Student Guide

40571A
Microsoft Excel expert 2019
Module 2: Using advanced formulas
 Using advanced formulas

Contents
Contents ................................................................ 2 Try-it: Use functions with multiple
Module overview .............................................. 5 criteria ........................................................ 23

Description ...................................................... 5 Try-it 1 ....................................................... 23

Scenario ............................................................ 6 Try-it 2 ....................................................... 24

Cornerstone .................................................... 6 Wrap-up ........................................................ 24

Lesson 1: Using logical, statistical, and Lesson 2: Using lookup functions........... 26

mathematical functions ................................. 7 Overview........................................................ 26
Overview .......................................................... 7 Warm-up ....................................................... 26
Warm-up .......................................................... 7 Topic 1: Use VLOOKUP ........................... 27
Topic 1: Use functions with single Create a VLOOKUP function ............ 27
criteria ............................................................... 8 Activity: Discuss and learn ................ 29
AVERAGEIF ................................................. 8 Try-it: Use VLOOKUP .......................... 30
SUMIF ........................................................ 10 Try-it 1 ....................................................... 30
COUNTIF................................................... 12 Try-it 2 ....................................................... 30
Other Functions .................................... 14 Topic 2: Use HLOOKUP ........................... 31
Activity: Demonstrate and learn .... 15 Create a HLOOKUP function ........... 31
Try-it: Use functions with single Activity: Pose a question ................... 33
criteria........................................................ 16
Try-it: Use HLOOKUP .......................... 33
Try-it 1 ....................................................... 16
Try-it ........................................................... 34
Try-it 2 ....................................................... 16
Wrap-up ........................................................ 34
Try-it 3 ....................................................... 17
Lesson 3: Using lookup functions and
Topic 2: Use functions with multiple external references ........................................ 36
criteria ............................................................ 17
Overview........................................................ 36
IFS ................................................................ 18
Warm-up ....................................................... 36
SWITCH ..................................................... 20
Topic 1: Use MATCH and INDEX ........ 37
AVERAGEIFS ............................................ 20
MATCH function ................................... 38
MAXIFS, MINIFS, COUNTIFS, and
INDEX function ...................................... 40
SUMIFS ...................................................... 22
Combine MATCH and INDEX.......... 42
Editing functions................................... 22
Activity: Pose a challenge ................. 42
Activity: Discuss and learn................ 23

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Try-it: Use MATCH and INDEX ....... 43 WORKDAY function ............................. 57

Try-it 1 ....................................................... 43 WEEKDAY combined with SWITCH
Try-it 2 ....................................................... 44 ...................................................................... 58

Try-it 3 ....................................................... 44 Activity: Discuss and learn ................ 58

Topic 2: Reference data from other Try-it: Use WEEKDAY and

workbooks .................................................... 45 WORKDAY................................................ 59

Reference another workbook ......... 45 Try-it 1 ....................................................... 59

Reference a defined range in Try-it 2 ....................................................... 59

another workbook ............................... 46 Wrap-up ........................................................ 60
Security warnings ................................. 46 Lesson 5: Excel customization options . 62
Break a link .............................................. 47 Overview........................................................ 62
Activity: Show and tell ........................ 48 Warm-up ....................................................... 62
Try-it: Reference data from other Topic 1: Set formula calculation
workbooks ............................................... 49 options ........................................................... 63
Try-it 1 ....................................................... 49 Set calculation options by using the
Try-it 2 ....................................................... 49 ribbon ........................................................ 63

Try-it 3 ....................................................... 50 Set calculation options by using

Excel Options .......................................... 64
Wrap-up ........................................................ 50
Activity: Discuss and learn ................ 65
Lesson 4: Using date and time functions
................................................................................ 52 Try-it: Set formula calculation
options ...................................................... 65
Overview ....................................................... 52
Try-it ........................................................... 65
Warm-up ....................................................... 52
Topic 2: Set Excel options ...................... 66
Topic 1: Use NOW and TODAY .......... 53
General Options .................................... 68
NOW function ........................................ 53
Formulas Options ................................. 68
TODAY function .................................... 54
Proofing Options .................................. 68
Date and Time keyboard shortcuts
...................................................................... 54 Save Options........................................... 68

Activity: Each one, teach one .......... 55 Language Options................................ 68

Try-it: Use NOW and TODAY .......... 55 Ease of Access Options ...................... 69

Topic 2: Use WEEKDAY and WORKDAY Advanced Options ............................... 69

........................................................................... 56 Add-Ins ...................................................... 69
WEEKDAY function .............................. 56 Trust Center Options .......................... 69

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Activity: Discuss and learn................ 70 Objectives ..................................................... 74

Try-it: Set Excel options ..................... 71 Duration ......................................................... 74
Try-it ........................................................... 71 Instructions ................................................... 75
Wrap-up ........................................................ 72 Tasks ................................................................ 75
Glossary .............................................................. 73 File 1:
Cornerstone ...................................................... 74 Cornerstone_samples_starter.xlsx . 75

Overview ....................................................... 74 File 2:

Cornerstone_test_date_starter.xlsx76

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Module overview
Description
You can use Microsoft Excel 2019 to help answer questions that require some amount of
data analysis. For example, you might want to find out:
• What’s the average of sales of sneakers at your favorite store?
• How many dogs or cats live on your street?
• How many school days are there until summer vacation starts?
• What’s the weekly food bill for families with more than two children in your area?
If you have all the data you need in a worksheet, you could work out the answers
manually by using a calculator, studying the data, or using various built-in Excel
functions or a combination of functions such as Sort, Filter, and Subtotal. In this
module, you’ll learn about other types of functions that you can use, such as logical,
statistical, mathematical, lookup, and date and time functions to make the job easier.
After learning about these functions, you’ll be able to choose which ones(s) to use to get
the answer you need. You’ll be able to leave the calculator aside and use Excel to get the
right results. You’ll also learn how to configure Excel to perform calculations in your
workbooks and how to edit Excel Options to suit your requirements better.

Lesson Learning objective Exam objective(s)

Using logical, Use functions with multiple criteria • 3.1.1

statistical,
and
mathematical
functions

Using lookup Use lookup functions • 3.2.1

functions

Using lookup Use Match and Index functions to find data • 3.2.1
functions and and create links to cells or ranges in other • 1.1.2
external workbooks
references

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Lesson Learning objective Exam objective(s)

Using date Use date functions • 3.3.1

and time • 3.3.2
functions

Customizing Configure formula calculation options • 1.2.4

Microsoft
Excel

Cornerstone: Use various functions to analyze data, • 3.1.1

Analyzing soil including Lookup and Date functions, and • 3.2.1
tests reference cells from another workbook • 1.1.2
• 3.3.1
• 3.3.2

Table 1: Objectives by lesson

Scenario
You’re analyzing the most recent soil testing report and comparing it to previous test
results. There are specific questions that you need to answer to help the farm’s
agronomist evaluate whether the soil conditioning measures taken over the past year,
which include aeration, drainage, and decreased use of pesticides and fertilizers, have
improved the soil quality. You also need to find out how many working days passed
from when the soil test was taken to the date the results were received and how many
days until the next results should be received.

Cornerstone
This module concludes with a Cornerstone project in which you’ll use logical, statistical,
and mathematical functions to analyze soil test results. During the Cornerstone, you’ll:
1. Use the LOOKUP function to retrieve specific values.
2. Create COUNTIF and IFS functions.
3. Use MATCH and INDEX functions.
4. Use date and time functions to calculate future dates.
5. Create a formula by combining the IF and WORKDAY functions.

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Lesson 1: Using logical,

statistical, and mathematical
functions
Overview
You learned about the IF function in the Microsoft Excel associate 2019 course (if you
took that course). In this lesson, you’ll learn about logical and statistical functions such
as COUNTIF and AVERAGEIF to add to your knowledge of functions. You’ll then expand
on this knowledge by learning how to create similar functions but for multiple criteria.

Warm-up
Ask your neighbor what they enjoyed the most about the previous module. Is there
anything they are looking forward to learning in future modules of this course? Use the
following questions to find out what you already know about this lesson’s topics.
1. Which of the following categories does the AVERAGEIF function belong to?
Select the correct option.
a. Math & Trig
b. Logical
c. Lookup & Reference
d. Statistical
2. Which of the following categories does the SUMIFS function belong to?
Select the correct option.
a. Math & Trig
b. Logical
c. Lookup & Reference
d. Statistical

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3. Which of the following categories does the IFS function belong to?
Select the correct option.
a. Math & Trig
b. Logical
c. Lookup & Reference
d. Statistical
4. To work out how many entries in a list are equal to three specific conditions, you can
use the Select here to enter text. function.
Fill in the blank space.

Topic 1: Use functions with single

criteria
Excel 2019 includes several logical, mathematical, and statistical functions. Using some
of these functions in this module will help you get a general idea of how they work.
If you took the earlier associate course, you would have explored the IF, AVERAGE,
MAX, MIN, and COUNT functions for basic logical, statistical, or mathematical
calculations. But what if you need to perform a more complex analysis of your data? For
example, consider a worksheet that has three columns of data: the first column contains
states, the second contains cities, and the third has population statistics. You can use the
AVERAGE function to calculate the average population for all states, but if you only
want the average for a specific state, you need to use AVERAGEIF instead.

AVERAGEIF
The AVERAGEIF function finds the arithmetic mean for the cells specified by a given
criteria or condition. The syntax for this function is =AVERAGEIF(range, criteria,
[average_range]). The part contained within square brackets is optional.

