MS EXCEL: IF FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel IF function with syntax and examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel IF function returns one value if the condition is TRUE, or another
value if the condition is FALSE.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the IF function in Microsoft Excel is:
IF( condition, [value_if_true], [value_if_false] )
Parameters or Arguments
condition
The value that you want to test.
value_if_true
Optional. It is the value that is returned if condition evaluates to TRUE.
value_if_false
Optional. It is the value that is return if condition evaluates to FALSE.
APPLIES TO
The IF function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003,
Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The IF function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some Excel IF function examples and explore how to use the IF function as
a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, the following IF examples would return:
=IF(A1>10, "Larger", "Smaller")
Result: "Larger"
=IF(A1=20, "Equal", "Not Equal")
Result: "Not Equal"
=IF(A2="Tech on the Net", 12, 0)
Result: 12
COMBINING THE IF FUNCTION WITH OTHER LOGICAL
FUNCTIONS
Quite often, you will need to specify more complex conditions when writing your formula
in Excel. You can combine the IF function with other logical functions such as AND, OR,
etc. Let's explore this further.
AND function
The IF function can be combined with the AND function to allow you to test for multiple
conditions. When using the AND function, all conditions within the AND function must be
TRUE for the condition to be met. This comes in very handy in Excel formulas.
Based on the spreadsheet above, you can combine the IF function with the AND function
as follows:
=IF(AND(A2="Anderson",B2>80), "MVP", "regular")
Result: "MVP"
=IF(AND(B2>=80,B2<=100), "Great Score", "Not Bad")
Result: "Great Score"
=IF(AND(B3>=80,B3<=100), "Great Score", "Not Bad")
Result: "Not Bad"
=IF(AND(A2="Anderson",A3="Smith",A4="Johnson"), 100, 50)
Result: 100
=IF(AND(A2="Anderson",A3="Smith",A4="Parker"), 100, 50)
Result: 50
In the examples above, all conditions within the AND function must be TRUE for the
condition to be met.
OR function
The IF function can be combined with the OR function to allow you to test for multiple
conditions. But in this case, only one or more of the conditions within the OR function
needs to be TRUE for the condition to be met.
Based on the spreadsheet above, you can combine the IF function with the OR function
as follows:
=IF(OR(A2="Apples",A2="Oranges"), "Fruit", "Other")
Result: "Fruit"
=IF(OR(A4="Apples",A4="Oranges"),"Fruit","Other")
Result: "Other"
=IF(OR(A4="Bananas",B4>=100), 999, "N/A")
Result: 999
=IF(OR(A2="Apples",A3="Apples",A4="Apples"), "Fruit", "Other")
Result: "Fruit"
In the examples above, only one of the conditions within the OR function must be TRUE
for the condition to be met.
Let's take a look at one more example that involves ranges of percentages.
Based on the spreadsheet above, we would have the following formula in cell D2:
=IF(OR(B2>=5%,B2<=-5%),"investigate","")
Result: "investigate"
This IF function would return "investigate" if the value in cell B2 was either below -5% or
above 5%. Since -6% is below -5%, it will return "investigate" as the result. We have
copied this formula into cells D3 through D9 to show you the results that would be
returned.
For example, in cell D3, we would have the following formula:
=IF(OR(B3>=5%,B3<=-5%),"investigate","")
Result: "investigate"
This formula would also return "investigate" but this time, it is because the value in cell
B3 is greater than 5%.
Note: Other useful tutorials on the IF function:


nest multiple IF functions (up to 7)
nest multiple IF functions (more than 7)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I'd like to use the IF function to create the following logic:
if C11>=620, and C10="F"or"S", and C4<=$1,000,000, and C4<=$500,000, and
C7<=85%, and C8<=90%, and C12<=50, and C14<=2, and C15="OO", and C16="N",
and C19<=48, and C21="Y", then reference cell A148 on Sheet2. Otherwise, return an
empty string.
Answer: The following formula would accomplish what you are trying to do:
=IF(AND(C11>=620, OR(C10="F",C10="S"), C4<=1000000, C4<=500000, C7<=0.85, C8<=0.9,
C12<=50, C14<=2, C15="OO", C16="N", C19<=48, C21="Y"), Sheet2!A148, "")
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I'm trying to use the IF function to return 0 if cell A1 is
either < 150,000 or > 250,000. Otherwise, it should return A1.
Answer: You can use the OR function to perform an OR condition in the IF function as
follows:
=IF(OR(A1<150000,A1>250000),0,A1)
In this example, the formula will return 0 if cell A1 was either less than 150,000 or greater
than 250,000. Otherwise, it will return the value in cell A1.
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I'm trying to use the IF function to return 25 if cell A1 >
100 and cell B1 < 200. Otherwise, it should return 0.
Answer: You can use the AND function to perform an AND condition in the IF function
as follows:
=IF(AND(A1>100,B1<200),25,0)
In this example, the formula will return 25 if cell A1 is greater than 100 and cell B1 is less
than 200. Otherwise, it will return 0.
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I need to write a formula that works this way:
IF (cell A1) is less than 20, then times it by 1,
IF it is greater than or equal to 20 but less than 50, then times it by 2
IF its is greater than or equal to 50 and less than 100, then times it by 3
And if it is great or equal to than 100, then times it by 4
Answer: You can write a nested IF statement to handle this. For example:
=IF(A1<20, A1*1, IF(A1<50, A1*2, IF(A1<100, A1*3, A1*4)))
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I need a formula in cell C5 that does the following:
IF A1+B1 <= 4, return $20
IF A1+B1 > 4 but <= 9, return $35
IF A1+B1 > 9 but <= 14, return $50
IF A1+B1 > 15, return $75
Answer: In cell C5, you can write a nested IF statement that uses the AND function as
follows:
=IF((A1+B1)<=4,20,IF(AND((A1+B1)>4,(A1+B1)<=9),35,IF(AND((A1+B1)>9,(A1+B1)<=14),50
,75)))
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I need a formula that does the following:
IF the value in cell A1 is BLANK, then return "BLANK"
IF the value in cell A1 is TEXT, then return "TEXT"
IF the value in cell A1 is NUMERIC, then return "NUM"
Answer: You can write a nested IF statement that uses the ISBLANK function, the
ISTEXT function, and the ISNUMBER function as follows:
=IF(ISBLANK(A1)=TRUE,"BLANK",IF(ISTEXT(A1)=TRUE,"TEXT",IF(ISNUMBER(A1)=TRUE,"NUM",
"")))
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I want to write a formula for the following logic:
IF R1<0.3 AND R2<0.3 AND R3<0.42 THEN "OK" OTHERWISE "NOT OK"
Answer: You can write an IF statement that uses the AND function as follows:
=IF(AND(R1<0.3,R2<0.3,R3<0.42),"OK","NOT OK")
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I need a formula for the following:
IF cell A1= PRADIP then value will be 100
IF cell A1= PRAVIN then value will be 200
IF cell A1= PARTHA then value will be 300
IF cell A1= PAVAN then value will be 400
Answer: You can write an IF statement as follows:
=IF(A1="PRADIP",100,IF(A1="PRAVIN",200,IF(A1="PARTHA",300,IF(A1="PAVAN",400,""))))
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I want to calculate following using an "if" formula:
if A1<100,000 then A1*.1% but minimum 25
and if A1>1,000,000 then A1*.01% but maximum 5000
Answer: You can write a nested IF statement that uses the MAX function and the MIN
function as follows:
=IF(A1<100000,MAX(25,A1*0.1%),IF(A1>1000000,MIN(5000,A1*0.01%),""))
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I am trying to create an IF statement that will repopulate
the data from a particular cell if the data from the formula in the current cell equals 0.
Below is my attempt at creating an IF statement that would populate the data; however, I
was unsuccessful.
=IF(IF(ISERROR(M24+((L24-S24)/AA24)),"0",M24+((L24-S24)/AA24)))=0,L24)
The initial part of the formula calculates the EAC (Estimate At completion = AC+(BACEV)/CPI); however if the current EV (Earned Value) is zero, the EAC will equal zero. IF
the outcome is zero, I would like the BAC (Budget At Completion), currently recorded in
another cell (L24), to be repopulated in the current cell as the EAC.
Answer: You can write an IF statement that uses the OR function and the ISERROR
function as follows:
=IF(OR(S24=0,ISERROR(M24+((L24-S24)/AA24))),L24,M24+((L24-S24)/AA24))
Question: I have been looking at your Excel IF, AND and OR sections and found this
very helpful, however I cannot find the right way to write a formula to express if C2 is
either 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and F2 is F and F3 is either D,F,B,L,R,C then give a value of 1 if
not then 0. I have tried many formulas but just can't get it right, can you help please?
Answer: You can write an IF statement that uses the AND function and the OR function
as follows:
=IF(AND(C2>=1,C2<=9, F2="F",OR(F3="D",F3="F",F3="B",F3="L",F3="R",F3="C")),1,0)
Question:In Excel, I have a roadspeed of a car in m/s in cell A1 and a drop down menu
of different units in C1 (which unclude mph and kmh). I have used the following IF
function in B1 to convert the number to the unit selected from the dropdown box:
=IF(C1="mph","=A1*2.23693629",IF(C1="kmh","A1*3.6"))
However say if kmh was selected B1 literally just shows A1*3.6 and does not actually
calculate it. Is there away to get it to calculate it instead of just showing the text
message?
Answer: You are very close with your formula. Because you are performing
mathematical operations (such as A1*2.23693629 and A1*3.6), you do not need to
surround the mathematical formulas in quotes. Quotes are necessary when you are
evaluating strings, not performing math.
Try the following:
=IF(C1="mph",A1*2.23693629,IF(C1="kmh",A1*3.6))
Question:For an IF statement in Excel, I want to combine text and a value.
For example, I want to put an equation for work hours and pay. IF I am paid more than I
should be, I want it to read how many hours I owe my boss. But if I work more than I am
paid for, I want it to read what my boss owes me (hours*Pay per Hour).
I tried the following:
=IF(A2<0,"I owe boss" abs(A2) "Hours","Boss owes me" abs(A2)*15 "dollars")
Is it possible or do I have to do it in 2 separate cells? (one for text and one for the value)
Answer: There are two ways that you can concatenate text and values. The first is by
using the & character to concatenate:
=IF(A2<0,"I owe boss " & ABS(A2) & " Hours","Boss owes me " & ABS(A2)*15 &
dollars")
"
Or the second method is to use the CONCATENATE function:
=IF(A2<0,CONCATENATE("I owe boss ", ABS(A2)," Hours"), CONCATENATE("Boss owes me
", ABS(A2)*15, " dollars"))
Question:I have Excel 2000. IF cell A2 is greater than or equal to 0 then add to C1. IF
cell B2 is greater than or equal to 0 then subtract from C1. IF both A2 and B2 are blank
then equals C1. Can you help me with the IF function on this one?
Answer: You can write a nested IF statement that uses the AND function and the
ISBLANK function as follows:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(A2)=FALSE,A2>=0),C1+A2, IF(AND(ISBLANK(B2)=FALSE,B2>=0),C1-B2,
IF(AND(ISBLANK(A2)=TRUE, ISBLANK(B2)=TRUE),C1,"")))
Question:How would I write this equation in Excel? IF D12<=0 then D12*L12, IF D12 is
> 0 but <=600 then D12*F12, IF D12 is >600 then ((600*F12)+((D12-600)*E12))
Answer: You can write a nested IF statement as follows:
=IF(D12<=0,D12*L12,IF(D12>600,((600*F12)+((D12-600)*E12)),D12*F12))
Question:In Excel, I have this formula currently:
=IF(OR(A1>=40, B1>=40, C1>=40), "20", (A1+B1+C1)-20)
If one of my salesman does sale for $40-$49, then his commission is $20; however if
his/her sale is less (for example $35) then the commission is that amount minus $20
($35-$20=$15). I have 3 columns that are needed based on the type of sale. Only one
column per row will be needed. The problem is that, when left blank, the total in the
formula cell is -20. I need help setting up this formula so that when the 3 columns are left
blank, the cell with the formula is left blank as well.
