Microsoft Office

Part V
Analyzing Data with Excel
FIGURE 35.10
This pivot table is grouped by Hours.
Creating a Frequency Distribution
Excel provides a number of ways to create a frequency distribution (see Chapter 14). But none of these
methods is easier than using a pivot table.
Figure 35.11 shows part of a table of 221 students and the test score for each. The goal is to determine how
many students are in each 10-point range (1–10, 11–20, and so on).
ON the CD-ROM
This workbook, named test scores.xlsx, is available on the companion CD-ROM.
The pivot table is simple:
n The Score field is in the Row Labels section (grouped).
n Another instance of the Score field is in the Values section (summarized by Count).
The Grouping dialog box that generated the bins specified that the groups start at 1, end at 100, and are
incremented by 10.
By default, Excel does not display items with a zero value. In this example, no test scores are
below 21, so the 1–10 and 11–20 items are hidden. To override this setting, access the
PivotTable Options dialog box, click the Display tab, and put a check mark next to Display Item Labels When
No Fields Are In The Values Area.
NOTE
Figure 35.12 show the frequency distribution of the test scores, along with a pivot chart. (See “Creating
Pivot Charts,” later in this chapter).
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