Ethio grand

college
Ethiopian TVET System

Basic Clerical Works Level I

Learning guide
Unit of Competence: Create and Use Spreadsheets
Module Title : Creating and Using Spreadsheets

Module Code: EIS BCW1 M06 0812

TTLM Code: EIS BCW1 06 0812

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LO1: Select and prepare resources
Information sheet 1: appropriate resources to create spreadsheet
In order to perform a given task appropriate/required resource should be available on time.
Hence, in creating and using spreadsheets appropriate resource can be summarized as follows:

 Well Quipped computer laboratory

 Microsoft excel software
 Computer with all required accessories
 Adequate TTLM
 Reference books and manuals with adequate instructions
 Other required equipments
 Identify task requirements
 Data entry
 Output
 Data presentation
 Storages
 Formats etc
Therefore, you should select and prepare all the necessary resource and follow conservation
techniques to minimize wastage of resources. In addition, follow the ergonomic principles in
order to work your tasks safely.
LO 2: Create simple spreadsheets
Introduction and Overview
In this module, we will cover some basic and intermediate tasks/ functions associated with
Microsoft Excel. The purpose of the module is to show you what the features of Excel are, so
that you are comfortable supporting it in a lab environment. At the end of this session, you will
be asked to perform some basic commands on a spreadsheet as part of a short quiz.
Information sheet 2: Create simple spreadsheets
2.1 Enter data and amend in accordance with the organizational and task requirements
Presentation and layout of your data should much with task and organizational
requirements.
Define the purpose and uses of a spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is like an electronic ledger sheet and it is one element/component of the
Microsoft office applications. Spreadsheet is a software program that allows users to enter and
manipulate data. It can be used to automate calculations or analyze numeric information.
Spreadsheets are often used to automate accounting tasks, budgeting, or any application that
requires many calculations.
In order to use the spreadsheet or excel program you should follow the following activities.
Opening Excel:
 Double click the Excel Icon on the desktop or
 Click start button all programs Microsoft office Microsoft Excel
 Start New office document under general tab, blank worksheet
Parts of an Excel spreadsheet or windows
Example:
 Menu bar displays/lists the names of the application menus.
 Formula bar as you type text or number into the active cell, it appears in the
formula bar or it shows your action on the work sheet active cell.

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  Title bar shows the title of the opened sheet or active sheet/window and found at
the top of the window.
 Toolbars (such as standard and formatting toolbars) allow you to execute
commands with a single click.

Office button menu bar tool bars title bar help button

Worksheet area column heading

Row heading
Figure 1: the Excel windows

Define a column, row, worksheet and cell

A spreadsheet is comprised of rows, columns, and cells. A column is a vertical line on the
spreadsheet and they are defined by letters. A row is a horizontal line on the spreadsheet and
they are defined by numbers. A cell is represented as a rectangular box on the worksheet. Cells
are defined by the column and row at which they intersect. The current cell is displayed in the
Name Box. Worksheet is a working area that you can store or enter, manipulate, calculate, and
analyze data such as numbers, texts and formulas on it.

Detail steps to create worksheet on spreadsheet

 Choose New from the file menu in 2003 or on office button on 2007 Microsoft office
 Select blank workbook
 MS-Excel displays the new worksheet in a new window
 Now we can enter, check and amend data on the work sheet

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 The data that can be entered in the work sheet, checked, and amended may be number or
text. Entering data is simple. Hence, in order to enter data:
 Locate the cell in which the data is to be placed (a box should be highlighted or
selected) that is the active cell.
 Type the data
 Press enter or click out of the cell when you finished your work or action.
 Check the accuracy of the data
 If necessary amend it or correct it or change their font size, style color and so on.
Sorting data on excel

You can rearrange the rows or columns of a list based on the values in the list by sorting. When
you sort, Microsoft Excel rearranges rows, columns, or individual cells by using the sort order
that you specify. You can sort lists in ascending (1 to 9 or A to Z) or descending (9 to 1 or Z
to A) order, and sort based on the contents of one or more columns (sort keys). If you use three
sort keys, first the cells will be sorted by the value of the first sort key, the cells which contain
the same value of the first sort key will be sorted by the second sort key and cells which have the
same value of the first and second sort key will be sorted by the third sort key.

