If you are using Microsoft Excel for your grade book, the following directions should help you to create a vertical lookup table for translating your numerical grades into letter grades.

1. Open your Excel grade book for a class.
2. Select the Sheet 2 tab at the bottom of the open worksheet.
3. In cell A1, type Score. In cell B1, type Grade.
4. In cell A2, type the minimum score for an F grade (probably 0). In cell B2, type the letter grade F. Note: It is important to start your table with the lowest grade.
5. Continue to place in columns A and B, the minimum scores and matching grades.

   For example:
   

   Score	Grade
   0	F
   40	D
   70	C
   100	C+
   120	B-
   145	B
   160	B+
   175	A-
   190	A

6. Name your table: Highlight the range of cells that comprise your table (e.g., A1:B10). Click Format on the menu bar. Click Define. Type a name such as Sociology 1 and click the OK button.
7. Double check the table. Sometimes Excel anticipates your next entry and inputs an incorrect entry. For example, if you typed B-, the program might anticipate that the next entry is also B- when you actually want B.
8. Go back to Sheet 1, your grade book. Create a column for your grades (Grade) next to the Total column (the column where you have summed your grades for each student).
9. In the top cell of the Grade column, enter the lookup function as follows (don't forget the equal sign):

   =VLOOKUP(Cell that holds the first total, Name of Sheet 2 table, 2) and enter.

   For example: =VLOOKUP(H3, Sociology1, 2) and enter.
   This should assign a grade to the total in H3.

10. Copy the formula down the Grade column.
    Note: Check many of the grades to make certain the lookup function operates correctly. You are responsible for your grades.
11. Save.