

This tool is fine for many scenarios, but it presents a problem here. The other requirement is that the cell you change in Step 6 (By changing cell:) can’t contain a formula. Pin Set cell error for missing formulaĮxcel only allows you to change one variable input. In my case, I have =C4/C6 to get a percent. To start, the tool only works on desktop versions, so if you’re using the web version or on an Ipad, you’re out of luck.Įxcel also requires that the Set cell be a formula cell. Otherwise, click Cancel.Īs with many simple tools, there are limitations. If you wish to accept the new value, click OK.Excel will overwrite the previous cell value with the new one. Since we wanted to know the number of “Yes” votes needed, we’ll click cell C4.

This is the percentage needed to win the election. In this example, we’re asking Excel to replace the contents of cell D4, which is 0.64, with 0.67.

If 500 more people voted, could the YES voters have won?.How many more YES votes were needed to win the election?.This would allow you to answer these types of questions.

Using Goal Seek, we can change the input value of one cell and see how the results change. People quickly realize they were close, but which item do they change to find out how close. In our example, the YES votes are a majority but shy of the required 2/3 approval to win the election. There are other uses for it, too.įor example, you might be looking at your local election results and see: Decision The “what-if” analysis tool is often used in finance or sales scenarios, such as determining a monthly payment or bonus calculations. It’s sometimes called sensitivity analysis. You might look at these as “cause and effect” scenarios. Goal seek is a built-in function in Microsoft Excel that allows you to see which data item in a formula affects another.