To sort data in cells

 Select the cells (rows or columns) you want to sort. Including headings if there are.
 Choose sort from data menu and see the image below

 Sort by name
 Then by basic salary
 Then by bonus
 Click OK

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Some Excel terminologies
 Workbooks: collection on one or more individual worksheets
 Worksheet: they resemble page in a spiral bound workbook like the ones you purchase
and use to take class notes
 Cells reference: A cell’s identification consisting of its column letter and followed by
row number
 Relative cell reference: a cell reference in formulas that change when excel copies them
to another location
 Active cells: the cell in which you are currently working
 Active sheet: a sheet that is selected
 Function: a built-in or prerecorded formula that provides a shortcut for complex
calculations.
 Range of cell: one or more cells that form a rectangular group
2.2 Formatting data on spreadsheet
Formatting the worksheet is the process of altering or changing the appearance of data in one or
more worksheet cells. Formatting is purely cosmetic-changing only the appearance, not the
contents of the formula, values or texts stored in the cells. This only changes the font size, color,
style of text or values.

Border background color

Font style box font size font style left right merge and font color
Or font face alignment alignment center

This figure is the formatting toolbar

Using formulas on spreadsheet or excel

Formulas are one of the most commonly used features of Excel. They can be used to carry out
simple addition and subtraction or far more complex mathematical calculations. Formulas begin
with an equal sign.

All formulas in Excel, no matter how complex, always begin with the same steps as follows:

 Click on the cell where you want the formula's result to be displayed or select the cell in
which you want to type a formula
 Type an equal sign (= ) to let Excel know you are creating a formula.
 Type cell references in either uppercase or lower case or use the mouse or the arrow keys
to select cells as you type the formula

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  Press the enter key to complete the formula

Many formulas in Excel perform basic mathematical calculations such as subtraction and
multiplication.

For these formulas, after the steps listed above, we only need to add, in the correct order, the data
to be used in the calculations and the mathematical operators that tell Excel which mathematical
operation to perform.

Using Cell References in Formulas

Rather than enter the data directly into a formula, it is better to enter the cell references where the
data is located into the formula.

The advantages of this are that:

If you later change your data the formula automatically updates to show the new result in certain
instances, using cell references makes it possible to copy formulas from one location to another
in a worksheet. The easiest and best way to add cell references to a formula is to use pointing,
which means to click with the mouse pointer on the cell containing the data you want added to
the formula.

Arithmetic operator operator’s name example formula

() parentheses =(1+B4)/B20
^ exponentiation =E4^6 or power (4,6)
* multiplication =B4*D4
/ Division =A10/B10
+ sum or addition =A5+A9
- subtraction =A6-A7
N2 power =power(number, power)
square root = sqrt(number)

 Functions

Spreadsheets usually contain a number of supplied functions, such as arithmetic operations (for
example, sum, averages, maximum, minimum and so forth), statistical functions, and so
forth. In addition there is often a provision for user-defined functions.

Example, =average (A1:A6), =sum (A2:D6) and so on

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Practice the table below on excel

Instruction

1. Calculate the current, proposed an wage difference of each employees

2. Calculate the sum, average, maximum and minimum hours and wages
horizontally
The Excel IF function checks to see if a certain condition is true or false. If the condition is
true, the function will do one thing, if the condition is false, the function will do something
else.

The IF function we are using in this tutorial asks if the value in column A is greater than the
value in column B. If it is, the IF function will place the statement "A is larger" in column D. If it
is not, the IF function will place the statement "B is larger" in column D.

