Which tool is suited for quickly comparing data across categories by aggregating values?

• A. VLOOKUP
• B. Conditional formatting
• C. Pivot table
• D. SUMIF

Answer: (C)

Aggregating values by category and comparing them across categories is best done with a pivot table. It summarizes large datasets by grouping data into rows and/or columns and calculating an aggregate (such as sum, average, or count) for each category. This lets you quickly see totals or averages side by side for different categories and switch perspectives with a few clicks, including adding filters or slicers to focus on subsets.

VLOOKUP is about finding a single matching value in a table, not about summarizing or comparing categories. Conditional formatting highlights data but doesn’t create summaries. SUMIF can produce per-category totals, but it requires separate formulas and isn’t as flexible for switching dimensions or building multidimensional views as a pivot table.