CAMBRIDGE IGCSE ICT: WORKSHEETS

YOUR NOTES
IGCSE ICT CIE 

16. Spreadsheets

CONTENTS
16.1 Spreadsheets
Create a Data Model
Formulae & Functions
Order of Operations
Cell Referencing
Sort Data in Spreadsheets
Search & Select Data in Spreadsheets
Display Features
Spreadsheet Formatting
Page Layout in Spreadsheets
Graphs & Charts

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16.1 Spreadsheets YOUR NOTES


Create a Data Model

Create a Data Model

A spreadsheet is made of cells, rows and columns

A cell is one box on the spreadsheet and is referenced using its cell reference (e.g. A1)
A row goes across and is referenced using the number down the side
A column goes down and is referenced using the letter at the top
Inserting and Deleting Cells, Rows, and Columns
You can alter the structure of a spreadsheet by inserting or deleting cells, rows, and
columns
This flexibility allows you to manage and organise your data effectively

Merging Cells
Merging cells combines two or more cells into one larger cell
This is useful for creating headers or titles that span across multiple columns

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Creating Formulae Using Cell References YOUR NOTES

Formulae allow you to perform calculations on your data 
You can reference specific cells in your formulae to make them dynamic and adaptable

Replicating Formulae Using Absolute and Relative Cell References

Absolute cell references ($A$1) stay constant, while relative cell references (A1) change
when you copy or drag a formula

Use absolute references when you want the same cell referenced and use relative
references when you want the reference to change
Use of Arithmetic Operators in Formulae
Arithmetic operators allow you to perform basic mathematical operations in your formulae:
add (+), subtract (-), multiply (*), divide (/), and indices (^)
Using Named Cells and Named Ranges
Named cells:
Easily refer to a group of adjoining cells
Shortens/simplifies formulae
Enables referring to a group of cells without having to lookup cell references
Don’t have to re-set the absolute referencing manually

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YOUR NOTES


 Worked Example
Tawara school has a shop that sells items needed by pupils in school. Part of a
spreadsheet with details of the items is shown.

a. Write down the number of rows that are shown in the spreadsheet that contain
text.
[1]
6 rows [1]
b. Write down the number of columns that are shown in the spreadsheet that
contain text.
[1]
8 columns [1]

 Exam Tip
Make sure you know which way round rows and columns are - rows go across
and columns go down

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Formulae & Functions YOUR NOTES


Formulae & Functions
What is the difference between a Formula and a Function?
A formula can:
Contain a function
Be simple calculations/mathematical operation
Be typed directly into the formula bar
It is a statement that performs calculations on values in your worksheet. For instance, "=A1+B1"
A function:
Is a special type of formula/complex formula
Is built into the software/spreadsheet
Can be used to simplify complicated calculations
Can have built-in commands
Has a pre-defined name/reserved word
It is a preset command in spreadsheets. It is a type of formula that performs specific
calculations like SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, etc. For instance, "=SUM(A1:B1)"
Using Functions
A B C D
1 10 20 30 40
2 15 25 35 45
3 20 30 40 50

Spreadsheets offer a variety of functions. Some of the most commonly used are:
E.g. "=SUM(A1:B2)" This would add all the numbers from cell A1 to B2, giving the result
65.
E.g. "=AVERAGE(A1:B2)" This would find the average of all numbers from cell A1 to B2,
giving the result 16.25.
E.g. "=MAX(A1:B2)" This would return the maximum number in the range from A1 to B2,
which is 25.
E.g. "=MIN(A1:B2)" This would return the minimum number in the range from A1 to B2,
which is 10.
E.g. "=INT(A2)" This would round down the number in cell A2 to the nearest integer,
which is 15.
E.g. "=ROUND(A2, 0)" This would round the number in cell A2 to the nearest whole
number, which is 15.
E.g. "=COUNT(A1:B2)" This would count the number of cells in the range A1 to B2 that
contain numbers, which is 4.