Answer: Using the AND function and the ISBLANK function, you can write your IF
statement as follows:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(A1),ISBLANK(B1),ISBLANK(C1)),"",IF(OR(A1>40, B1>40, C1>40), "20",
(A1+B1+C1)-20))
In this formula, we are using the ISBLANK function to check if all 3 cells A1, B1, and C1
are blank, and if they are return a blank value (""). Then the rest is the formula that you
originally wrote.
Question:In Excel, I need to create a simple booking and and out system, that shows a
date out and a date back
"A1" = allows person to input date booked out
"A2" =allows person to input date booked back in
"A3"= shows status of product, eg, booked out, overdue return etc.
I can automate A3 with the following IF function:
=IF(ISBLANK(A2),"booked out","returned")
But what I cant get to work is if the product is out for 10 days or more, I would like the cell
to say "send email"
Can you assist?
Answer: Using the TODAY function and adding an additional IF function, you can write
your formula as follows:
=IF(ISBLANK(A2),IF(TODAY()-A1>10,"send email","booked out"),"returned")
Question:Using Microsoft Excel, I need a formula in cell U2 that does the following:
IF the date in E2<=12/31/2010, return T2*0.75
IF the date in E2>12/31/2010 but <=12/31/2011, return T2*0.5
IF the date in E2>12/31/2011, return T2*0
I tried using the following formula, but it gives me “#VALUE!”
=IF(E2<=DATE(2010,12,31),T2*0.75),
IF(AND(E2>DATE(2010,12,31),E2<=DATE(2011,12,31)),T2*0.5,T2*0)
Can someone please help? Thanks.
Answer: You were very close...you just need to adjust your round brackets as follows:
=IF(E2<=DATE(2010,12,31),T2*0.75,
IF(AND(E2>DATE(2010,12,31),E2<=DATE(2011,12,31)),T2*0.5,T2*0))
Question:In Excel, I would like to add 60 days if grade is 'A', 45 days if grade is 'B' and
30 days if grade is 'C'. It would roughly look something like this, but I'm struggling with
commas, brackets, etc.
(IF C5=A)=DATE(YEAR(B5)+0,MONTH(B5)+0,DAY(B5)+60),
(IF C5=B)=DATE(YEAR(B5)+0,MONTH(B5)+0,DAY(B5)+45),
(IF C5=C)=DATE(YEAR(B5)+0,MONTH(B5)+0,DAY(B5)+30)
Answer:You should be able to achieve your date calculations with the following formula:
=IF(C5="A",B5+60,IF(C5="B",B5+45,IF(C5="C",B5+30)))
Question:In Excel, I am trying to write a function and can't seem to figure it out. Could
you help?
IF D3 is < 31, then 1.51
IF D3 is between 31-90, then 3.40
IF D3 is between 91-120, then 4.60
IF D3 is > 121, then 5.44
Answer:You can write your formula as follows:
=IF(D3>121,5.44,IF(D3>=91,4.6,IF(D3>=31,3.4,1.51)))
Question:I would like ask a question regarding the IF statement. How would I write in
Excel this problem?
I have to check if cell A1 is empty and if not, check if the value is less than equal to 5.
Then multiply the amount entered in cell A1 by .60. The answer will be displayed on Cell
A2.
Answer:You can write your formula in cell A2 using the IF function and ISBLANK
function as follows:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(A1)=FALSE,A1<=5),A1*0.6,"")
Question:In Excel, I'm trying to nest an OR command and I can't find the proper way to
write it. I want the spreadsheet to do the following:
If D6 equals "HOUSE" and C6 equals either "MOUSE" or "CAT", I want to return the
value in cell B6. Otherwise, the formula should return the value "BLANK".
I tried the following:
=IF((D6="HOUSE")*(C6="MOUSE")*OR(C6="CAT"));B6;"BLANK")
If I only ask for HOUSE and MOUSE or HOUSE and CAT, it works, but as soon as I ask
for MOUSE OR CAT, it doesn't work.
Answer:You can write your formula using the AND function and OR function as follows:
=IF(AND(D6="HOUSE",OR(C6="MOUSE",C6="CAT")),B6,"BLANK")
This will return the value in B6 if D6 equals "HOUSE" and C6 equals either "MOUSE" or
"CAT". If those conditions are not met, the formula will return the text value of "BLANK".
Question:In Microsoft Excel, I'm trying to write the following formula:
If cell A1 equals "jaipur", "udaipur" or "jodhpur", then cell A2 should display "rajasthan"
If cell A1 equals "bangalore", "mysore" or "belgum", then cell A2 should display
"karnataka"
Please help.
Answer:You can write your formula using the OR function as follows:
=IF(OR(A1="jaipur",A1="udaipur",A1="jodhpur"),"rajasthan",
IF(OR(A1="bangalore",A1="mysore",A1="belgum"),"karnataka"))
This will return "rajasthan" if A1 equals either "jaipur", "udaipur" or "jodhpur" and it will
return "karnataka" if A1 equals either "bangalore", "mysore" or "belgum".
Question:In Microsoft Excel I'm trying to achieve the following with IF function:
If a value in any cell in column F is "food" then add the value of its corresponding cell in
column G (eg a corresponding cell for F3 is G3). The IF function is performed in another
cell altogether. I can do it for a single pair of cells but I don't know how to do it for an
entire column. Could you help?
At the moment, I've got this:
=IF(F3="food"; G3; 0)
Answer:This formula can be created using the SUMIF formula instead of using the IF
function:
=SUMIF(F1:F10,"=food",G1:G10)
This will evaluate the first 10 rows of data in your spreadsheet. You may need to adjust
the ranges accordingly.
I notice that you separate your parameters with semi-colons, so you might need to
replace the commas in the formula above with semi-colons.
Question:I’m looking for an Exel formula that says:
If F3 is "H" and E3 is "H", return 1
If F3 is "A" and E3 is "A", return 2
If F3 is "d" and E3 is "d", return 3
Appreciate if you can help.
Answer:This Excel formula can be created using the AND formula in combination with
the IF function:
=IF(AND(F3="H",E3="H"),1,IF(AND(F3="A",E3="A"),2,IF(AND(F3="d",E3="d"),3,"")))
We've defaulted the formula to return a blank if none of the conditions above are met.
Question:I am trying to get Excel to check different boxes and check if there is
text/numbers listed in the cells and then spit out "Complete" if all 5 Boxes have
text/Numbers or "Not Complete" if one or more is empty. This is what I have so far and it
doesn't work.
=IF(OR(ISBLANK(J2),ISBLANK(M2),ISBLANK(R2),ISBLANK (AA2),ISBLANK (AB2)),"Not
Complete","")
Answer:First, you are correct in using the ISBLANK function, however, you have a
space between ISBLANK and (AA2), as well as ISBLANK and (AB2). This might seem
insignificant, but Excel can be very picky and will return a #NAME? error. So first you
need to eliminate those spaces.
Next, you need to change the ELSE condition of your IF function to return "Complete".
You should be able to modify your formula as follows:
=IF(OR(ISBLANK(J2),ISBLANK(M2),ISBLANK(R2),ISBLANK(AA2),ISBLANK(AB2)), "Not
Complete", "Complete")
Now if any of the cell J2, M2, R2, AA2, or AB2 are blank, the formula will return "Not
Complete". If all 5 cells have a value, the formula will return "Complete".
Question:I'm very new to the Excel world, and I'm trying to figure out how to set up the
proper formula for an If/then cell.
What I'm trying for is:
If B2's value is 1 to 5, then multiply E2 by .77
If B2's value is 6 to 10, then multiply E2 by .735
If B2's value is 11 to 19, then multiply E2 by .7
If B2's value is 20 to 29, then multiply E2 by .675
If B2's value is 30 to 39, then multiply E2 by .65
I've tried a few different things thinking I was on the right track based on the IF, and AND
function tutorials here, but I can't seem to get it right.
Answer:To write your IF formula, you need to nest multiple IF functions together in
combination with the AND function.
The following formula should work for what you are trying to do:
=IF(AND(B2>=1, B2<=5), E2*0.77, IF(AND(B2>=6, B2<=10), E2*0.735, IF(AND(B2>=11,
B2<=19), E2*0.7, IF(AND(B2>=20, B2<=29), E2*0.675, IF(AND(B2>=30, B2<=39),
E2*0.65,"")))))
As one final component of your formula, you need to decide what to do when none of the
conditions are met. In this example, we have returned "" when the value in B2 does not
meet any of the IF conditions above.
Question:Here is the Excel formula that has me between a rock and a hard place.
If E45 <= 50, return 44.55
If E45 > 50 and E45 < 100, return 42
If E45 >=200, return 39.6
Again thank you very much.
Answer:You should be able to write this Excel formula using a combination of the IF
function and the AND function.
The following formula should work:
=IF(E45<=50, 44.55, IF(AND(E45>50, E45<100), 42, IF(E45>=200, 39.6, "")))
Please note that if none of the conditions are met, the Excel formula will return "" as the
result.
Question:I have a nesting OR function problem:
My nonworking formula is:
=IF(C9=1,K9/J7,IF(C9=2,K9/J7,IF(C9=3,K9/L7,IF(C9=4,0,K9/N7))))
In Cell C9, I can have an input of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 0. The problem is on how to write the "or"
condition when a "4 or 0" exists in Column C. If the "4 or 0" conditions exists in Column C
I want Column K divided by Column N and the answer to be placed in Column M and
associated row
Answer:You should be able to use the OR function within your IF function to test for
C9=4 OR C9=0 as follows:
=IF(C9=1,K9/J7,IF(C9=2,K9/J7,IF(C9=3,K9/L7,IF(OR(C9=4,C9=0),K9/N7))))
This formula will return K9/N7 if cell C9 is either 4 or 0.
Question:In Excel, I am trying to create a formula that will show the following:
If column B = Ross and column C = 8 then in cell AB of that row I want it to show 2013, If
column B = Block and column C = 9 then in cell AB of that row I want it to show 2012.
Answer:You can create your Excel formula using nested IF functions with the AND
function.
=IF(AND(B1="Ross",C1=8),2013,IF(AND(B1="Block",C1=9),2012,""))
This formula will return 2013 as a numeric value if B1 is "Ross" and C1 is 8, or 2012 as a
numeric value if B1 is "Block" and C1 is 9. Otherwise, it will return blank, as denoted by
"".
Question:In Excel, I really have a problem looking for the right formula to express the
following:
If B1=0, C1 is equal to A1/2
If B1=1, C1 is equal to A1/2 times 20%
If D1=1, C1 is equal to A1/2-5
I've been trying to look for any same expressions in your site. Please help me fix this.
Answer:In cell C1, you can use the following Excel formula with 3 nested IF functions:
=IF(B1=0,A1/2, IF(B1=1,(A1/2)*0.2, IF(D1=1,(A1/2)-5,"")))
Please note that if none of the conditions are met, the Excel formula will return "" as the
result.
Question:In Excel, I need the answer for an IF THEN statement which compares
column A and B and has an "OR condition" for column C. My problem is I want column D
to return yes if A1 and B1 are >=3 or C1 is >=1.
