Conditional formatting basics in Excel - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Conditional formatting basics

Dashboard Goal

Highlight sales values above $500 to quickly see strong sales performance.

Sample Data

Product	Sales ($)
Apples	450
Bananas	520
Cherries	610
Dates	300
Elderberries	700
Figs	480
Grapes	530

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Sales
  Formula: =SUM(B2:B8)
  Result: 3590
• Sales Table: Shows products and sales with conditional formatting applied.
  Conditional Formatting Rule: Format cells in B2:B8 with fill color light green if value > 500.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+------------------+
|      Total Sales      |  Sales Table     |
|       (KPI)           |  (with colors)   |
+----------------------+------------------+

Interactivity

No filters or slicers in this simple dashboard. The conditional formatting updates automatically if sales values change.

Self Check

If you change the sales value for "Dates" from 300 to 550, which cells get highlighted?

Answer: The cell for "Dates" sales will turn light green because 550 > 500.

Key Result

Dashboard shows total sales and highlights sales above $500 in the sales table.

Practice

1. What does conditional formatting do in Excel?

easy

A. Changes the appearance of cells based on rules you set

B. Deletes cells that contain errors

C. Automatically sorts data in a column

D. Creates a backup copy of your spreadsheet

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of conditional formatting

   Conditional formatting is used to change how cells look based on conditions or rules you define.

2. Step 2: Compare options to the definition

   Only Changes the appearance of cells based on rules you set describes changing cell appearance based on rules, which matches conditional formatting.

3. Final Answer:

   Changes the appearance of cells based on rules you set -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Conditional formatting changes cell appearance [OK]

Hint: Think: formatting changes when conditions are met [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing conditional formatting with sorting
• Thinking it deletes or moves data
• Believing it creates backups automatically

2. Which of these is the correct way to start creating a conditional formatting rule in Excel?

easy

A. Select cells, then go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule

B. Right-click a cell and choose Insert > Conditional Formatting

C. Use the formula bar to type =CONDITIONAL()

D. Click File > Save As > Conditional Formatting

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall how to access conditional formatting

   In Excel, conditional formatting rules are created from the Home tab under Conditional Formatting.

2. Step 2: Match the correct menu path

   Select cells, then go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule correctly shows selecting cells, then Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule.

3. Final Answer:

   Select cells, then go to Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Home tab > Conditional Formatting > New Rule [OK]

Hint: Look under Home tab for Conditional Formatting options [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to insert conditional formatting from right-click menu
• Typing a formula in the formula bar to start formatting
• Confusing file saving with formatting

3. You apply a conditional formatting rule to highlight cells greater than 100 in range A1:A5. The values are: 90, 150, 100, 200, 80. Which cells will be highlighted?

medium

A. A1, A3, and A5

B. A2 and A4

C. A3 and A5

D. All cells

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify which values are greater than 100

   Values: A1=90, A2=150, A3=100, A4=200, A5=80. Only 150 and 200 are greater than 100.

2. Step 2: Match cells with values greater than 100

   Cells A2 and A4 have values greater than 100, so these will be highlighted.

3. Final Answer:

   A2 and A4 -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Highlight cells > 100 = A2, A4 [OK]

Hint: Check which numbers are strictly greater than 100 [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Including cells equal to 100
• Highlighting cells less than 100
• Highlighting all cells regardless of value

4. You want to highlight cells in B1:B5 that contain the word "Complete". You create a rule with formula =$B$1="Complete" but no cells get highlighted. What is the likely problem?

medium

A. The formula should be =EXACT(B1,"Complete") to match case

B. The formula should be =B1=="Complete" with double equals

C. The formula should use relative reference without $ signs

D. The formula should be =B1="complete" with lowercase c

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand relative references in conditional formatting

   When applying a formula rule to a range, the formula should use relative references (no $) so it adjusts per cell.

2. Step 2: Identify the problem with the formula

   If the formula uses absolute reference like $B$1, it only checks one cell, so others won't highlight.

3. Final Answer:

   The formula should use relative reference without $ signs -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Use relative references in conditional formatting formulas [OK]

Hint: Avoid $ in formula references for conditional formatting [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using double equals (==) which is invalid in Excel
• Ignoring case sensitivity issues
• Using absolute references ($) incorrectly

5. You want to highlight all rows in A2:D10 where the value in column C is less than 50. Which formula should you use in conditional formatting applied to A2:D10?

hard

A. =$C$2<50

B. =C2<50

C. =C$2<50

D. =$C2<50

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand how to apply conditional formatting to entire rows

   To highlight entire rows based on a column value, fix the column with $ and keep the row relative.

2. Step 2: Analyze each formula option

   =$C2<50 uses =$C2<50, which fixes column C but allows row to change per row, correctly checking each row's column C value.

3. Final Answer:

   =$C2<50 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Fix column, relative row for row-based conditional formatting [OK]

Hint: Use $ before column letter to fix column in formula [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Not fixing the column, so wrong cells checked
• Fixing both column and row, so only one cell checked
• Fixing row instead of column, causing wrong behavior