Creating If-Then Self Checking Exercises In Excel 2000

Creating the Worksheet
  1. Go to Start>Programs>Teachers>Microsoft Excel.
  2. In cell A1 type the title of your cell.  Use the term Questions or Problems.
  3. You may change the width of the column by placing your mouse on the line just between the column headers A and B and double clicking to automatically make text fit.
  4. In cell B1 type the word Answers.  This will be the column for the students to record their answers.
  5. In column C you will enter the If-Then formulas.  Click in cell C2.  Select the equal sign on the formula toolbar.  Then click the drop down arrow next to the red X.
    DROPDOWN.gif (2965 bytes)
  6. Choose If and a gray dialog box will appear in which you must fill in the correct infomation as shown in the example below.  Do not use any spaces!

    FORMULA1.gif (5433 bytes)

  7. Click OK. 
  8. Now use the absolute reference feature.  Highlight cell and drag a copy of cell C2 to the end of your exercise.  You will get a + sign on the bottom right corner of the cell which you wish to drag and copy.  This will copy the if-then formula into all the cells.  You will need to go back to each individual cell and insert your cursor to delete and change the answer to reflect the question on each row.   Refer to the activity sheet to input information.
  9. Double click between column C and D on the gray row to widen the column.
 
Hiding Answer Column
  1. Click to highlight the column you would like to hide.(C)   Click on the gray cell with the letter C at the top of the column.
  2. Choose Format on the menubar and select Column.
  3. Choose Hide from the pop up menu.
  4. Notice the column is now hidden.  A darker black line appears where the column is hidden. 
 
Unhiding Answer Column
  1. Highlight the column before and after hidden column. (B and D)
  2. Choose Format on the menubar and select Column.
  3. Choose Unhide from the pop-up menu.
  4. The column should reappear.

Math Activity Sheet


Kathy D. Adkins
Instructional Technology Specialist
Forsyth County Schools
April, 2001