Practical 1 example

📊 Example: Sales Data

Imagine you have this data:

Product Region Sales

Apple East 100
Banana West 150
Apple East 120
Banana East 130
Apple West 90

✅ Goal: Summarize total Sales by Product

🔧 Steps to Create Pivot Table:

1. Select the Data

o Highlight all the data including headers (A1:C6).
2. Insert Pivot Table
o Go to the menu: Insert > Pivot Table
o In the dialog box:
 Select “New Worksheet” (recommended)
 Click OK
3. Set Up the Pivot Table
o A new sheet opens with Pivot Table layout.
o On the right, you’ll see Pivot Table Fields.
4. Drag Fields
o Drag Product to the Rows area
o Drag Sales to the Values area
 Make sure it says “Sum of Sales” (not Count)

✅ Output:

Product Sum of Sales

Apple 310
Banana 280
 Example of practical 2

🔍 PART 1: Goal Seek – Simple Data Analysis Example

✅ Scenario:

You used a Pivot Table to find total profit, and you want to know:

"What sales amount is needed to achieve ₹5000 profit, if profit = sales – cost?"

Example Table:

Sales Cost Profit

4000 1000 3000

🔧 Steps to Use Goal Seek:

1. In a cell (say C2), calculate:

2. =A2 - B2 → 4000 - 1000 = 3000

3. Go to Data tab → Click What-If Analysis → Choose Goal Seek

4. In Goal Seek:
o Set cell: C2 (Profit)
o To value: 5000
o By changing cell: A2 (Sales)
5. Click OK, Excel changes Sales to achieve ₹5000 profit.

🧠 PART 2: Solver – Advanced Data Optimization

✅ Scenario:

From Pivot data, you want to:

"Maximize profit by changing sales of multiple products, but total budget should be
₹10,000."

Product Unit Price Units Sold Revenue

A ₹100 30 ₹3000

B ₹150 20 ₹3000

C ₹200 10 ₹2000

₹8000
You want to increase Units Sold to maximize Revenue, but keep Total Revenue ≤
₹10,000.

🔧 Steps to Use Solver:

1. Create formulas for:

o Revenue = Unit Price × Units Sold
o Total Revenue = Sum of all revenues
2. Go to Data tab → Click Solver (enable from Add-ins if not visible)
3. Set the following:
o Set Objective: Total Revenue cell (e.g., E5)
o To: Max
o By Changing: Units Sold cells (C2:C4)
o Subject to Constraints:
 Total Revenue ≤ 10000
 Units Sold ≥ 0 (can also be integer)
4. Click Solve

Practical 3 example
Creating a summary report using a Pivot Table in Excel is one of the best ways to analyze
large datasets. Here's a step-by-step guide with an example:

🧾 Scenario Example: Sales Data

Date Region Product Sales

01-Jan-25 East Apple 100

01-Jan-25 West Banana 150

02-Jan-25 East Apple 120

02-Jan-25 West Banana 130

03-Jan-25 East Apple 90

🎯 Goal: Create a summary report that shows:

 Total Sales by Region and Product

 Grand Totals for each
✅ Steps to Create Summary Report in Pivot Table:

1. Select the data

 Highlight the entire dataset including headers.

2. Insert a Pivot Table

 Go to Insert > PivotTable

 Choose “New Worksheet” and click OK

3. Set up the Pivot Table Fields

 Drag Region to the Rows area

 Drag Product to the Columns area
 Drag Sales to the Values area

Excel will automatically calculate Sum of Sales for each Region & Product

🧾 Resulting Summary Report Example:

Region Apple Banana Grand Total

East 310 130 440

West 0 280 280

Grand Total 310 410 720

🛠 Optional Customizations:

 Sort or filter using the dropdowns

 Change aggregation (right-click → Summarize Values By → Average/Count etc.)
 Add data labels or formatting (bold, color, currency format)

🔄 Want to summarize by month or year?

 Right-click on the Date field in Pivot Table

 Choose Group → By Month/Year
 Practical 4 example

Validating and auditing data in a Pivot Table is important to ensure your report is accurate,
complete, and trustworthy. While Pivot Tables don’t have a direct “Validate” button, you
can use built-in Excel tools to check for errors, trace values, and verify calculations.

