed references such as $A1 or A$1 lock only the column or...
  • Function syntax: a function is written as =FUNCTION(argument1, argument2, ...); for example, =SUM(B2:B10) adds all numbers from B2 through B10.
  • Range method: B2:B10 means all cells from B2 to B10, while B2,D2,F2 means separate cells; confusing colon and comma changes the result.
  • Common error warning: #DIV/0! means division by zero or blank divisor, #VALUE! means wrong data type, and #REF! means a deleted or invalid cell refere...

Key Points at a Glance

  1. 1

    Formula rule: every Excel formula begins with `=`; for example, `=B2+C2` adds the values in cells B2 and C2.

  2. 2

    Operator order: Excel follows brackets first, then exponentiation, multiplication or division, addition or subtraction, and comparison; use brackets when the intended order may be unclear.

  3. 3

    Relative reference rule: `A1` changes when copied, absolute reference `$A$1` stays fixed, and mixed references such as `$A1` or `A$1` lock only the column or row.

  4. 4

    Function syntax: a function is written as `=FUNCTION(argument1, argument2, ...)`; for example, `=SUM(B2:B10)` adds all numbers from B2 through B10.

  5. 5

    Range method: `B2:B10` means all cells from B2 to B10, while `B2,D2,F2` means separate cells; confusing colon and comma changes the result.

  6. 6

    Common error warning: `#DIV/0!` means division by zero or blank divisor, `#VALUE!` means wrong data type, and `#REF!` means a deleted or invalid cell reference.

  7. 7

    Chart choice rule: column or bar charts compare categories, line charts show trends over time, pie charts show parts of one whole, and scatter charts show relationship between two numeric variables.

  8. 8

    Chart accuracy rule: the selected data range, axis labels, legend, title and scale must match the question; a correct chart type with wrong selection is still wrong.

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Spreadsheet basics and Excel layout

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet programme used to store, calculate, analyse and present data in tabular form. A workbook is the Excel file, and each workbook contains one or more worksheets. A worksheet is arranged in rows and columns. Columns are labelled with letters such as A, B and C, while rows are labelled with numbers such as 1, 2 and 3. The intersection of a row and a column is a cell. A cell address such as B5 means column B and row 5. CET questions usually test whether the candidate can identify this structure and apply it to a formula or chart.

Excel accepts text, numbers, dates, formulas and functions. Text is usually treated as a label. Numbers are used for calculation. Dates are stored as values but displayed in date formats. A formula is a user-written calculation, while a function is a built-in formula such as SUM or AVERAGE. In a Rajasthan recruitment data example, candidate name may be text, marks may be numbers, result status may be text, and total marks may be calculated through a formula.

Exam cue: read the cell address, row, column and data type before attempting any calculation.

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