Validation rules help prevent unsuitable values at entry, but imported or pasted data still needs checking. Match each rule to an explicit business requirement.
Before you begin
Use a copy of a fictional workbook. Keep raw data separate from the worksheet used for calculations or presentation.
Work through the idea
Define the meaning of each column and check a few records manually. Test an invalid or missing value, and distinguish the displayed format from the stored value. Keep totals or validation results visible so that another learner can verify the workbook without guessing which cells were changed.
- Define allowed ranges or lists
- Add a useful input message
- Check invalid and pasted values
Practice task
Design a fictional admissions sheet with an allowed course list and a valid date range.
Check your result
Show accepted entries, rejected entries and a separate audit for existing invalid values.
A mistake to avoid
Do not assume that a validation dropdown proves the whole dataset is clean.
Keep a review note
Save the inputs or scenario, your reasoning and the result you checked. Explain one assumption and one case that needs more work. Revise the exercise after feedback and distinguish what you demonstrated from what remains untested.
Official reference for further study
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