Our IF function will be entered into cell D1 on excel worksheet and it looks like this:

=IF(A3 > B3,"A is larger","B is larger"). Hence, to see the if function, compare the columns
on the table below as instructed under column D on excel worksheet.

Column A Column B Column C Column D Column E

250 500 350 Compare column A1 and B1

300 600 400 Compare column A1 and C2

200 150 360 Compare column A3 and B2

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Example:

The result is B is larger because A1 (250) is not greater than B1 (500) in the above worksheet.

N.B: the two text statements "A is larger" and "B is larger" should be enclosed in double
quotations. In order to add text to an Excel IF Function, it must be enclosed in quotation marks.

If you want to make grade for a subject with a give mark list you should follow this formula.

=IF(A1> =90,"A" ,IF(A1> =80,"B" ,"C")). In plain English this formula says: if the value of cell
A1 is equal or higher than 90 the result/grade in the cell where this formula resides is the capital
letter "A" , if the value in cell A1 is 80 or greater then the result is "B" else the result is "C" .
Examples of Basic Excel

IF

The basic IF formula looks like this =IF(A1=100,9,8). In plain English it means if the value of
cell A1 is 100 the value in which this formulas resides is 9 otherwise it is 8.

If functions: function is built in formula on excel. Using if function we can calculate payroll tax
and assign grades. Example, if Helen’s monthly earning is 2400 birr and it is found on column 4
and row 2, income tax for Helen can be calculated as follows:

=if(D2<=150,0,if(D2<=650,D2*10%-15,if(D2<=1400,D2*15%-47.5,if(D2<=2350,D2*20%-
117.5,if(d2<=3550,D2*25%-235,if(D2<=5000,D2*30%-412.5,if(D2>5000,D2*35%-662.5)))))))

=365 birr

Instruction

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 1. Calculate gross earning, pension, tax, other deduction and net pay

N.B for tax use the above formula, deduction for Abay 7% of basic salary and
pension for permanent employees is 6% but Samrawit is a contract worker

Preparation of students’ grade report

no Title of subjects Credit hours Grade in Grade points remark
letter

1 Maths 3 B

2 English 2 A

3 Biology 4 C

4 Chemistry 3 F

5 Physics 2 D

Total

Cumulative grade
points

Instruction:

1. Calculate the grade points for each subject

2. Calculate the cumulative grade points

SUM

=SUM(A1,B6,G6) or =SUM(A1+B6+G6) will return the sum of the values in cells A1, B6 and
G6
=SUM(A1:A23) will return the sum of the values in cells A1 to A23

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=SUM(A1:A23,F3:F34) will return the sum of the values in cells A1 to A23 plus the sum of the
values in cells F3  to F34

SQRT

To extract the square root of a number you will use a formula like:
=SQRT(16) that will result in 4 because 4 multiplied by 4 is 16 or
=SQRT(A1) that will also result in 4  if the value in cell A1 is 16.

POWER

You can raise a number to a power (multiplying it by itself a certain number of times with this
function. Hence:
=POWER(4,2) will result in 16  (4 times 4) or
=POWER(A1,2) will also result in 16  if the value in cell A1 is 4.

LARGE, SMALL, average, maximum, minimum etc

Example:

If you want the second or third largest value or the second smallest value, use LARGE and
SMALL like this:
=LARGE(A1:A5,2), =LARGE(A1:A5,3), =SMALL(A1:A5,2)
As a matter of facts you can forget about MIN and MAX with:
=LARGE(A1:A5,1), =SMALL(A1:A5,1)

Example:

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In the above example A1:C2 is range of cells and 2 is column number. So 56 is the lager number
in column 2. If we want to see the small number only we change the word large by small.