Here’s a full guide:

✅ 1. Check the Source Data

Before validating the Pivot Table, make sure the source data is clean and complete:

 No blank headers
 No merged cells
 All values correctly typed (numbers as numbers, dates as dates)

📌 Tip: Use Ctrl + T to convert your data into a Table before pivoting — makes it easier to
update and manage.

🧩 2. Drill Down to Check Individual Values

You can double-click any number inside the Pivot Table to:

 See the exact data rows that made up that value.

 Excel creates a new sheet showing those rows.

📌 Example: Click on a total like “₹310” → it shows all rows contributing to that number.

🔍 3. Use "Show Details" for Auditing

Right-click any Pivot Table value → choose “Show Details”

 Confirms what data fed that value.

 Helps spot duplicate or missing entries.

📊 4. Use Value Field Settings for Validation

Right-click on a value in the Pivot Table → choose “Value Field Settings”:

 Change from Sum to Count, Average, Min, Max to check:

 o Are too many rows showing? → Use Count
o Is the total unusually high? → Use Average

✅ 5. Apply Conditional Formatting

Highlight suspicious or unexpected values:

 Select Pivot Table values → Home > Conditional Formatting

o Use “Highlight Cells > Greater than”, Top 10%, or custom rules
o Helps detect outliers or wrong totals

📏 6. Use the "Error Checking" Tool

Go to: Formulas tab → Error Checking

 Detects formula or reference issues

 Useful if your Pivot Table is based on calculated columns

📤 7. Compare with Manual Calculations

 Use formulas outside the Pivot Table to manually sum or average

 Compare with the Pivot Table results for accuracy

Example:

=SUMIFS(SalesRange, RegionRange, "East", ProductRange, "Apple")

Then compare this value with what your Pivot Table shows for "East – Apple"

🛠 8. Use the "PivotTable Analyze" Tab

In the ribbon:

 Refresh: Make sure Pivot is updated with latest data

 Options → Display tab:
o Enable “Show items with no data” to ensure nothing is hidden

✅ BONUS: Common Errors to Audit For

 Totals that don’t match the original data

  Duplicates in source data (may double-count)
 Incorrect summarization (e.g., using Count instead of Sum)
 Filters hiding important data

Practical 5 example

how to set up data validation in Excel so users can only enter specific types of values like
whole numbers, decimals, dates, or times in a cell or range.

Here’s a step-by-step guide for setting, editing, and validating criteria:

✅ STEP 1: Select the Cell or Range

 Click the cell or highlight the range where you want to apply validation.
o Example: A1:A10 or B2:B100

⚙️STEP 2: Open Data Validation

1. Go to the Data tab on the ribbon.

2. Click on Data Validation (in the "Data Tools" group).
3. From the dropdown, click Data Validation...

🎯 STEP 3: Choose Validation Criteria

In the dialog box:

🔹 Allow options:

 Whole number → e.g., only integers between 1 and 100

 Decimal → e.g., any number with decimals like 3.14
 Date → e.g., only dates between 01-Jan-2024 and 31-Dec-2025
 Time → e.g., only times between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM
 List → e.g., choose from Apple, Banana, Orange
 Text length → e.g., limit input to 10 characters
 Custom → use formulas for complex validation
📌 Examples for Each Type:

✅ Whole Number:

 Allow: Whole number

 Data: between
 Minimum: 1, Maximum: 100

✅ Decimal:

 Allow: Decimal
 Data: less than
 Maximum: 5.5

✅ Date:

 Allow: Date
 Data: between
 Start Date: 01/01/2024, End Date: 31/12/2025

✅ Time:

 Allow: Time
 Data: between
 Start Time: 09:00, End Time: 17:00

🖊 STEP 4: (Optional) Input Message

 Click the Input Message tab.

 Add a title and message like:
o Title: Enter only numbers
o Message: Please enter a whole number between 1 and 100

→ This shows a helpful message when the user selects the cell.

❌ STEP 5: Error Alert

 Click the Error Alert tab.

 Choose a Style:
o Stop = prevents entry
o Warning = allows entry but warns
o Information = informs but allows
 Customize the error message.
🔄 To Edit Validation Later:

 Just select the same cells → Go to Data > Data Validation → Edit the rule.

