Example Limited

Sales Data

Month Sales Cost of Sales Gross Profit GP%

8/31/2011 100,000 68,000 32,000 32.0%
9/30/2011 85,000 52,000 33,000 38.8%
10/31/2011 98,000 53,000 45,000 45.9%
11/30/2011 115,000 62,000 53,000 46.1%
12/31/2011 125,000 82,000 43,000 34.4%
1/31/2012 112,000 72,000 40,000 35.7%
2/28/2012 118,000 71,000 47,000 39.8%
Excel Skills | Exercises | Charts www.excel-skills.com
Instructions
Versions: Excel 2010 & Excel 2007

Our practical Excel exercises are much more than just exercises! We design our exercises in such a way that they provide the user with a mapping of the Excel
features that can be used in order to complete the appropriate task in the most efficient manner possible. We also reference each step in each exercise to the
appropriate tutorial that needs to be studied in order to be able to complete the step.

The solutions to our comprehensive exercises are only available to customers who have purchased either a full or training membership. If you have not purchased a
membership, we unfortunately cannot provide you with any of the solutions or assist you with any of the steps that are included in the appropriate exercise.

Start the exercise by saving the workbook on your system, then complete step number 1 and each subsequent step in the order as listed on this sheet before
comparing your workbook to the solution that we have provided.

Step Task Tutorial

1 Open the Data sheet and select the cell range from cell A4 to E11. Enter Data / Select Cells : Selecting Cells
2 Insert the selected cell range into an Excel table. When you insert your chart data into an Excel table, the chart Excel Tables : Insert Table
will be updated automatically when you add data to the Excel table.
3 Select the entire Month and Sales columns in the Excel table (the cell range from cell A4 to B11). Enter Data / Select Cells : Selecting Cells
4 Insert a 2 dimensional column chart based on this cell selection. Use the first of the three 2-D column chart Charts : Create a Chart
options when selecting the chart type.
5 Move the chart to a new sheet and enter the following name for the new sheet: Sales Charts : Move a Chart
6 Use the Shape Fill feature to add a Water Droplets texture to the chart area (the area outside the chart plot Charts : Format Chart Area
7 area).
Select the chart plot area and add a solid border around the plot area (note that this will not change the colour of Charts : Format Chart Plot Area
the chart axes).
8 Select the chart legend and move it to the bottom of the chart. Charts : Format Chart Legend
9 Change the text size of the chart title to 16. Charts : Format Chart Title
10 Add minor horizontal gridlines to the chart. Charts : Format Gridlines
11 Change the colour of the major horizontal gridlines to a solid black colour. Charts : Format Gridlines
12 Select the horizontal axis and change the number formatting to display the dates with a shortened month name Charts : Format Axis
followed by a hyphen and the full four digit year (Tip: Use the Custom number formatting option and specify a
formatting type of mmm-yyyy).
13 Change the line colour of the horizontal axis to a solid black line. Charts : Format Axis
14 Select the vertical axis and change the scale of the axis so that all the values next to the axis are displayed in Charts : Format Axis
thousands.
15 Change the line colour of the vertical axis to a solid black line. Charts : Format Axis
16 Open the Data sheet and select cell A12. Enter the following date in cell A12: 2012/03/31 Enter Data / Select Cells : Enter Data

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Step Task Tutorial
17 Note that the Excel table automatically extends to include the new entry and that the formulas in column D and Enter Data / Select Cells : Enter Data
E are automatically copied into row 12. Enter the following values in cells B12 and C12 respectively: 130000
and 75000
18 Open the Sales sheet. You will see that the new entry has been added to the chart automatically - this is only Charts : Edit Source Data
because the source data of the chart has been included in an Excel table. If the source data cell range did not
form part of an Excel table, you would have to amend the source data cell range of the chart manually in order
to include the new entry
19 Open the Data sheet and select the Month, Sales and GP% columns in the Excel table (cell range A4 to B12 Enter Data / Select Cells : Selecting Multiple Cell Ranges
and cell range E4 to E12).
20 Insert a 2 dimensional column chart based on this cell selection. Use the first of the three 2-D column chart Charts : Create a Chart
options when selecting the chart type.
21 Move the chart to a new sheet and enter the following name for the new sheet: GP% Charts : Move a Chart
22 Select the GP% data series on the chart and add this data series to a secondary vertical axis. Note that the GP Charts : Using a Secondary Axis
% data series can be located next to the Sales data series and will only be visible as a line above the horizontal
axis because of the significant value difference in comparison to the Sales data series values.
23 Change the chart type of the GP% data series to a line chart. Use the first line type chart which contains data Charts : Change Chart Type
markers (the 4th image from the left in the Line Chart section).
24 Add a chart title above the chart and enter the following text into the title section: Sales / GP% Charts : Format Chart Title
25 Move the chart legend to the top of the chart. Charts : Format Chart Legend
26 Select the horizontal axis and change the number formatting to display the dates with a shortened month name Charts : Format Axis
followed by a hyphen and the full four digit year.
27 Save the workbook and compare your workbook to the solution that we've provided.

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