Exercise: prepare grade report for the following students

NO name Maths English Tigrigna Average Grade1 Grade2 Grade3

1 Abeba Belete 90 85 80
2 Belay Berhe 85 91 65
3 Helen Tsegay 74 78 75
4 Saba Mesfin 82 62 84
5 Temesgen 55 49 58
Belay

Instruction
2. Calculate average
3. Make grade for each subject and students using if functions
4. Make the column heading font size is 18, bold italic and green color

Self check 2
1. What does it mean spread sheet?
2. Columns and rows are defined by _____ and _______ respectively.
3. Cells are defined by the _______ and ________ at which they intersect.
4. ________ is a working area that you can store, manipulate, calculate, and analyze data.
5. ____are defined by the column and row at which they intersect.

Model answer 2
1. Spread sheet is a software program that allows users to enter and manipulate data.
2. Letter and number
3. Column and rows
4. Worksheet
5. cells

Operation sheet 2.1 OPERATION TITLE: using spread sheet

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PURPOSE: the purpose of the operation sheet is to show all necessary conditions and steps in
using spread sheet.

CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS: before starting using spread

sheet first identify the task and organization requirements on layout of the data and data
presentations and other all things to be completed.
EQUIPMENT TOOLS AND MATERIALS: Computer, excel Microsoft office
PROCEDURE: Choose New from the file menu in 2003 or on office button on 2007
Microsoft office
 Select blank workbook
 MS-Excel displays the new worksheet in a new window
 Now we can enter, check and amend data on the work sheet
The data that can be entered in the work sheet, checked, and amended may be
number or text. Entering data is simple. Hence, in order to enter data:
 Locate the cell in which the data is to be placed ( a box should be highlighted or
selected) that is the active cell.
 Type the data
 Press enter or click out of the cell when you finished your work or action.
 Check the accuracy of the data
 If necessary amend it or correct it or change their font size, style color and so on.

PRECAUTIONS: Be careful from touching any electric power and save your documents
properly before you close your program.

QUALITY CRITERIA: layout, format and presentation of data should be acceptable.

Self check questions
1. _____________changes the appearance of the data.
A. Menu bar B. formatting tool bar C. standard tool bar D. all
2. Out of the following alternatives a valid formula on excel

A. B2+C2 B. A1*B1 C. =C2+D2 D. All E. none

3. An active cell’s content is displayed in the:
A. Menu bar B. formula bar c. little bar D. scroll box E. none

Model answer
1. B 2. C 3. B
LO 3: produce simple chart (Represent numerical data in the graphic form)

Create charts

Microsoft Office Excel supports to use or create numerous types of charts to help you display
data in ways that are meaningful to your audience or users of your data. Chart enables you
to compare your data easily by graphs. When you want to create a chart or change an existing

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chart, you can choose from a wide range of chart subtypes available on excel. In addition, you
can also modify the chart type and its layout using formatting features. In order to create a
chart first you should create a table and use the steps below.

On excel 2007 follow the steps are to create a columnar chart

 Enter the data below

 Select the data or range of cells that you want to use for creating chart
 Click on insert memu and click on column in chart control group
 From 2-D Select the first one
 From the layout tab you can edit the title of the chart, horizontal axis, vertical axis and
legend as you want.

Create a table using the figure below to create a chart on excel 2003 using the steps below

1. In the Sales worksheet, highlight cells A3 through L4.

2. On the Toolbar, click the icon.

3. When the Chart Wizard window appears, click Column in the Chart Type list.

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4. Click the button.
5. In the next step, make sure the Rows button is clicked which is the data source or values.

Then click the button.

6. In the next step or chart option dialog box, click the Titles tab, then type:
Frog Sales in the Chart title box. You can also add category axis, vertical axis and data
label on this dialog box.

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7. Click the button.
8. In the next step, click the As new sheet button to move the chart into a new sheet with out
the data but if you check the As object in option box the chart can be embedded chart.
We can see the chart and its data on a single worksheet or page.
9. In the box beside it, type: Frog Sales Chart

This dialog box comes in the fourth step on Microsoft excel 2003 but on 2007 you can
move the chart into new sheet by clicking the design tab and move chart button at the
right corner of the windows.
10. Click the button.
The chart should appear as:

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  This is a new sheet chart
11. Click the Frog Sales Chart tab and drag it to the end of the tabs.

