How do you create a pivot table in Excel?
Instruction: Outline the steps involved in creating a pivot table from a dataset and mention how it can be used to summarize data.
Context: This question tests the candidate's skills in data summarization and their ability to leverage pivot tables to extract meaningful information from large datasets, a common task in tech industry roles.
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Prepare a rectangular source with one header row, consistent column types and no merged headers or embedded subtotal rows. An Excel Table is useful because its source range can expand when records are added.
Select a source cell, choose Insert → PivotTable, confirm the source and destination, then place fields in Rows, Columns, Values and Filters. For a sales example, use Region in Rows, Month in Columns and Revenue in Values...