What you will build

Build a four-day habit tracker with checkboxes and calculate the completion ratio for the Exercise habit. Then verify the formula by changing one checkbox and restoring the sample data.

Prepare the sample data

Open the practice workbook or make a copy. On the Example tab, make sure A1:C5 matches the sample data below before continuing.

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.

Open the practice workbook in Google Sheets ↗

Turn TRUE/FALSE into checkboxes

Step 1: Select B2:C5, then use Insert > Checkbox. Google Sheets keeps the TRUE/FALSE meaning while displaying the values as checkboxes.

Range B2:C5 converted to checkboxes in Google Sheets, with three Exercise boxes checked and one unchecked.

Calculate the completion ratio

Step 2: Enter Completion ratio in H1. In H2, enter the formula below to count Exercise values that are TRUE and divide by the number of dated rows.

=COUNTIF(B2:B5,TRUE)/COUNTA(A2:A5)
Cell H2 selected, with the COUNTIF/COUNTA formula visible in the formula bar and a result of 0.75.

Test a changed input

Step 3: Temporarily change B4 from FALSE to TRUE. H2 should increase from 0.75 to 1. After verifying the change, restore B4 to FALSE; H2 should return to 0.75.

Checkpoint

DateExerciseReading
2026-09-21TRUEFALSE
2026-09-22TRUETRUE
2026-09-23FALSETRUE
2026-09-24TRUETRUE

In the sample state, H2 should equal 0.75. When B4 is temporarily changed to TRUE, H2 should equal 1; after restoring B4 to FALSE, H2 returns to 0.75.

Common mistakes and fixes

If H2 is not 0.75, check that B2:B5 still contains exactly three TRUE values and that the formula references B2:B5 and A2:A5.

Independent practice

Extend the tracker to seven days, continue using checkboxes for Exercise and Reading, and define how missed or untracked days should be handled before calculating a weekly ratio.

Key takeaways

  • ✓B2:C5 can be converted from TRUE/FALSE to checkboxes with Insert > Checkbox.
  • ✓COUNTIF(B2:B5,TRUE) counts completed Exercise days.
  • ✓COUNTA(A2:A5) uses the dated rows as the denominator.
  • ✓The sample data produces H2 = 0.75, equivalent to 75%.
  • ✓Changing B4 to TRUE and restoring FALSE confirms that the formula responds correctly.
QUICK CHECK

Check your understanding

Answer four questions about the practice sheet.

1. Which menu path converts B2:C5 to checkboxes?
2. With the sample data, what should H2 return?
3. If B4 temporarily changes from FALSE to TRUE, what should H2 become?
4. Why do missing dates in column A matter?

Continue learning

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