Intermediate
60 mins
Teacher/Student led
+80 XP
Pupils work on their own device

Standard Functions: SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT, ROUND

Learn how to apply standard spreadsheet functions like SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT and ROUND. Discover how to nest functions and choose the correct COUNT variant before creating a summary statistics block with at least six formulas for your project.

Teacher Class Feed

Load previous activity

    1 - Introduction ~5 mins

    Illustration for Introduction

    Today you will

    • use SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX and ROUND
    • choose between COUNT, COUNTA and COUNTIF
    • build a summary block with at least six formulas
    Warm-up

    Picture a column of product names beside a column of units sold. If you want to know how many products are on the list, should the spreadsheet count the names or the numbers?

    2 - Key Concepts ~6 mins

    SUM, AVERAGE, MIN and MAX give you the total, the average, the smallest and the largest number in a list.

    COUNT counts cells that hold numbers. COUNTA counts every cell that is not empty, words too. COUNTIF counts only the cells that match a rule.

    ROUND rounds a number to the decimal places you choose. You can put another function inside it.

    Example

    {{formula:=ROUND(AVERAGE(C2:C7), 2)}} finds the average price and rounds it to the nearest cent.

    3 - Step-by-step Task ~15 mins

    You will build a sales sheet for a market stall that sells handmade accessories. Then you will add a Summary statistics block with seven formulas. Type the table and labels from the box, and follow the steps below for your app.

    ItemUnits soldPrice (€)Revenue (€)
    Shamrock keyring243.50
    GAA crest badge184.00
    Name stickers pack125.50
    Phone grip86.00
    Lanyard152.50
    Sticker sheet302.00

    Summary labels (A9 to A16):

    • Summary statistics
    • Total units
    • Average price (€, 2 d.p.)
    • Lowest units
    • Highest units
    • Number of products
    • Products with 15+ units
    • Total revenue (€)

    4 - Common Issues ~4 mins

    Common issues

    • My product count shows 0. You used COUNT on words, so switch to COUNTA.
    • I see {{code:#NAME?}}. A function name is spelled wrong, so fix it and press {{key:Enter}} again.
    • ROUND shows too many decimals. Check the number after the comma. Use 2 for money and 0 for whole numbers.
    • COUNTIF gives 0. Put the rule in quotes, like {{code:">=15"}}, and point it at the number column.
    123learn · Online learning platform

    Unlock the full learning experience

    You're previewing this lesson. Get full access to this lesson and hundreds more — each one ready to teach, with interactive activities, printable resources and pupil progress tracking built in.

    Hundreds of curriculum-aligned lessons
    Interactive activities in every lesson
    Printable resources & progress tracking
    Copyright Notice
    This lesson is copyright of 123Learn.ie 2017 - 2026. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.
    🍪 Our website uses cookies to make your browsing experience better. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more