Practice by topic / Excel / Math & Rounding
Totals, rounding and simple maths are the formulas behind every invoice, budget and report. Small mistakes here show up as numbers that don't add up. These 10 exercises build up step by step, starting with find the size of a budget variance, find distance from target temperature, find the magnitude of an elevation change.
3 of 10 free · no sign-up needed · graded on the formula you write
A1 holds the difference between budgeted and actual spend, which can be negative. Write a formula in A2 that returns the size of the variance regardless of sign.
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | -45 |
| 2 | ? |
Use =ABS(A1) to get the absolute value.
Right — ABS strips the sign so you get the magnitude of the variance, whether it was over or under budget.
Expected result in A2: 45
A1 holds a target temperature, A2 holds the actual reading. Write a formula in A3 that returns how far off the reading is, regardless of direction.
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 70 |
| 2 | 65 |
| 3 | ? |
Wrap the subtraction in ABS: =ABS(A1-A2)
Good — wrapping the subtraction in ABS gives you the distance from target without caring which direction it missed.
Expected result in A3: 5
A1 holds an elevation change that can be negative (descent) or positive (ascent). Write a formula in A2 that returns the total elevation change regardless of direction.
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | -320 |
| 2 | ? |
Use =ABS(A1).
Right — ABS turns a descent into the same positive magnitude as an equivalent ascent.
Expected result in A2: 320
A1 holds an estimate, B1 holds the actual value. Write a formula in C1 for the absolute error between them.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | 540 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →A1 and B1 hold two positions on a number line. Write a formula in C1 for the distance between them.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | -8 | 5 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →A1 holds a profit/loss figure that can be negative. Write a formula in A2 that returns its magnitude, ignoring whether it was a profit or a loss.
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | -1250 |
| 2 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →A1 holds par, A2 holds an actual golf score (which could be under or over par). Write a formula in A3 for how many strokes off par the score was.
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 72 |
| 2 | 68 |
| 3 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →A1 holds yesterday's closing price, A2 holds today's. Write a formula in A3 for the absolute price movement.
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 145.2 |
| 2 | 138.9 |
| 3 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →A1 holds a class average, A2 holds one student's score. Write a formula in A3 for how far that student's score deviates from average, regardless of direction.
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 78 |
| 2 | 91 |
| 3 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →A1 holds planned staffing, B1 holds actual staffing (which could be over or under). Write a formula in C1 for the absolute staffing gap.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | 17 | ? |
Solution and instant grading: open it in the practice app (use one of your 20 free picks, or Pro).
Try it in the live spreadsheet →