CIS 2500 Exam 1 Excel Cheat Sheet: Data and Statistics

Posted on Mar 12, 2026 in Statistics

CIS 2500 – Exam 1 Cheat Sheet (Excel Focused)

Chapter 1 – Data Basics

  • Population: All items in the study.
  • Sample: Subset of the population.
  • Parameter: Numerical value describing a population.
  • Statistic: Numerical value describing a sample.
  • Cross-sectional: Many entities at one time.
  • Time series: One entity across the same point in time.
  • Nominal: Labels only (numeric or non-numeric).
  • Ordinal: Ranked categories (numeric or non-numeric).
  • Interval: Numeric, no true zero.
  • Ratio: Numeric, true zero.
  • Qualitative (Categorical): Categories, non-numeric labels, cannot perform calculations.
  • Quantitative: Numeric values.
  • 3 Vs of Big Data: Volume, Velocity, Variety.
  • Omission: Remove missing observations.
  • Imputation: Replace missing values.

Excel Functions

  • COUNTA: Counts all non-blank cells.
  • COUNT: Counts numeric values only.
  • COUNTIF: Counts values meeting a condition.

Chapter 2 – Tables and Visualization

  • Numerical Data: Histogram, Scatterplot.
  • Categorical Data: Bar chart, Pie chart.
  • Bar Chart: Insert clustered, categorical.
  • Ogive: Insert line chart, cumulative, line graph of cumulative relative frequency (quantitative data).
  • Histogram: Quantitative data, insert a statistical chart, one numeric value; the height of each rectangle = frequency or relative frequency.

Contingency Table (Two Categorical Variables)

  • Joint probability: Cell / Grand total.
  • Marginal probability: Row or column total / Grand total.
  • Conditional probability: Cell / Row total (if given row) or Cell / Column total (if given column).
  • Note: No “given” → divide by grand total. “Given ___” → divide by that row or column total.

Pivot Table (Excel Tool)

  • Insert: Pivot Table.
  • Rows: First variable.
  • Columns: Second variable.
  • Values: Count.

Chapter 3 – Descriptive Statistics

  • Mean: =AVERAGE(range)
  • Median: =MEDIAN(range)
  • Mode: =MODE.SNGL(range)
  • Range: =MAX(range)-MIN(range)
  • Standard deviation (sample): =STDEV.S(range)
  • Variance (sample): =VAR.S(range)
  • Mean absolute deviation: =AVEDEV(range)
  • Coefficient of variation: =STDEV.S(range)/AVERAGE(range)
  • Quartiles: =QUARTILE.INC(range, 1/2/3)
  • Percentile: =PERCENTILE.INC(range, 0.XX)
  • Correlation coefficient: =CORREL(range1, range2)
  • Covariance: =COVARIANCE.S(range1, range2)
  • Empirical Rule (Normal only): 68%, 95%, 99.7%.
  • Z-score: =(value-AVERAGE(range))/STDEV.S(range)

Chapter 4 – Probability Rules

  • Probability: Between 0 and 1.
  • Complement: 1 − Probability(A).
  • Union: Probability(A) + Probability(B) − Probability(A and B).
  • Independent: Multiply probabilities.
  • Mutually exclusive: Intersection equals 0.
  • Conditional: Probability(A and B) / Probability(B).

Quick Triggers

  • “Spread”: Standard deviation.
  • “Middle value”: Median.
  • “Percentile”: Percentile function.
  • “Relationship”: Correlation.
  • “Given”: Divide by that group total.