Fahdi has autofilled a formula down in the Discount column to show the discount for each Member Type but is getting an error message. What is the problem?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Absolute cell references lock a specific cell (using $ signs, e.g., $B$2) so that when a formula is copied or autofilled the reference does not shift. Relative references (B2) change row/column positions as you fill down or across, which is the key concept here.

Step-by-step reasoning:
1. The top table defines discounts (e.g., Gold = 10%, Others = 5%). The Discount column in the Member Type table should pull the appropriate percent from that lookup area. The original formula that works in the first row probably referenced the discount table cell (for example =VLOOKUP(A10,$A$2:$B$3,2,0) or =IF(A10="Gold",B$2, B$3) or something similar).
2. When Fahdi autofilled the formula down, he did not lock the reference to the fixed discount cells or range. A relative reference like A2 or B2 shifts to A3, A4, etc., so subsequent rows end up pointing to wrong cells (a header text like “Fee”, a blank cell, or the Fee value itself). That explains the inconsistent and erroneous results shown (0%, “Fee”, 25000%): the formula is reading different types of content because its referenced cell moved with each row.
3. Using absolute references (for example $B$2 for the 10% cell and $B$3 for the 5% cell, or locking the entire lookup range $A$2:$B$3) would keep the discount lookup fixed for every copied formula and produce the correct percentages for every member.

Why choice d is correct: It precisely describes this problem — the references needed to be absolute so the lookup cells didn’t shift when autofilling.

Why other options are incorrect:
- a (wrong operator): would cause a consistent mathematical error, not varied results like “Fee” or huge percentages.
- b (used a formula instead of a function): both are valid; this is not the cause of the error.
- c (referencing the wrong cell): close but incomplete — the issue is not a single wrong cell but that the references weren’t made absolute, so they changed as the formula was filled.

In conclusion, the correct answer is d. He has not used absolute references in his formula.

Fahdi has autofilled a formula down in the Discount column to show the discount for each Member Type but is getting an error message. What is the problem?Single choice

Similar Questions

Which of the following is an absolute cell reference?