Step 1: Create Sample Data

First, we will create a sample dataset. We have a list of students with their names, grades, and scores.

Step 2: Enter Data in Excel

Open Excel and enter the following sample data into a new worksheet:

Name	Grade	Score
John Smith	A	99
Jane Doe	A	92
Mike Brown	B	88
Lisa Ray	A	95
Tom Hanks	A	98
Rita Ora	C	55
Gary Old	B	82
Tina Fey	C	55

Step 3: Sorting Data

To sort the data:

1. Click on any cell in the column you want to sort by (e.g., Grade).
2. Go to the Data tab on the Excel ribbon.
3. Click on Sort A to Z (ascending order) or Sort Z to A (descending order).

Step 4: Subsorting (Multi-level Sorting)

Subsort the data by Grade, then by Score, and finally by Name:

1. Select any cell in the data range.
2. Go to the Data tab on the Excel ribbon.
3. Click on the Sort button to open the Sort dialog box.
4. For the first level, choose Grade from the Sort by dropdown, select Values in the Sort On dropdown, and choose A to Z for the order.
5. Click Add Level to add a second sort condition.
6. For the second level, choose Score from the Then by dropdown, select Values in the Sort On dropdown, and choose  Largest to Smallest for the order.
7. Click Add Level again to add a third sort condition.
8. For the third level, choose Name from the Then by dropdown, select Values in the Sort On dropdown, and choose A to Z for the order.
9. Click OK to apply the multi-level sort to your data.

Step 5: Review Sorted Data

What happens when 1 student has the same grade and score as another?

Sample Data

Download a file containing the sample data here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JXTLenz8FvsX9GijfMCKkGCzQfnrlkS5?usp=drive_link

Updates to this post

2023/11/17 – Changed values for score to make the example more reasonable.

© 2023  Vedesh Kungebeharry. All rights reserved.