CGS Access Practice Exam

The Sum function is specifically designed to calculate the total value of a given field across all records in a dataset. When applied to the 'Credits' field in a query, it aggregates the individual credit values into a single total, which helps in understanding the cumulative output or input of credits over a specified dataset.

Using the Sum function is particularly useful in scenarios where you want to analyze financial data, student credits, or any other quantitative measure that can be added together. It allows users to quickly ascertain the overall impact or amount related to the credits being tracked, making it a fundamental tool in data analysis.

The other functions, while valuable in their own right, serve different purposes: Average computes a mean value, Count tallies the number of entries, and Max identifies the highest value. Each of these functions captures distinct aspects of a dataset that may not provide the same insight into the total quantity like the Sum function does.