Microsoft Excel Tutorial-How To Create Running Total

Running total is the gradual summation of values in a particular column or row in excel worksheet

This tutorial will take you through the steps of creating a running total (cumulative) using cell referencing.

As you can see in the figure below, the running total will automatically be updated when a new data is entered or added to a list of values in column B(Sales).

Let me take the time to explain the concept clearly.

Table of Contents

Step one: Total Sum
Step two: Cumulative (Running Total)
Step three: Copy The Running Total Formula to Other Cells
Step four: Enter The “IF” Condition


STEP ONE: TOTAL SUM

In cell B9 enter a simple SUM function to add all the sales values from cell B2 to B7.

=SUM (B2: B7)

Microsoft Excel Tutorial- Running-Total-Total-Sum

STEP TWO: CUMULATIVE (RUNNING TOTAL)

In cell C2 enter the SUM function =SUM (B$2: B2). What does the reference B$2 in this function represent? It is a mixed reference and it tells you that row 2 is fixed by adding a $ symbol in front of the row number. The second cell reference(B2) is a mixed reference, it means as the function is copied to other cells the row number is not fixed but changes to respective row numbers.

Microsoft Excel Tutorial- Running Total


STEP THREE: COPY THE RUNNING TOTAL FORMULA TO OTHER CELLS

Select cell C2 and coping its function down to cell C7. To do this, click on the lower right corner of cell C2 the drag it down to cell C7.

NOTE: The content of B$2 which is 420 does not change because it is a fixed reference, but B2 which is a mixed reference changed to B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, and B7 respectively.

RUNNING TOTAL FORMULA


STEP FOUR: ENTER THE “IF” CONDITION

Now in cell C2 enter the following conditional formula   =IF (B2 <> “”, SUM (B$2: B2), “”). 

What does this imply? It means if the value of B2 is not empty, the cumulative is displayed in cell C2, else it will display nothing in cell C2. Now copy this conditional formula to other cells through to cell C7.

Microsoft Excel Tutorial- Running-Total-Total-Sum




Microsoft Excel Tutorial- Running-Total-Total-Sum


CONCLUSION

Running total is very important in data analysis and statistics. To know the cumulative distribution of data and other advanced data manipulation.

Your suggestion and additions are highly welcomed. Thank you for taking the time to go through this tutorial.





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