📋 BONUS TIP: Apply to Blank Cells Only

 You can combine validation with formulas like:

 =ISNUMBER(A1)

using the Custom option for more control.

Practical 6 example

Creating an application in a spreadsheet using Excel and macros (VBA) is a powerful way
to automate tasks, manage data, and create interactive forms — all without needing a full
programming background.

🧩 What is an Excel Application?

An Excel application can be:

 A data entry form

 A report generator
 An inventory or student management system
 Anything automated via macros or VBA

🛠 Steps to Create an Application in Excel (with Macros)

✅ 1. Design the Layout

Create your spreadsheet like a basic app UI:

 Use separate sheets for data, forms, and output

 Add labels, cells for input (like Name, Age, etc.)
 Format with borders, fonts, colors

📌 Example:
 A B

Name: (User enters here)

Age: (User enters here)

[Submit] (Button here)

✅ 2. Enable Developer Tab

1. Go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon

2. Check the Developer checkbox
3. Click OK

✅ 3. Insert a Button (Form Control)

1. Go to Developer > Insert > Button (Form Control)

2. Draw the button on your sheet
3. When prompted, click New to create a macro

✅ 4. Write a Macro (VBA Code)

Example: A macro that takes input and stores it in a data sheet

Sub SubmitData()
Dim lastRow As Long
' Go to "Data" sheet
Sheets("Data").Activate
' Find next empty row
lastRow = Cells(Rows.Count, 1).End(xlUp).Row + 1
' Copy data from form
Cells(lastRow, 1).Value = Sheets("Form").Range("B1").Value ' Name
Cells(lastRow, 2).Value = Sheets("Form").Range("B2").Value ' Age
MsgBox "Data Saved!"
End Sub

📌 Tip:

 Rename sheets to "Form" and "Data" for above code to work

 Place Name in Form!B1, Age in Form!B2

✅ 5. Assign Macro to Button

 Right-click on the button → Assign Macro → Choose SubmitData → OK

✅ 6. Protect and Finalize

 Lock input cells

 Protect the sheet with a password (optional)
 Hide the VBA code (optional)
 Save as Macro-Enabled Workbook (.xlsm)

📥 Example Applications You Can Build:

App Type Features

Student Record System Add/view students, search by ID

Inventory Tracker Add stock, update quantities, low-stock alert

Leave Form Select employee, date, reason, auto-log entry

Sales Entry Form Enter product, customer, date, amount, totals

⚠️Note About Macros:

 Macros won’t work on Google Sheets

 Macros are disabled by default in Excel for security — users must enable them

Practical 7 example

Creating a Column Chart in Excel is an excellent way to visually compare values across
categories. Here's a simple, step-by-step guide with an example.

📊 What is a Column Chart?

A Column Chart displays data in vertical bars. It’s ideal for comparing values like sales,
scores, or population across categories.

✅ Example Data:
Month Sales

Jan 5000
Month Sales

Feb 7000

Mar 6000

Apr 8000

May 7500

🛠 Steps to Create a Column Chart in Excel:

1. Enter the Data

 Type the data in Excel exactly like the table above.

2. Select the Data

 Highlight the data including headers:

o A1:B6 (Month and Sales)

3. Insert the Column Chart

 Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon

 In the Charts group, click on Insert Column or Bar Chart
 Choose Clustered Column (the first option)

✅ Your Chart Appears!

You’ll see vertical bars for each month with height representing the sales.

🎨 Customize the Chart (Optional)

📌 Add Chart Title

 Click on the chart title → type something like "Monthly Sales Report"

📌 Add Data Labels

 Click on chart → Go to Chart Elements (+) → Check Data Labels

📌 Change Colors

 Click on the bars → Right-click → Format Data Series → Fill → Choose color
🔁 Chart Automatically Updates

If you change the value in your data table (e.g., change Feb to 9000), the chart updates
instantly.

📝 Types of Column Charts:

You can choose from:

 Clustered Column – for comparing values across categories

 Stacked Column – for part-to-whole comparisons
 100% Stacked Column – for percentage-based views

Practical 8 example

Creating a Bar Chart in Excel is simple and useful for comparing categories side-by-side
using horizontal bars. Here's a step-by-step guide with an example:

📊 What is a Bar Chart?

