1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Your project budget already adds, averages, and ranks numbers. Today you give the sheet a decision: it will flag any cost that crosses a line you set. That is what an IF formula does, and it is the same pattern used in real budgets, stock lists, and Work Experience trackers.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Explain the IF pattern: condition, value if true, value if false
- Write a simple IF that flags items over a threshold
- Adapt a worked IF pattern to your own project data
- Add a Flag column to {{code:05_project_budget}} that shows a short label such as Over budget when a cost is above your threshold
Missing file? If you do not yet have {{code:05_project_budget}} in the {{code:05_budget}} folder inside {{code:Project_Portfolio}}, tell your teacher now. Create a new spreadsheet named {{code:05_project_budget}} with columns Item, Category, and Cost (€), type five real Something Real costs (numbers only in Cost), and save it in that folder before the practice step.
Warm-up
Think of one cost in your Something Real project that would make you stop and rethink if it went too high. What number would that be: €20, €50, €100? Keep that threshold in mind. You will use a number like it in your Flag column later.
2 - Key Concepts ~7 mins
Read the plain-English sentence, study Aoife's result table, then skim the three concept rows. You will rebuild this sample in the next step.
Worked sample (Aoife's phone-case side hustle)
In plain English: If the cost is greater than 40, write Over budget, otherwise leave it blank.
Aoife sells custom phone cases at a local market. She wants any single cost over €40 flagged. After the IF is filled down, the Flag column should look like this:
| Item | Category | Cost (€) | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank cases (50) | Materials | 85 | Over budget |
| Vinyl stickers | Materials | 18 | |
| Heat-press hire | Equipment | 60 | Over budget |
| Instagram ads | Marketing | 25 | |
| Packaging bags | Materials | 12 |
The formula in the first Flag cell is {{code:=IF(C2>40,"Over budget","")}}. The same pattern, with your own threshold and your own column letters, is what you will add to {{code:05_project_budget}}.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| IF formula — a three-part decision: condition, value if true, value if false | Your budget can mark problem costs automatically instead of you scanning every row by eye | Flag any Work Experience travel cost over €30 so the overspend is visible before you print the sheet |
| Condition and threshold — the test the formula runs first, using the number that triggers the flag (for example {{code:C2>40}}) | If the test or the threshold is wrong, every flag will be wrong even when the rest of the formula is perfect | Cost greater than 40 on a materials row costing €85 uses {{code:C2>40}}; pick a real project limit, not a random figure |
| Value if true / value if false — the two answers the formula can return; any words must sit inside double quotation marks | You choose the short wording your reader will see; without quotes the sheet may show {{code:#NAME?}} or {{code:#VALUE!}} | True returns {{code:"Over budget"}}; false returns a blank {{code:""}} so clean rows stay quiet |
Quick check
Before you type, pair the IF workflow pieces on the matching worksheet with your neighbour. Check you agree on condition, true label, false blank, and the closing bracket.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~14 mins
Build Aoife's five-row sample on a practice sheet, write one IF, fill it down, test that a flag clears when you lower a cost, and check the flags match the worked sample. Use the tabs below for Excel for the web or Google Sheets.
If {{code:05_project_budget}} is missing: tell your teacher and use a blank workbook named {{code:05_project_budget}} with a short five-row cost list (Item, Category, Cost (€)) before you add the {{code:IF_practice}} sheet. Save it in the {{code:05_budget}} folder inside {{code:Project_Portfolio}}.
4 - Common Issues ~4 mins
Common Issues
First IF attempts often show an error. That is normal. Use the table, then study the short adapt example before you touch your real budget.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I see {{code:#NAME?}} or {{code:#VALUE!}} in the Flag cell | Check the word {{code:IF}} is spelled correctly, every text label sits inside double quotes ({{code:"Over budget"}}), and you used straight quotes not curly ones pasted from a message app |
| Every row is blank, or every row says Over budget | Click the first Flag cell and read the condition. Confirm the column letter points at Cost, the threshold number is the one you meant, and Cost cells hold numbers rather than text such as {{code:€85}} |
| Autofill copied the same flag on every row | Make sure you started from a real formula cell (not a pasted value). Delete the Flag column contents, retype the IF in the first data row, then drag the fill handle again |
| My real budget columns are not A–C like the sample | That is fine. Change the letter in the condition to match your Cost column (for example {{code:E2}} if Cost is in column E). The pattern stays the same |
Adapt the pattern
The sample used Cost in column C, first data row 2, threshold 40. Your sheet may differ. Watch this 20-second swap before you type on your own budget:
If Cost is in column E, the first item row is 3, and your threshold is 50, the first Flag formula is:
{{code:=IF(E3>50,"Over budget","")}}
Write your Cost column letter, first data row, and threshold on a sticky note before you type on the real budget sheet. Do not copy C and 40 unless those really match your sheet.
5 - Your Turn on the Real Budget ~20 mins
Independent Practice
- {{code:05_project_budget}} has a clear Flag column heading next to your item costs
- Your IF uses your own Cost column letter and threshold, not a blind copy of the sample's C and 40
- Flags update automatically when you change a cost above or below your threshold (same live test you did on Heat-press hire)
- Only the rows that truly break your limit show a label; the other Flag cells stay blank
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