How to read a pivot table
Read a pivot table with rows and columns: find one cell, a row total and a column total, then a count, a share and an average.
Task 1Rows, columns and grand totals4 questions
With one field in Rows and another in Columns, a pivot table becomes a grid. Each cell is the total for one row heading and one column heading together.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date | Customer | Category | Net |
| 2 | 6 Jan 2026 | Hollin School | Paper | 240.00 |
| 3 | 14 Jan 2026 | Moss Lane Vets | Pens | 90.00 |
| 4 | 27 Jan 2026 | Quay Dental | Paper | 160.00 |
| 5 | 3 Feb 2026 | Hollin School | Files | 110.00 |
| 6 | 12 Feb 2026 | Tarn Garage | Paper | 300.00 |
| 7 | 19 Feb 2026 | Moss Lane Vets | Paper | 210.00 |
| 8 | 2 Mar 2026 | Hollin School | Paper | 180.00 |
| 9 | 10 Mar 2026 | Quay Dental | Files | 140.00 |
| 10 | 18 Mar 2026 | Moss Lane Vets | Files | 150.00 |
| 11 | 25 Mar 2026 | Hollin School | Pens | 170.00 |
| Customer | Files | Paper | Pens | Grand Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollin School | 110.00 | 420.00 | 170.00 | 700.00 |
| Moss Lane Vets | 150.00 | 210.00 | 90.00 | 450.00 |
| Quay Dental | 140.00 | 160.00 | 300.00 | |
| Tarn Garage | 300.00 | 300.00 | ||
| Grand Total | 400.00 | 1,090.00 | 260.00 | 1,750.00 |
The Grand Total column adds across each row, and the Grand Total row adds down each column. A blank cell means the list has no rows for that pair.
Task 2Count, share and average4 questions