Lesson 5.5 – Basic Statistics (AVERAGE, MEDIAN, MODE) Basic statistical functions help you understand the central tendency of your data. Excel provides simple functions to calculate the average value, the middle value, and the most frequent value in a dataset. These functions are widely used in business, finance, education, and data analysis. 1. What Are Basic Statistics? Basic statistics summarize your data and help you understand its general behavior. The three most common measures are: AVERAGE – The arithmetic mean MEDIAN – The middle value MODE – The most frequent value These functions are essential for analyzing trends, comparing groups, and making decisions. 2. AVERAGE Function The AVERAGE function calculates the mean of a group of numbers. Syntax: =AVERAGE(range) Example: =AVERAGE(B2:B10) Use AVERAGE when you want a general idea of the typical value in your dataset. 3. MEDIAN Function The MEDIAN functio...
Lesson 5.4 – Sorting and Filtering for Analysis Sorting and filtering are essential tools for analyzing data in Excel. They help you focus on the information that matters, identify patterns, and prepare your dataset for deeper analysis using charts or PivotTables. In this lesson, you will learn how to sort and filter data specifically for analytical purposes. 1. Why Sorting and Filtering Matter in Analysis When working with large datasets, it is difficult to understand trends or find insights by looking at raw numbers. Sorting and filtering allow you to: Identify top or bottom values Focus on specific categories Analyze trends over time Prepare clean data for charts and PivotTables These tools are the foundation of any data‑driven workflow. 2. Sorting for Analysis Sorting helps you reorganize your data to reveal patterns. • Sorting Numbers Examples: Sort sales from highest to lowest Sort expenses from smallest to largest ...