12. Release the mouse button.

It should be last in the list of tabs:

13. To remove the legend, click the legend.

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 14. Press DELETE.
The chart should look like this:

Exercise 1

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Instruction

1. Create 2-D columnar chart using the above data

2. Add data labels at a center
3. Move the chart into new sheet
4. Make chart title first quarter regional income
5. Make vertical axis in million birr and horizontal axis first
Quarter

Pie chart: pie chart is a type of chart that shows the portion/part of a the whole graph
Example of pie chart

Step one: select the range of cells (A2:L3)

Step two: from the insert menu click the pie chart type and the following figure will be appeared
and click on the selected 2-D pie chart subtype

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After that the following pie chart will be appeared with data label

Step three: to move the chart into a new chart sheet click on the design tab and click on the move
chart at the right corner to select its location.

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When you click the move chart the following location dialog box will be appeared and check the
new sheet option box to move this chart into new sheet and then click ok.

The following new sheet chart will be appeared

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Exercise 2

Instruction

1. Create a pie chart for the first quarter regional income using region 1 data
2. Add data labels at a center
6. Move the chart into new sheet
7. Make chart title first quarter regional income for region 1

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Answer sheet for exercise 1 and 2

1. Embedded chart for exercise 1

New sheet chart for exercise 1

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Embedded chart for exercise 2

New sheet chart for exercise 2

LO 4: finalize spreadsheet

4.1 ensure spreadsheet and any accompanying charts are previewed, adjusted and printed in
accordance with organizational and task requirements. All activities should be previewed for the
completeness, accuracy, layouts or appearance in consulting with the task requirements and
organizational requirements to adjust them and resource availabilities. Based on the task

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requirements print the material if necessary during that time and this also avoids the
technological inconvenience. To print your document you should follow the following steps:

Steps to print preview and print worksheets

 Print preview of spreadsheet

 Open the worksheet in the workbook
 Locate to the office button/print/print, print preview 2007/ locate to file in 2003

 Select print preview

 From the print preview windows you can adjust margin and paper orientations

 When you finish your work you can close the print preview window

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  Steps of printing spreadsheet
 Open the worksheet in the workbook
 Locate to the office button/print/print, print preview 2007/ locate to file in 2003

 Select print and this dialog box will be appeared

Selected part active sheet all contents entire work book all contents number of
copies

 Hence, you can choose all pages if you want to print all pages, range of pages if you want
to print some amount of pages, active sheet if you want to print only the active or opened
sheet, selection if you want to print the selected range of cells and entire book if you want

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 to print all contents of the whole work book or all worksheets in the work book. N.B you
should check type of printer and number of copies before you print the document.
 Click ok

4.2 ensure data input meets designated time lines and organizational requirements for speed and
accuracy. This tells us required data is available on time with greater accuracy.

4.3 Name and store spreadsheet in accordance with organizational requirements for next time
and exit the application without data loss/damage. After you finished working on Microsoft
Excel Workbook, you have to save it before you exit. File name of your work must be relevant
with your work and easily identifiable by every users of the document. To save or store a new
workbook or an existing workbook with a new name:

 Choose save as from the file menu and the save as dialog box will be displayed.
 Type a name for the file in the file name box or accept the proposed name.
 You can use as it is or select different drive or location of your document from the list in
the save in box.
 Click the OK button.
N.B: be careful the location of your file!

After you have finished your work and stored it in a proper location you can exit from /close
your program or windows. To close your program you should follow the following steps:

Use any of the following techniques to close the program after you finished working on it:

 Click on the close(X) button in the upper right corner of the program’s windows (title
bar)
 Make sure the program’s windows is active and then press Alt+F4
 Choose File Exit from the program’s menu bar.
 Right click on the button for the program group in the status bar and choose close.
 Double click on the control menu icon at the upper left corner of the windows.
Selected exercises

1. A credit association gives loan to peasants and the

peasants return the money with its interest (interest rate is 10% ) the amount of money one
peasant can get depends on the number of family he/she has. The money is given based on
the following rule.