A Bar Chart is just like a Column Chart, but the bars are horizontal. It’s ideal when:

 Category names are long

 You want to emphasize comparison more than trends

✅ Example Data:
Product Sales

Apple 5000

Banana 3000

Orange 4000

Mango 7000

Grapes 3500
🛠 Steps to Create a Bar Chart in Excel:

1. Enter the Data

Type the data into an Excel sheet as shown above.

2. Select the Data

Highlight both columns including headers:

A1:B6 (Product and Sales)

3. Insert the Bar Chart

 Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon

 In the Charts group, click Insert Column or Bar Chart
 Under Bar, choose Clustered Bar (horizontal bars)

✅ Your Bar Chart Appears!

It will show horizontal bars comparing sales of each product.

🎨 Customize the Chart (Optional)

🔹 Add Chart Title:

 Click on the chart title → Type "Product Sales Report"

🔹 Add Data Labels:

 Click chart → Chart Elements (+ sign) → Check Data Labels

🔹 Change Bar Color:

 Right-click on a bar → Format Data Series → Fill → Pick a color

📝 Bar Chart Types You Can Choose:

 Clustered Bar – Horizontal bars for each category

 Stacked Bar – Adds values on top of each other
 100% Stacked Bar – Shows proportions
🔁 Chart Auto-Updates

If you change any sales number in your data table, the chart updates automatically.

Practical 9 example

Creating a Line Chart in Excel is a great way to show trends over time, such as monthly
sales, temperature changes, or performance progress. Here's a complete step-by-step guide
with an example:

📊 What is a Line Chart?

A Line Chart connects data points with lines — useful for showing how values change over
a sequence like days, months, years, etc.

✅ Example Data:
Month Sales

Jan 4000

Feb 5000

Mar 4500

Apr 6000

May 5500

🛠 Steps to Create a Line Chart in Excel:

1. Enter the Data

Enter the data in two columns (like above) in Excel.

2. Select the Data

Highlight both columns including the headers (e.g., A1:B6).

3. Insert the Line Chart

 Go to the Insert tab in the Ribbon

  In the Charts group, click on the Insert Line or Area Chart icon
 Choose "Line" (the basic line chart)

✅ Your Line Chart Appears!

Excel will plot Month on the X-axis and Sales on the Y-axis, connecting data points with
lines.

🎨 Customize the Chart (Optional)

📌 Add Chart Title

 Click on the chart title → Type something like "Monthly Sales Trend"

📌 Add Data Markers

 Click on the line → Right-click → Format Data Series → Add Markers (dots)

📌 Add Axis Titles

 Click on the chart → Chart Elements (➕ icon) → Check Axis Titles

🔁 Chart Updates Automatically

If you change the value for any month, the line chart will update in real-time.

📈 Types of Line Charts:

 Line: Single series with connected points

 Line with Markers: Points + lines
 Stacked Line: Cumulative values
 100% Stacked Line: Percentages over time
 Multi-Line Chart: Add a second series (e.g., Profit, Expenses)

📝 Example Use Cases:

Use Case X-Axis Y-Axis

Temperature trend Date °C

 Use Case X-Axis Y-Axis

Monthly revenue Month ₹ Sales

Exam scores progress Test number Score

Practical 10 example

Creating a Pie Chart in Excel is a great way to visually show how parts of a whole are
distributed — like market share, budget breakdown, or survey results. Here's a complete
step-by-step guide with a real example:

🥧 What is a Pie Chart?

A Pie Chart shows proportions of a whole as slices of a circle.

Each slice represents a category's percentage of the total.

✅ Example Data:
Product Sales

Apple 3000

Banana 2000

Mango 2500

Orange 1500

🛠 Steps to Create a Pie Chart in Excel:

1. Enter the Data

Type the table above into an Excel sheet:

 Column A = Product names

 Column B = Sales values

2. Select the Data

Highlight both columns (A1:B5), including the headers.

3. Insert the Pie Chart

 Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon

 In the Charts group, click on the Pie Chart icon
 Choose “2-D Pie” (basic pie chart)

✅ Your Pie Chart Appears!

Each product is shown as a slice. The size of each slice is based on its sales relative to the
total.

