XLSTAT: Radar Charts in Excel

 

Dataset for Example

The attached data show marks of 5 students across 7 subjects, plus the class average per subject (fictitious). We’ll use a radar chart to compare students’ grades to each other and to the class average.

 

Setting Up

• Open XLSTAT.

• Click on the Data visualization menu and select the Radar charts feature.

• The dialog box pops up.

In the General tab:

• Select column A in the Variables field, and columns B to G in the Data field.

In the Options tab:

• Different options are available to customize the graph in different ways. Select the following ones:

• Click on the OK button to launch the computations.

• The results are displayed on a new Excel sheet.

 

Interpreting the Results

First, we display all students on one chart to easily compare their strengths and weaknesses across subjects.

To focus on a particular student, it is possible to select this student in the drop-down list at the top of the chart. For example, student 1 has, overall, average grades everywhere.

To compare a student with the class average, create a chart using only that student's and the average columns. For example, student 1 shows strong grades in History, French, and English but scores below average in science, highlighting areas for improvement.

This type of chart is very useful for presenting the results of a scale of values or comparing responses to an average for example.