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E.g. "=LOOKUP(25, A1:B3)" This would look for the number 25 in the range A1 to B3 and YOUR NOTES
return it. 
E.g. "=VLOOKUP(25, A1:B3, 2, FALSE)" This would look for the number 25 in the first
column of the range A1 to B3 and return the corresponding value in the second column
of the same row.
E.g. "=HLOOKUP(25, A1:D2, 2, FALSE)" This would look for the number 25 in the first row
of the range A1 to D2 and return the corresponding value in the second row of the same
column.
E.g. "=XLOOKUP(25, A1:B3, D1:D3)" This would look for the number 25 in the range A1 to
B3 and return the corresponding value from the range D1 to D3.
E.g. "=IF(A1>B1, "Yes", "No")" This would check if the value in cell A1 is greater than the
value in cell B1. If true, it returns "Yes". If false, it returns "No".
SUM: Adds all the numbers in a range of cells
AVERAGE: Calculates the average of a range of cells
MAX and MIN: Finds the largest and smallest numbers in a range respectively
INT: Rounds a number down to the nearest integer
ROUND: Rounds a number to a specified number of digits
COUNT: Counts the number of cells in a range that contain numbers
LOOKUP, VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, XLOOKUP: Looks up values in a table based on a
given condition
IF: Returns one value if a condition is true and another if it's false
Using External Data Sources within Functions
Spreadsheets allow you to use external data sources within functions.
This could be data from another worksheet, workbook, or even a database
Using Nested Functions
You can use a function within another function. This is called nesting.
For instance, "=IF(A1>B1, MAX(A1:B1), MIN(A1:B1))".
This checks if A1 is greater than B1, and if true, it returns the max value, else it returns the
min value

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YOUR NOTES
 Worked Example

Tawara school has a shop that sells items needed by pupils in school. Part of a
spreadsheet with details of the items is shown.

Tax is paid on certain items sold in the shop. The tax rate that has to be paid is 20%
of the selling price. If tax is to be paid on an item, then ‘Y’ is placed underneath the
Tax heading.
The formula in I4 is: IF(F4=''Y'',($I$1*D4*G4),'''')
Explain, in detail, what the formula does.
[5]
5 of:
If Tax is payable then//If F4 is equal to "Y" then [1]
If true the tax is paid [1]
Multiply the rate of tax/I1 [1]
By the selling price/D4 [1]
By the amount sold/G4 [1]
If Tax is not payable//If F4 <>"Y"//Else//Otherwise [1]
Then display a blank [1]
The tax is not paid [1]

 Exam Tip
If you're asked about a complex formula or function, plan out your answer and
work from left to right as you track through the formula. E.g. in the question
above IF(F4="Y",($I$1*D4*G4),"") would become If F4 is equal to "Y" then
multiply I1 by D4 by G4. If F4<>"Y" then display a blank

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Order of Operations YOUR NOTES


Order of Operations
Understanding the order of mathematical operations is critical when
creating complex formulae in spreadsheets
In spreadsheets, as in mathematics, operations are executed in a specific order, known as
BIDMAS or BODMAS
BIDMAS stands for Brackets, Indices (or powers/exponents), Division and Multiplication
(from left to right), Addition and Subtraction (from left to right)
Brackets can be used to specify which operations to perform first, outside of this order.
For example, in the formula "=A1+2*3", the multiplication will be performed first, resulting in
"A1 + 6"
But if we write the formula as "=(A1+2)3", the operation inside the brackets will be
performed first, resulting in "3A1 + 6"
Consider the following example spreadsheet:
A B C
1 10 20
2 5 15
3 =20*2

If you input the formula "=A1+B3"in cell C1, the resultwill be 50, because B3 is calculated
first (20*2=40), and then A1 is added (10+40=50)
If you input the formula "=(A1+B1)*2" in cell C2, the resultwill be 60, because A1+B1 is
calculated first (10+20=30), and then the resultis multiplied by 2 (30*2=60)
It's always a good idea to use brackets to make sure that your formulae work as expected, even
if they might not be necessary
It makes the formula easier to read and understand
It can prevent errors if the formula is edited in the future

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Cell Referencing YOUR NOTES


Cell Referencing
Cell referencing is a critical concept in spreadsheet software like Excel.
It allows you to refer to the contents of a cell in a formula rather than typing in a specific
value
This can make your spreadsheets more flexible and powerful
There are two types of cell referencing: absolute and relative.
Relative cell referencing is the default type.
When you copy a formula that includes a relative cell reference, Excel adjusts the reference
relative to the new location
For example, if you copy the formula "=A1+B1" from cell C1 to C2, the formula will adjust to
"=A2+B2"
Absolute cell referencing is indicated with dollar signs before the column and/or row reference
(like $A$1).
When you copy a formula with an absolute cell reference, that reference does not change
For example, if you copy the formula "=$A$1+B1" from cell C1 to C2, the formula will stay as
"=$A$1+B2"
Consider the following example spreadsheet:
A B C
1 10 20
2 5 15

If you input the formula "=A1+B1" in cell C1 and drag the fill handle down to copy the formula
to cell C2, the formula in C2 will change to "=A2+B2"
But if you input the formula "=$A$1+B1" in cell C1 and drag the fill handle down, the formula in
C2 will still refer to cell A1: "=$A$1+B2"

 Exam Tip
Be careful when copying formulas! Make sure you're using the right type of cell
reference for what you want to do
Remember the dollar signs ($) for absolute cell referencing. It can save you a lot
of time and hassle!
Use cell references rather than the value of the cell