Answer:You can create your Excel IF formula as follows:
=IF(OR(AND(A1>=3,B1>=3),C1>=1),"yes","")
Please note that if none of the conditions are met, the Excel formula will return "" as the
result.
Question:In Excel, what have I done wrong with this formula?
=IF(OR(ISBLANK(C9),ISBLANK(B9)),"",IF(ISBLANK(C9),D9-TODAY(), "Reactivated"))
I want to make an event that if B9 and C9 is empty, the value would be empty. If only C9
is empty, then the output would be the remaining days left between the two dates, and if
the two cells are not empty, the output should be the string 'Reactivated'.
The problem with this code is that IF(ISBLANK(C9),D9-TODAY() is not working.
Answer:First of all, you might want to replace your OR function with the AND function,
so that your Excel IF formula looks like this:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(C9),ISBLANK(B9)),"",IF(ISBLANK(C9),D9-TODAY(),"Reactivated"))
Next, make sure that you don't have any abnormal formatting in the cell that contains the
results. To be safe, right click on the cell that contains the formula and choose Format
Cells from the popup menu. When the Format Cells window appears, select the Number
tab. Choose General as the format and click on the OK button.
Question:I was wondering if you could tell me what I am doing wrong.
Here are the instructions:
A customer is eligible for a discount if the customer’s 2016 sales greater than or equal
to 100000 OR if the customers First Order was placed in 2016.
If the customer qualifies for a discount, return a value of Y
If the customer does not qualify for a discount, return a value of N.
Here is the formula I've entered:
=IF(OR([2014 Sales]=0,[2015 Sales]=0,[2016 Sales]>=100000),"Y","N")
I only have 2 cells wrong. Can you help me please? I am very lost and confused.
Answer:You are very close with your IF formula, however, it looks like you need to add
the AND function to your formula as follows:
=IF(OR([2016 Sales]>=100000,AND([2014 Sales]=0,[2015
Sales]=0),C8>=100000),"Y","N")
This formula should return Y if 2016 sales are greater than or equal to 100000, or if both
2014 sales and 2015 sales are 0. Otherwise, the formula will return N. You will also
notice that we switched the order of your conditions in the formula so that it is easier to
understand the formula based on your instructions above.
Question:Could you please help me? I need to use "OR" on my formula but I can't get it
to work. This is what I've tried:
=IF(C6>=0<=150,150000,IF(C6>=151<=160,158400))
Here is what I need the formula to do:
IF C6 IS >=0 OR <=150 THEN ASSIGN $150000
IF C6 IS >=151 OR <=160 THEN ASSIGN $158400
Answer:You should be able to use the AND function within your IF function as follows:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(C6)=FALSE,C6>=0,C6<=150),150000,IF(AND(C6>=151,C6<=160),158400,"")
)
Notice that we first use the ISBLANK function to test C6 to make sure that it is not blank.
This is because if C6 if blank, it will evalulate to greater than 0 and thus return 150000.
To avoid this, we include ISBLANK(C6)=FALSE as one of the conditions in addition to
C6>=0 and C6<=150. That way, you won't return any false results if C6 is blank.
Question:I am having a problem with a formula, I want it to be IF E5=N then do the first
formula, else do the second formula. Excel recognizes the
=IF(logical_test,value_if_TRUE,value_if_FALSE) but doesn't like the formula below:
=IF(e5="N",((AND(AH5-AG5<456, AH5-S5<822)), "Compliant", "not Compliant"),((AH5S5<822), "Compliant", "not Compliant"))
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Answer:To have the first formula executed when E5=N and then second formula
executed when E5<>N, you will need to nest 2 additional IF functions within the main IF
function as follows:
=IF(E5="N", IF((AND(AH5-AG5<456, AH5-S5<822)), "Compliant", "not Compliant"),
IF((AH5-S5<822), "Compliant", "not Compliant"))
If E5="N", the first nested IF function will be executed:
IF((AND(AH5-AG5<456, AH5-S5<822)), "Compliant", "not Compliant")
Otherwise,the second nested IF function will be executed:
IF((AH5-S5<822), "Compliant", "not Compliant"))
MS EXCEL: NESTED IF FUNCTIONS (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to nest the Excel IF function with syntax and examples.
DESCRIPTION
It is possible to nest multiple IF functions within one Excel formula. You can nest up to 7
IF functions to create a complex IF THEN ELSE statement.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the nesting the IF function is:
IF( condition1, value_if_true1, IF( condition2, value_if_true2, value_if_false2 ))
This would be equivalent to the following IF THEN ELSE statement:
IF condition1 THEN
value_if_true1
ELSEIF condition2 THEN
value_if_true2
ELSE
value_if_false2
END IF
Parameters or Arguments
condition
The value that you want to test.
value_if_true
The value that is returned if condition evaluates to TRUE.
value_if_false
The value that is return if condition evaluates to FALSE.
Note: This Nested IF function syntax demonstrates how to nest two IF functions. You
can nest up to 7 IF functions.
APPLIES TO
The Nested IF function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003,
Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The Nested IF function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at an example to see how you would use a nested IF and explore how to use
the nested IF function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, the following Nested IF examples would return:
=IF(A1="10x12",120,IF(A1="8x8",64,IF(A1="6x6",36)))
Result: 120
=IF(A2="10x12",120,IF(A2="8x8",64,IF(A2="6x6",36)))
Result: 64
=IF(A3="10x12",120,IF(A3="8x8",64,IF(A3="6x6",36)))
Result: 36
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I need to write a formula that works this way:
If (cell A1) is less than 20, then multiply by 1,
If it is greater than or equal to 20 but less than 50, then multiply by 2
If its is greater than or equal to 50 and less than 100, then multiply by 3
And if it is great or equal to than 100, then multiply by 4
Answer: You can write a nested IF statement to handle this. For example:
=IF(A1<20, A1*1, IF(A1<50, A1*2, IF(A1<100, A1*3, A1*4)))
Question:In Excel, I need a formula in cell C5 that does the following:
IF A1+B1 <= 4, return $20
IF A1+B1 > 4 but <= 9, return $35
IF A1+B1 > 9 but <= 14, return $50
IF A1+B1 > 15, return $75
Answer:In cell C5, you can write a nested IF statement that uses the AND function as
follows:
=IF((A1+B1)<=4,20,IF(AND((A1+B1)>4,(A1+B1)<=9),35,IF(AND((A1+B1)>9,(A1+B1)<=14),50
,75)))
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I need a formula for the following:
IF cell A1= PRADIP then value will be 100
IF cell A1= PRAVIN then value will be 200
IF cell A1= PARTHA then value will be 300
IF cell A1= PAVAN then value will be 400
Answer: You can write an IF statement as follows:
=IF(A1="PRADIP",100,IF(A1="PRAVIN",200,IF(A1="PARTHA",300,IF(A1="PAVAN",400,""))))
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I want to calculate following using an "if" formula:
if A1<100,000 then A1*.1% but minimum 25
and if A1>1,000,000 then A1*.01% but maximum 5000
Answer: You can write a nested IF statement that uses the MAX function and the MIN
function as follows:
=IF(A1<100000,MAX(25,A1*0.1%),IF(A1>1000000,MIN(5000,A1*0.01%),""))
Question:I have Excel 2000. If cell A2 is greater than or equal to 0 then add to C1. If
cell B2 is greater than or equal to 0 then subtract from C1. If both A2 and B2 are blank
then equals C1. Can you help me with the IF function on this one?
Answer: You can write a nested IF statement that uses the AND function and the
ISBLANK function as follows:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(A2)=FALSE,A2>=0),C1+A2, IF(AND(ISBLANK(B2)=FALSE,B2>=0),C1-B2,
IF(AND(ISBLANK(A2)=TRUE, ISBLANK(B2)=TRUE),C1,"")))
Question:How would I write this equation in Excel? If D12<=0 then D12*L12, If D12 is >
0 but <=600 then D12*F12, If D12 is >600 then ((600*F12)+((D12-600)*E12))
Answer: You can write a nested IF statement as follows:
=IF(D12<=0,D12*L12,IF(D12>600,((600*F12)+((D12-600)*E12)),D12*F12))
Question:I have read your piece on nested IFs in Excel, but I still cannot work out what
is wrong with my formula please could you help? Here is what I have:
=IF(63<=A2<80,1,IF(80<=A2<95,2,IF(A2=>95,3,0)))
Answer: The simplest way to write your nested IF statement based on the logic you
describe above is:
=IF(A2>=95,3,IF(A2>=80,2,IF(A2>=63,1,0)))
This formula will do the following:
If A2 >= 95, the formula will return 3 (first IF function)
If A2 < 95 and A2 >= 80, the formula will return 2 (second IF function)
If A2 < 80 and A2 >= 63, the formula will return 1 (third IF function)
If A2 < 63, the formula will return 0
Question:I'm very new to the Excel world, and I'm trying to figure out how to set up the
proper formula for an If/then cell.
What I'm trying for is:
If B2's value is 1 to 5, then multiply E2 by .77
If B2's value is 6 to 10, then multiply E2 by .735
If B2's value is 11 to 19, then multiply E2 by .7
If B2's value is 20 to 29, then multiply E2 by .675
If B2's value is 30 to 39, then multiply E2 by .65
I've tried a few different things thinking I was on the right track based on the IF, and AND
function tutorials here, but I can't seem to get it right.
Answer:To write your IF formula, you need to nest multiple IF functions together in
combination with the AND function.
The following formula should work for what you are trying to do:
=IF(AND(B2>=1, B2<=5), E2*0.77, IF(AND(B2>=6, B2<=10), E2*0.735, IF(AND(B2>=11,
B2<=19), E2*0.7, IF(AND(B2>=20, B2<=29), E2*0.675, IF(AND(B2>=30, B2<=39),
E2*0.65,"")))))
As one final component of your formula, you need to decide what to do when none of the
conditions are met. In this example, we have returned "" when the value in B2 does not
meet any of the IF conditions above.
Question:I have a nesting OR function problem:
My nonworking formula is:
=IF(C9=1,K9/J7,IF(C9=2,K9/J7,IF(C9=3,K9/L7,IF(C9=4,0,K9/N7))))
In Cell C9, I can have an input of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 0. The problem is on how to write the "or"
condition when a "4 or 0" exists in Column C. If the "4 or 0" conditions exists in Column C
I want Column K divided by Column N and the answer to be placed in Column M and
associated row
Answer:You should be able to use the OR function within your IF function to test for
C9=4 OR C9=0 as follows:
=IF(C9=1,K9/J7,IF(C9=2,K9/J7,IF(C9=3,K9/L7,IF(OR(C9=4,C9=0),K9/N7))))
This formula will return K9/N7 if cell C9 is either 4 or 0.
Question:In Excel, I am trying to create a formula that will show the following:
If column B = Ross and column C = 8 then in cell AB of that row I want it to show 2013, If
column B = Block and column C = 9 then in cell AB of that row I want it to show 2012.
Answer:You can create your Excel formula using nested IF functions with the AND
function.
=IF(AND(B1="Ross",C1=8),2013,IF(AND(B1="Block",C1=9),2012,""))
This formula will return 2013 as a numeric value if B1 is "Ross" and C1 is 8, or 2012 as a
numeric value if B1 is "Block" and C1 is 9. Otherwise, it will return blank, as denoted by
"".
Question:In Excel, I really have a problem looking for the right formula to express the
following:
If B1=0, C1 is equal to A1/2
If B1=1, C1 is equal to A1/2 times 20%
If D1=1, C1 is equal to A1/2-5
I've been trying to look for any same expressions in your site. Please help me fix this.