🎨 Customize the Chart (Optional)

📌 Add Chart Title

 Click the default title → Type something like "Product Sales Distribution"

📌 Show Data Labels

 Click on the chart → Click the ➕ Chart Elements button (top-right)

 Check Data Labels → Show Percentage, Value, or Both

📌 Change Slice Colors

 Click a slice → Right-click → Format Data Series → Fill with a custom color

🔄 Automatic Updates

If you change any value (e.g., make Mango = 3000), the slices adjust automatically.

📝 When to Use a Pie Chart:

 To show percentages of a whole (e.g., budget categories)

 When there are few categories (3–6 max)
 To make part-to-whole comparisons (e.g., sales by product)

⚠️When Not to Use:

 Too many slices (more than 6) can make the chart confusing
 When comparing trends over time — use a line chart instead
 Practical 11 example
Creating a combined chart (also called a combo chart) in Excel — like Column + Line or
Column + Area — is perfect for comparing two related data sets with different scales or
chart types (e.g., sales and growth percentage).

🎯 Why Use a Combo Chart?

Use it when:

 You want to show two data types (e.g., revenue in ₹ and growth in %)
 One value is much larger or on a different scale than the other
 You want to combine trends and categories

✅ Example Data:
Month Sales (₹) Growth (%)

Jan 5000 10%

Feb 7000 15%

Mar 6000 12%

Apr 8000 20%

May 7500 18%

🛠 Steps to Create a Combined Chart (Column + Line)

1. Enter the Data

 Type the table above into Excel.

2. Select All Data

 Highlight the entire range including headers (e.g., A1:C6)

3. Insert a Combo Chart

 Go to Insert tab
 In the Charts group, click the dropdown for Insert Combo Chart (usually looks like
a bar with a line)
  Choose:
o Custom Combo Chart
o Or directly select "Custom Combo Chart"

4. Customize Chart Type Per Series

In the "Insert Chart" dialog box:

 Set Sales to Clustered Column

 Set Growth to Line
 Check the Secondary Axis box for Growth (so it's scaled differently)

✅ Click OK

✅ Your Column + Line Combo Chart is Ready!

 Sales is shown as vertical bars

 Growth % is shown as a line on a secondary Y-axis

🛠 Column + Area Combo Chart (Bonus)

You can use similar steps:

 Set Sales to Clustered Column

 Set Growth to Area
 Enable Secondary Axis for area values if needed

🎨 Optional Customizations:

 Add chart title → Click title and edit

 Change colors → Right-click on bars or lines → Format Data Series
 Add data labels → Click ➕ (Chart Elements) → Check Data Labels

📝 Real-Life Uses of Combo Charts:

Use Case Column Line / Area

Monthly Sales vs Growth Sales in ₹ Growth in %

Expense vs Budget Actual expenses Budget line

Rainfall vs Temperature Rainfall (bars) Temperature (line)

 Practical 11 example

You can display an image in the chart area of an Excel chart to enhance your presentation
— such as adding a company logo, watermark, or background. Here's a step-by-step guide for
doing it:

🖼️Method 1: Insert Image as Chart Background (in Chart Area)

✅ Steps:

1. Create your chart as usual (Column, Line, Pie, etc.)

2. Click on the Chart Area (the outer background of the chart)
3. Right-click → Choose “Format Chart Area…”
4. In the Format Chart Area pane:
o Select Fill → Choose “Picture or texture fill”
o Click on Insert… under "Picture Source"
o Choose:
 From File (to upload an image from your computer)
 Online Pictures
 Icons, etc.
5. Adjust Transparency (optional) to make the image subtle, like a watermark

🖼️Method 2: Insert Image Over Chart

If you want an image (like a logo) to sit on top of the chart:

1. Go to the Insert tab

2. Click Pictures
3. Choose and insert your image
4. Move and drag the image over the chart
5. Right-click the image → Send to Back or Bring to Front as needed

🛠️Extra Tip: Lock Image in Place

To lock the image with the chart (so they move together):

1. Select the chart and image together (Ctrl + Click both)

2. Right-click → Group → Group
🎯 Use Cases for Adding Image in Chart Area:
Use Case Image Type

Branding Company logo

Watermark Light transparent image

Thematic Charts Product photo, seasonal graphics

Background design Custom chart design