Presenting information: formula sheet

Key formulas

Core presentation test

Right audience + right purpose + right format + right timing + acceptable cost

Use this as a checklist for any scenario question. If one element is wrong, the information is less useful.

Qualities of good information

Accurate, Complete, Cost-beneficial, User-targeted, Relevant, Authoritative, Timely, Easy to use

One common mnemonic (ACCURATE). Apply each quality to the scenario instead of just listing them.

Cost-benefit rule for information

Produce information only if its benefit ≥ its cost

Benefit is usually better decisions. Costs include collection, processing and reading time.

Format matching

Exact values → table; trend or comparison → chart; explanation or advice → written report

A guide, not an absolute rule. Match the format to what the user must do with the information.

Typical formal report structure

Title → Introduction (purpose, scope) → Findings → Conclusions → Recommendations → Appendices

Order can vary slightly, but findings come before conclusions and conclusions before recommendations.

Memo heading block

To | From | Date | Subject

A memo is internal and short. It has no formal letter-style address.

Choosing the format

Reader + purpose + formality + length → report, memo, email or letter

Report for formal and detailed matters. Memo for short internal notes. Email for quick routine messages. Letter for external parties.

Qualities of good communication

Clear, accurate, concise, relevant, timely, suitable for the reader

Use these as a checklist when asked to judge or improve a document.

Pie chart slice angle

Angle = (category value ÷ total) × 360°

All angles must add up to 360°. Check this before you finish.

Percentage share

Percentage = (category value ÷ total) × 100

Used for pie charts and percentage component bar charts.

Frequency density

Frequency density = frequency ÷ class width

Use it for histograms with unequal class widths. The bar area then represents frequency.

Choosing a display

Exact figures → table; compare categories → bar; share of total → pie; trend over time → line; grouped continuous data → histogram

Rule of thumb for choosing the display. Always match it to the message asked for.

Start of a formula

= (equals sign)

Every formula begins with =. Without it, the cell is treated as text.

Sum of a range

=SUM(B2:B10)

Adds all cells from B2 to B10. The colon means 'from ... to'.

Average of a range

=AVERAGE(B2:B10)

Gives the arithmetic mean of the values in the range.

Conditional result

=IF(test, value if true, value if false)

Example: =IF(B2>C2,"Over","Within") flags an overspend.

Lookup

=VLOOKUP(lookup value, table, column number, FALSE)

Finds a value in the first column of a table and returns data from another column. FALSE means exact match.

Relative and absolute references

B2 (relative); $B$2 (absolute)

Relative references change when copied. Absolute references with $ stay fixed, e.g. a fixed tax rate or overhead rate.

Order of calculation

Brackets, then ×/÷, then +/−

=2+3*4 gives 14, not 20. Use brackets to force the order you want.

Quick revision

• Good information is relevant, accurate, timely, clear and understandable to its user.
• The cost of producing information should not exceed its benefit.
• Always ask first: who is the user and what decision will they make?
• A report has a clear structure: purpose, findings, conclusions and, where asked, recommendations.
• Tone and detail change with the reader: senior managers usually need a short summary, specialists need detail.
• Use a table when exact figures matter.
• Use a line graph to show change over time.
• Use a bar chart to compare separate items or categories.
• Use a pie chart only to show parts of a whole, and keep the number of slices small.
• Spreadsheets calculate and analyse data, but they can contain formula and input errors.
• Presentation software supports spoken delivery, so slides should be brief and uncluttered.
• Read multiple response questions carefully and select exactly the number asked for.

Common mistakes

• Listing the qualities of good information without linking them to the scenario. Fix: Pick the two or three qualities most relevant to the case and say how each applies to this user and decision.
• Assuming more detail is always better. Fix: Remember conciseness and relevance. Senior managers need summaries and exceptions, with detail available if they ask.
• Using a memo for an external party or a letter for an internal note. Fix: Remember: memos are internal, letters are external. Check who the reader is first.
• Putting recommendations before findings or mixing conclusions with findings. Fix: Findings state what was found. Conclusions say what it means. Recommendations say what to do. Keep that order.
• Using a pie chart to compare several different totals or to show change over time. Fix: Use a pie only for shares of one total at one point in time. Use bar or line charts for comparisons and trends.
• Confusing a multiple bar chart with a component bar chart. Fix: Multiple bars sit side by side to compare series. Component bars are stacked parts that add up to the total for that bar.
• Writing a formula without the equals sign. Fix: Remember that every spreadsheet formula starts with =. Otherwise the cell shows text.
• Using a relative reference where an absolute one is needed. Fix: If a rate or total must stay fixed when copied, lock it with $, for example $B$1.

Exam tips

• In scenario questions, name the user and purpose in your first sentence. Markers reward application, not lists.
• Where a multiple response question states how many options to select, select exactly that number, and check each against audience, purpose and cost.
• Be wary of options that add more detail for senior users or less detail for operational users.
• If asked about conflicting qualities, show the trade-off, for example speed against accuracy, and say which matters more for that decision.
• Link this topic to report writing and charts. Section A can mix them in one question.
• Always identify the reader and purpose before looking at the options. Most wrong answers fail on one of these.
• Learn the memo heading block (to, from, date, subject) and the report order. These are easy marks.
• In multiple response questions, select exactly the stated number of answers. Extra or missing ticks lose the marks.