Number of family members’ amount given (in birr)

1-5 500

6-10 1000

11-15 1500

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 >15 2000

A B C D E

Family Head Number of Amount interest amount

family given
members

1 Dawit Nigus 4

2 Helen Senay 1

3 Berhe Hagos 6

4 Shewit Meles 13

5 Sisay Tesfay 17

6 Belete Lema 8

7 Angesom Hiluf 10

Average

total

Answer the following questions based on the spreadsheet given above.

a. Calculate the amount given based on the rule given above using if function
b. Calculate the interest using the given interest rate
c. Calculate the amount returned (amount given + interest)
d. Calculate the AVERAGE value of each column
e. Calculate the TOTAL value of each column
2. Hani super market is paying its employees a certain amount of basic salary plus a
commission that is based on their performance. The following table shows the monthly basic
salary of workers and the total sales by each person in a month. The commission is paid to
each worker based on the following rules.
 If the total sales in a month is less than or equal to 10,000 birr then no commission.
 If it is more than 10,000 birr and less than or equal to 25,000 birr then a commission
of 3% is paid on the amount above 10,000.
 And finally the commission is increased to 4.5% for the additional amount more than 25,000
birr.
Hani supermarket year 2005
employee sex Basic salary (in birr) Total sales (in birr) Gross salary (in
birr)
Abeba Meles F 1500 5000
Dawit Nigus M 600 16000

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Helen Senay F 1400 35000

Berhe Hagos M 1200 60000

Shewit Meles F 1400 24000

Sisay Tesfay M 2000 8000

Belete Lema M 1800 15000

Angesom Hiluf M 1300 21000

Temesgen Nigus M 1600 28000

Selam Senay F 500 17000

Average

INSTRUCTION
1. Insert one column between total sales and gross earning and name it as
commission
2. Calculate commission based on the above rules.
3. Calculate gross earning ( basic salary + commission)
4. Calculate average value of each column
5. Sort the data in descending order of employee
6. Save the file with your name
7. Create a 3-D pie chart that shows gross salary of employees and add data
labels

3. Give grades for each students using if function from the table below
No name maths mark grade
points
1 Abeba 84
2 Dawit 91

3 Helen 72

4 Berhe 49

5 Shewit 58

Instruction: use the criteria below

 If student mark is >=85 his/her grade is “A”
 If student mark is >=75 and <85 his/her grade is “B”
 If student mark is >=65 and <75 his/her grade is “C”
 If student mark is >=50 and <65 his/her grade is “D”
 If student mark is <50 his/her grade is “F”

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4. Calculate cumulative grade of the following students
no name maths English Civic

Cummul
Credit

Credit

Credit
Grade
Grade

Grade

Grade

Grade

Grade

Total

Total
CRH
point

point

point

ative
hour

hour

hour
1 Abeba 3 C 2 A 4 D

2 Dawit 3 B 2 F 4 F

3 Helen 3 D 2 D 4 A

4 Berhe 3 A 2 B 4 C

5 Shewit 3 F 2 C 4 B

Instruction
1. calculate grade points of each subject for each student
2. add the total credit hours and grade points for each student
3. calculate cumulative grade points for each student

5. preparation of payroll

No Name
allowanc

deductio

deductio
Basic S.

Earning

Net pay
pension
Gross

Other
Time

Total
Over

tax

n
e

1 Abeba 1500 250 1500

2 Dawit 1200 500 500

3 Helen 1550

4 Berhe 900 300 800

5 Shewit 1400

6 Senay 2500 300

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 Total
average

Instruction

1. calculate Gross earning, pension 6%, tax in the Ethiopian system, other
deduction 4%, total deduction and net pay
2. calculate total and average
N.B Helen is contract worker

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