Create an Excel Chart: The 4 Easy Steps!

Here is the step-by-step guides to create an outstanding Excel chart:

Key in the data illustrated below accordingly as we will use it to demonstrate how to create a chart in Microsoft Office Excel.

Note: We will use the step-by-step Excel Chart Wizard to create a chart that related to the Student exam results for the subject English, Science and Mathematics.

Step 1: The Chart Wizard (1) – Chart Type

• Click on any cell within the data containing the information that you wish to display as a chart, or highlight the exact data that you wish to display as a chart.
• Click the Chart Wizard icon on the Standard toolbar. This will display the Excel Chart Wizard as show below:

• From the Chart type: section you can select the type of chart that you wish to create.
• Then from the Chart sub-type: section you can select the exact format that you required for the selected chart type.
• To see how the selected chart will look, use the Press and Hold to View Sample button within the dialog box. In our example, we accept the default selection.
• Click the Next button to see the next page of the dialog box - Chart Source Data.

Step 2: The Excel Chart Wizard (2) – Data Source

• The Data Range tab allows you to specify the exact data that you wish to display within your chart.
• You can choose to display Series in Rows or Columns. In the case of the example data used, the two effects will be as illustrated. Choose the Series in Rows.

• When you click on the Next button, this will display the Chart Options dialog box.

Step 3: The Excel Chart Wizard (3) – Chart Options

From the chart options dialog box displayed, you can select Titles, Axes, Gridlines, Legend, Data Labels and Data Table tabs and make the necessary changes.

To add title to a chart

• In the Chart title: text box, enter the name for the chart, i.e. Exam results.
• In the Category (X) axis: text box, enter a title for the X axis, i.e. Subject.
• In the Category (Y) axis: text box, enter a title for the Y axis, i.e. Mark score.
• In the example used, the screen will be as illustrated.

To customize the chart axis

• From the Chart Option dialog box displayed, click on the Axes tab.
• It allows you to control the way the axes are displayed, you can tick or un-tick the check box to see the effects on the chart.

To customize chart gridlines

• From the Chart Option dialog box displayed, click on the Gridlines tab.
• You can choose to display the major and minor X and Y gridlines for the axis by clicking on the particular check box.

To customize chart legend

• From the Chart Option dialog box displayed, click on the Legend tab.
• You can choose to display or not the chart legend and the placement of the legend in the chart by clicking on the radio button.

To customize data labels

• From the Chart Option dialog box displayed, click on the Data Labels tab.
• You can choose to display or not the chart data labels by clicking on the radio button.

To display a data table

• From the Chart Option dialog box displayed, click on the Data Table tab.
• You can choose to display or not the chart data table by ticking on the check box.

Click on the Next button to continue and this will display the final page of the Chart Wizard – Chart Location.

Step 4: The Excel Chart Wizard (4) – Chart Location

To define the chart location

You can choose to place the chart on an existing worksheet as an object, or you can place it on a new worksheet. Two options for you to choose:

As new sheet: – It will place the chart in the new worksheet.

As object in: - It will place the chart in the existing worksheet.

Click on the Finish button and the chart will be created as you have specified during the Chart Wizard creation process.