What to be able to hand over
Business analysis starts with the question behind the report. Translate an operational problem into clear definitions, a comparison and an outcome that stakeholders can check.
- A measure definition
- Agree which cases enter the denominator, how status is recorded and which date sets the reporting window.
- A process comparison
- Compare volume, backlog and turnaround separately. Document differences in case mix before recommending a change.
- A requirements-to-check handover
- Write the business rule beside a small example and its expected result so the next person can test it.
Build beyond this course
Requirements elicitation, process mapping, stakeholder communication and domain knowledge matter alongside Excel. Business analyst can also mean a technology or BI role, so inspect the actual responsibilities.
Occupational context: BLS: Management analysts. The handover examples above are our practice suggestions.
Work to practise
- Count open work by intake channel.
- Compare turnaround only for finished cases.
- State what the sample leaves unobserved.
All examples use original synthetic data. Source row numbers and column letters are shown so you can reproduce the formulas.
Compare a changed intake process
Count open Web cases. Then compare the mean calendar turnaround of closed cases by channel.
Calendar days; blanks mean unfinished, not zero.
| Row | A · Case | B · Channel | C · Status | D · Days to close |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | SD-1 | Web | Closed | 2 |
| 3 | SD-2 | Phone | Closed | 5 |
| 4 | SD-3 | Web | Open | |
| 5 | SD-4 | Web | Closed | 4 |
| 6 | SD-5 | Phone | Open | |
| 7 | SD-6 | Phone | Closed | 3 |
Worked solution and complete results
Web open cases · E2
=COUNTIFS(B2:B7,"Web",C2:C7,"Open")Result: 1
Web closed mean days · E3
=AVERAGEIFS(D2:D7,B2:B7,"Web",C2:C7,"Closed")Result: 3
Phone closed mean days · E4
=AVERAGEIFS(D2:D7,B2:B7,"Phone",C2:C7,"Closed")Result: 4
A mistake to catch
Treating blank open-case durations as zero makes an unfinished case appear instantly resolved.
Correction. Restrict the turnaround average to Closed. Report open workload separately, with a count and a stated observation date.
Read the result
Closed Web cases average three calendar days and Phone cases four in this tiny extract. Case difficulty and unresolved wait time are absent, so the channel change has no demonstrated causal effect.
Practise the skills in order
- COUNTIFS Read the guide, then open the actual lesson.
- AVERAGEIFS Read the guide, then open the actual lesson.
- SUMIFS Read the guide, then open the actual lesson.
- Actual versus target Read the guide, then open the actual lesson.
- Pivot tables Read the guide, then open the actual lesson.
- Column and line charts Read the guide, then open the actual lesson.
Read range headings and criteria first. This is a descriptive report; statistical inference and process causality need additional evidence.
Practice two-condition summariesPay and remote work
U.S. pay reference
- Published occupation
- Management analysts
- Median annual wage
- USD 101,860
- Location and period
- United States · May 2025
This is a related occupation for organizational/process analysis, not a wage estimate for every business analyst title. Technology, BI and junior roles may map differently.
These BLS figures cover employees across work arrangements. They are not a remote-only salary, an entry-level offer or an earnings outcome from this course. Median means half earn more and half earn less.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. Reviewed . Values are U.S. dollars; no currency conversion is applied.
Read a remote posting carefully
A remote business analyst needs a clear written decision trail. Ask how requirements are reviewed, which stakeholders you will work with and whether workshops or client visits require travel.
Check the allowed country or state, working hours, employment or contractor status, and the currency and components of the offer. A remote role can still have location restrictions and locally set pay.
One employer example: GitLab’s candidate handbook says to check each listing’s hiring country. Its current compensation policy uses local market data and local-currency ranges. This is an illustration of employer policy, not a claim about every remote job.
Continue in a downloadable workbook
Interview spreadsheet practice
Practise a mixed original work sample covering references, conditional totals, exact lookup and a short report.
USD for invented service orders. This is an original practice sample, not any employer's actual test or a qualification.
Bank version 2026-11-02. Includes Instructions, Practice, AnswerKey; 11 live answer formulas. All source records are invented for education.
The download is an additional practice task. Its Instructions sheet identifies the source coordinates; this page’s illustrative example may use different records.
- Working answers use scalar Excel 2007+ functions. No macros, external links or dynamic-array dependency. Native Excel has not been launched for verification.