2024 Updates

December Updates

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Access 2021 In Practice - Ch 1 Advanced Project 1-7 - Improved grading for autofit for step 9b

  • In Practice 2021 Integrated Capstone Project 6 Part B - Excel - Added additional formula strings to grading for steps 8f and 8g

  • In Practice 2021 Integrated Capstone Project 6 Part B - Excel - ALT - Added additional formula strings to grading for steps 8f and 8g

November Updates

🆕NEW Updated SIMnet Content

The Copilot content was updated due to an update with Microsoft Designer, which included the use of Bing Image Creator and a new user interface. To use it, type a prompt and optionally upload an image to include in the prompt. Designer generates multiple image options that you can refine with how follow-up prompts, save, share, download, or edit further. You can also resize images or open them in Designer for more customization.

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Access 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Advanced Project 2-7 - Fixed instruction display issue

  • Access 2021 In Practice - Ch 3 Guided Project 3-2 - Updated feedback for step 9h

  • Access 365/2021 Capstone - Level 3 Working with a Sales Database - Fixed duplicate instruction text in step 12g

  • Excel 2021 In Practice - Ch 3 Independent Project 3-4 - Added alt methods of chart title entry for step 4

  • In Practice PowerPoint 365: Application Capstone Project (Chs. 1-3) - Updated grading for step 17a

  • LC- Capstone Excel - Employee Analysis - New Project - Calculate several columns of employee information, format data to spotlight top performance and salary ranges, graph salary comparison information and prepare the employee salary data for printing

  • Office 2021 Integrated Applications - Project 4 Analysis of First Year Sales - Added alternate answer strings for steps 17, 18, 21, and 23

  • PowerPoint 2021 In Practice - Ch 4 Advanced Project 4-7 - Updated rubric and SIMbook instructions

  • PowerPoint 2021 In Practice - Ch 4 Guided Project 4-2 - Updated files and resources

October Updates

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Excel - Southeast Community College - Chapter 1 - Charts - New project - Create and format charts

  • Excel 2021 In Practice - Ch 4 Independent Project 4-4 - Added alternate formula strings to grading for step 7

  • Excel Office Online In Practice - Ch 1 Independent Project 1-6 - Updated grading for step 15 due to Microsoft RGB change for color Green, Accent 6, Lighter 40%

September Updates

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Excel 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Independent Project 2-4 - Added additional formula strings to step 11

  • Excel 365/2019 MOS Capstone - Added additional formula strings to steps 16b and 16c

  • Excel Office Online In Practice - Ch 1 Independent Project 1-6 - Updated the start file removing the theme

  • In Practice Excel 365: Application Capstone Project 2 (Chs. 1-4) - updated solution PDF

  • In Practice Excel 365: Application Capstone Project (Chs. 1-4) Advanced with XLOOKUP - updated solution PDF

  • PowerPoint 2021 MOS Chapter 4 Project - Fixed step 7a to display correct feedback

  • Southeast Community College - Creating Queries, Forms, and Reports Project - New project - Create a query, form and report

  • Southeast Community College - Income Statement Assignment - New project - Create an income statement

  • Word 2019 Skills Approach - Ch 1 Skill Review 1.1 - step 6d replaced upside-down question mark with apostrophe

  • Word 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Guided Project 2-1 - step 12j removed upside-down question mark from tab grading

  • Word 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 1 Challenge Yourself 1.3 - step 16b replaced upside-down question mark with apostrophe

  • Word 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 1 Fix It 1.6 - step 10 updated text that is being graded due to issue with Em dash

August Updates

🆕NEW SIMnet Content

All four chapters of the new module titled Understanding and Using Copilot/Generative AI: Introduction are now live! This content is available complimentary to all students with a 2021 SIMnet Office license.

SLO 1: Understanding Generative AI

Discuss what generative AI is, how it can be used, and what AI products are available. This chapter covers four skills.

SLO 2: Navigating and Using Copilot

Evaluate the Copilot and Designer interface and explain suggested prompts, different input types, and different output styles. This chapter covers four skills.

SLO 3: Writing Copilot Prompts

Compose generative AI prompts using a variety of prompt engineering best practices to ensure appropriate and useful out. This chapter covers eight skills.

SLO 4: Using Copilot/AI Responsibly

Assess ethical and responsible use of generative AI by understanding ethical considerations, verifying information, editing content, and citing information. This chapter four skills.

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Access 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 4 Fix It 4.6 - Updated the rubric fixing the theme reference for step 7.

