What you will build

You will add a controlled dropdown to the Status cells D2:D5. The allowed values are Done and Planned, so each study session uses one of the two expected workflow states.

Learning objectives

Open the practice workbook

HANDS-ON PRACTICE

Practice in your own copy

Make your own Google Sheets copy with the same data, formulas, formatting, filter and frozen header. The original remains unchanged.

Make a Google Sheets copy (access required) ↗View original

Sign in to Google. If the original is not publicly shared, download the full workbook and import it into Google Sheets, or paste the example data into your own sheet.

Google Sheets weekly study plan showing the complete A1:D5 table before adding the Status dropdown.

Sample data

DaySubjectMinutesStatus
MonMath45Done
TueEnglish30Done
WedScience60Planned
ThuHistory40Planned

The dropdown lesson changes the validation rule for D2:D5; it does not require changing the final displayed values in the sample.

Hands-on practice

Step 1: Select D2:D5. Do not include D1, because Status is the header and should not receive a dropdown rule.

The Status data range D2:D5 selected in Google Sheets while the Status header remains outside the selection.

Step 2: Choose Data > Data validation. Add a rule for D2:D5 and set the criteria to a dropdown with exactly two options: Done and Planned. Keep invalid values rejected so the column stays controlled.

Google Sheets Data validation rules sidebar for D2:D5 showing the Done and Planned dropdown options.

Step 3: Confirm the dropdown is available in a Status cell. Choose one valid option to test the rule, then restore the sample value so the table again matches the checkpoint.

A Status cell selected in the audited result workbook after the Done/Planned dropdown rule was verified.

Checkpoint

DaySubjectMinutesStatus
MonMath45Done
TueEnglish30Done
WedScience60Planned
ThuHistory40Planned

Final checkpoint: A1:D5 matches this table, and D2:D5 has a strict dropdown rule with the allowed values Done and Planned.

Common mistakes and fixes

If unexpected text is accepted, review the validation rule and make sure invalid data is rejected rather than only showing a warning. After any test, restore the sample values before comparing with the checkpoint.

Independent practice

Add a temporary Friday row, extend the validation rule to its Status cell, choose Done or Planned from the dropdown, then remove the test row and return to the original sample.

Key takeaways

  • ✓Apply the validation rule to D2:D5, not the Status header in D1.
  • ✓Use Data > Data validation to create the dropdown.
  • ✓Keep the allowed Status values limited to Done and Planned.
  • ✓Reject invalid data when you want the Status column to remain controlled.
  • ✓After testing, restore the table to the checkpoint values.
QUICK CHECK

Check your understanding

Answer four questions about the practice sheet.

1. Which cells should receive the Status dropdown in this lesson?
2. Which two values are allowed by the dropdown?
3. Where do you configure the dropdown rule?
4. What should you do after testing one valid dropdown choice?

Next lesson

Continue in the foundations path with the next data-quality lesson, where you diagnose values that do not match the expected type.