How to Adjust Multiple Values to Match a Target Total or Average in WPS Spreadsheets
Question details
The user needs to adjust multiple numeric values in WPS Spreadsheets so that the values total or average matches a specified target, but the adjustable cells and adjustment method need to be defined.
- Product
- WPS Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A user has a set of current values and wants to make them reach a target total or average, either proportionally or by changing selected cells.
- Observed behavior
- It is currently unclear which values may change and whether the adjustment should be proportional or limited to selected cells; a clear target and adjustable range are required.
Confirm the target total or average and identify which cells may be adjusted before applying the factor or Goal Seek operation.
Proportionally adjust all current values to match a target total
Use this solution when every adjustable value should change by the same factor and the number of values remains the same.
This method calculates one factor from the desired total and the current sum, then applies it to the whole adjustable range. It preserves the relative weight of each value while changing the total.
Open WPS Spreadsheets, select an empty cell outside your values, type the target total, and press Enter.
In another empty cell, type =B1/SUM(B2:B10), replacing B1 with the target total cell and B2:B10 with your current value range, then press Enter.
Select the factor cell and press Ctrl+C, then select the cells that you want to adjust.
Right-click the selected values, choose Paste Special, select Multiply, and click OK. The selected values update to the proportional totals.
Use =SUM(B2:B10) or =AVERAGE(B2:B10) in a helper cell to confirm that the adjusted values now match the target.
Adjust a single or limited cell with Goal Seek
Use this solution when most values stay fixed and only one or a few cells may change to reach the target total or average.
Adjust Multiple Values to a Target Total or Average in WPS Spreadsheets
Use a calculated factor, Paste Special Multiply, or Goal Seek in WPS Spreadsheets to make a set of values total or average exactly the target while keeping full Microsoft Excel compatibility.
- 1. Open WPS Spreadsheets and identify the adjustable range: Open the workbook in WPS Spreadsheets and select or note the cells that are allowed to change.
- 2. Enter the target total in a helper cell: Click an empty cell, type the target total, and press Enter.
- 3. Calculate the factor: In another empty cell, type =TargetCell/SUM(Range), replace TargetCell and Range with your actual cells, and press Enter.
- 4. Apply the factor to the values: Copy the factor cell, select the adjustable value cells, right-click, choose Paste Special, select Multiply, and click OK.
- 5. Verify the result: Use =SUM(Range) or =AVERAGE(Range) to confirm the adjusted values match the target.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can WPS Spreadsheets adjust values proportionally to hit a total?
Yes. Use =TargetTotal/SUM(CurrentValues) to calculate the factor, then copy the factor and apply it to the value range with Paste Special > Multiply.
How do I change only selected cells instead of all values?
Use Goal Seek from Data > What-If Analysis > Goal Seek, or apply the calculated factor to only the selected cells while leaving all other cells unchanged.
Does the proportional method also control the average?
Yes. If the total matches the target and the number of values remains the same, the average automatically becomes Target/Count.
Can I use Goal Seek to match a total by changing one cell?
Yes. Open Goal Seek, set the Set cell to the SUM formula, enter the target total in To value, and set By changing cell to the single cell that may change.
Is this method compatible with Microsoft Excel files?
Yes. WPS Spreadsheets can open, edit, and save .xlsx files, so the formulas and Paste Special operations work with Excel-compatible workbooks.