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As with all functions in Excel, you can manually enter the function, you can start the
function from the Formulas tab, or you can use the Insert Function. When you begin
entering the formula, such as =AVE, Excel will display possible functions for you to
choose from. You can continue entering the formula or you can select the formula from
the displayed list by either double-clicking it or by selecting the Tab key. Your formula
will be updated as follows and you can continue entering the formula:

Figure 1: AVERAGEIF function

1. Enter the range of cells to evaluate. This can be a range, a whole column or row, or a
named range if you have created one, followed by a comma (,).
2. Enter the criteria enclosed in quote marks. The criteria can be a number, cell
reference, expression, or text, followed by a comma (,). For example, to find out the
average of all cells that have a value greater than 100, enter “>100”.
3. Enter the actual cells to average. If you do not provide any cell references, the cells in
the first range will be averaged. If the range in step 1 is numerical, you might not
need to perform step 3.
4. Enter a parenthesis ) to complete the formula, and then select Enter.
Alternatively, use one of the following methods to enter the formula and the function
arguments:
• Select the Formulas tab, and then select the More Functions category.
• Select Statistical, select AVERAGEIF, and then select OK.
Another way to do this:
1. On the Formulas tab, select Insert Function or select Shift +F3 on your keyboard.
Alternatively, select the Insert Function button next to the Formula Bar.
o Enter AVERAGE into the search box and then select Go (or select Enter).
Alternatively, in the Or select a category drop-down menu, change the category
from Most Recently Used to Statistical.
2. Select AVERAGEIF from the list of functions, and then select OK (or select Enter). The
Function Arguments dialog box opens.
3. In the Range box, enter the range of cells you want Excel to evaluate. This can be a
range, whole column or row, or a named range if you have created one.
4. In the Criteria box, enter what you want to find. This can be a number, cell reference,
expression such as >100, or text).

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5. In the Average_range box, enter the range to be averaged, if required. This box is
optional.

Figure 2: AVERAGEIF Function Arguments dialog box

6. Select OK or select Enter.

Note: The Range and Average_range (if you are using it) must be the same length. For
example, if you select a whole column for the range, you must use a whole column for
the average range; otherwise, you’ll get an error. In Figure 2, the range C2:C197 matches
E2:E197. This rule applies to all similar types of functions.

SUMIF
The SUMIF function is similar to the AVERAGEIF function, except that it adds the values
in cells specified by a given criteria or condition. This function is included in the Math &
Trig category and uses the following syntax:
=SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum_range])
The part contained within square brackets is optional.

Figure 3: SUMIF function

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1. Enter the range of cells to evaluate. This can be a range, a whole column or row, or a
named range if you have created one, followed by a comma (,).
2. Enter the criteria enclosed in quote marks. The criteria can be a number, cell
reference, expression, or text, followed by a comma (,). For example, to find out the
sum of all cells that have a value greater than 100, enter “>100”.
3. Enter the actual references of cells to sum. If left blank, the cells in range will be
used.
4. Enter a parenthesis ) to complete the formula, and then select enter.
Alternatively, on the Formulas tab, select the Math & Trig category, and then select
SUMIF.
The following steps are another way to do this:
1. On the Formulas tab, select Insert Function or select the Insert Function button
next to the Formula Bar.
2. Enter SUMIF into the search box, and then select either Go or Enter. Alternatively, in
the Or select a category drop-down menu, change the category from Most
Recently Used to Math & Trig.
3. Select SUMIF from the list of functions, and then select either OK or Enter. The
Function Arguments dialog box opens.
4. In the Range box, enter the range of cells you want Excel to evaluate. This can be a
range, a whole column or row, or a named range if you have created one.
5. In the Criteria box, enter the condition that you want Excel to validate the cells
against. This can be a number, a cell reference, an expression such as >100, or text.
6. The Sum_range box is optional. If required, you can enter the range to be averaged
in this box.
7. Select either OK or Enter to complete the formula.

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Figure 4: SUMIF Function Arguments dialog box

Video
To review the video on the SUMIF function, go to: SUMIF function

COUNTIF
The COUNTIF function counts the cells that meet a specified criteria or condition. It
belongs to the Statistical category of functions and has the following syntax:
=COUNTIF(range, criteria)
1. Enter the range of cells to evaluate. This can be a range, a whole column or a row, or
a named range if you have created one, followed by a comma (,).
2. Enter the criteria enclosed in quotes. The criteria can be a number, cell reference,
expression such as >100, or text, followed by a parenthesis ) to complete the
formula.
Note that all criteria must be entered within quote marks, for example “>100”.

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Alternatively:
1. On the Formulas tab, select Insert Function or select the Insert Function button
next to the Formula Bar.
2. Enter COUNTIF into the search box, and then select either Go or Enter. Alternatively,
in the Or select a category drop-down menu, change the category from Most
Recently Used to Statistical.
3. Select COUNTIF from the list of functions and then select OK or select Enter.
Alternatively, on the Formulas tab, select More Functions, select Statistical, and
then select COUNTIF. The Function Arguments dialog box opens.
4. In the Range box, enter the range of cells you want Excel to evaluate against a
criterion. This can be a range, a whole column or a row, or a named range if you
have created one.
5. In the Criteria box, enter the criteria that you want Excel to evaluate. The criteria can
be numbers, cell references, expressions such as >100, or text.

Figure 5: COUNTIF Function Arguments dialog box

3. Select either OK or Enter.

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Other Functions
The following screenshot depicts some sample data.

Figure 6: Example data

The following table provides a brief overview of additional functions included in Excel.
The examples provided in this table use the sample data displayed in Figure 6.

Function Description

IF Syntax:
=IF(Logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false)
Evaluates whether a condition is met. Returns one value if true and
another if false.
Example:
=IF(C2>A2,"Increasing","Investigate")
Result = Increasing

NOT Syntax:
=NOT(Logical)
Evaluates whether any of the arguments are true. Returns FALSE if all
arguments are false.
Examples:
=NOT(A2>1000)
Result = TRUE
=IF(AND(NOT(A2<B2),NOT(B2<C2)),"Investigate","Increasing")
Result = Increasing

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Function Description

AND Syntax:
=AND(Logical1, Logical2,….)
Evaluates whether all arguments are true. If all arguments are true, the
result will be TRUE. If any of the arguments are not true, the result will
be FALSE.
Example:
=AND(A2>1000,B2>1000,C2>1000)
Result = FALSE
=IF(AND(A2>1000,B2>1000,C2>1000),”Good”,”Poor”)
Result = Poor

OR Syntax: =OR(Logical1, Logical2,….)

Evaluates whether any arguments are true. If any arguments are true,
the result will be TRUE. If all of the arguments are not true, the result will
be FALSE.
Examples:
=OR(A1>1000,B1>1000,C1>1000)
Result = FALSE
= IF(OR(A2>1000,B2>1000,C2>1000),”Good”,”Poor”)
Result = Good

Table 2: Summary of other functions

Additional information
For more information on Logical functions, go to: Formulas and
functions
For more information on Math & Trig functions, go to: Math and
trigonometry functions (reference)
For more information on Statistical functions, go to: Statistical
functions (reference)

Activity: Demonstrate and learn

In this activity, your teacher will demonstrate how to create a SUMIF function and
change the criteria values. You’ll then change the function to an AVERAGEIF to note the
difference in the result.

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Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Open L1_T1_act_sales_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions:
1. Follow along as the teacher demonstrates how to create a SUMIF function to total
all the vegetable sales.
2. Change the contents of G2 to Fruit, then Nuts, and then Honey Based.
3. Edit the function from SUMIF to AVERAGEIF.

Try-it: Use functions with single criteria

In this leveled try-it, you’ll edit an existing function and you’ll create another new
function.

Try-it 1
Edit an existing formula to use the SUMIF function instead of AVERAGEIF.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L1_T1_try1_sales_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Examine the function in cell H2.
2. Edit the function to change it to a SUMIF function to find the total vegetable sales
for winter.
3. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Try-it 2
Create a function to calculate the number of vegetable entries in a specified range.

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Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L1_T1_try2_sales_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. In cell H2, create a function that will count the number of vegetables in the
Category column.
2. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Try-it 3
Create a function that will average the total vegetable sale values for summer.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L1_T1_try3_sales_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. In cell H2, create a function that will average the values for total vegetable sales in
summer.
2. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Topic 2: Use functions with multiple

criteria
As you know, there are many logical and statistical functions available in Excel 2019.
In the previous topic, you had the opportunity to practice some of these functions. Most
work in a similar manner; using one of them will give you a general idea of how the
others work. However, using nested functions, which means using multiple functions
within the same formula, can be tricky.

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Continuing from Topic 1, imagine a worksheet with three columns of data: the first
column contains states, the second contains cities, and the third contains population
statistics. You can count how many entries are listed, but what if you only want to count
the entries above a specific figure? That’s when you need to use COUNTIF instead of
COUNT.

Did you know?

There are several new functions in Excel 2019 such as SWITCH, IFS,
MAXIFS, MINIFS, and more. You’ll get to try these out in this lesson.
To learn more about the new functions included in Excel 2019, go to:
What's new in Excel 2019 for Windows

IFS
IFS is a great new function available in Excel 2019. Evaluating your data against certain
criteria often results in multiple possible outcomes, and not just a true or false value.
The IFS function evaluates whether your data satisfies one or more conditions and
returns a value corresponding to the first true condition. In previous versions of Excel,
you would need to create a nested IF function, but in Excel 2019, you can use the IFS
function. It belongs to the Logical category of functions and uses the following syntax:
=IFS(logical_test1, value_if_true1, logical_test2, value_if_true2,…)
To use the IFS function:
1. In the Formula Bar, enter =IFS( and then enter your question, followed by a comma.
2. Enter the result you want if the answer to your question is yes, followed by a comma.
3. Enter your next question, followed by a comma.
4. Enter the result you want if the answer to your second question is yes.
5. Continue entering your questions and the results you want until you have added all
your questions.
6. Close the formula with a closed parenthesis ) and then select Enter. Similar to how
you used the other functions, you can use one of the following methods to enter a
formula:
o Select the Formulas tab, select the Logical category, and then select IFS.
o On the Formulas tab, select Insert Function, or select the Insert Function
button next to the Formula Bar.

