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Lesson 5/7

Order and brackets

Exercise 1 of 4

Excel multiplies and divides before it adds and subtracts. What does =2+3*4 give? You can type it into any cell to check.

About this lesson

Excel multiplies and divides before it adds and subtracts. Learn the order it follows and how brackets change it.

In this lesson

  1. Excel multiplies and divides before it adds and subtracts. What does =2+3*4 give? You can type it into any cell to check.
  2. In B5, work out the average of the three tests without a function: add them up, then divide by 3.
  3. The tax rate is in B2. In B3, work out the price including tax: the price times (1 + the tax rate). Without brackets around 1 + the tax rate, Excel multiplies first.
  4. Sales went from 400 last year to 460 this year. In B3, work out the change as a percentage: subtract last year from this year, then divide by last year. Put the subtraction in brackets, or Excel divides first.

Use the arrow keys to move between cells; each cell is read out as you go. Type a formula and press Enter. The sheet is also available as a table below.

fx

Try it out: type a formula in any free cell or change a value. What you type on the sheet isn’t graded.