  • Excel - Accounting Project 12 - Accept or Reject - New Project - Evaluate a project that requires an initial investment of $620,000 using Simple Payback (Did you get your money back?), Present values of individual cash flows (PV), the Net Present Value (NPV), and the Internal Rate of Return (IRR).

  • Excel - Accounting Project 13 - Weighted Average Method - New Project - Compute the ending balances in various manufacturing accounts and then determine specific manufacturing costs

July Updates

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Excel - Accounting Project 5 - Financial Ratios - Updated solution files, PDF, and png files for steps 4a. and 4c formulas.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Project Bonds - 1 - New Project - Calculate the market value of a bond, using the cash flow. Work with an Excel table to prepare these calculations.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Project Bonds-3 - Calculate the yield of a bond in not-flat yield curve environment. Import the interest data and work with an Excel table to prepare the calculations.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Project Stocks - 2 - New Project - Calculate the value at risk of a portfolio of two stocks, using an imported data set of historical stock prices. Work with an Excel file to perform all calculations.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Project Stocks - 3 - New Project - Calculate the intrinsic value of a stock in several different versions, using an excel workbook to perform all the calculations.

  • Excel 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Independent Project 2-4 - Update for CA number formatting Steps 6.d and 7.f

  • Word 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 5 Challenge Yourself 5.3 - Updated the PC solution file, solution png and solution pdf for dotted tab leaders in Table of Contents.

June Updates

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Access 2021 Approach - Ch 4 Challenge Yourself 4.3 - Fixed typo is step 7g

  • Excel - Accounting Project 1 - Prepare Financial Statements - fixed cell reference in steps 8c and 8h

  • Excel - Accounting Project 2 - Inventory Costing Methods - corrected solution files

  • Excel - Accounting Project 8 - Bonds - New Project - Create present value tables, compute the issue price of a bond using present value factors and Excel's PV function, prepare the bond's amortization schedule, and compute the carrying value of the bond over time using Excel's PV function.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Projects Bonds - 2 - New Project - Calculate the market values of two bonds dependent on the discount rate. Show the sensitivity on the maturity of the bond using a line chart. Work with an Excel table to prepare these calculations.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Project Stocks - 1 - New Project - Import data to complete the CAPM worksheet to calculate the beta and expected rate of return of various industries. Work with an Excel table to prepare various calculations.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Project Time Value of Money - 3 - New Project - Import data to calculate the expected future values (in real terms) with various compounding periods.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Project Time Value of Money - 4 - Import data to calculate the present values of various payment plans for an automobile. You will see how the preferred plan changes with changing discount rates. Calculate the total interest paid on your automobile.

  • Excel 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Independent Project 2-4 ALT - updated the text in the rubric for step 13

May Updates

🆕NEW SIMnet Content

All three chapters of the new SIMbook titled Data Analytics Using Excel are now live! This content is available complimentary to all students with a 2021 Office or Excel SIMnet license.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Power Query

Power Query is a data transformation tool that takes the heavy lifting out of data preparation and transformation using a point-and-click interface. This chapter covers eight skills and features a new simulated Power Query environment.

Chapter 2: Introduction to Power Pivot

Power Pivot is an Excel add-in used for performing powerful data analysis and creating sophisticated data models. This chapter covers six skills and features a new simulated Power Pivot environment.

Chapter 3: Introduction to Power BI

Power BI is a collection of software services, apps, and connectors that work together to turn unrelated sources of data into coherent, visually immersive, and interactive insights. This chapter covers eight skills and features a new simulated Power BI environment.

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Excel - Accounting Project 6 - Accounting: Project 6 – Depreciation - New Project - Prepare depreciation schedules for a new company using straight-line, double-declining-balance and sum-of-the-years’ depreciation methods.

  • Excel - Accounting Project 9 - CVP - New Project - Prepare cost-volume-profit analyses for two separate companies at actual and projected sales levels.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Project Time Value of Money-1 - New Project - Import data to calculate the present values of various future cash flows in the form of annuities with changing discount rates.

  • Excel - Finance - Guided Project Time Value of Money-2 - New Project - Import data to calculate the expected future values of three investment accounts with differing expected rates of returns, time invested, and monthly payments.

  • Excel 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 1 Challenge Yourself 1.4 - Updated grading for step 8

  • PowerPoint 2021 In Practice - Ch 1 Guided Project 1-2 - Update for bullet grading for step 6 and for font color for step 8d.