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o Enter IFS into the search box and then select Go or select Enter. Alternatively,
change the category from Most Recently Used to Logical.
o Select IFS from the list of functions, and then select OK. The Function
Arguments dialog box opens.

Figure 7: IFS Function Argument dialog box

7. As you enter your logical tests and the values you want if the result is true, Excel
provides you more boxes to enter additional questions.
8. Select OK or select Enter to complete the function.

Did you know?

You can set up to 127 logical tests within an IFS function!

Additional information
For more information on the IFS function, go to: IFS Function

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SWITCH
The SWITCH function compares one value against a list of values and returns the first
matching value as the result. If no match is found, the function can return an optional
default value. The syntax for SWITCH is =SWITCH(expression, value1, result1,
[default_or_value2, result2],…..). The part within square brackets is optional.
You can use this function to switch specific results to a different result. You could
consider this to be similar to using the Find and Replace commands, except that you
can replace more than one thing at the same time.
For example, imagine you have a worksheet that lists vegetables that are known by
different names in different countries/regions, and you need to change the words to use
the American names. You could find each word and replace it one by one or you could
create a formula using the SWITCH function as shown in the following example:
=SWITCH(F4,"Aubergine","Eggplant","Chicory","Endive","Swede","Rutabaga","Co
urgette","Zucchini",F4)
This formula evaluates the value in cell F4, and if it contains Aubergine, switches it to
Eggplant; if it contains Chicory, switches it to Endive; and so on. If F4 doesn’t contain any
of those words, the function will return the original value of F4. Then, to tidy up the
worksheet, you could copy the result and paste it on top of the original data as values to
remove the formula. Excellent!
You can combine the SWITCH function with other functions; in lesson 4 of this module,
you’ll combine SWITCH and WEEKDAY.

AVERAGEIFS
The AVERAGEIFS function is a statistical function that finds the average (also known as
the arithmetic mean) for the cells specified by a given set of criteria or conditions. The
syntax for AVERAGEIFS is =AVERAGEIFS(average_range, criteria_range1, criteria1,
criteria_range2, criteria2,…).
To create an AVERAGEIFS function:
1. Enter =AVERAGESIFS( in the cell you want to create the formula.
2. Enter the range to be averaged if all the criteria are met. This can be a range, a whole
column or a row, or a named range if you have created one, followed by a comma (,).
3. Enter the range where the first criteria will be evaluated, followed by a comma.
4. Enter the criteria, which can be a number, cell reference, expression such as >100, or
text, followed by a comma (,).

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5. Enter the next range where the next criteria will be evaluated, followed by a comma
(,).
6. Enter the next criteria, followed by a comma (,) until you have completed adding all
your criteria to evaluate, and then enter a closed parenthesis ) to finish the formula.
7. Select Enter to complete the formula.
Alternatively, use the following steps:
1. Select the Insert Function button next to the Formula Bar or select Insert Function
on the Formulas tab.
2. Enter AVERAGE into the search box, and then select either Go or Enter. Alternatively,
in the Or select a category drop-down menu, change the category from Most
Recently Used to Statistical.
3. Select AVERAGEIFS from the list of functions, and then select either OK or Enter.
Alternatively, select the Formulas tab, select More Functions, select Statistical, and
then select AVERAGEIFS. The Function Arguments dialog box opens as depicted in
the following screenshot.

Figure 8: AVERAGEIFS Function Arguments dialog box

4. Enter values in the Average_range, Criteria_range1, and Criteria1 boxes.

5. Excel will provide additional boxes in the Function Arguments dialog box to allow
you to enter Criteria_range2 value and Criteria2 value.

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6. Continue to add the additional criteria ranges and criteria values you need until you
have completed adding all of your criteria.
7. Select either OK or Enter to complete the formula.

MAXIFS, MINIFS, COUNTIFS, and SUMIFS

• Excel includes several similar functions that you can use to perform specific
evaluations of your data. The MAXIFS and MINIFS functions are included in the
Statistical category, COUNTIFS in the Logical category, and SUMIFS in the Math &
Trig category.
• These functions are very similar to the AVERAGEIFS function, and they perform the
following calculations:
o MAXIFS finds the highest value among cells specified by a given set of criteria or
conditions.
o MINIFS finds the lowest value among cells specified by a given set of criteria or
conditions.
o COUNTIFS counts the number of cells specified by a given set of criteria or
conditions.
o SUMIFS totals the values in the cells specified by a given set of criteria or
conditions.
The syntax for these functions is the same as AVERAGEIFS. Simply replace AVERAGEIFS
with MAXIFS, MINIFS, COUNTIFS, or SUMIFS as appropriate.

Editing functions
There are many methods you can use to edit a function. First, select the cell containing
the function to edit, and then use one of the following options:
• Select the Formula Bar, make your alteration, and then select Enter to complete the
edit.
• Select the Insert Function and then make your alteration in the Function
Arguments dialog box. If there are nested functions within the same formula, select
any of the function names within the Formula Bar; the Function Arguments dialog
box will then switch to that part of the formula. Select either OK or Enter to complete
the edit.
• Select the formula and then select F2, make your alteration, and then select Enter to
complete the edit.

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Additional information
For more information on the SWITCH function, go to: SWITCH
function

Activity: Discuss and learn

In this activity you’ll work in pairs, teams, or individually to match a function with its
correct description.

Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Open L1_T2_act_functions_starter.docx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions:
1. Study the description in the first column of the table in the Word document.
2. Work in pairs, teams, or individually (as instructed by your teacher) to indicate the
correct function against each description.
3. There are 12 functions to identify.

Try-it: Use functions with multiple criteria

In this leveled try-it, you’ll create a MAXIFS function and describe what an IFS
function is evaluating.

Try-it 1
Create a new formula that uses the MAXIFS function.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L1_T2_try1_sample_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

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 Using advanced formulas

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. In cell F2, create a function that will find the maximum sample value if the rate is
greater than or equal to 3 and if it belongs to the periodic table group 2.
2. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Try-it 2
Describe what the IFS function is calculating in column D.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L1_T2_try2_sample_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Examine the comment in cell D2.
2. Edit the comment to complete the description of what the function in cell D2 is
calculating.
3. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Wrap-up
Do you or your classmates have any concerns about today’s topics? Maybe you can
help. Make a note for the “mud puddle” or “parking lot” or send a short email to your
teacher if your concerns are not answered. Then, use these questions to check what you
learned in this lesson.
1. Which of the following functions does not exist in Excel 2019?
Select the correct option.
a. AVERAGEIF
b. MAXIF
c. SUMIF
d. MINIFS

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 Using advanced formulas

2. If the content of A2 is 100 and the contents of B2 is 200, what result would you get
using the formula =IF(AND(A2>50,B2>200),"Excellent","Needs improvement")
Select all that apply.
a. Excellent
b. You would get an error
c. Needs improvement
d. A2>50
3. You can use an IFS function instead of which of the following functions?
Select all that apply.
a. Nested IF
b. IF
c. COUNTIF
d. AND
4. Identify the category to which the following functions belong.
o SUMIFS
o COUNTIF
o AVERAGEIFS
o SWITCH
Categorize the following items by adding the function name next to each item.
o Math & Trig - Select here to enter text.
o Statistical - Select here to enter text.
o Statistical - Select here to enter text.
o Logical - Select here to enter text.

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 Using advanced formulas

Lesson 2: Using lookup

functions
Overview
Several Lookup & Reference functions are available in Excel 2019. LOOKUP is used
when the key row or column is not adjacent to the data row or column. VLOOKUP and
HLOOKUP are probably the most frequently used lookup functions. These functions are
the same except for the direction of the lookup table. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to
use the VLOOKUP function and the HLOOKUP function. Imagine a worksheet
containing the details of every student attending your school this year. The worksheet
contains details such as name, date of birth, contact details, and grade results. You need
to find some information about a specific group of students in another workbook. You
could search for each student’s details manually and enter the details you need yourself,
or you could use a lookup function to find the information automatically.

Warm-up
Use these questions to find out what you already know about this lesson’s topics.
1. What does the V in VLOOKUP mean?
Select the correct option.
a. Value
b. Value_if_true
c. Vertical
d. View
2. The HLOOKUP function belongs to which category of functions?
Select the correct option.
a. Math & Trig
b. Lookup & Reference
c. Logical
d. Statistical

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 Using advanced formulas

3. There are many Lookup & Reference functions in Excel 2019, not all of which are
mentioned in this lesson. Which of the following functions do not belong to the
Lookup & Reference function category?
Select all that apply.
a. REPLACE
b. HLOOKUP
c. LOOKUP
d. SWITCH
4. VLOOKUP will return a value from a column index number, and HLOOKUP will
return a Select here to enter text. index number.
Fill in the blank space.

