To check an export, close the original, reopen the exported file on its own, and compare it with a short list of what must have survived. A finished export is not evidence that the work is inside it.
Practical ICT tasks often end with “save as” a particular format. The format decides what can be stored, so some of your work may not make the trip.
What can go missing in an export?
It depends on the format. A few examples of what to look for:
- CSV stores plain text values separated by commas. Formulas usually become their results, and colours, column widths and multiple sheets are not kept.
- PDF fixes the page layout. Text should stay, but check that fonts, images and page breaks landed where you placed them.
- Image formats keep what you see, so any hidden or off-screen content is left out.
The exact behaviour differs between programs and versions. Treat the list as prompts for your own check, then confirm in your own software.
How to check an export
- Write the checklist before exporting: structure (rows, columns, pages), key values, and any required formatting.
- Close the original file so you cannot be fooled by cached views.
- Open the export fresh, ideally in a plain viewer or a different program.
- Tick each item on the checklist, using first row, last row, one calculated value and one special case.
- Correct the source and export again if anything is missing. Never patch the exported copy by hand.
Worked example
Take the tuck shop sheet from translating an ICT task into an action sequence. It has a header plus three item rows, four columns, totals of 42, 36 and 40, and a grand total of 118. The task asks for a CSV copy.
The checklist before exporting:
| Check | Expected |
|---|---|
| Rows | 1 header and 3 item rows (and the grand total row, if the brief wants it in the file) |
| Columns | 4: Item, Price, Sold, Total |
| Spot values | Nasi lemak total 42, Kuih total 36 |
| Special case | A column of item codes such as 007 still shows 007 |
After exporting, close the sheet and open the CSV in a plain text editor. If a row reads Nasi lemak,3.5,12,42, the structure survived.
The RM sign and two-decimal display may be gone, which is expected for this format. Record it if the brief required it in the file. If the code 007 shows as 7, the special-case check has found a real loss.
The mistake to watch for
A student renames the file from sheet.xlsx to sheet.csv and considers the conversion done. The file icon looks right, but opened in a text editor it shows unreadable characters, or the program refuses to open it.
Renaming does not convert the content. The fix is to use the save-as or export command, then run the checklist. The lesson on file types and visible extensions explains why the label and the content can disagree.
Check yourself
1. An exported CSV shows 42 in a cell that held a formula. Has the work been preserved?
Show answer
The value has survived but the formula has not. Whether that is acceptable depends on what the brief asks to be preserved, so check the requirement.
2. Why should you close the original before checking the export?
Show answer
So you are looking at the exported file itself, not a view of the original that is still open.
3. Name two spot values you would check after exporting a table.
Show answer
For example the first row and the last row, plus one calculated value. Add one special case, such as a code with leading zeros.
Where this leads next
The lessons on exporting without losing required content and reopening exported files to verify content go deeper, and the file organisation and evidence module covers naming and folders. The ICT practical task and evidence checker offers original export checks, including the rename test.
If your checks still miss problems that appear later, one-to-one ICT tuition can walk through your software with you and build a checklist for each file type. Do not upload assessed school files to any tool; use original practice files.