Answer:In cell C1, you can use the following Excel formula with 3 nested IF functions:
=IF(B1=0,A1/2, IF(B1=1,(A1/2)*0.2, IF(D1=1,(A1/2)-5,"")))
Please note that if none of the conditions are met, the Excel formula will return "" as the
result.
Question:In Excel, what have I done wrong with this formula?
=IF(OR(ISBLANK(C9),ISBLANK(B9)),"",IF(ISBLANK(C9),D9-TODAY(), "Reactivated"))
I want to make an event that if B9 and C9 is empty, the value would be empty. If only C9
is empty, then the output would be the remaining days left between the two dates, and if
the two cells are not empty, the output should be the string 'Reactivated'.
The problem with this code is that IF(ISBLANK(C9),D9-TODAY() is not working.
Answer:First of all, you might want to replace your OR function with the AND function,
so that your Excel IF formula looks like this:
=IF(AND(ISBLANK(C9),ISBLANK(B9)),"",IF(ISBLANK(C9),D9-TODAY(),"Reactivated"))
Next, make sure that you don't have any abnormal formatting in the cell that contains the
results. To be safe, right click on the cell that contains the formula and choose Format
Cells from the popup menu. When the Format Cells window appears, select the Number
tab. Choose General as the format and click on the OK button.
Question:I'm looking to return an answer from a number 'n' that needs to satisfy a
certain range criteria. New stamp duty calculators for UK property set bands for
percentage stamp duty as follows:
0-125000 =0%
125001-250000 =2%
250001-975000 =5%
975001-1500000 =10%
>1500000 =12%
I realise it's probably an 'IF(AND)' function but I appear to require too many arguments.
Can you help?
Answer:You can create this formula using nested IF functions. We will assume that
your number 'n' resides in cell B1. You can create your formula as follows:
=IF(B1>1500000,B1*0.12, IF(B1>=975001,B1*0.1, IF(B1>=250001,B1*0.05,
IF(B1>=125001,B1*0.02,0))))
Since your IF conditions will cover all numbers in the range of 0 to >1500000, it is easiest
to work backwards starting with the >1500000 condition. Excel will evaluate each
condition and stop when a condition is TRUE. This is why we can simplify the formulas
within the nested IF functions, instead of testing ranges using two comparisons such as
AND(B1>=125001, B1<=250000).
Question:Let's expand the last question further and assume that we need to calculate
percentages based on tiers (not just on the value as whole):
0-125000 =0%
125001-250000 =2%
250001-975000 =5%
975001-1500000 =10%
>1500000 =12%
Say I enter 1,000,000 in B1. The first 125,000 attracts 0%, the next 125,000 to 250,000
attracts 2%, and so on.
Answer:This adds a level of complexity to our formula since we have to calculate each
range of the number using a different percentage.
We can create this solution with the following formula:
=IF(B1<=125000,0, IF(B1<=250000,(B1-125000)*0.02,
IF(B1<=975000,(125000*0.02)+((B1-250000)*0.05),
IF(B1<=1500000,(125000*0.02)+(725000*0.05)+((B1-975000)*0.1),
(125000*0.02)+(725000*0.05)+(525000*0.1)+((B1-1500000)*0.12)))))
If the value was below 125,000, the formula would return 0.
If the value is between 125,001 and 250,000, it would calculate 0% on the first 125,000
and 2% on the remainder.
If the value is between 250,001 and 250,001, it would calculate 0% on the first 125,000,
2% on the next 125,000 and 5% on the remainder.
And so on....
MS EXCEL: VLOOKUP FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel VLOOKUP function with syntax and
examples. How to handle errors such as #N/A and retrieve the correct results is also
discussed.
DESCRIPTION
The VLOOKUP function performs a vertical lookup by searching for a value in the leftmost column of the table and returning the value in the same row in the index_number
position.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the VLOOKUP function in Microsoft Excel is:
VLOOKUP( value, table, index_number, [not_exact_match] )
Parameters or Arguments
value
The value to search for in the first column of the table.
table
Two or more columns of data that is sorted in ascending order.
index_number
The column number in table from which the matching value must be returned. The
first column is 1.
not_exact_match
Optional. It determines if you are looking for an exact match based on value. Enter
FALSE to find an exact match. Enter TRUE to find an approximate match, which
means that if an exact match if not found, then the VLOOKUP function will look for
the next largest value that is less than value. If this parameter is omitted, the
VLOOKUP function returns an approximate match.
Note:




If index_number is less than 1, the VLOOKUP function will return #VALUE!.
If index_number is greater than the number of columns in table, the VLOOKUP
function will return #REF!.
If you specify FALSE for the not_exact_match parameter and no exact match is
found, then the VLOOKUP function will return #N/A.
See also the HLOOKUP function to perform a horizontal lookup.
APPLIES TO
The VLOOKUP function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003,
Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The VLOOKUP function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some Excel VLOOKUP function examples and explore how to use the
VLOOKUP function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
Based on the spreadsheet above:
=VLOOKUP(10251, A1:B6, 2, FALSE)
Result: "Pears"
This VLOOKUP example would return the value of Pears. Let's take a closer look why.
First Parameter
The first parameter in the VLOOKUP function is the value to search for. So in this
example, the VLOOKUP is searching for the value of 10251.
Second Parameter
The second parameter in the VLOOKUP function is the table which is set to the range of
A1:B6. The VLOOKUP uses the first column in this range (ie: A1:A6) to search for the
value of 10251.
Third Parameter
The third parameter is the index_number which is set to 2. This means that the second
column in the table is where we will find the value to return. Since the table is set to
A1:B6, the corresponding return value will be in B1:B6 (ie: second column as specified
by the index_number of 2).
Fourth Parameter
Finally and most importantly is the fourth or last parameter in the VLOOKUP. In our
example, it is set to FALSE. This means that you need to find an EXACT match for the
value of 10251. We do not want to find a "close" match, but an EXACT match!! So if
10251 is not found in the range of A1:A6, then the VLOOKUP function should return
#N/A.
Since the VLOOKUP is able to find the value of 10251 in the range A1:A6, it returns the
corresponding value from B1:B6 which is Pears.
Importance of Fourth Parameter
Let's further explore the importance of specifying TRUE vs FALSE for the last parameter
in the VLOOKUP function.
So say we are looking for the Order ID of 10248, but as you can see, it is not in the range
of A1:A6 in the spreadsheet above. Let's write our VLOOKUP formula with FALSE as the
final parameter and another VLOOKUP formula with TRUE as the final parameter and
see what happens.
=VLOOKUP(10248, A1:B6, 2, FALSE)
Result: #N/A
=VLOOKUP(10248, A1:B6, 2, TRUE)
Result: "Apples"
The first VLOOKUP formula has FALSE specified as the final parameter. This means
that the VLOOKUP is looking for an exact match for 10248. Since the value 10248 does
not exist in the range A1:A6, the VLOOKUP function returns #N/A.
The second VLOOKUP formula has TRUE specified as the final parameter. This means
that if an exact match if not found, the VLOOKUP function will look for the next largest
value that is less than 10248. Now what does this mean to us?
First of all, it means that the data in A1:A6 MUST BE SORTED IN ASCENDING ORDER
because the VLOOKUP is going to return the next largest value for 10248 and then stop
searching. So if your data is not sorted in ascending order, you are going to get some
really strange results.
Secondly, it means that the VLOOKUP function will find order 10247 as the approximate
match. And therefore, return Apples as the result (the corresponding value from B1:B6).
Table in another sheet
Quite often we are asked the question, "What is an example of a VLOOKUP when the
table is on another sheet?"
To answer that question, let's modify our example above and assume that the table is on
Sheet2 in the range A1:B6.
We could rewrite our example as follows:
=VLOOKUP(10248, Sheet2!A1:B6, 2, FALSE)
By preceding the table range with the sheet name and an exclamation mark, we can
update our VLOOKUP to reference a table on another sheet.
Table in another sheet with spaces in sheet name
Let's throw in one more complication, what happens if your Sheet name contains spaces,
then you will need to change the formula further. So let's take a look at this case...
Let's assume that the table is on a Sheet called "Test Sheet" in the range A1:B6, we
would need to modify our formula as follows:
=VLOOKUP(10248, 'Test Sheet'!A1:B6, 2, FALSE)
By placing the sheet name within single quotes, we can accommodate a sheet name
with spaces in our VLOOKUP function.
Absolute Referencing
Now it is important for us to mention one more mistake that is commonly made. When
people use the VLOOKUP function, they commonly use relative referencing for the table
range like we did in our examples above. This will return the right answer, but what
happens when you copy the formula to another cell? The table range will be adjusted by
Excel and change relative to where you paste the new formula. Let's explain further...
So if you had the following formula in cell G1:
=VLOOKUP(10248, A1:B6, 2, FALSE)
And then you copied this formula from cell G1 to cell H2, it would modify the VLOOKUP
formula to this:
=VLOOKUP(10248, B2:C7, 2, FALSE)
Since your table is found in the range A1:B6 and not B2:C7, your formula would return
erroneous results in cell H2. To ensure that your range is not changed, try referencing
your table range using absolute referencing as follows:
=VLOOKUP(10248, $A$1:$B$6, 2, FALSE)
Now if you copy this formula to another cell, your table range will remain $A$1:$B$6.
How to Handle #N/A Errors
Finally, let's look at how to handle instances where the VLOOKUP function does not find
a match and returns the #N/A error. In most cases, you don't want to see #N/A but would
rather display a more user-friendly result.
For example, if you had the following formula:
=VLOOKUP(10248, $A$1:$B$6, 2, FALSE)
Instead of displaying #N/A error if you do not find a match, you could return the value
"Not Found". To do this, you could modify your VLOOKUP formula as follows:
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(10248, $A$1:$B$6, 2, FALSE)), "Not Found", VLOOKUP(10248,
$A$1:$B$6, 2, FALSE))
This new formula will use the ISNA function to test if the VLOOKUP returns a #N/A error.
If the VLOOKUP returns #N/A, then the formula will output "Not Found". Otherwise, it will
perform the VLOOKUP as before.
This is a great way to spruce up your spreadsheet so that you don't see traditional Excel
errors.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I'm using the VLOOKUP function to return a value. I want
to sum the results of the VLOOKUP, but I can't because the VLOOKUP returns a #N/A
error if no match is found. How can I sum the results when there are instances of #N/A in
it?
Answer: To perform mathematical operations on your VLOOKUP results, you need to
replace the #N/A error with a 0 value (or something similar). This can be done with a
formula that utilizes a combination of the VLOOKUP function, IF function, and ISNA
function.
Based on the spreadsheet above:
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(E2,$A$2:$C$5,3,FALSE)), 0, VLOOKUP(E2,$A$2:$C$5,3,FALSE))
Result: 0
First, you need to enter a FALSE in the last parameter of the VLOOKUP function. This
will ensure that the VLOOKUP will test for an exact match.
If the VLOOKUP function does not find an exact match, it will return the #N/A error. By
using the IF and ISNA functions, you can return the Unit Price value if an exact match is
found. Otherwise, a 0 value is returned. This allows you to perform mathematical
operations on your VLOOKUP results.
Question: I have a list of #s in column A (lets say 1-20). There is a master list in
another column that may not include some of the column A #s. I want a formula in
column B to say (if A1 exists in the master list, then "Yes", "No"). Is this possible?
Answer: This can be done with a formula that utilizes a combination of the VLOOKUP
function, IF function, and ISNA function.
Based on the spreadsheet above:
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(A2,$D$2:$D$185,1,FALSE)), "No", "Yes")
Result: "No"
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(A5,$D$2:$D$185,1,FALSE)), "No", "Yes")
Result: "Yes"
First, you need to enter a FALSE in the last parameter of the VLOOKUP function. This
will ensure that the VLOOKUP will test for an exact match.