Topic 1: Use VLOOKUP

Have you ever found yourself manually searching for values within one table of
data and then entering the values you need into another table? If you need to add more
values, you have to repeat the process again and again. It’s a task that can be time-
consuming and boring. Luckily, you can use VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP for such repetitive
tasks.
The VLOOKUP function belongs to the Lookup & Reference category; you can use it to
find data in a table where the data is laid out vertically. There are four parts in a
VLOOKUP function, and it has the following syntax: =VLOOKUP(lookup_value,
table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])

Create a VLOOKUP function

To create a VLOOKUP by manually entering it:
1. Enter =VLOOKUP(.
2. In Lookup_value, enter the value you wish to find, followed by a comma. This can be
a cell reference, text, or number.
3. In Table_array, enter the range of cells or table that contains the value you want to
find, followed by a comma. The table array can be a defined range or table or a
range of cells that may need to be absolute.
4. In Col_index_num, enter the column number within the table array that you want to
return when the value you want to find has been found, followed by a comma.

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 Using advanced formulas

5. Enter False or 0 for an exact match, or enter True or 1 for an approximate match.
6. Complete the formula with a closed parenthesis ) and then select enter.
Alternatively, to create a VLOOKUP using the Function Arguments dialog box:
1. Select the Insert Function button next to the Formula Bar or on the Formulas tab.
2. Enter VLOOKUP into the search box and then select either Go, or change the
category from Most Recently Used to Lookup & Reference.
3. Select VLOOKUP from the list of functions and then select OK. Alternatively, select
the Formulas tab, select Lookup & Reference, and then select VLOOKUP. The
Function Arguments dialog box opens as the following screenshot depicts.

Figure 9: VLOOKUP Function Arguments dialog box

4. In Lookup_value, enter the value you want to find. This can be a cell reference, text,
or a number.
5. In Table_array, enter the range or table of cells in which you want to find the value.
The table array can be a defined range, a table, or a range of cells that may need to
be absolute.
6. In Col_index_num, enter the column number you want to return the value from.

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7. In Range_lookup, enter False or 0 for an exact match. For an approximate match,

enter True or 1 or leave it blank.
8. Select either OK or Enter to complete the formula.
Note:
• Use the following guidelines when creating a VLOOKUP function:
o When you use TRUE or 1 in Range_lookup or do not enter anything, Excel will
return the closest match that is less than the number you are looking up. If there
is no lower value to return, #N/A will be returned.
o A VLOOKUP function will check in the first column of the table array and will
return the first match it can find.
o When looking up numerical values, you should sort the table array by the first
column, smallest to largest first.
o If the Range_lookup is FALSE or 0 and the Lookup_value is text, you can use a
wildcard character within the Lookup_value. Use a question mark (?) to match
any single character or an asterisk (*) to match any sequence of characters in the
Lookup_value. To find an actual question mark or asterisk, type a tilde (~) before
the character.

Video
To review the video on the VLOOKUP function, go to: VLOOKUP
function

Activity: Discuss and learn

In this activity, you’ll discuss the four parts of the VLOOKUP function that has been
created in a worksheet. Your teacher will then create the formula again by entering the
formula manually.

Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Open L2_T1_act_elements_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

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 Using advanced formulas

Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions.
1. Follow your teacher and participate in the discussion.
2. Create another formula with the VLOOKUP function along with your teacher for
practice before filling out the rest of the elements.

Try-it: Use VLOOKUP

In this leveled try-it, you’ll edit an existing VLOOKUP function and then create a
new formula using this function.

Try-it 1
Edit the function on the Samples worksheet so that the levels in column D are correct.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L2_T1_try1_elements_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Examine the values in column D. You’ll notice that some of the values are correct and
others are incorrect.
2. Edit the formula in D2 to fix the errors.
3. Fix the rest of the formulas in column D.
4. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Try-it 2
Find the correct periodic table group for each element listed.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L2_T1_try2_elements_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

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 Using advanced formulas

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. In cell B2, on the Samples worksheet, create a formula that will find the element’s
periodic table group number from the Elements_Info defined range on the
Elements worksheet.
2. Add the formula for the rest of the elements on the Samples worksheet.
3. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Additional information
For more information on using range names in functions, go to: Define
and use names in formulas

Topic 2: Use HLOOKUP

You can use the HLOOKUP function to find data in a table where the data you need
to retrieve is laid out horizontally. There are four components in the HLOOKUP function,
which belongs to the Lookup & Reference category. The HLOOKUP function is the
same as VLOOKUP except that it checks for a row value rather than a column value. The
syntax for HLOOKUP is =HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num,
[range_lookup]).

Create a HLOOKUP function

To create a HLOOKUP by manually entering it:
1. In the cell you want to use the formula, enter =HLOOKUP( and then complete the
four parts of the function in the same way that you did for VLOOKUP.
2. Make sure that you are referring to the row number rather than the column number.
Alternatively, to create a HLOOKUP by using the Function Arguments dialog box:
1. Select the Insert Function button next to the Formula Bar or select Insert Function
on the Formulas tab.
2. In the search box, enter HLOOKUP and then select either Go. Alternatively, in the Or
change the category drop-down menu, change the category from Most Recently
Used to Lookup & Reference.
3. Select HLOOKUP from the list of functions, and then select OK. Alternatively, select
the Formulas tab, select Logical, and then select HLOOKUP.

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4. In the Lookup_value box, enter the value you want to find. This can be a cell
reference, text, or a number.
5. In Table_array, enter the range or table of cells you want to find the value in. The
table array can be a defined range or table or a range of cells that may need to be
absolute.
6. In Row_index_num, enter the row number you want to check.
7. In Range_lookup, enter False or 0 for an exact match. For an approximate match,
enter True or 1, or leave it blank.
8. Select OK or select Enter to complete the formula.
Note:
Use the following guidelines when creating a HLOOKUP function:
• When you use TRUE in Range_lookup or do not enter anything, Excel will return the
closest match lower than the number you are looking up. If there is no lower value to
return, #N/A will be returned.
• The HLOOKUP function checks the first row of the table array and returns the first
match it can find.
• When looking up numerical values, you should sort the table array by the first row,
smallest to largest first. To do that:
o Select the Data tab and then select Sort.
o Select the Options button and then select Sort left to right under Orientation.
o Continue to set the sort option you want.
• If the Range_lookup is FALSE or 0 and the Lookup_value is text, you can use a
wildcard character within the Lookup_value. Use a question mark (?) to match any
single character or an asterisk (*) to match any sequence of characters in the
Lookup_value. To find an actual question mark or asterisk, type a tilde (~) before the
character.

Did you know?

There’s a new lookup function currently available in Office 365 that
will be soon included in Excel 2019: the XLOOKUP function! Here’s a
link to the XLOOKUP function for you to review when you have a
moment.

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Additional information
For more information on the HLOOKUP function, go to: HLOOKUP
function

Activity: Pose a question

Your teacher will ask you a question about the difference between the VLOOKUP and
HLOOKUP function. You’ll then create an HLOOKUP formula based on a VLOOKUP
formula that has already been created.

Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Open L2_T2_act_trace_elements_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity
Resources.

Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions:
1. Consider the difference between an HLOOKUP and VLOOKUP. Ask yourself:
o What does the V stand for?
o What does the H stand for?
o What difference does it make to the formula?
2. Be prepared to share with the class.
3. Examine the VLOOKUP function in column C of the Soil Sample 2019 worksheet.
4. Work with your neighbor to create a similar formula on the Soil Sample 2020
worksheet, but use HLOOKUP instead. A range named Level has been created for
your use as the table array on the Soil Sample 2020 worksheet.

Try-it: Use HLOOKUP

In this standalone try-it, you’ll work in pairs to write a description of the
HLOOKUP and VLOOKUP functions.

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Try-it
Imagine one of your peers has asked you to explain how to use lookup functions and
the various elements in these functions. In this try-it, you’ll try to describe the
HLOOKUP and VLOOKUP functions to make it as easy as possible for your peers to
understand how these functions work.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L2_T2_try_trace_elements.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources as
reference or create your own data in a blank workbook.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Use any method and/or help available to you and your partner to write a brief user
guide that will help your friends understand these two functions.
2. Consider:
o Are all the four parts of the function required?
o What’s the correct sequence for the functions?
o How would you make the formula easier to understand?
o What’s the difference between an HLOOKUP and VLOOKUP?
3. Be prepared to share your work with the class.
4. Your teacher may ask you to hand in your work at the end of the lesson.

Wrap-up
For what kind of data would it be useful to apply the VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP
functions? Discuss with your neighbor. Use the following questions to review what you
learned in this lesson.
1. In a VLOOKUP or a HLOOKUP function, what should you enter in the fourth
segment of the formula to specify that you want an approximate match return?
Select all that apply.
a. True
b. Leave it blank
c. False
d. 1

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2. A VLOOKUP function checks the Select here to enter text. column in a table array
to match it with the lookup value.
Fill in the blank space.
3. When using a VLOOKUP function for a numerical value, it’s best practice to sort the
first column from Select here to enter text. to Select here to enter text.
Fill in the blank spaces.
4. What is the correct order of entering the four parts of an HLOOKUP function?
Indicate the correct sequence by adding numbers 1-4 next to the following items.
a. Row_index_num - Select here to enter text.
b. Range_lookup - Select here to enter text.
c. Table_array - Select here to enter text.
d. Lookup_Value - Select here to enter text.

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 Using advanced formulas

Lesson 3: Using lookup

functions and external
references
Overview
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use the MATCH and INDEX functions to find data. In
the previous lesson, you learned that the VLOOKUP function checks the first column in
the table array and the HLOOKUP function checks the first row in the table array for the
value you want to find. But what if the value you want to find is not in the first column
or row of the table array? That’s when the MATCH and INDEX functions can help.
The second topic in this lesson will cover referencing data on other workbooks, which
basically means linking cells from one worksheet to another so that they are
automatically updated.

