One of the common methods of analyzing data is to examine the average of a range of values. The problem is, the way you determine the average depends, predominantly, on the characteristics of the original data and exactly what you need to see. This category contains many different ways you can calculate averages using Excel formulas.

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available for the 'Averaging' topic. Click the article''s title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

   An Average that Excludes Zero Values
Excel allows you to use functions and formulas to analyze your data. One way you can analyze your data is to use the AVERAGE function to find out the average of a range of values; this concept is easy to grasp. What may not be as easy is how you get an average that excludes zero values within the range.

   Averaging a Non-Contiguous Range
Figuring out how to average data that is in a contiguous range of cells is easy. When the data is spread over a group of non-contiguous cells then getting the average can be a bit more challenging. Throw into the mix the need to exclude zero values from the average and the solution can be downright elusive.

   Averaging the Last Numbers in a Column
Need to calculate a running average for the last twelve values in a constantly changing range of values? The formula discussed in this tip can make quick work of getting the average you need.

   Averaging Values for a Given Month and Year
Excel is often used to analyze data collected over time. In doing the analysis, you may want to only look at data collected during a given range of time, such as a particular month and year. Here's how to be selective with your data.

   Averaging without Hidden Cells
Grabbing an average of a range of cells is easy using Excel functions. If you want that average to ignore hidden cells when the range consists of a row, then Excel doesn't have a way to get what you need. This tip examines a couple of ways you can get around Excel's deficiency.

   Determining a Simple Moving Average
A moving average can be a great way to analyze a series of data points that you've collected over time. Setting up a formula to display the moving average you need can be a bit confusing, however. This tip explains how you can derive the average.

   Excluding Values from Averaging
Calculating an average of a group of numbers is easy. What if you want to exclude a couple of the numbers from the group you are averaging? Here's the tools you need to develop a formula that will give you what you want.