If the VLOOKUP function does not find an exact match, it will return the #N/A error. By
using the IF and ISNA functions, you can return a "Yes" value if an exact match is found.
Otherwise, a "No" value is returned.
Question: Is there a simple way in Excel to VLOOKUP the second match in a column?
So, for instance, If I had apple, pear, apple listed in the column (each word in a separate
cell), would there be a way to look up the values to the right of the second "apple"?
Answer: This can be done with a formula that utilizes a combination of the Index
function, Small function, Row function (all in an array formula).
If you wanted to return the quantity value for the second occurrence of apple, you would
use the following array formula:
=INDEX(A2:C6,SMALL(IF(A2:C6="apple",ROW(A2:C6)-ROW(A2)+1,ROW(C6)+1),2),2)
When creating your array formula, you need to use Ctrl+Shift+Enter instead of Enter.
This creates {} brackets around your formula as follows:
{=INDEX(A2:C6,SMALL(IF(A2:C6="apple",ROW(A2:C6)-ROW(A2)+1,ROW(C6)+1),2),2)}
If you wanted to return the quantity value for the third occurrence of apple, you would use
the following array formula:
=INDEX(A2:C6,SMALL(IF(A2:C6="apple",ROW(A2:C6)-ROW(A2)+1,ROW(C6)+1),3),2)
When creating your array formula, you need to use Ctrl+Shift+Enter instead of Enter.
This creates {} brackets around your formula as follows:
{=INDEX(A2:C6,SMALL(IF(A2:C6="apple",ROW(A2:C6)-ROW(A2)+1,ROW(C6)+1),3),2)}
If you wanted to return the bin # for the second occurrence of apple, you would use the
following array formula:
=INDEX(A2:C6,SMALL(IF(A2:C6="apple",ROW(A2:C6)-ROW(A2)+1,ROW(C6)+1),2),3)
When creating your array formula, you need to use Ctrl+Shift+Enter instead of Enter.
This creates {} brackets around your formula as follows:
{=INDEX(A2:C6,SMALL(IF(A2:C6="apple",ROW(A2:C6)-ROW(A2)+1,ROW(C6)+1),2),3)}
Question: To automate a spreadsheet: I am trying to write a formula using a Lookup
formula in F14 so that when a rock type (say sh for shale) is entered in D14 it will look up
the rock type in Q1 thru Q10 and fill in F14 with cell format fill pattern from S1 thru S10.
How do I get it to recognize the format pattern and copy it to F14?
Answer: You can do this with a VLOOKUP function as follows:
=VLOOKUP(D14, $Q$1:$S$10, 3, FALSE)
In this VLOOKUP example, the rock type that you want to look up is in cell D14, the
lookup data is found in the range of $Q$1:$S$10. We've absolutely referenced the
lookup range so that you can copy the formula to other cells without the range changing.
The third parameter is set to 3 because we want the value returned from column S which
is the third column in the range of $Q$1:$S$10. And the final parameter in the
VLOOKUP is FALSE because we are only looking for an exact match.
With this formula if a match is not found, the VLOOKUP will return #N/A. If you would like
to return a different value when there is no match, say "Not Found", then you could
modify your VLOOKUP as follows:
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(D14, $Q$1:$S$10, 3, FALSE)), "Not Found", VLOOKUP(D14,
$Q$1:$S$10, 3, FALSE))
This formula would return "Not Found" if there was not a match. Otherwise, it would
return the appropriate value from S1 to S10.
Question:I want to do a VLOOKUP if a statement is true.
Example:
If cell A2 = cell F9, I want to do a virtual lookup depending on what is in cell E34, the
function would return corresponding data from cells defined as "TEAM".
This is what I came up with:
=If(A2=F9),VLOOKUP(+E34,TEAM,1+1)
Answer: You are very close. Since we don't know how many columns are in your
named range called "TEAM", we'll just assume that you want to return corresponding
data from the second column in "TEAM". As such, you can do this with the VLOOKUP
formula as follows:
=IF(A2=F9,VLOOKUP(E34,TEAM,2,FALSE))
In this example, VLOOKUP will be performed only if A2 is equal to F9.
The first parameter of E34 specifies the value to lookup. The second parameter uses the
named range called "TEAM" which is where the lookup data is found. The third
parameter of 2 will return corresponding data from the second column in the "TEAM"
named range. The final parameter of FALSE means that we are only looking for an exact
match.
Question:I have a question about how to nest a MATCH function within the INDEX
function. The question is:
I want to create a formula using the MATCH function nested within the INDEX function to
retrieve the Class that was selected (by the x) in E4:F10. The MATCH function should
find the row where the x is located and should be used within the INDEX function to
retrieve the associated Class value from the same row within F4:F10.
Answer:Even though you can write this formula using a combination of the MATCH and
INDEX functions, it is much easier and faster to perform this search using the VLOOKUP
function, as follows:
=VLOOKUP("x",$E$4:$F$10,2,FALSE)
In this example, we are searching for the value "x" within the range E4:E10. When the
value of "x" is found, it will return the corresponding value from F4:F10.
MS EXCEL: HLOOKUP FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel HLOOKUP function with syntax and
examples. How to handle errors such as #N/A and retrieve the correct results is also
discussed.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel HLOOKUP function performs a horizontal lookup by searching for a
value in the top row of the table and returning the value in the same column based on the
index_number.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the HLOOKUP function in Microsoft Excel is:
HLOOKUP( value, table, index_number, [not_exact_match] )
Parameters or Arguments
value
The value to search for in the first row of the table.
table
Two or more rows of data that is sorted in ascending order.
index_number
The row number in table from which the matching value must be returned. The
first row is 1.
not_exact_match
Optional. It determines if you are looking for an exact match based on value.
Enter FALSE to find an exact match. Enter TRUE to find an approximate match,
which means that if an exact match if not found, then it will look for the next
largest value that is less than value. If this parameter is omitted, it will return an
approximate match.
Note:




If index_number is less than 1, the HLOOKUP function will return #VALUE!.
If index_number is greater than the number of columns in table, the HLOOKUP
function will return #REF!.
If you enter FALSE for the not_exact_match parameter and no exact match is
found, then the HLOOKUP function will return #N/A.
See also the VLOOKUP function to perform a vertical lookup.
APPLIES TO
The HLOOKUP function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel
2003, Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The HLOOKUP function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some Excel HLOOKUP function examples and explore how to use the
HLOOKUP function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
Based on the spreadsheet above, the following Excel HLOOKUP function will return the
following:
=HLOOKUP(10251, A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
Result: $16.80
This HLOOKUP example would return the value of $16.80. Let's take a closer look why.
First Parameter
The first parameter in the HLOOKUP function is the value to search for. So in this
example, the HLOOKUP is searching for the value of 10251.
Second Parameter
The second parameter in the HLOOKUP function is the table which is set to the range of
A1:G3. The HLOOKUP uses the first row in this range (ie: A1:G1) to search for the value
of 10251.
Third Parameter
The third parameter is the index_number which is set to 2. This means that the second
row in the table is where we will find the value to return. Since the table is set to A1:G3,
the corresponding return value will be in A2:G2 (ie: second row as specified by the
index_number of 2).
Fourth Parameter
Finally and most importantly is the fourth or last parameter in the HLOOKUP. In our
example, it is set to FALSE. This means that you need to find an EXACT match for the
value of 10251. We do not want to find a "close" match, but an EXACT match!! So if
10251 is not found in the range of A1:G1, then the HLOOKUP function should return
#N/A.
Since the HLOOKUP is able to find the value of 10251 in the range A1:G1, it returns the
corresponding value from A2:G2 which is $16.80.
Importance of Fourth Parameter
Let's further explore the importance of specifying TRUE vs FALSE for the last parameter
in the HLOOKUP function.
So say we are looking for the Order ID of 10248, but as you can see, it is not in the range
of A1:G1 in the spreadsheet above. Let's write our HLOOKUP formula with FALSE as
the final parameter and another HLOOKUP formula with TRUE as the final parameter
and see what happens.
=HLOOKUP(10248, A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
Result: #N/A
=HLOOKUP(10248, A1:G3, 2, TRUE)
Result: $14.00
The first HLOOKUP formula has FALSE specified as the final parameter. This means
that the HLOOKUP is looking for an exact match for 10248. Since the value 10248 does
not exist in the range A1:G1, the HLOOKUP function returns #N/A.
The second HLOOKUP formula has TRUE specified as the final parameter. This means
that if an exact match if not found, the HLOOKUP function will look for the next largest
value that is less than 10248. Now what does this mean to us?
First of all, it means that the data in A1:G3 MUST BE SORTED IN ASCENDING ORDER
because the HLOOKUP is going to return the next largest value for 10248 and then stop
searching. So if your data is not sorted in ascending order, you are going to get some
really strange results.
Secondly, it means that the HLOOKUP function will find order 10247 as the approximate
match. And therefore, return $14.00 as the result (the corresponding value from A2:G2).
Table in another sheet
Quite often we are asked the question, "What is an example of a HLOOKUP when the
table is on another sheet?"
To answer that question, let's modify our example above and assume that the table is on
Sheet2 in the range A1:G3.
We could rewrite our example as follows:
=HLOOKUP(10251, Sheet2!A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
By preceding the table range with the sheet name and an exclamation mark, we can
update our HLOOKUP to reference a table on another sheet.
Table in another sheet with spaces in sheet name
Let's throw in one more complication, what happens if your Sheet name contains spaces,
then you will need to change the formula further. So let's take a look at this case...
Let's assume that the table is on a Sheet called "Test Sheet" in the range A1:G3, we
would need to modify our formula as follows:
=HLOOKUP(10251, 'Test Sheet'!A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
By placing the sheet name within single quotes, we can accommodate a sheet name
with spaces in our HLOOKUP function.
Absolute Referencing
Now it is important for us to mention one more mistake that is commonly made. When
people use the HLOOKUP function, they commonly use relative referencing for the table
range like we did in our examples above. This will return the right answer, but what
happens when you copy the formula to another cell? The table range will be adjusted by
Excel and change relative to where you paste the new formula. Let's explain further...
So if you had the following formula in cell J1:
=HLOOKUP(10251, A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
And then you copied this formula from cell J1 to cell K2, it would modify the HLOOKUP
formula to this:
=HLOOKUP(10251, B2:H4, 2, FALSE)
Since your table is found in the range A1:G3 and not B2:H4, your formula would return
erroneous results in cell K2. To ensure that your range is not changed, try referencing
your table range using absolute referencing as follows:
=HLOOKUP(10251, $A$1:$G$3, 2, FALSE)
Now if you copy this formula to another cell, your table range will remain $A$1:$G$3.
How to Handle #N/A Errors
Finally, let's look at how to handle instances where the HLOOKUP function does not find
a match and returns the #N/A error. In most cases, you don't want to see #N/A but would
rather display a more user-friendly result.
For example, if you had the following formula:
=HLOOKUP(10251, $A$1:$G$3, 2, FALSE)
Instead of displaying #N/A error if you do not find a match, you could return the value
"Not Found". To do this, you could modify your HLOOKUP formula as follows:
=IF(ISNA(HLOOKUP(10251, $A$1:$G$3, 2, FALSE)), "Not Found", HLOOKUP(10251,
$A$1:$G$3, 2, FALSE))
This new formula will use the ISNA function to test if the HLOOKUP returns a #N/A error.
If the HLOOKUP returns #N/A, then the formula will output "Not Found". Otherwise, it will
perform the HLOOKUP as before.
This is a great way to spruce up your spreadsheet so that you don't see traditional Excel
errors.
