BeginnerStatistical Functions
Find the average order value with AVERAGE
Calculate the mean value of a set of customer orders.
AVERAGE
3 min10 points
AVERAGE
Returns the arithmetic mean of a range, ignoring empty cells.
Syntax
AVERAGE(number1, [number2], ...)
Statistical Functions.
Practise AVERAGE3 interactive exercises, free, no account needed
A worked example
=AVERAGE(C2:C9)
Returns 2,250
Totals the eight order values and divides by eight.
Where it goes wrong
Blank cells are skipped, but zeros are not. If a missing value was entered as 0 rather than left empty, it drags the average down.
Consider instead: MEDIAN, when one extreme value would distort the picture.
What the exercises catch
Each of these is a wrong turn the practice exercises recognise and name. They are the misconceptions, not the answers.
- This gives the right answer, but hard-coding the count of 8 breaks the moment a ninth order is added. AVERAGE counts the rows for you.Find the average order value with AVERAGE
- 1510 is today's average. Add one order and the threshold moves, but this formula keeps using the old number and quietly reports the wrong total. Work the average out inside the formula.Total only the orders above average
- That totals every order rather than only the above-average ones. You need a sum that applies a condition.Total only the orders above average
Practise AVERAGE
Knowing what a function does and being able to write it from memory are different skills. These close the gap.
All AVERAGE practice exercises →
- IntermediateData Analysis
Total only the orders above average
Sum the orders that beat the average, without typing the average in yourself.
SUMIF · AVERAGE
8 min25 points - IntermediateStatistical Functions
Average or median for this data?
Pick the right summary statistic for a set with one huge outlier.
AVERAGE · MEDIAN
4 min20 points