Warm-up
Use the following questions to find out what you already know about this lesson’s
topics.
1. To which category of functions does MATCH belong?
Select the correct option.
a. Logical
b. Financial
c. Lookup & Reference
d. Statistical

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 Using advanced formulas

2. When you reference another workbook in a formula, what type of brackets enclose
the source workbook within the formula?
Select the correct option.
a. ( )
b. < >
c. [ ]
d. { }
3. When you reference another workbook in a formula, what symbol is after the source
worksheet name within the formula?
Select the correct option.
a. !
b. ?
c. $
d. \
4. When the value you are searching for is not in the first column of a table array, you
can use the Select here to enter text. and/or Select here to enter text. functions.
Fill in the blank spaces.

Topic 1: Use MATCH and INDEX

The MATCH function on its own returns the relative position of a value in a
specified list or range. The INDEX function returns a specific value or reference at the
intersection of a column and row. You can use the INDEX function with a reference or
an array. The MATCH and INDEX functions work well in combination with other
functions, such as VLOOKUP.

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 Using advanced formulas

MATCH function
The MATCH function belongs to the Lookup & Reference function category and uses
the following syntax:
=MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type])
The Lookup_value and Lookup_array components are similar to the VLOOKUP and
HLOOKUP function. The part in square brackets is optional but has three possible
values that you can enter:
• Enter 0 to find an exact match you need to retrieve.
• Enter 1 to find the largest number, greater than or equal to the lookup value.
However, the lookup array must be sorted smallest to largest.
• Enter -1 for the smallest number, less than or equal to the lookup value. However,
the lookup array must be sorted in largest to smallest order.
Here are some examples of the MATCH function:
• =MATCH("Iron",A1:A24,0) will return the position of Iron within the range A1:24.
Based on the data in Figure 10, the result is 12.
• =MATCH(200,B1:B24,-1) will return the position of the smallest number, less than
or equal to the lookup value. Based on the data in Figure 10, the result is 5, meaning
anything below the fifth position (B5) is below 200.
• If the data in column B in Figure 11 is reversed, that is, sorted smallest to largest,
=MATCH(200,B1:B24,1) will return the position of the highest number, greater than
or equal to the lookup value. The result is 20.

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 Using advanced formulas

Figure 10: Sample data for MATCH function

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 Using advanced formulas

Figure 11: Sample data for MATCH function

INDEX function
The INDEX function also belongs to the Lookup & Reference function category.
However, the INDEX function has two forms: the array form and the reference form. The
array form returns an entire row or column. The reference form returns the value in the
intersecting cell where the row and column meet:
• =INDEX(array, row_num, column_num)
• =INDEX(reference, row_num, [column_num], [area_num])

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 Using advanced formulas

Did you know?

Curly brackets (braces) around a formula {….} means that the formula
is a superpower formula because it performs multiple calculations in
the same formula. It’s also known as an array formula; to make it work
correctly, you must complete the formula by selecting Ctrl + Shift +
Enter.

Here are some examples of the INDEX function based on the data in Figure 12.

Figure 12: Sample data for INDEX function

• To find the rate for Zinc that was recorded in 2016, the formula is:
=INDEX(A5:C10,6,3).
• This will return the contents of the cell in the sixth row and third column within the
range A5 to C10. The result will be 5.
• To find the rate for Zinc in 2016, 2018, or 2020, the formula is:
=INDEX((A5:C10,E5:G10,I5:K10),6,3,2). The reference part of the function has been
edited to include three ranges to which the function should refer. The 2 at the end of
the formula refers to which of the three tables to search. In this case, it is the second
table (E5 to G10). The result will be 4.
=INDEX((A5:C10,E5:G10,I5:K10),6,3,3). The 3 at the end of the formula indicates
that the function should refer to the third table (I5 to K10). The result will be 3.

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 Using advanced formulas

• When using the array form of the INDEX function, you must indicate the cells in
which you want the results to be displayed. For example, if there are three values to
return from a row, you need to select three cells while creating the formula. When
you have created the formula, you must select Ctrl+Shift+Enter to complete it;
otherwise, you won’t get the correct answer. This creates an array formula with curly
brackets (braces) at either end of the formula:
{=INDEX((A5:C10,E5:G10,I5:K10),6,0,3)}
This formula will return the entire sixth row in the third table; the result will be Zinc,
1.48, and 3.

Combine MATCH and INDEX

Instead of using a VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP function to find a value, you can combine
MATCH and INDEX in the same formula. This could be helpful when you need to find a
value that is not in the first column or row of the table array.
In the following example, =INDEX(A1:E119,MATCH("Fe",B1:B119,0),4), the formula
returns a value that’s in the fourth column of a data table A1 to E119. The value to find
is in the second column (B1 to B119), and the value to return is in the fourth column;
therefore, using VLOOKUP will not help. You could rearrange the table so that the
column containing Fe is in the first column, but sometimes you won’t want to change
the data at all.
The outer component of the formula =INDEX(A1:E119,…,4) specifies where to find the
value and which column to return when the value is found.
The inner component MATCH("Fe",B1:B119,0) specifies what needs to be found,
where to find it within the table, and to return an exact match.

Video
To review the video on the MATCH function, go to: MATCH function
To review the video on the INDEX function, go to: INDEX function

Activity: Pose a challenge

In this activity, your teacher will ask questions about the MATCH and INDEX functions.
Consider the possibility of using VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP to find specific data.

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 Using advanced formulas

Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Open L3_T1_act_elements_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions:
1. Examine the data on the Elements worksheet. Consider the following:
o If you wanted to find the symbol for any of the elements, could you use
VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP? If not, why not?
o Is it possible to extract a full row using MATCH or INDEX?
2. Switch to the Searching Elements worksheet and examine the function in cell J2
and in the cells I7 to L7.
3. Check your understanding of how the function works.
4. Change the contents of cell I2 to any other symbol listed in column B. Does the
result in J2 update?
5. Change the row number in any of the formulas in the range I7 to L7. Does the result
update? If not, why not?
6. Follow along as your teacher recreates one of the functions.

Try-it: Use MATCH and INDEX

In this leveled try-it, you’ll edit an existing MATCH or INDEX function, or you’ll
create a new formula using the MATCH and INDEX functions.

Try-it 1
A MATCH function has been created, but it needs to be combined with INDEX to
retrieve the name of the element and not just the position in the column.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L3_T1_try1_elements_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

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 Using advanced formulas

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Examine the function in cell J2. Notice it’s not retrieving the correct value. It contains
the formula =MATCH(I2,B1:B119,0) and is therefore only returning the position of
the contents of cell I2 within the Elements column.
2. Edit the formula to include the INDEX function so that it picks up the Element name
for the symbol in I2 (you can use the formula in K6 as reference).
3. Change the contents of cell I2 to Cr to check that your formula works.
4. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Try-it 2
An INDEX function has already been created, but it needs to be combined with MATCH
to return the required results.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L3_T1_try2_elements_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Examine the function in cell J2. It contains an error because it’s unclear which row
and column need to be matched.
2. Edit the formula to include the MATCH function so that it retrieves the Element for
the symbol in I2 (you can use the formula in K6 as reference).
3. Change the contents of cell I2 to Rb to check that your formula works.
4. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Try-it 3
Create a new formula using both the INDEX and MATCH functions.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L3_T1_try3_elements_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

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 Using advanced formulas

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. In cell J2, create an INDEX function with a nested MATCH function so that you can
find the Element that matches the contents of I2 in the range A1 to E119.
2. Copy the formula from J2 to K2, and then edit it to find the Group number.
3. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Topic 2: Reference data from other

workbooks
What if you have to regularly refer to cells in various workbooks? For example, you
could have a workbook that summarizes data from several workbooks. The other
workbooks are updated on a regular basis, which means that you need to constantly
update the summary workbook. How time consuming would that be? If the data from
the other workbooks were linked to the summary workbook, the values would always be
updated automatically.

Reference another workbook

When you reference an external workbook in your workbook, you are creating a link.
The following procedure is one of the simplest methods to link to another workbook:
1. Open both workbooks (the destination and source workbooks).
2. In the destination workbook, select the cell in which you want to add the reference.
3. Enter an equal sign (=).
4. Select the source workbook, and then select the cell(s) you want to refer to.
5. Select Enter.
6. You’ll be automatically returned to the destination workbook. If the data in the
source workbook is updated, it will be automatically updated in the destination
workbook, too. We recommend that you keep both the source and destination
workbooks open when you are updating data in the source workbook. Sometimes,
the destination workbook might not get updated correctly if it’s closed.

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 Using advanced formulas

Reference a defined range in another workbook

If the source workbook contains a defined range name, you can link to the whole range.
1. Open both the destination and source workbooks.
2. In the destination workbook, select the cell in which you want to add the reference.
3. Enter an equal sign (=).
4. Select the source workbook, but don’t select a specific cell. To select the source
workbook, on the View tab, in the Window group, select Switch Windows, or select
Alt+Tab on your keyboard. (You many need to select Tab more than once to select
the correct workbook.)
5. Select F3, and the Paste Name dialog box will open as depicted in Figure 13.

Figure 13: Paste Name dialog box

6. In the Paste_name list, select the range to link to, and then select OK. You’ll be
automatically returned to the destination workbook, and the whole range will be
linked.

Security warnings
When you open a workbook that contains links to other workbooks, Excel might display
a security warning message under the ribbon as depicted in Figure 14.

Figure 14: Security Warning message

Select Enable Content to continue working in the workbook.

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 Using advanced formulas

If a source workbook has been updated at any time without the destination workbook
being open, you’ll receive a message as depicted in Figure 15.