MS EXCEL: COUNTIF FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel COUNTIF function with syntax and
examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel COUNTIF function counts the number of cells in a range, that meets
a given criteria.
If you wish to apply multiple criteria, try using the COUNTIFS function.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the COUNTIF function in Microsoft Excel is:
COUNTIF( range, criteria )
Parameters or Arguments
range
The range of cells that you want to count based on the criteria.
criteria
The criteria used to determine which cells to count.
APPLIES TO
The COUNTIF function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003,
Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The COUNTIF function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some Excel COUNTIF function examples and explore how to use the
COUNTIF function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, the following COUNTIF examples would return:
=COUNTIF(A2:A7, D2)
Result: 1
=COUNTIF(A:A, D2)
Result: 1
=COUNTIF(A2:A7, ">=2001")
Result: 4
Using Named Ranges
You can also use a named range in the COUNTIF function. For example, we've created
a named range called family that refers to column A in Sheet 1.
Then we've entered the following data in Excel:
Based on the Excel spreadsheet above:
=COUNTIF(family, D2)
Result: 1
=COUNTIF(family, ">=2001")
Result: 4
To view named ranges: Under the Insert menu, select Name > Define.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question: I'm trying to use COUNTIF on a selection of cells (not necessarily one solid
range), and the syntax of the function does not allow that. Is there another way to do
this?
Here's an example of what I'd like to be able to do:
=COUNTIF(A2,A5,F6,G9,">0")
Answer: Unfortunately, the COUNTIF function does not support multiple ranges.
However, you could try summing multiple COUNTIFs.
For example:
=SUM(COUNTIF(A2,">0"),COUNTIF(A5,">0"),COUNTIF(F6,">0"),COUNTIF(G9,">0"))
OR
=COUNTIF(A2,">0")+COUNTIF(A5,">0")+COUNTIF(F6,">0")+COUNTIF(G9,">0")
Question: I am using the COUNTIF function and I would like to make the criteria equal
to a cell.
For example:
=COUNTIF(C4:C19,">=2/26/04")
I want to replace 2/26/04 with cell A1. How do I do this?
Answer: To use a cell reference in the criteria, you could do the following:
=COUNTIF(C4:C19,">="&A1)
Question:I would like to do the following:
=COUNTIF(ABS(A1:A10),">0")
i.e. count the number of values in the range A1:A10 that have a non-zero magnitude.
The syntax I tried does not work. Could you help?
Answer: Because you can not apply the ABS function to range A1:A10, you will need to
instead break up your formula into two COUNTIF functions as follows:
=COUNTIF(A1:A10,">0")+COUNTIF(A1:A10,"<0")
This will count the number of values that are either greater than 0 or less than 0.
MS EXCEL: HLOOKUP FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel HLOOKUP function with syntax and
examples. How to handle errors such as #N/A and retrieve the correct results is also
discussed.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel HLOOKUP function performs a horizontal lookup by searching for a
value in the top row of the table and returning the value in the same column based on the
index_number.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the HLOOKUP function in Microsoft Excel is:
HLOOKUP( value, table, index_number, [not_exact_match] )
Parameters or Arguments
value
The value to search for in the first row of the table.
table
Two or more rows of data that is sorted in ascending order.
index_number
The row number in table from which the matching value must be returned. The first
row is 1.
not_exact_match
Optional. It determines if you are looking for an exact match based on value. Enter
FALSE to find an exact match. Enter TRUE to find an approximate match, which
means that if an exact match if not found, then it will look for the next largest value
that is less than value. If this parameter is omitted, it will return an approximate
match.
Note:




If index_number is less than 1, the HLOOKUP function will return #VALUE!.
If index_number is greater than the number of columns in table, the HLOOKUP
function will return #REF!.
If you enter FALSE for the not_exact_match parameter and no exact match is
found, then the HLOOKUP function will return #N/A.
See also the VLOOKUP function to perform a vertical lookup.
APPLIES TO
The HLOOKUP function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003,
Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The HLOOKUP function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some Excel HLOOKUP function examples and explore how to use the
HLOOKUP function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
Based on the spreadsheet above, the following Excel HLOOKUP function will return the
following:
=HLOOKUP(10251, A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
Result: $16.80
This HLOOKUP example would return the value of $16.80. Let's take a closer look why.
First Parameter
The first parameter in the HLOOKUP function is the value to search for. So in this
example, the HLOOKUP is searching for the value of 10251.
Second Parameter
The second parameter in the HLOOKUP function is the table which is set to the range of
A1:G3. The HLOOKUP uses the first row in this range (ie: A1:G1) to search for the value
of 10251.
Third Parameter
The third parameter is the index_number which is set to 2. This means that the second
row in the table is where we will find the value to return. Since the table is set to A1:G3,
the corresponding return value will be in A2:G2 (ie: second row as specified by the
index_number of 2).
Fourth Parameter
Finally and most importantly is the fourth or last parameter in the HLOOKUP. In our
example, it is set to FALSE. This means that you need to find an EXACT match for the
value of 10251. We do not want to find a "close" match, but an EXACT match!! So if
10251 is not found in the range of A1:G1, then the HLOOKUP function should return
#N/A.
Since the HLOOKUP is able to find the value of 10251 in the range A1:G1, it returns the
corresponding value from A2:G2 which is $16.80.
Importance of Fourth Parameter
Let's further explore the importance of specifying TRUE vs FALSE for the last parameter
in the HLOOKUP function.
So say we are looking for the Order ID of 10248, but as you can see, it is not in the range
of A1:G1 in the spreadsheet above. Let's write our HLOOKUP formula with FALSE as
the final parameter and another HLOOKUP formula with TRUE as the final parameter
and see what happens.
=HLOOKUP(10248, A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
Result: #N/A
=HLOOKUP(10248, A1:G3, 2, TRUE)
Result: $14.00
The first HLOOKUP formula has FALSE specified as the final parameter. This means
that the HLOOKUP is looking for an exact match for 10248. Since the value 10248 does
not exist in the range A1:G1, the HLOOKUP function returns #N/A.
The second HLOOKUP formula has TRUE specified as the final parameter. This means
that if an exact match if not found, the HLOOKUP function will look for the next largest
value that is less than 10248. Now what does this mean to us?
First of all, it means that the data in A1:G3 MUST BE SORTED IN ASCENDING ORDER
because the HLOOKUP is going to return the next largest value for 10248 and then stop
searching. So if your data is not sorted in ascending order, you are going to get some
really strange results.
Secondly, it means that the HLOOKUP function will find order 10247 as the approximate
match. And therefore, return $14.00 as the result (the corresponding value from A2:G2).
Table in another sheet
Quite often we are asked the question, "What is an example of a HLOOKUP when the
table is on another sheet?"
To answer that question, let's modify our example above and assume that the table is on
Sheet2 in the range A1:G3.
We could rewrite our example as follows:
=HLOOKUP(10251, Sheet2!A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
By preceding the table range with the sheet name and an exclamation mark, we can
update our HLOOKUP to reference a table on another sheet.
Table in another sheet with spaces in sheet name
Let's throw in one more complication, what happens if your Sheet name contains spaces,
then you will need to change the formula further. So let's take a look at this case...
Let's assume that the table is on a Sheet called "Test Sheet" in the range A1:G3, we
would need to modify our formula as follows:
=HLOOKUP(10251, 'Test Sheet'!A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
By placing the sheet name within single quotes, we can accommodate a sheet name
with spaces in our HLOOKUP function.
Absolute Referencing
Now it is important for us to mention one more mistake that is commonly made. When
people use the HLOOKUP function, they commonly use relative referencing for the table
range like we did in our examples above. This will return the right answer, but what
happens when you copy the formula to another cell? The table range will be adjusted by
Excel and change relative to where you paste the new formula. Let's explain further...
So if you had the following formula in cell J1:
=HLOOKUP(10251, A1:G3, 2, FALSE)
And then you copied this formula from cell J1 to cell K2, it would modify the HLOOKUP
formula to this:
=HLOOKUP(10251, B2:H4, 2, FALSE)
Since your table is found in the range A1:G3 and not B2:H4, your formula would return
erroneous results in cell K2. To ensure that your range is not changed, try referencing
your table range using absolute referencing as follows:
=HLOOKUP(10251, $A$1:$G$3, 2, FALSE)
Now if you copy this formula to another cell, your table range will remain $A$1:$G$3.
How to Handle #N/A Errors
Finally, let's look at how to handle instances where the HLOOKUP function does not find
a match and returns the #N/A error. In most cases, you don't want to see #N/A but would
rather display a more user-friendly result.
For example, if you had the following formula:
=HLOOKUP(10251, $A$1:$G$3, 2, FALSE)
Instead of displaying #N/A error if you do not find a match, you could return the value
"Not Found". To do this, you could modify your HLOOKUP formula as follows:
=IF(ISNA(HLOOKUP(10251, $A$1:$G$3, 2, FALSE)), "Not Found", HLOOKUP(10251,
$A$1:$G$3, 2, FALSE))
This new formula will use the ISNA function to test if the HLOOKUP returns a #N/A error.
If the HLOOKUP returns #N/A, then the formula will output "Not Found". Otherwise, it will
perform the HLOOKUP as before.
This is a great way to spruce up your spreadsheet so that you don't see traditional Excel
errors.
MS EXCEL: TWO-DIMENSIONAL LOOKUP (EXAMPLE #1)
This Excel tutorial explains how to perform a two-dimensional lookup (with screenshots
and step-by-step instructions). This is example #1.
Question: I'm trying to reference a particular cell within an xy axis chart and can't find
the formula or function that allows me to do so.
For example A1 needs to equal where row 12 intersects column F on a chart.
I know the lookup function can get me a value from a known array of values located in
the corresponding column, but I can't get it to figure from an array of columns. Can you
help?
Answer: In effect, what we are trying to do is perform a 2-dimensional lookup in Excel.
To find a value in Excel based on both a column and row value, you will need to use both
a vlookup function and a match function.
Let's look at an example to see how you would use this function in a worksheet:
In the spreadsheet above, we have a listing of products (Oranges, Apples, Bananas,
Pineapples, Watermelons) and a listing of quantity columns (5 lbs, 10 lbs, 15 lbs, and 20
lbs). What we want to do is find the correct value based on a product and quantity
combination.
In the first case, we want to find the price/lb for 10 lbs of oranges. To find the price/lb,
we've entered the following formula into cell D17:
=VLOOKUP(B17, $B$8:$F$13, MATCH(C17, $B$8:$F$8, 0), FALSE)
This formula returns the value of $4.80.
In the second example, we are looking for the price/lb for 5 lbs of bananas. We've
entered the following formula into cell D18:
=VLOOKUP(B18, $B$8:$F$13, MATCH(C18, $B$8:$F$8, 0), FALSE)
This formula returns the value of $1.50.
MS EXCEL: TWO-DIMENSIONAL LOOKUP (EXAMPLE #2)
This Excel tutorial explains how to perform a two-dimensional lookup (with screenshots
and step-by-step instructions). This is example #2.
Question: I need to find the value on a chart (see below). The only problem is that I can
have a material value that is not an exact match to a value on the chart. In this case, I
need to round down and find the next smaller amount. For example, if I have 8 lbs of
materials, it should return the value of 1 lbs of materials.
Answer: In effect, what we are trying to do is perform a 2-dimensional lookup in Excel.
To find a value in Excel based on both a column and row value, you will need to use both
a vlookup function and a match function.
Let's look at an example to see how you would use this function in a worksheet:
In the spreadsheet above, we have a listing of materials (in lbs.) and a listing of shift (1
through 6). What we want to do is find the correct value based on an amount of materials
and a shift combination.
