Warm-up (30 seconds): Think about your Numbers Sheet from Lesson 6. What decision could make your Something Real project easier — like knowing which items cost too much or which tasks are overdue?

Today you'll learn IF formulas — the spreadsheet's way of making decisions automatically. Instead of checking every number yourself, your spreadsheet can flag problems for you.

Portfolio Build: Add a Flag column to your Lesson 6 Numbers Sheet that automatically identifies problems.

How IF formulas work

The IF formula asks a question about your data and gives different answers depending on the result:

=IF(condition, what_to_show_if_true, what_to_show_if_false)

Example: =IF(B2>100, "OVER BUDGET", "OK")

• B2>100 = the condition (is this item's cost over €100?)
• "OVER BUDGET" = what to show if TRUE
• "OK" = what to show if FALSE

Real project use: Instead of checking every budget line yourself, your spreadsheet flags anything over your limit.

Common conditions you'll use:

• B2>100 (greater than a budget limit)
• B2<0 (negative numbers)
• A2="Done" (text matches)
• TODAY()>C2 (dates — task overdue)

Follow these instructions to add IF formulas to sample data. This teaches you the exact steps you'll use on your own project for numbers, text, and dates.

Success criteria:

• IF formulas calculate correctly for all three examples
• Shows correct flags based on your data
• You understand what each part of the formula does

Your Something Real: Open your Lesson 6 Numbers Sheet from your Digital Portfolio and add IF flags that help you make decisions.

Success criteria:

• Open your actual Lesson 6 spreadsheet
• Add a Flag column with working IF formula
• Flag shows something useful (OVER budget, OVERDUE, etc.)
• Save to your Digital Portfolio folder

Ideas by project type:

• Budget: =IF(cost>limit,"OVER","OK")
• Timeline: =IF(TODAY()>due_date,"OVERDUE","ON TIME")
• Survey: =IF(score<3,"LOW","GOOD")
• Inventory: =IF(quantity<5,"LOW STOCK","OK")

Common Issues

• #VALUE! error: Check your cell references match your data columns
• Formula shows text not result: Make sure you pressed {{key:Enter}} after typing
• Drag doesn't copy formula: Click the exact autofill handle (small square/blue square)