10 General SSM Exam Tips

In any standard Spreadsheet Methods exam there are a number of things that always show up. These are deemed essential skills and are always tested:

  1. Data input: Enter all data as given - including imperfections if unsure, but correcting very, very obvious mistakes. An error in a column will cost the marks for the column. Later wrong answers to calculations based on this incorrect data entry will not be re-penalised, however, as you will not be penalised twice for any mistake.

  2. Align data as shown on the paper: headings tend to be centered, but side-headings may be left, centre or right-aligned. The data in columns may be centered differently to the headings so watch for that.

  3. Formatting numbers: there is normally an instruction (or two) on the paper about formatting of numeric data. Find and follow that instruction. *Never* enter the currency symbol with currency values - even if it's shown that way on the paper - but use the formatting tool instead. Entering the currency symbol may cause the numeric data to be seen as text and subsequent formulas will fail. Percentages will, on the contrary, often function best if you type in the % symbol after the number entered. Formatting 1 as a percentage using the percentage formatting tool will yield 100% - if you explicitly want to use the percentage tool type 0.01 instead. But better to type 1% outright, as there is only one % symbol whilst there are multiple currency symbols.

  4. Headings: since the very first SSM exam headings have been placed in merged cells and centered. Watch the grid on the exam paper to see the extent of the merging. Note that subsequent insertion of columns may require you to remove the merge(s) before you can make the insertion. You'll be expected to re-merge and re-center the heading cells above the sheet after such insertions, but to the width of the new sheet.

  5. Column widths: marks are always allocated for this so do it. Some of the data will need wider columns, some will do in narrower. Widen the columns that need widening and narrow those that need narrowing - which will be very obvious - and you'll have no problem with the marks for this. Watch out for column widths when printing formulas, and for any width changes that stay after coming back from showing formulas.

  6. Printing: Always print in landscape, always set your spreadsheet to fit on one page and always print row and column headings and gridlines unless told otherwise. It's also preferable when setting those that you center your spreadsheet on the page vertically and horizontally, but not mandatory unless asked. Printing formulas on one page results in quite small text. Don't worry about that. Make sure your name is on every print out. The footer is ideal for this.

  7. Printing the graph: There's always a graph. Format it as asked. Try to print your graph on a page by itself. This is helped by putting the graph on its own sheet and by having it selected when you choose print. If there's nowhere else to put your name (the footer should already have your name) edit the graph heading to have your inititals or username in brackets at the end.

  8. Printing a named or specified area only: In later years it has been common to request a print out that excludes part of the sheet. There is more than one way to do this. The only simple way that will not have later side-efects is to highlight the area requested - leaving out the excluded part - and when you print choose the option 'Selection' in the print dialog. Immediately un-hightlight after printing.

  9. Formulas: These progress from straight-forward SUM and AVERAGE types to 'simple' IFs. Then come HLOOKUPs (always called LOOKUPS on the paper from the original concept back in earlier days) followed by either nested IF's (an IF inside an IF) or an IF with a logical operator AND or OR, sometimes both.
    • IF General Form: =IF(condition;action1;action2)

    • HLOOKUP General Form: =HLOOKUP(match_value;table;match_row;0) {Remember the 0, or the word FALSE at the end, and to use *absolute cell addressing* for the table location.}

    • IF/AND General Form: =IF(AND(condition1;condition2);action1;action2)

    • IF/OR General Form: =IF(OR(condition1;condition2);action1;action2)

    • Absolute cell references: =$A$1 is a reference that will not change when copied

    Remember that any of the IF statements could have a calculation within them, though this is not very common in exams. You will also need to look out for the use of absolute cell references in the HLOOKUPS and other calculations. A hidden formula that can occur at the start is a request for the date using a formula. In that case use =TODAY() - if the result of this includes the time then Format/Cell as Date and choose an acceptable sub-format.

  10. Non-contiguous selection: When drawing the chart (graph) it is normal to be asked to graph data from columns that are not beside each other (non-contiguous). If this is the case, select the first column as normal (top to bottom), then press the CTRL key before selecting each other column. The data to be graphed is almost always in columns and should be selected from top to bottom for each column.
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