In the first case, we want to find the chart value for 1 lbs of materials and 1 shift. We've
entered the following formula into cell F18:
=VLOOKUP(D18, $C$4:$I$14, IF(ISNA(MATCH(E18, $C$4:$I$4, 0)), 7, MATCH(E18,
$C$4:$I$4, 0)), TRUE)
This formula returns 0.7 or 70%.
The last parameter on the VLOOKUP function is set to TRUE. This means that if the
VLOOKUP does not find an exact match for the materials, it will look for the next smaller
value. (In other words, rounding down)
Also, you'll find a 7 in the middle of the formula. This means that if you don't find a match
for the shift value, it will use column (i) which is the 7th column. You'll have to modify this
if you add more shifts.
In the second example, we are looking for the chart value for 2 lbs of materials and 8
shifts. We've entered the following formula into cell F19:
=VLOOKUP(D19, $C$4:$I$14, IF(ISNA(MATCH(E19, $C$4:$I$4, 0)), 7, MATCH(E19,
$C$4:$I$4, 0)), TRUE)
This formula returns 0.45 or 45%.
In this example, an 8th shift can not be found, so the formula uses column (i) to derive
the value.
In the final example, we are looking for the chart value for 3001 lbs of material and 6
shifts. We've entered the following formula in cell F20:
=VLOOKUP(D20,$C$4:$I$14,IF(ISNA(MATCH(E20,$C$4:$I$4,0)),
7,MATCH(E20,$C$4:$I$4,0)),TRUE)
This formula returns 0.01 or 1%.
MS EXCEL: TWO-DIMENSIONAL LOOKUP (EXAMPLE #3)
This Excel tutorial explains how to perform a two-dimensional lookup (with screenshots
and step-by-step instructions). This is example #3.
Question: I need to find the value on a chart (see below). The only problem is that I can
have a quantity value that is not an exact match to a value on the chart. In this case, I
need to round down and find the next smaller amount. For example, if I have 51 lbs as a
quantity, it should return the value for 50 lbs.
Answer: In effect, what we are trying to do is perform a 2-dimensional lookup in Excel.
To find a value in Excel based on both a column and row value, you will need to use both
a hlookup function and a match function.
Let's look at an example to see how you would use this function in a worksheet:
In the spreadsheet above, we have a listing of materials (Oranges, Apples, Bananas,
Pineapples, Watermelons) and a listing of quantity columns (50 lbs, 100 lbs, 200 lbs, 500
lbs, 1000 lbs). What we want to do is find the correct value based on a material and
quantity combination.
In the first case, we want to find the chart value for 50 lbs of apples. We've entered the
following formula into cell D13:
=HLOOKUP(C13, $B$4:$G$9, MATCH(B13, $B$4:$B$9, 0), TRUE)
This formula returns $1.43.
The last parameter on the HLOOKUP function is set to TRUE. This means that if the
HLOOKUP does not find an exact match for the quantity, it will look for the next smaller
value. (In other words, rounding down)
In the second example, we are looking for the chart value for 1200 lbs of bananas We've
entered the following formula into cell D14:
=HLOOKUP(C14, $B$4:$G$9, MATCH(B14, $B$4:$B$9, 0), TRUE)
This formula returns $0.97.
MS EXCEL: TWO-DIMENSIONAL LOOKUP (EXAMPLE #4)
This Excel tutorial explains how to perform a two-dimensional lookup (with screenshots
and step-by-step instructions). This is example #4.
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I want to match the values in two columns on sheet A
(size and frequency) to a column and a row on sheet B (size and frequency) to return a
value on sheet B.
For example, size=2 and frequency=2 on Sheet A would return $23.00 from the chart on
Sheet B (size=2, frequency=2). I would like to have these values displayed in Column D
on sheet A.
Answer: In effect, what we are trying to do is perform a 2-dimensional lookup in Excel.
To find a value in Excel based on both a column and row value, you will need to use both
the vlookup function and the match function.
Let's look at an example.
Download Excel spreadsheet (as demonstrated below)
In the spreadsheet above, we have a chart on sheet B with Size and Frequency.
Then on Sheet A, we have Size and Frequency values in columns A and B. We want to
return in column D, the correct value from the chart in Sheet B using these Size and
Frequency values.
So if you looked up a Size=2 and Frequency=2 in the chart in sheet B, it should return
$23.00. To do this, we will use the following formula in cell D2:
=VLOOKUP(A2,B!$A$2:$G$8,MATCH(B2,B!$A$2:$G$2,0),FALSE)
This formula returns $23.00.
In cell D3, if we wanted to look up a Size=2 and Frequency=1, it should return $22.00. To
do this, we will use the following formula:
=VLOOKUP(A3,B!$A$2:$G$8,MATCH(B3,B!$A$2:$G$2,0),FALSE)
This formula return $22.00.
MS EXCEL: DB FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel DB function with syntax and examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel DB function returns the depreciation of an asset for a given time
period based on the fixed-declining balance method.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the DB function in Microsoft Excel is:
DB( cost, salvage, life, period, [number_months] )
Parameters or Arguments
cost
The original cost of the asset.
salvage
The salvage value after the asset has been fully depreciated.
life
The useful life of the asset or the number of periods that you will be depreciating
the asset.
period
The period that you wish to calculate the depreciation for. Use the same units as for
the life.
number_months
Optional. It is the number of months in the first year of depreciation. If this
parameter is omitted, the DB function will assume that there are 12 months in the
first year.
APPLIES TO
The DB function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003,
Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The DB function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at an example to how you would use the DB examples and explore how to use
the DB function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
This first example returns the depreciation for an asset that costs $10,000, with a
salvage value of $5,000. The useful life of the asset is 5 years. The depreciation is being
calculated for the first year, and there are 12 months in the first year.
=DB(10000, 5000, 5, 1, 12)
Result: $1,290.00
This next example returns the depreciation for an asset that costs $10,000, with a
salvage value of $5,000. The useful life of the asset is 5 years. The depreciation is being
calculated for the second year, and there are 12 months in the first year.
=DB(10000, 5000, 5, 2, 12)
Result: $1,123.59
This next example returns the depreciation for an asset that costs $10,000, with a
salvage value of $5,000. The useful life of the asset is 5 years. The depreciation is being
calculated for the third year, and there are 10 months in the first year.
=DB(10000, 5000, 5, 3, 10)
Result: $1,002.80
MS EXCEL: PV FUNCTION (WS, VBA)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel PV function with syntax and examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel PV function returns the present value of an investment based on an
interest rate and a constant payment schedule.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the PV function in Microsoft Excel is:
PV( interest_rate, number_payments, payment, [FV], [Type] )
Parameters or Arguments
interest_rate
The interest rate for the investment.
number_payments
The number of payments for the annuity.
payment
The amount of the payment made each period. If this parameter is omitted, you
must enter a FV value.
FV
Optional. It is the future value of the payments. If this parameter is omitted, it
assumes FV to be 0.
Type
Optional. It indicates when the payments are due. If the Type parameter is omitted,
it assumes a Type value of 0. Type can be one of the following values:
Value
Explanation
0
Payments are due at the end of the period. (default)
1
Payments are due at the beginning of the period.
APPLIES TO
The PV function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003,
Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The PV function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:


Worksheet function (WS)
VBA function (VBA)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some PV examples and explore how to use the PV function as a worksheet
function in Microsoft Excel:
This first example returns the present value of an investment that pays $250 at the end
of every month for 2 years. The money paid out will earn 7.5% annually.
=PV(7.5%/12, 2*12, 250, , 0)
Result: -$5,555.61
This next example returns the present value of an investment that pays $50 at the
beginning of every week for 4 years. The money paid out will earn 6% annually.
=PV(6%/52, 4*52, 50, , 1)
Result: -$9,252.07
This next example returns the present value of an investment that pays $100 at the end
of every year for 10 years. The money paid out will earn 5.25% annually.
=PV(5.25%/1, 10*1, 100, , 0)
Result: -$762.88
EXAMPLE (AS VBA FUNCTION)
The PV function can also be used in VBA code in Microsoft Excel.
Let's look at some Excel PV function examples and explore how to use the PV function in
Excel VBA code:
Dim LValue As Currency
LValue = PV(0.0525/1, 10*1, 100, , 0)
In this example, the variable called LValue would now contain the value of ($762.88)
MS EXCEL: SYD FUNCTION (WS, VBA)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel SYD function with syntax and
examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel SYD function returns the depreciation of an asset for a given time
period based on the sum-of-years' digits depreciation method.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the SYD function in Microsoft Excel is:
SYD( cost, salvage, life, period )
Parameters or Arguments
cost
The original cost of the asset.
salvage
The salvage value after the asset has been fully depreciated.
life
The useful life of the asset or the number of periods that you will be depreciating
the asset.
period
The period that you wish to calculate the depreciation for. Use the same units as for
the life.
APPLIES TO
The SYD function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003,
Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The SYD function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:


Worksheet function (WS)
VBA function (VBA)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some SYD examples and explore how to use the SYD function as a
worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
This first example returns the depreciation for an asset that costs $10,000, with a
salvage value of $5,000. The useful life of the asset is 5 years. The depreciation is being
calculated for the first year.
=SYD(10000, 5000, 5, 1)
Result: $1,666.67
This next example returns the depreciation for an asset that costs $10,000, with a
salvage value of $5,000. The useful life of the asset is 5 years. The depreciation is being
calculated for the second year.
=SYD(10000, 5000, 5, 2)
Result: $1,333.33
This next example returns the depreciation for an asset that costs $8,000, with a salvage
value of $0. The useful life of the asset is 7 years. The depreciation is being calculated
for the third year.
=SYD(8000, 0, 7, 3)
Result: $1,428.57
EXAMPLE (AS VBA FUNCTION)
The SYD function can also be used in VBA code in Microsoft Excel.
Let's look at some Excel SYD function examples and explore how to use the SYD
function in Excel VBA code:
Dim LValue As Double
LValue = Syd(8000, 0, 7, 3)
In this example, the variable called LValue would now contain the value of 1428.571429.
MS EXCEL: CONCATENATE FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel CONCATENATE function with syntax
and examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel CONCATENATE function allows you to join 2 or more strings
together.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the CONCATENATE function in Microsoft Excel is:
CONCATENATE( text1, text2, ... text_n )
Parameters or Arguments
text1, text2, ... text_n
The strings that you wish to join together. There can be up to 255 strings that are
joined together, up to a maximum of 8,192 characters.
APPLIES TO
The CONCATENATE function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel 2003,
Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The CONCATENATE function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of
function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some Excel CONCATENATE function examples and explore how to use the
CONCATENATE function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, the following CONCATENATE examples would
return:
=CONCATENATE(A1, A2)
Result: "Alphabet"
=CONCATENATE("Tech on the ", "Net")
Result: "Tech on the Net"
=CONCATENATE(A1, "bet soup")
Result: "Alphabet soup"
Concatenate Space Characters
When you are concatenating values together, you might want to add space characters to
separate your concatenated values. Otherwise, you might get a long string with the
concatenated values running together. This makes it very difficult to read the results.
Let's look at an easy example.
Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, we can concatenate a space character within
the CONCATENATE function as follows:
=CONCATENATE(A1, " ", A2)
Result: "TechOnTheNet.com resource"
In this example, we have used the second parameter within the CONCATENATE
function to add a space character between the values in cell A1 and cell A2. This will
prevent our values from being squished together.
Instead our result would appear as follows:
"TechOnTheNet.com resource"
Here, we have concatenated the values from the two cells (A1 and A2), separated by a
space character.
Concatenate Quotation Marks
Since the parameters within the CONCATENATE function are separated by quotation
marks when they are string values, it isn't straight forward how to add a quotation mark
character within the result of the CONCATENATE function.
