WAEC Data Processing 2023 Question 20

Question 20

Spreadsheet

Figure 3 is a Microsoft Excel Worksheet. Use it to answer questions 20 and 21.
What formula will correctly display the total number of individuals involved in the computation as shown in Figure 3?

A.= COUNT(A2:A5)
B.= COUNTA(A2:A5)
C.= COUNTIF(A2:A5)
D.= SUM (A2:A5)

Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B (= COUNTA(A2:A5))

Explanation

The ID numbers in A2:A5 are text (e.g. WASC/LPT/001); COUNTA counts non-empty cells, giving 4, while COUNT only counts numbers and gives 0.