How do you turn spreadsheet data into clear charts and print it correctly?
Creating and formatting charts from spreadsheet data (choosing an appropriate chart type and adding titles, labels and legends), and printing in a range of views and selections (formulae view, gridlines and headings, fit to page, selected ranges).
An SQA Higher Administration and IT answer on creating and formatting charts from spreadsheet data, choosing an appropriate chart type, and printing in a range of views and selections such as formulae view, gridlines, fit to page and selected ranges.
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What this key area is asking
Once data is calculated, an administrator must present and output it well. The SQA expects you to create and format charts from spreadsheet data, choosing an appropriate chart type and adding clear titles, labels and legends, and to print the spreadsheet correctly using a range of views and selections, including the formulae view, showing gridlines and headings, fitting to a page, and printing only a selected range. Both appear in the assignment, and the question paper often asks you to justify a chart choice or a print option.
Creating and formatting charts
Choosing the right chart type
- Pie chart: the share of a single total (for example each region's percentage of sales). Best with a small number of categories.
- Column/bar chart: comparing separate items (for example sales by branch, or this year versus last).
- Line chart: a trend over time (for example monthly sales), showing whether values rise or fall.
Formatting a chart
Add a title that states what the chart shows, label the axes with their meaning and units, include a legend when there is more than one series, and use data labels if exact figures help. The chart should be uncluttered and easy to read.
Printing in a range of views and selections
These options matter because a default printout of a large spreadsheet can spill over many pages, be unreadable, or hide the formulae. Choosing the right settings produces output that is clear, complete and fit for purpose, and saves paper.
- Formulae view: prints formulae, for checking or documenting how the sheet works.
- Gridlines and headings: make a printed sheet easier to read and check.
- Fit to page: scales a wide or long sheet to fit a set number of pages.
- Print selection / print area: prints only the data needed.
- Orientation and page breaks: control layout (landscape for wide data, sensible page breaks).
Examples in context
Example 1. A trend chart for a report. To show whether monthly sales are rising, an administrator builds a line chart of sales by month, titled and with labelled axes, and links it into the report. The line makes the trend obvious, illustrating an appropriate chart choice and formatting.
Example 2. Documenting a spreadsheet. Before handing over a complex spreadsheet, an administrator prints it in formulae view with gridlines and headings and fit to page, producing a clear record of how every calculation works. This shows the printing options used to check and document a sheet.
Try this
Q1. State an appropriate chart type to show each product's share of total sales, and justify your choice. [2 marks]
- Cue. A pie chart, because it clearly shows the proportions (percentage share) into which a single total is divided.
Q2. Describe what the formulae view is used for when printing a spreadsheet. [2 marks]
- Cue. It prints the formulae instead of the calculated results, so the calculations can be checked or documented; gridlines and row/column headings can be shown to make checking easier.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher style4 marksDescribe an appropriate chart type for two different sets of data, and justify each choice.Show worked answer →
Worth 4 marks. Give a chart type and a justification for each, two marks each.
Pie chart (about 2 marks). A pie chart is appropriate for showing the proportions or percentage share of a single total, for example each product's share of total sales, because it shows clearly how the whole is divided.
Line chart (about 2 marks). A line chart is appropriate for showing a trend over time, for example monthly sales across a year, because it shows clearly whether values are rising or falling. (A bar or column chart suits comparing separate categories.)
SQA Higher style4 marksDescribe two ways an administrator could change how a spreadsheet is printed, and why.Show worked answer →
Worth 4 marks. Describe printing options, two marks each.
Formulae view (about 2 marks). Printing the spreadsheet showing the formulae rather than the results, so the calculations can be checked or documented. Gridlines and row/column headings can also be shown to make checking easier.
Fit to page / print selection (about 2 marks). Scaling the printout to fit a set number of pages (fit to page), or printing only a selected range, so the output is readable and only the needed data is printed, saving paper.
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