Let's start with a fairly easy example that shows how to add a quotation mark to the
resulting string using the CONCATENATE function.
Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, we can concatenate a quotation mark as
follows:
=CONCATENATE("One ", """", " Two")
Result: One " Two
In this example, we have used the second parameter within the CONCATENATE
function to add a quotation mark into the middle of the resulting string.
Since our parameters are enclosed in quotation marks, we use 2 additional quotation
marks within the surrounding quotation marks to represent a quotation mark in our result
as follows:
""""
Then when you put the whole function call together:
=CONCATENATE("One ", """", " Two")
You will get the following result:
One " Two
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question:For an IF statement in Excel, I want to combine text and a value.
For example, I want to put an equation for work hours and pay. If I am paid more than I
should be, I want it to read how many hours I owe my boss. But if I work more than I am
paid for, I want it to read what my boss owes me (hours*Pay per Hour).
I tried the following:
=IF(A2<0,"I owe boss" abs(A2) "Hours","Boss owes me" abs(A2)*15 "dollars")
Is it possible or do I have to do it in 2 separate cells? (one for text and one for the value)
Answer: There are two ways that you can concatenate text and values. The first is by
using the & character to concatenate:
=IF(A2<0,"I owe boss " & ABS(A2) & " Hours","Boss owes me " & ABS(A2)*15 &
dollars")
"
Or the second method is to use the CONCATENATE function:
=IF(A2<0,CONCATENATE("I owe boss ", ABS(A2)," Hours"), CONCATENATE("Boss owes me
", ABS(A2)*15, " dollars"))
MS EXCEL: LINEST FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel LINEST function with syntax and
examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel LINEST function uses the least squares method to calculate the
statistics for a straight line and returns an array describing that line. The LINEST function
uses the following line equation:
y = mx + b
(for a single range of x values)
y = m1x1 + m2x2 + ... + b
(for multiple ranges of x values)
SYNTAX
The syntax for the LINEST function in Microsoft Excel is:
LINEST( y_values, [x_values], [constant], [additional_statistics] )
Parameters or Arguments
y_values
The known set of "y values" from the line equation.
x_values
Optional. It is the known set of "x values" from the line equation. If this parameter
is omitted, x_values is assumed to be {1,2,3,...} with the same number of values
as y_values.
constant
Optional. It is either TRUE or FALSE. If this parameter is omitted, the function will
assume TRUE. If constant is TRUE, b in the line equation is calculated normally.
If constant is FALSE, b becomes 0 so that the line equation is evalulated as y =
mx.
additional_statistics
Optional. It is either TRUE or FALSE. If this parameter is omitted, the function will
assume FALSE. If additional_statistics is TRUE, the function will return additional
regression statistics. If additional_statistics is FALSE, the function will returns only
m coefficients and b constant.
APPLIES TO
The LINEST function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel
2003, Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The LINEST function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some Excel LINEST function examples and explore how to use the LINEST
function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
This first example we have entered the y values in column A (cells A2 through A6) and
the x values in column B (cells B2 through B6). Then we have entered the following
LINEST function in both cells D2 and E2 as follows:
=LINEST(A2:A6,B2:B6,TRUE,FALSE)
Result: 0.5
The LINEST function can be written as an array formula. When creating your array
formula, you need to do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enter the formulas in both cells D2 and E2
Highlight cells D2 and E2
Press F2 (in Windows) or CONTROL+U (on Mac)
Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter
This creates {} brackets around your formulas as follows:
{=LINEST(A2:A6,B2:B6,TRUE,FALSE)}
Result: 0.5
You can see how the formula look in the images below.
The value in cell D2 returns the slope of 0.5 and the value in cell E2 returns the yintercept of 0.
This formula could also be written as follows (entering values instead of cell ranges):
=LINEST({2,3,5,7,10},{4,6,10,14,20},TRUE,FALSE)
Result: 0.5
The LINEST function can be written as an array formula. When creating your array
formula, you need to do the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enter the formulas in both cells D2 and E2
Highlight cells D2 and E2
Press F2 (in Windows) or CONTROL+U (on Mac)
Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter
This creates {} brackets around your formulas as follows:
{=LINEST({2,3,5,7,10},{4,6,10,14,20},TRUE,FALSE)}
Result: 0.5
MS EXCEL: PMT FUNCTION (WS, VBA)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel PMT function with syntax and
examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel PMT function returns the payment amount for a loan based on an
interest rate and a constant payment schedule.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the PMT function in Microsoft Excel is:
PMT( interest_rate, number_payments, PV, [FV], [Type] )
Parameters or Arguments
interest_rate
The interest rate for the loan.
number_payments
The number of payments for the loan.
PV
The present value or principal of the loan.
FV
Optional. It is the future value or the loan amount outstanding after all payments
have been made. If this parameter is omitted, it assumes a FV value of 0.
Type
Optional. It indicates when the payments are due. If the Type parameter is
omitted, it assumes a Type value of 0. Type can be one of the following values:
Value
Explanation
0
Payments are due at the end of the period. (default)
1
Payments are due at the beginning of the period.
APPLIES TO
The PMT function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel
2003, Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The PMT function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:


Worksheet function (WS)
VBA function (VBA)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some PMT examples and explore how to use the PMT function as a
worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
This first example returns the monthly payment on a $5,000 loan at an annual rate of
7.5%. The loan is paid off in 2 years (ie: 2 x 12). All payments are made at the beginning
of the period.
=PMT(7.5%/12, 2*12, 5000, 0, 1)
Result: -$223.60
This next example returns the weekly payment on a $8,000 loan at an annual rate of 6%.
The loan is paid off in 4 years (ie: 4 x 52). All payments are made at the end of the
period.
=PMT(6%/52, 4*52, 8000, 0, 0)
Result: -$43.28
This next example returns the annual payment on a $6,500 loan at an annual rate of
5.25%. The loan is paid off in 10 years (ie: 10 x 1). All payments are made at the end of
the period.
=PMT(5.25%/1, 10*1, 6500, 0, 0)
Result: -$852.03
This final example returns the monthly payment on a $5,000 loan at an annual rate of
8%. The loan is paid on for 3 years (ie: 3 x 12) with a remaining balance on the loan of
$1,000 after the 3 years. All payments are made at the end of the period.
=PMT(8%/12, 3*12, 5000, -1000, 0)
Result: -$132.01
MS EXCEL: SLN FUNCTION (WS, VBA)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel SLN function with syntax and
examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel SLN function returns the depreciation of an asset for a period based
on the straight-line depreciation method.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the SLN function in Microsoft Excel is:
SLN( cost, salvage, life )
Parameters or Arguments
cost
The original cost of the asset.
salvage
The salvage value after the asset has been fully depreciated.
life
The useful life of the asset or the number of periods that you will be depreciating
the asset.
APPLIES TO
The SLN function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel
2003, Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The SLN function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:


Worksheet function (WS)
VBA function (VBA)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some SLN examples and explore how to use the SLN function as a
worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
This first example returns the depreciation for an asset that costs $10,000, with a
salvage value of $5,000. The useful life of the asset is 5 years.
=SLN(10000, 5000, 5)
Result: $1,000.00
This next example returns the depreciation for an asset that costs $8,000, with a salvage
value of $0. The useful life of the asset is 7 years.
=SLN(8000, 0, 7)
Result: $1,142.86
EXAMPLE (AS VBA FUNCTION)
The SLN function can also be used in VBA code in Microsoft Excel.
Let's look at some Excel SLN function examples and explore how to use the SLN
function in Excel VBA code:
Dim LValue As Double
LValue = SLN(8000, 0, 7)
In this example, the variable called LValue would now contain the value of 1142.857143.
MS EXCEL: DATEDIF FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel DATEDIF function with syntax and
examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel DATEDIF function returns the difference between two date values,
based on the interval specified.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the DATEDIF function in Microsoft Excel is:
DATEDIF( start_date, end_date, interval )
Parameters or Arguments
start_date and end_date
The two dates to calculate the difference between.
interval
The interval of time to use to calculate the difference between date1 and date2.
Below is a list of valid interval values.
Interval
Explanation
Y
The number of complete years.
M
The number of complete months.
D
The number of days.
MD
The difference between the days (months and years are ignored).
YM
The difference between the months (days and years are ignored).
YD
The difference between the days (years and dates are ignored).
APPLIES TO
The DATEDIF function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2003, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The DATEDIF function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some Excel DATEDIF function examples and explore how to use the
DATEDIF function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, the following DATEDIF examples would return:
=DATEDIF(A1, A2, "Y")
Result: 1
=DATEDIF(A1, A3, "D")
Result: 455
=DATEDIF(A1, A3, "YD")
Result: 90
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Question: In Microsoft Excel, I have a cell that gives the result of someone's age using
this formula:
=DATEDIF(B5,TODAY(),"Y") & " "
The result works fine. I then want to take the answer and if the age is 11 or over, give a
result of 250. If the age is 10 and under, give the result 200.
I have tried using the IF formula, but it won't work on the cell with the DATEDIF formula
as a value. I can get the IF formula to work on blank cells if I put the age in manually as a
number but not if I use the result from the DATEDIF cell.
Answer: The first thing that I notice when looking at your formula is that you have two
components to your formula. The first part of your formula is the DATEDIF function:
=DATEDIF(B5,TODAY(),"Y")
And the second part of your formula, you are concatenating a space at the end of your
result:
& " "
This space at the end is probably what is causing your problem, as your formula is not
returning a pure number, but rather the age with a space concatenated at the end.
When you are testing your age with the IF function, make sure you don't include the
concatenated space within the IF formula itself.
You can try the following formula:
=IF(DATEDIF(B5,TODAY(),"Y")>=11,250,200) & " "
This formula will return either 250 or 200 depending on the age and then concatenate a
space at the end. Notice that the & " " is not included in the IF function itself.
Question: In Excel, I have an operating field which is cell C4. I need to know how to
return a zero (0) if the operating field is "blank."
I have the following formula:
=DATEDIF(C4,TODAY(), "y")
I will have occasions when the C4 data field will be blank, and in these cases, I need the
formula to return zero instead of 115. Please help!
Answer: You can use the ISBLANK function to test whether a cell value is blank as
follows:
=IF(ISBLANK(C4),0,(DATEDIF(C4,TODAY(),"y")))
This formula will return 0 if C4 is blank. Otherwise, it will return the DATEDIF calculation.
MS EXCEL: COVAR FUNCTION (WS)
This Excel tutorial explains how to use the Excel COVAR function with syntax and
examples.
DESCRIPTION
The Microsoft Excel COVAR function returns the covariance, the average of the products
of deviations for two data sets.
SYNTAX
The syntax for the COVAR function in Microsoft Excel is:
COVAR( array1, array2 )
Parameters or Arguments
array1
A range or array of integer values.
array2
A range or array of integer values.
APPLIES TO
The COVAR function can be used in the following versions of Microsoft Excel:

Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2011 for Mac, Excel 2010, Excel 2007, Excel
2003, Excel XP, Excel 2000
TYPE OF EXCEL FUNCTION
The COVAR function can be used in Microsoft Excel as the following type of function:

Worksheet function (WS)
EXAMPLE (AS WORKSHEET FUNCTION)
Let's look at some Excel COVAR function examples and explore how to use the COVAR
function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
=COVAR({1,2;3,4}, {5,6;7,8})
Result: 1.25
The above example would return 1.25.
You could also reference ranges in Excel.
Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, you could enter the following formula:
=COVAR(A1:B2, D1:E2)
Result: 1.25
This would also return the value 1.25.