SUM formula practice

What it does

SUM adds the numbers in a selected range of Excel cells.

Practice in a worksheet

Use the workbook below to total a column of marks. The exercise opens as soon as the worksheet is ready.

How to use SUM in a practical

Choose SUM when a task asks for a total, such as combined marks, payments, or units. The colon in B2:B6 means every cell from B2 through B6 is part of one continuous range. Start a formula with an equals sign, type the function name, and put the range inside parentheses. This is quicker and easier to check than joining five separate cells with plus signs.

Before entering the formula, identify the first and last numeric cells. Leave the column heading and any total row outside the range: including an existing total can count the same values twice. After entering it, check whether the result is plausible for the numbers in the table. If the task asks for a mean rather than a total, use AVERAGE instead.

A timed spreadsheet practical tests whether you can select the right range as well as remember the function name. Practise reading the question, locating the result cell, entering the formula, and checking the displayed value without rushing past the column labels.

Check before submitting

• Does the range start at the first value?
• Did you stop before a pre-existing total?
• Does the result make sense for the listed values?

Practise AVERAGE next · Try a ten-minute Excel mock