Figure 15: Security Warning dialog box

If you do receive a warning like this, don’t panic. Select Update if you are happy to go
ahead and update the current workbook, or select Don’t Update if you would prefer
not to. However, be extra careful when making the decision to update or not. If columns
or rows have been inserted into the source workbook since you first created the link, the
cells in the destination workbook might be referring to the wrong cells! If this happens,
close the workbook without saving, and then open again and select Don’t Update
instead. Alternatively, you may need to create the link again.

Break a link
At any time, you can remove the link to an external workbook. To do this:
1. On the Data tab, in the Queries & Connections group, select Edit Links.
2. In the Edit Links dialog box, select the link you want to remove, and then select
Break Link. You could also copy and paste the cell containing the link on top of the
same cell as a value. To do so, copy the cell, and then either access the context menu
(right-click) or select the drop-down menu on the Paste button on the Home tab,
and then select Values.

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Figure 16: Edit Links dialog box

From this dialog box, you can also:

• Update the linked values.
• Change the source to a different workbook.
• Open the source workbook and check the status of the links.

Additional information
For more information on referencing data from other workbooks, go
to: Create an external reference (link) to a cell range in another
workbook

Activity: Show and tell

In this activity, you’ll learn how to reference data from other workbooks and find out the
challenges that this might cause.

Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Open L3_T2_act_summary_starter.xlsx, L3_T2_act_finances.xlsx, and
L3_T2_act_sales.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

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Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions:
1. Follow along as your teacher links data from the finance workbook into the summary
workbook.
2. Discuss what challenges this may create.

Try-it: Reference data from other workbooks

In this leveled try-it, you’ll create links to other workbooks.

Try-it 1
Create three links from one workbook to another.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L3_T2_try1_summary_starter.xlsx and L3_T2_sales.xlsx in this lesson’s
Learning Activity Resources.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. In L3_T2_try1_summary_starter.xlsx, on the Summary worksheet, in cell B18,
create a link to the cell E174 on the Forecast Sales worksheet in L3_T2_sales.xlsx.
2. Repeat to link B19 to F174 and B20 to G174.
3. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Try-it 2
Create a link to another workbook by using the SUM function.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L3_T2_try2_summary_starter.xlsx and L3_T2_sales.xlsx in this lesson’s
Learning Activity Resources.

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Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it.
1. In cell B18 on the Summary worksheet in L3_T2_try2_summary_starter.xlsx, create
a formula that totals the cells E174 to G174 in the L3_T2_sales.xlsx workbook.
2. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Try-it 3
Create a link to another workbook that averages a defined named range.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L3_T2_try3_summary_starter.xlsx and L3_T2_finances.xlsx in this lesson’s
Learning Activity Resources.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it.
1. In cell B4 on the Summary sheet in L3_T2_try2_summary_starter.xlsx, create a
formula that averages the named range Category_Totals in the L3_T2_finances.xlsx
workbook.
2. Save the file as the same name plus your initials.

Wrap-up
Use these questions to check what you learned in this lesson.
1. To return an exact match by using the MATCH function, what value would you use
for the match_type?
Select the correct option.
a. -1
b. 1
c. 0
d. Leave it blank

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2. When referencing a named range in another workbook, what keyboard shortcut can
you use to open the Paste Name dialog box?
Select all that apply.
a. F1
b. F2
c. F3
d. F4
3. To break a link from one workbook to another, select the Data tab and then select
Edit Links. Select the link to break and then select Select here to enter text.
Fill in the blank space.
4. Order the following components for the INDEX function syntax in the reference form
in the correct sequence.
Indicate the correct sequence by adding numbers 1-4 next to the following items.
a. Column_num - Select here to enter text.
b. Reference - Select here to enter text.
c. Area_num - Select here to enter text.
d. Row_num - Select here to enter text.

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Lesson 4: Using date and time

functions
Overview
Wouldn’t it be great to be sure that when you are working with dates in a workbook
that your data is always up to date? Well, Excel 2019 has a selection of date and time
functions that can help you. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use the NOW, TODAY,
WEEKDAY, and WORKDAY functions. One of the key things to remember when
working with date and time functions is that you should check the formatting that has
been applied to all cells involved in the formula, including the cell where the result is
displayed.

Warm-up
Use these questions to find out what you already know about this lesson’s topics.
1. What is the keyboard shortcut to enter the current time into a cell?
Select the correct option.
a. Ctrl + semicolon
b. Ctrl + Shift + semicolon
c. Ctrl + tilde
d. Ctrl + D
2. If you want to calculate the next three working days from a specific date, which of
the following functions would you use?
Select the correct option.
a. WEEKDAY
b. NETWORKDAYS
c. WORKDAY
d. DAY

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3. Which of the following functions will help keep current a formula that refers to
dates?
Select all that apply.
a. HOUR
b. NOW
c. MINUTE
d. TODAY
4. To identify a day of the week as a number rather than a text value, you can use the
Select here to enter text. function.
Fill in the blank space.

Topic 1: Use NOW and TODAY

Using the NOW or TODAY function is an excellent way of ensuring that formulas or
cells referring to dates are always current. You can use these functions on their own, and
they both work in the same way. The NOW function returns the date and current time,
and the TODAY function returns the date only. However, when you combine either
function with other functions, you can perform highly complex calculations.

Did you know?

Excel stores dates as sequential serial numbers, which means they can
be used in calculations. Number 1 is January 1, 1900. Number 2 is
January 2, 1900 and so forth. That’s why, if a cell containing a date
has been formatted as a number, you get a value such as 43831.

NOW function
The NOW function syntax is =NOW(). It’s particularly helpful when you need to display
the current date and time in a worksheet, and you need it to update automatically every
time you open the workbook. Similarly, when you use NOW within a formula, the
formula result will also be up to date to the very minute and second according to the
clock in your device. This is great for recording the time you started a task against the
time you finished it because you can subtract one from the other to calculate the exact
amount of it took to complete the task. What a great tool for time management!

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TODAY function
The TODAY function syntax is =TODAY(). The TODAY function is similar to the NOW
function. It’s useful when you want to display the current date on a worksheet whenever
you open the workbook. It’s also useful for calculating intervals between dates, in days.
For example, you could have a cell with the start date and another with the finish date,
and then subtract one from the other to work out how many days are between them.
You may need to change the formatting to General if the result is returned in a date
format.

Date and Time keyboard shortcuts

There are a couple of keyboard shortcuts that you can use to enter the date and/or time
into a cell. The important thing to remember is that the shortcuts keep the date or time
static from the moment you use them according to the date and time settings on your
device. This means they are perfect for recording the actual date or time without having
to enter it yourself.
The keyboard shortcuts for inserting the date and time into a cell are:
• Time: Ctrl+ : or Ctrl + Shift + ; (depending upon the type of keyboard you are using)
• Date: Ctrl + ;
The following table provides a few examples of formulas using NOW or TODAY. For all
of the TODAY examples listed, you would get the same result using NOW.

Formula Result

=NOW()-2.5 The date and time 2.5 days ago

=TODAY()-30 The date 30 days ago

=TODAY()+14 The date two weeks from now

=MONTH(TODAY()) The current month

=INT((TODAY()-A1)/365) The number of years between the dates in

cell A1. The INT function at the start
removes any decimal points and leaves
the integer only.

=IF(A1>TODAY(),"Future","Past") If the date in A1 is greater than the

current date, the result will be Future;
otherwise, the result will be Past.

Table 3: Examples of formulas

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Note: When using date and time functions, take care to check the formatting that has
been applied to the cells. You may think you have the wrong result, when it’s really just
a matter of fixing the formatting. For example, you might need to change from a Date
format to General or General to Short Date or Long Date.

Additional information
For more information on the TODAY function, go to: TODAY function.
For more information on the NOW function, go to: NOW function

Activity: Each one, teach one

In this activity, you’ll take a few minutes to research the TODAY and NOW functions.
You’ll then teach your partner what you learned.

Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Create a blank workbook to practice your formulas.

Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions:
1. Use any option available to you to research the NOW and TODAY functions.
2. Enter some random dates in any cell in the workbook to practice with.
3. Teach your partner something about each formula.

Try-it: Use NOW and TODAY

In this standalone try-it, you’ll answer a series of date-related questions by using
either NOW or TODAY.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L4_T1_try_question_time.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

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Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Answer the questions in column A using either the NOW function or the TODAY
function, or refer to a cell within the worksheet that contains the NOW or TODAY
function.
2. Add a couple of your own questions to the list.
3. Compare your results with your classmates.
4. Did anyone add the same questions as you?
5. Save the workbook as the same name plus your initials.

Topic 2: Use WEEKDAY and WORKDAY

The WEEKDAY and WORKDAY functions belong to the Date & Time function
category. If you ever find yourself counting days between dates using a calendar, you’ll
find both of these functions useful.

WEEKDAY function
The WEEKDAY function evaluates a date and returns the day of the week as an integer.
The syntax is =WEEKDAY(serial_number, [return_type]).
Serial_number refers to the date, and return_type is optional. If you omit it, Sunday will
be returned as a 1, Monday will be returned as a 2, and so on. Figure 17 lists the return
types that are available in Excel 2019. The value that will be returned in the example
depicted in the following screenshot will be 5 for Friday.

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Figure 17: WEEKDAY function return types

WORKDAY function
The WORKDAY function is great for adding days onto a date, excluding weekends. It
can even exclude bank holidays if you include them in the function! The syntax is
=WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays]). Holidays is optional but enables you to
achieve a more accurate result if included. When including holidays, you can refer to
another workbook that contains a list of bank holidays or you can add the list into your
current worksheet if you want to. Don’t forget to check the formatting that has been
applied to the result!
Imagine you had a task to complete within seven working days (in your case, that might
be school days), and you were given the task on a Monday. The due date is not next
Monday, it’s next Wednesday. If that week included one bank holiday, then the due date
would be Thursday. If you wanted to calculate how many days it actually took you to
complete the task, you could use the NETWORKDAYS function.

