Administration and Executive AssistantTier 1212 minintermediate
Block Duplicate Entries
Use a custom formula validation rule so the same code can never be entered twice.
What you will learn
- Write a custom data validation formula using COUNTIF
- Explain why a fixed list cannot stop a duplicate entry
- Apply a validation rule to a whole column rather than one cell
Excel skills
Data Validation - Custom Formula · Data Validation
The task
Employee codes in column A must be unique - the same code entered twice would let one person clock in as two different employees. Add a custom data validation rule to column A that rejects any code already used elsewhere in the column.
You work in a real spreadsheet in your browser, and your answer is checked against hidden traps the moment you submit.