If the ERROR.TYPE function in Excel not working for you, ensure the formula is correct, check for errors in the referenced cell, or repair Excel.

For example, in the photo above, Excel returns a #NUM error in cell B4 due to the number in cell A4, which is impossible to calculate. See photo above.

Still, CPAs should be aware that Excel is vulnerable to producing such errors. For example: – In Excel 2007, multiplying 77.1 times 850 yielded 100,000 instead of the accurate answer 65,535.

You could also instruct Excel to leave that cell blank or perform some sort of calculation. IFERROR will provide a substitution for the following errors: #DIV/0!, #NAME?, #N/A, #NULL!, #NUM!, #REF!, ...

Excel is suited to small-scale data entry and lightweight analysis. Microsoft says Excel’s default settings are designed to satisfy the needs of most users, most of the time.

Excel tables also introduce structured references, which make formulas more intuitive and easier to maintain. For example, instead of using a range like `A2:A10`, you can reference `Table1 ...

I, admittedly, do not write scientific papers, but when I read that 20% of all genetic scientific papers include erroneous data due to Excel conversion errors I was taken aback.