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YOUR NOTES
 Worked Example

An auction company sells toys. It uses a spreadsheet to show each person’s items
and the amount of money the buyer and seller owe to the company.
Part of the spreadsheet is shown below.

a. The person selling the item pays a Seller’s commission on any item sold. This is
calculated using the Selling price and finding a match or the next value below in the
table, in cells I6 to J11.
Write a formula to display in cell F6, the Seller’s commission on the Double Decker
bus toy.
This formula will be replicated down to cell F13.
[5]
VLOOKUP(D6, I$6:J$11,2)
VLOOKUP() [1]
(D6, [1]
I6:J11, [1]
correct use of $ [1]
2) [1]
or
IF(D6<$I$7, J$6, [1]
IF(D6<$I$8, J$7, [1]
IF(D6<$I$9, J$8, [1]
IF(D6<$I$10, J$9, [1]
IF(D6<$I$11, J$10, ,J$11))))) [1]
b. Describe how you could replicate the formula in cell F6 for each item.
[2]
2 of:
Click on the cell / F6 [1]
Move to the bottom RHS cell [1]
Select drag handle/cross / black box / double click on drag handle [1]

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Drag handle/cross to F13 [1] YOUR NOTES

or 

Click on the cell / F6 [1]

Click fill [1]
... down [1]
or
Click on the cell / F6 [1]
Click copy [1]
Select F7 to F13 [1]
Click paste [1]
or
Hover over the cell / F6 [1]
Move to the bottom RHS cell [1]
Select drag handle/cross / black box / double click on drag handle [1]
Drag handle/cross to F13 [1]

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Sort Data in Spreadsheets YOUR NOTES


Sort Data in Spreadsheets
Sorting data is a powerful feature in spreadsheets
It arranges your data based on specific criteria
You can sort in ascending or descending order
You can sort data using a single criterion
For example, you could sort a list of names alphabetically
In Excel, select the column you want to sort and then choose 'Sort A to Z' for ascending
order or 'Sort Z to A' for descending order

You can also sort data using multiple criteria

For example, you could sort a list of students first by grade, and then alphabetically by
name within each grade
In Excel, select your data and then choose 'Sort'. Add levels for each of your criteria
Consider the following example spreadsheet:
A B
1 Name Age
2 Alex 15
3 Ben 17
4 Alex 16

If you sort by 'Name' only (A to Z), the spreadsheet might look like this:
A B
1 Name Age
2 Alex 16
3 Alex 15

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4 Ben 17 YOUR NOTES


If you sort by 'Name' (A to Z) and then 'Age' (Smallest to Largest), the spreadsheet would
look like this:
A B
1 Name Age
2 Alex 15
3 Alex 16
4 Ben 17

 Exam Tip
Be sure to select all relevant columns before sorting, especially when dealing
with multiple criteria. Failure to do so may result in misalignment of your data!

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Search & Select Data in Spreadsheets YOUR NOTES


Search & Select Data in Spreadsheets
Data selection allows you to focus on a specific subset of your data based on certain criteria
This is useful for analysing parts of a larger dataset
You can select data using a single criterion or multiple criteria
Searching for specific data in spreadsheets can be done using various operators
These include AND, OR, NOT, >, <, =, >=, <=, <>
For example, you might search for all students who scored above 85 (>) AND are in Year 11
Wildcards can be used when you're not sure of the exact data you're looking for
The most common wildcards are the asterisk (*) and the question mark (?)
An asterisk represents any number of characters. For example, "A*" would find "Alex",
"Aaron", etc.
A question mark represents a single character. For example, "A?e" would find "Abe", but not
"Alex"
Consider the following example spreadsheet:
A B C
1 Name Mark Year
2 Alex 85 11
3 Ben 90 12
4 Chloe 80 11
5 Dave 88 12
6 Eve 82 11

To select all students in Year 11, you could use the criterion "Year = 11"
To search for students who are in Year 11 AND scored above 85, you could use the criteria
"Year = 11" AND "Grade > 85"

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Exam Tip YOUR NOTES

 Remember that you can use operators and wildcards in your searches to find

data more efficiently
Be sure to use the correct operator for your search. For example, if you want to
find values equal to or greater than a certain number, use >=, not just >
Wildcards are especially useful when you're not sure of the exact value you're
looking for. But be careful, as they can also return unexpected results if not used
properly!

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Display Features YOUR NOTES


Display Features
Display formulae or values in your spreadsheet as needed.
Toggle between displaying cell values or the formulae used to calculate those values

Adjust row height, column width, and cell sizes to make data, labels, and formulae fully visible.
This improves the readability of your spreadsheet and helps prevent errors

Wrap text within cells to ensure all data is fully visible.