  • Word 365/2021 Capstone - Level 2 Writing a Research Paper - Parameter update to remove grading error from step 15a

April Updates

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Excel - Accounting Project 2 - Inventory Costing Methods - New project - Analyze sales data to determine the costs for inventory and goods using the FIFO and LIFO methods. Compute the gross margins for each method.

  • Excel - Accounting Project 3 - Comparative Income Statements - New project - Create a comparative income statement between the current year and prior year. Create a chart of expenses.

  • Excel - Accounting Project 4 - Aging of Accounts Receivable - New project - Compute the age of receivables for several different companies and complete an aging schedule. Create a PivotTable from the data.

  • Excel - Accounting Project 5 - Financial Ratios - New project - Calculate ratios using data from a financial statement.

  • Excel - Accounting Project 7 - Mortgages - New project - Calculate various amounts related to the financing of a home and a car.

  • Excel - Accounting Project 10 - Weighted Average Method - New project - Use the weighted average method to assign production costs to units transferred out and units remaining in inventory.

  • Excel 2019 Skills Approach - Ch 8 Fix It 8.6 - Updated instruction text for steps 4 and 12.

  • Excel 2021 In Practice - Ch 4 Independent Project 4-4 - Updated instruction text for step 17

  • Excel 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 8 Fix It 8.6 - Updated instruction text for steps 4 and 12.

  • In Practice PowerPoint 365: Application Capstone Project (Chs. 1-3) - Corrected misspelling in step 3d

  • PowerPoint 365/2019 Capstone - Level 3 Creating a Company's Presentation - Fixed grading issue with steps 5 and 27

  • PowerPoint 365/2021 Capstone - Level 3 Creating a Company's Presentation - Fixed grading issue with steps 5 and 27

  • Word 2021 In Practice - Ch 6 Advanced Project 6-7 - Added note to step 3b regarding Microsoft Word bug and applying style to text

March Updates

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Excel - Accounting Project 1 - Prepare Financial Statements - Added SLOs to project

  • Excel 2019 Skills Approach - Ch 5 Fix It 5.6 - Updated solution image

  • Excel 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 9 Skill Review 9.2 - Updated instruction text and grading for step 10b

  • Excel Accounts Project 2 - Fixed the solution file and grading for step 8.

  • Excel-MSU Denver-Complex Formulas - New project - Create a complex formula in Excel

  • Excel-MSU Denver-Relative Absolute Formulas - New project - Create a relative absolute formula in Excel

  • Excel-MSU Denver-Simple Formulas - New project - Create a simple formula in Excel

  • In Practice 2021 Integrated Capstone Project 6 Part B-Excel-ALT - New project - Import data into Excel and customize this data

  • Word 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Guided Project 2-1 - Fixed grammatical issues in start file, updated solution image, and grading

  • Word 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Independent Project 2-4 - Fixed feedback for step 6b.

February Updates

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Access 2019 In Practice - Ch 1 Independent Project 1-5 ALT - Fixed error in start file

  • Access 2019 In Practice - Ch 2 Guided Project 2-1 - Updated rubric to match instruction text for step 10b

  • Access 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Guided Project 2-1 - Updated rubric to match instruction text for step 10b

  • Access 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 4 Challenge Yourself 4.3 ALT - Updated rubric to match instruction text for step 10b

  • Excel - Accounting Project 1 - Prepare Financial Statements - New project - Create an income statement, balance sheet, and statement of retained earnings for the year

  • Excel 2019 In Practice - Ch 4 Independent Project 4-4 - Added alternate formula to step 31a

  • Excel 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Advanced Project 2-7 - Added alternate formula strings into the grading functions for steps 2.b and 2.d

  • Word 2021 In Practice - Ch 1 Guided Project 1-2 - Clarified instruction text for step12e

  • Word 2021 In Practice - Ch 2 Advanced Project 2-7 - Author updates for steps 11c and 11d

  • Word 2021 In Practice - Ch 3 Independent Project 3-5 - Author updates for steps 12d and 12f

  • Word 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 2 Challenge Yourself 2.3 - Fixed issue with grading function used for step 18a

January Updates

📘The following projects were released or updated:

  • Access 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 3 Skill Review 3.2 - Added Canadian format answer string to step 8c

  • Excel 2021 In Practice - Ch 4 Advanced Project 4-7 - Added alternate formula for step 4c.

  • Excel 2021 In Practice - Ch 4 Independent Project 4-4 - Added alternate formulas to steps 7 and 11

  • PowerPoint 2021 Skills Approach - Ch 7 Challenge Yourself 7.3 - Updated grading for step 8

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