Did you know?

Not every nation or region has Monday as the first day of the working
week. For some, Friday and Saturday constitute the weekend. Luckily,
there is a function available that can deal with that: WORKDAY.INTL
function. How cool is that?

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WEEKDAY combined with SWITCH

When working with the WEEKDAY function, you might find that having the day
returned as an integer is a little hard to understand or not very useful. If you combine
the WEEKDAY with the SWITCH function, you can display the integer as a text value.
The following examples are based on the cell C2 containing 2/29/2020, which is a
Saturday. The formula in the first example uses WEEKDAY only, and the second
example uses the same function in combination with SWITCH.
=WEEKDAY(C2,2) returns a result of 6
=SWITCH(WEEKDAY(C2,1),6,"Saturday",7,"Sunday","Weekday") returns a result of
Saturday
The formula in the second example translates as: if the day equals 6, switch it to
Saturday; if it equals 7, switch it to Sunday; otherwise, switch it to Weekday.

Additional information
For more information on the WEEKDAY function, go to: WEEKDAY
function
For more information on the WEEKDAY function, go to: WORKDAY
function
For more information on date and time functions, go to: Date and
time functions (reference)

Activity: Discuss and learn

In this activity, your teacher will ask a volunteer to guess what the WEEKDAY and
WORKDAY functions can do. The volunteer will then demonstrate each function using
random dates or dates suggested by you or your classmates.

Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Open L4_T2_holidays.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources for reference
and create a blank workbook or use any other open workbook to practice on.

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Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions.
1. In a blank worksheet, enter a few random dates into a few cells.
2. You can use a keyboard shortcut or use a function to enter the current date if you
want.
3. Consider the kind of questions you could answer using the WORKDAY or WEEKDAY
functions.
4. Use L4_T2_holidays.xlsx as reference with the WORKDAY function.
5. Prepare to share your thoughts with the class.

Try-it: Use WEEKDAY and WORKDAY

In this leveled try-it, you’ll create a formula that uses the WEEKDAY function or a
formula that uses the WORKDAY function.

Try-it 1
Create a function that helps you discover what day of the week you were born on.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Create a new blank workbook or use the same one from the previous activity.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Enter a random date at least 16 years ago in cell A1.
2. Create a function in the adjacent cell that returns the day of week of the date you
entered using the return type that would display a Monday as 1.
3. Save the workbook as Weekday_plus your initials.

Try-it 2
Create a function that will calculate the date in 30 working days, including bank holidays
for the current year.

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Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L4_T2_holidays.xlsx and L4_T2_try2_sample_dates_starter.xlsx in this
lesson’s Learning Activity Resources for reference and create a new blank workbook
or use the same one from the previous activity.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. In cell B2, use a keyboard shortcut to enter today’s date so that it doesn’t update in
L4_T2_try2_sample_dates_starter.xlsx.
2. In cell B3, create a function that will calculate 30 working days in the future using B2
as the start and will take into account the bank holidays listed in
L4_T2_holidays.xlsx.
3. In cell B4, calculate how many days there are between the cells B2 and B3.
4. Save the workbook as the same name_plus your initials.

Wrap-up
If time permits, you can try creating an IF function that includes TODAY. For example, if
a cell is greater than today, it’s in the future; if it’s less than today, it’s in the past. Then
use the following questions to check what you learned in this lesson:
1. The result of a formula should be 12/31/2020 and it displays as 44196. Which of the
following formats will fix it?
Select all that apply.
a. Number
b. General
c. Short Date
d. Long Date

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2. The WEEKDAY function has several return types that you can use to represent the
day of the week as a number. If you enter 2 as the return type, the result you get is 1.
What day of the week does 1 refer to?
Select the correct option.
a. Friday
b. Saturday
c. Sunday
d. Monday
3. To represent Sunday as 1 in the WEEKDAY function, which return type can you use
from the following?
Select all that apply.
a. Omit it
b. 1
c. 11
d. 17
4. Which of the following is the correct syntax for the WORKDAY function?
Select the correct option.
a. =WORKDAY(start_date, days)
b. =WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])
c. =WORKDAY(serial_number, [return_type])
d. =WORKDAY(serial_number, days, [holidays]).

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Lesson 5: Excel customization

options
Overview
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to configure when Excel updates formulas on your
workbook and how to change Excel Options to suit your needs, potentially improving
your productivity.

Warm-up
Use these questions to find out what you already know about this lesson’s topics.
1. By default, how are formulas set to update?
Select the correct option.
a. By selecting F9
b. Automatically
c. Automatically except for data tables
d. Manually
2. Which of the following options can you use to set calculation options?
Select all that apply.
a. Select the Format tab, and then select the Formula Auditing group.
b. Select the Format tab, and then select the Calculation group.
c. Select File, select Options, and then select General.
d. Select File, select Options, and then select Formulas.
3. Which of the following tabs are available in Excel Options?
Select all that apply.
a. Advanced
b. Data
c. Ease of Access
d. Review

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4. Which of the following Excel Options tabs can you use to change the default font
type and font size?
Select the correct option.
a. Add-ins
b. Formulas
c. General
d. Proofing

Topic 1: Set formula calculation options

Imagine a workbook that links to several other workbooks, thus linking thousands
of cells. Every time you open the linked workbook, it accesses all the linked data in the
other workbooks, whether they are open or not. It can take several minutes to
completely open the workbook and to save it. That’s okay if you are super patient, but
that can be very time-consuming. In Excel 2019, you can choose to update calculations
when you want to, rather than every time you make a change to a cell.

Set calculation options by using the ribbon

There are two main methods you can use to set calculation options to suit your needs.
The simplest method is by using the ribbon.
1. Select the Formulas tab, and in the Calculation group, select Calculation Options.

Figure 18: Calculation group

2. Select one of the three available options: Automatic, Automatic Except for Data
Tables, or Manual.
3. If you select Automatic Except for Data Tables or Manual, when you are ready to
update the formulas, you can select Calculate Now from the Calculation group (or
select F9) or select Calculate Sheet to update the current sheet only (or select
Shift+F9).
4. Select Calculation Options and then select Automatic to return to the default
settings.

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Set calculation options by using Excel Options

You can also set the calculation options by using Excel Options. To do this:
1. Select File and then select Options.
2. In the Excel Options dialog box, select the Formulas tab, and then select the option
you want under Calculation Options.
3. Select OK to save your modifications.

Figure 19: Formulas Options tab

Note:
• When you change the calculation settings in a workbook, you are setting them at the
application level, which means that these settings will apply for every workbook that
you use in the future and not just the current workbook or worksheet.

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• From the Formula tab in Excel Options, you can choose to set an additional option
to Recalculate workbook before saving. Disabling this option may help reduce the
time it takes to close a huge workbook.
• You can also edit the iteration calculation settings.

Additional information
For more information on setting calculation options, go to: Change
formula recalculation, iteration, or precision in Excel

Activity: Discuss and learn

In this activity, you’ll open a workbook and change the calculation options. You’ll then
use the methods available to update the functions.

Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Open L5_T1_act_samples.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions:
1. Follow the teacher’s instructions to change the default calculation options.
2. Consider why you might want to do this in the future.
3. Be prepared to share your thoughts with the class.

Try-it: Set formula calculation options

In this standalone try-it, you’ll set the calculation options in a workbook.

Try-it
Set the calculation options back to default settings.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L5_T1_try_samples_starter.xlsx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

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Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Examine the formula in cell A18 on the Trace Elements worksheet. Is it current?
2. Select the keyboard shortcut to update the entire workbook.
3. Alter the sample value for Nickel on the 2010, 2014, and 2018 worksheets to any
other value. Has the data on the Trace Elements worksheet updated? What about
the chart?
4. Set the calculations back to default settings.
5. Save the workbook as the same name_plus your initials.

Topic 2: Set Excel options

When you become more experienced with using Excel, you’ll likely want to change some
of the options to help make Excel work better for you. It’s very likely that you’ll want to
customize the ribbon or the Quick Access Toolbar. But you might know all about that
already if you took the Excel associate course!
To access Excel Options, select File, and then select Options. The Excel Options dialog
box displays several tabs for each category of options as depicted in the following
screenshot.

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Figure 20: Excel Options dialog box, General tab

Make a note of whatever changes you make within Excel Options as you might change
an option that does not produce the results you desire, and you might want to revert
the change. You would then need to remember how to set the option back to its
original setting.
Select OK to apply any changes you make, but note that some changes won’t take effect
until you restart the application.
There are several options you can set using Excel Options; however, covering them all in
this guide would be impossible. Instead, the following sections illustrate some of the
most common changes users make.

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General Options
On the General tab, you can change:
• The default font size
• The number of worksheets to include in every new workbook
• The user name
• The Office Theme setting to Colorful, Dark Gray, Black or White
• Displaying or hiding the mini toolbar when selecting text
• Enabling or disabling live preview

Formulas Options
On the Formulas tab, you can set:
• How Excel calculates formulas
• Whether to enable or disable the use of table names in formulas
• What color to use to indicate errors if you don’t want the default green
• Error checking rules

Proofing Options
Use the Proofing tab to set what is checked when you run Spell Check. You can choose
to:
• Ignore words in UPPERCASE
• Ignore words that contain numbers
• Ignore internet and file addresses
• You can also set the AutoCorrect Options and set the dictionary language.

Save Options
On the Save tab, you can:
• Set the AutoRecover options
• Set the default file location to save for local files, templates, and drafts

Language Options
On the Language tab, you can add languages and the order in which languages are
used.