Wrapped text will automatically move to the next line within the cell if it exceeds the cell's
width

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YOUR NOTES


Hide and display rows and columns as needed to focus on specific data or to improve
readability.
This can be useful when working with large datasets or complex spreadsheets

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Spreadsheet Formatting YOUR NOTES


Spreadsheet Formatting
Enhance a spreadsheet using various formatting tools.
Text colour, cell colour, bold, underline, italic, shading
These features make your spreadsheet visually appealing and easier to read
Format numeric data appropriately.
Display the number of decimal places, different currency symbols, percentages
Proper formatting ensures accurate representation and interpretation of data

Use conditional formatting to change the display format depending on the contents of a cell.
This helps to highlight important information or identify patterns and trends in the data

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YOUR NOTES


 Worked Example
Explain the steps that need to be taken to display cell H4 as US dollars.
[2]
2 of:
Highlight/select cell H4 [1]
Select format cells [1]
Select currency/accounting [1]
Select dollar/USD icon [1]

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Page Layout in Spreadsheets YOUR NOTES


Page Layout
Set the orientation to portrait or landscape.
Choose the best layout for your spreadsheet's data and design
Control the page layout for printing.
Specify the number of pages, print area, display or hide gridlines, and display or hide row
and column headings

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YOUR NOTES


Consider the following example spreadsheet:

A B C
1 Name Mark Year
2 Alex 85 11

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3 Ben 90 12 YOUR NOTES


4 Chloe 80 11
5 Dave 88 12
6 Eve 82 11

Set the orientation to landscape to accommodate the table's width

Define the print area as A1:C6
Hide gridlines and display row and column headings for a clean printout

 Exam Tip
Always preview your printout before printing to ensure it looks as expected and
fits within the designated page boundaries
Remember to set the print area, especially if you only want to print a specific
part of the spreadsheet

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Graphs & Charts YOUR NOTES


Graphs & Charts
Selecting Data for Graphs and Charts
Highlight cells that are next to each other in a row or column by clicking and dragging your
mouse across the cells
For cells that are not next to each other in a row or column, hold the 'Ctrl' key (or 'Cmd' on
Mac) and click the individual cells or ranges
Specified data ranges can be selected by clicking the first cell in the range, holding 'Shift',
and clicking the last cell

Selecting the Graph or Chart Type

Choose the appropriate chart type based on the data to be visualised
Bar graphs and pie charts work well for categorical data, while line graphs and scatter plots
are suitable for numerical data

Labelling Graphs and Charts

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Always include a chart title that summarises what the graph or chart is about YOUR NOTES
A legend identifies the different data series in your chart 
Sector labels, sector values, and percentages help interpret pie charts
Category axis title, value axis title, category axis labels, value axis labels, and data
value labels are essential in making your graph or chart understandable

Adding a Second Data Series

To add a second data series, select the new data and click on 'Add Data' in the chart menu
This is useful when comparing two sets of related data
Adding a Second Axis
Adding a second axis allows you to plot two different data sets with different scales
Click on 'Add Axis' in the chart menu and select the data series to plot on the new axis
Formatting Numerical Values
Format numerical values to a specified number of decimal places by selecting the cells
and choosing 'Format Cells' from the right-click menu
To display currency symbols, choose 'Currency' in the 'Number' tab of the 'Format Cells'
dialog box
Adjusting Axis Scale

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Adjust the maximum and minimum values of an axis scale by right-clicking on the axis and YOUR NOTES
selecting 'Format Axis' 
Set incremental values to change the scale of your graph

Enhancing Graph Appearance

Extracting a pie chart sector emphasises a particular part of the data
Change the colour scheme or fill patterns to make your graph visually appealing
Example
Month Sales (£) Expenses (£)
Jan 5000 2000
Feb 6000 2500
Mar 5500 2200
The above data can be used to create a Line Graph to illustrate the sales and expenses over
three months

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YOUR NOTES


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YOUR NOTES
 Worked Example

A farmer has purchased a computerised milking system for her cows. She has
asked a systems analyst to create a database to store details of the cows being
milked. The amount of milk each cow produces is currently recorded daily in a
spreadsheet.
This is part of the spreadsheet.

You have been asked to produce a graph or chart to show the amounts of milk for
the cow with Animal Passport Number 971/2016.
Describe the steps you would use to produce a graph or chart of this data as a
separate sheet.
Include in your answer the name of the new sheet.
[6]
5 of:
Highlight A7 to B16 [1]
Hide row 6 [1]
Select insert [1]
Select graph [1]
Choose chart – bar chart [1]
Add chart title [1]
Title example milk yield for cow 971 / 2016 [1]
Add axes titles [1]
Add a legend [1]

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Right click and select Move to new sheet [1] YOUR NOTES
Type an appropriate title/name on the tab [1] 
Save the chart [1]
1 mark for the name of the new sheet – Allow any appropriate name

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