Create a table — exact rows and columns
Creating a table starts from the exact number of rows and columns in the instruction (for example, 3 columns and 6 rows): set that size at creation, never the software default (often 2 x 2) left un-adjusted, and never a close-but-wrong count. Once the grid exists, text or objects go directly into individual cells — typed text, an image, a screenshot, a shape, or an extract from a spreadsheet or database. A table organises and positions these elements, not only typed text.
Edit a table — change its structure
Editing a table changes the structure of the grid, not just the text inside it. Insert row(s)/column(s) adds a new empty line of cells at a stated position; delete row(s)/column(s) removes a whole row or column and its content; merge cells combines adjacent cells into one larger cell (for example, one wide heading cell spanning every column). Deleting a column removes its content permanently — unlike hiding gridlines, which only changes how borders display.
Format a table — appearance only
Formatting changes how a table looks, not what it holds. Horizontal cell alignment (left/right/centre/justified) sets text side-to-side within a cell; vertical cell alignment (top/middle/bottom) sets it top-to-bottom; the two are independent, so text centred both ways needs both set. Gridlines can be shown or hidden, text wrapped inside a cell, and cells shaded. Row height and column width are separate size settings — widening a column changes no row's height.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Exact table size, not a default
Cambridge mark schemes reward the exact stated dimensions, not an approximately-correct table. A task specifying, say, 3 columns by 6 rows must produce exactly that many — not one row or column more or fewer, and not the software's inserted default (often 2 x 2) left un-adjusted. Re-count rows and columns against the instruction before moving on, not by how the table looks.
Table task, w23 P02 Q25-31 / s23 P21 Q27-32: the table had to be built to the exact specified size (3 columns x 6 rows).
Merge cells vs insert row/column
Merging and inserting are opposite edits. Merge cells combines existing adjacent cells into one larger cell, reducing the cell count; insert row/column adds a new empty line of cells, increasing it. For one heading spanning the top row you merge its cells — inserting a column just adds an unrelated extra column, leaving the title stuck in one cell.
Horizontal vs vertical alignment
Horizontal and vertical cell alignment are two independent settings. Horizontal (left/right/centre/justified) controls side-to-side position; vertical (top/middle/bottom) controls top-to-bottom position. A task wanting text "in the middle of the cell" needs both set to centre and middle; setting only one leaves the text centred in one direction and loses the other mark.
Hide gridlines is not delete
"Hide gridlines" only removes the on-screen, usually non-printing cell-boundary guide lines from view. It does not delete the cells, their content, or any deliberately-applied border formatting. A candidate who treats "hide gridlines" as "delete borders" may strip a border needed as visible, printed formatting. Keep the editing-view guide separate from printed borders.
Plain style so gridlines show
Software often auto-applies a decorative table style (alternating row colours, thick coloured borders) when a table is inserted. If the task needs the rows and columns visible as evidence, that style can obscure the cell boundaries in a screenshot. Select a plain table style so the gridlines show clearly, letting an examiner confirm the exact structure from the evidence.
Table task, w23 P02 Q25-31 / s23 P21 Q27-32: a plain table style was required so the gridlines showed in the printed evidence.
Set exact row height and column width
Where a task states an exact row height or column width (for example, "row height 2 cm"), set that precise measurement in the stated unit — centimetres, not inches, and not the software's default. Dragging an edge by eye until rows "look about right" is very unlikely to be exactly 2 cm, so the specific size mark is lost. Type the value into the format dialog and check it there.
Table task, w23 P02 Q25-31 / s23 P21 Q27-32: every row had to be set to an exact row height (2 cm), not a default or eyeballed value.
Work in order: structure then format
Do table tasks in a fixed order: create the exact size, place the content, make any structural edits (insert/delete rows or columns, merge cells), then apply the formatting. Working in order avoids rework — merging before the size is final means re-doing it if a row is added.
Type exact values, do not drag
For row height and column width, type the exact value in the stated unit into the format dialog rather than dragging an edge by eye. A dragged size rarely matches "2 cm" exactly, and the mark is for the precise measurement, not a table that just looks about right.
Plain style, then screenshot uncropped
Before capturing evidence, apply a plain table style so the gridlines and cell boundaries stay visible, then screenshot the whole table uncropped and print the Evidence Document. A decorative style or a cropped shot can hide the rows and columns the examiner needs to count.
Tick off every listed setting
A multi-part table task gives a mark for each listed structural and formatting instruction. Work through them one at a time — size, merge, alignment, gridlines, shading, row height, column width — since missing even one loses that mark, even if the rest is perfect.
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