Have you ever wanted to compile a ranked list from data in your Microsoft Access database? For example, let's say you just created a query that lists each employee's total sales for the quarter. But what you really need to know is the top 10 performers.

Depending on the number of employees, you could more than likely compile this list manually. However, there's an easier way.

Follow these steps:

1. Open the query in Design View.
2. In the Sort cell under the Total Sales field, select Descending.
3. Enter 10 in the Top Values combo box in the Query Design toolbar, and press [Enter].

The query results will include only those employees who have achieved the top 10 values.

To compile a list of employees who had the five lowest sales figures, follow these steps:

1. In the Sort cell under the Total Sales field, select Ascending.
2. Enter 5 in the Top Values combo box, and press [Enter].

Selecting All from the Top Values combo box will return all records in the query results, ranked in ascending or descending order.