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Ease of Access Options

Use this tab to make Excel more accessible. You can choose to display ScreenTips,
modify the display font size, and keep the accessibility checker on while you work.

Advanced Options
The Advanced tab has the most options that you can use for customizing Excel. On this
tab, you can:
• Set editing options such as enabling or disabling the fill handle, drag and drop,
AutoComplete, and Flash Fill.
• Enable or disable cut, copy, and paste options.
• Set the quality of images and printing.
• Set chart options.
• Set display options, such as the number of recent workbooks listed in Backstage or
whether to display the Formula Bar.
• For a specific workbook, you can display the scroll bars, worksheet tabs, worksheet
row and column headers, and gridlines.
• And many more options.

Did you know?

Not every nation or region writes numbers the same way you do. For
example, in the USA, ten thousand dollars is usually formatted as
$10,000.00. In Germany, it’s typically formatted as $10.000,00; and in
Switzerland, it would be $10’000.00. Changing the system separators
in Advanced Options might be very useful if you have to keep
changing the formatting.

Add-Ins
Use the Add-Ins tab to manage the add-ins that are available on your device. Select Go
to activate built-in add-ins such as the Analysis ToolPak or Solver for further analysis
of your data.

Trust Center Options

On the Trust Center tab, you can access the Trust Center Settings, which opens
another dialog box as depicted in the following screenshot. You’ll learn more about the
Trust Center options in Module 5, when creating macros.

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Figure 21: Trust Center options

Additional information
For more information on Excel Options, go to: Advanced Options

Activity: Discuss and learn

In this activity, your teacher will lead a discussion on some of the key Excel options that
you may want to change in the future.

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Resources required
You’ll need the following resources for this activity:
• Open any workbook that you have available or create a blank workbook for
reference.

Activity instructions
Participate in the activity by following these instructions:
1. Follow the discussion and ask/answer questions when prompted.
2. You’ll perform a scavenger hunt to locate specific options in the try-it that follows.

Try-it: Set Excel options

In this standalone try-it, you will locate various options within Excel Options.

Try-it
Work in pairs or teams to locate where the options listed can be edited in Excel
Options.

Resources
You’ll need the following resources for this try-it:
• Open L5_T2_Excel_options_starter.docx in this lesson’s Learning Activity Resources.

Instructions
The following are the general tasks that you need to perform during this try-it:
1. Access the Excel Options.
2. Locate the option listed in the first column in the Word document.
3. Enter the tab where the options can be found in the second column (there may be
more than one answer).
4. Enter the section under which the option can be found in the third column.
5. Compare your answers with another pair or team before checking against the
solution file.
Accessible alternative:
The teacher will split the class into two teams and call out an option on the list. The
team that finds the option first wins a point. If one team keeps winning, take turns from
team to team.

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Wrap-up
For the final wrap up before the Cornerstone, there will be a function challenge if time
permits. Open L5_T2_wrap_up.xlsx in the lesson’s Learning Activity Resources. This
workbook contains an assortment of worksheets that should inspire you to think up
some excellent questions. Take a moment to examine the data on any of the
worksheets. (You can also create your own data if you prefer.) Create at least two
questions for your neighbor to answer using any function. Swap places and answer the
questions your neighbor has set for you. (If swapping places is not possible, just ask
your neighbor the question.) Save the workbook as the same name plus your name.
Use the following questions to check what you learned in this lesson:
1. To update formulas on a workbook that is set to manual update, you can use the
keyboard shortcut Select here to enter text. to update all formulas at any time.
Fill in the blank.
2. To update formulas on a workbook that is set to manual update, you can use the
keyboard shortcut Select here to enter text. + Select here to enter text. to update
all formulas in the current worksheet only.
Fill in the blanks.
3. To set the dictionary language to Spanish (Mexico), which tab would you use within
Excel Options?
Select the correct option.
a. Advanced
b. General
c. Proofing
d. Save
4. Which of the following statements is true?
Select all that apply.
a. You can hide the Formula Bar in the current workbook only.
b. You can hide the Formula Bar for all workbooks only.
c. You can hide ScreenTips from everywhere in Excel, except when entering
functions manually.
d. You can hide ScreenTips from everywhere in Excel.

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Glossary
Array function A formula that calculates more than one variable at the same time.
You must use Ctrl+Shift+Enter to complete an array function; the
completed formula will be contained with braces {…}.

Column index The position of the column within the table array. The row index
number number refers to the position of the row within the table array.

Expression A mathematical term; for example, >=200 (greater than or equal to

200) or <100 (less than 100).

Function The dialog box that helps you build a formula.

Arguments

Iteration The repeated recalculation of a worksheet until a specific value is

reached. This is used in functions such as the Solver add-in tool.
When a formula refers to one of its own cells, it’s known as a circular
reference, and these can iterate indefinitely. In the Excel Options >
Formula Options, you can control the maximum number of
iterations and the amount of acceptable change.

Lookup value Refers to the value you want to find.

Table array The table, range, or list of cells that contains the value you want to
find.

Table 4: Glossary terms and definitions

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Cornerstone
Overview
In this Cornerstone, you’ll use various functions to analyze data, including Lookup and
Date & Time functions. You’ll also reference cells from another workbook.

Objectives
The following table outlines the Cornerstone objectives and their corresponding MOS
exam objectives.

Use functions with • 3.1.1: Perform logical operations by using nested

multiple criteria functions, including IF(), IFS(), SWITCH(), SUMIF(),
AVERAGEIF(), COUNTIF(), SUMIFS(), AVERAGEIFS(),
COUNTIFS(), MAXIFS(), MINIFS(), AND(), OR(), and NOT()

Use VLOOKUP • 3.2.1: Look up data by using the VLOOKUP(), HLOOKUP(),

MATCH(), and INDEX() functions

Reference data • 1.1.2: Reference data in other workbooks

from other
workbooks

Use NOW and • 3.3.1: Reference date and time by using the NOW() and
TODAY functions TODAY() functions

Use WEEKDAY and • 3.3.2: Calculate dates by using the WEEKDAY() and
WORKDAY WORKDAY() functions

Table 5: Cornerstone objectives

Duration
50 minutes

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Instructions
1. Complete the tasks below for each file.
2. When saving your file, add your name to the end of the filename; for example,
Sample_Dwayne_Espino.xlsx. Follow your teacher’s directions for where to save your
files.
3. When you’re done with the Cornerstone, assess your completion and enter the
points you think you earned within the task lists below. You can use the help of your
teacher if you need it.

Tasks
You’ll work with three files in this Cornerstone. The following are the tasks you need to
do within each file.

File 1: Cornerstone_samples_starter.xlsx
Task: Lookup values (4 points)
1. Open Cornerstone_samples_starter.xlsx.
2. In cell B2 in the Sample Summary worksheet, create a function that will find the
element symbol for the element in cell A2 using the table (A1:E119) on the
Elements worksheet. (3 points) (Exam objective 3.2.1)
3. Fill the formula for all cells up to B27 for all the elements. (1 point)
Points scored: Select here to enter text. / 4

Task: Use COUNTIF(S) (4 points)

1. In cell M10 on the Sample Summary worksheet in
Cornerstone_samples_starter.xlsx, create a function that will count how many rates
in column H are 4 or more. (2 points)
2. In cell M11, create a function that will count how many samples for the rates are at
least 3 and the sample result is greater than 200. (2 points) (Exam objective 3.1.1)
Points scored: Select here to enter text. / 4

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Task: Use IFS (4 points)

1. In cell I2 on the Sample Summary worksheet in Cornerstone_samples_starter.xlsx,
create an IFS function that will return the level for the rate in H2. (3 points) (Exam
objective 3.1.1)
2. Fill the formula in the cells for all elements. (1 point)
Points scored: Select here to enter text. / 4

Task: Use MATCH and INDEX (6 points)

1. Examine the contents of cell B31 on the Sample Summary worksheet in
Cornerstone_samples_starter.xlsx.
2. In cell C31, create an INDEX and MATCH function to return the symbol for the
contents of cell A31 (use the formula in B31 as guidance). (3 points) (Exam objective
3.1.1)
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for Group and Periodic table row. (You can use copy and
paste and edit the formula if you want to.) (3 points).
Points scored: Select here to enter text. / 6
FILE 1 TOTAL POINTS: Select here to enter text. / 18

File 2: Cornerstone_test_date_starter.xlsx
Task: Calculate future dates (5 points)
1. Open Cornerstone_test_date_starter.xlsx and Cornerstone_holidays.xlsx.
2. In cell B2 on the Cornerstone_test_date_starter.xlsx workbook, create a function
that calculates the date in 10 days. (1 point) (Exam objective 3.3.1)
3. In cell B3, check what day of the week it is by using a function that returns Monday
as 1. (2 points) (Exam objective 3.3.2)
4. In cell B4, create a function that will calculate 21 working days from the date in cell
B2, ensuring that you take into account any possible holidays in
Cornerstone_holidays.xlsx. (2 points) (Exam objective 3.3.2 and 1.1.2)
Points scored: Select here to enter text. / 5

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Task: Combine IF with WORKDAY (3 points)

1. In column H, there is an existing formula =(WORKDAY(F8,7) that adds 7 working
days to the date when the last results were received. Edit the existing formula so that
it is nested within an IF function where the result is “On Time” if the received date is
less than 7 working days; otherwise, it’s “Late”. (2 points) (Exam objective 3.3.2)
2. Fill the formula for all test results. (1 point)
Points scored: Select here to enter text. / 3
FILE 2 TOTAL POINTS: Select here to enter text. / 8

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