Best Excel Formulas: Part 1(1-10): Essential Excel Formulas to change how you work FOREVER!
Top Excel Functions
In today’s data-driven world, proficiency in Excel is a highly sought-after skill across many professions. With its vast array of functions, Excel can help you manipulate and analyze data efficiently, making it an indispensable tool for decision-making processes. This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide to ten essential Excel functions: SUM, COUNT, COUNTIF, SUMIF, COUNTIFS, SUMIFS, MIN, MAX, AVERAGE, VLOOKUP, and the logical functions IF, AND, and OR.
These functions are the building blocks for data analysis in Excel. They allow you to perform tasks ranging from simple calculations, such as summing a column of numbers (SUM), to more complex operations, like retrieving data based on specific criteria (VLOOKUP) or performing calculations based on logical conditions (IF, AND, OR).
Understanding these functions can help you unlock the full potential of Excel, enabling you to analyze large datasets, make data-driven decisions, and save time on routine tasks. Whether you’re a student, a business analyst, a researcher, or anyone who deals with data, mastering these best Excel formulas can significantly enhance your productivity and data analysis capabilities.
SUM Function
The SUM function is used to add or sum up the values in a specific range of cells. It’s a basic function that’s essential for performing calculations, so makes our list of the best Excel formulas.
COUNT and COUNTIF Functions
The COUNT function counts the number of values in a given range. The COUNTIF function, on the other hand, counts values based on specific criteria. For example, you could use COUNTIF to count the number of orders where the number of items is greater than 10.
SUMIF Function
The SUMIF function sums the values that meet the specified criteria. For instance, you could sum all the orders where the shipping is greater than twenty dollars.
COUNTIFS and SUMIFS Functions
The COUNTIFS and SUMIFS functions allow for multiple criteria. For example, you could count the number of orders that are greater than or equal to a hundred for each region using COUNTIFS. Similarly, you could sum the total sales that meet two pieces of criteria, such as the region and the number of orders, using SUMIFS.
MIN and MAX Functions
The MIN and MAX functions return the lowest and highest value in a range of cells, respectively. They are useful for quickly identifying the minimum and maximum values in a dataset.
AVERAGE Function
The AVERAGE function calculates the average of the values in the selected cell range. It’s useful for finding the average amount of sales for a specific period.
VLOOKUP Function
The VLOOKUP function in Excel is used for looking up and retrieving data from a specific column in a table. It’s useful when you need to find specific data in a large dataset.
IF Function
The IF function is used to perform conditional tests on values. It can be combined with COUNT and SUM functions to perform more complex calculations based on specific conditions.
AND and OR Functions
The AND and OR functions allow you to perform multiple logical tests at once. For example, you could use the AND function to check if a student has passed both tests and the OR function to check if a student has passed either of the tests.
A Final Note: Autofill and Relative Referencing
After wrapping up our best Excel formulas, there are a couple of very useful formula-related features of Excel. One very useful feature of Excel is autofill. This feature allows quick copying of formulas down a column. Another key and related feature is relative cell referencing. Excel will automatically adjust cell references when a formula is copied. This feature is crucial for maintaining the correct relationships between cells when copying formulas or when cells, rows, and columns are updated or changed.
Also read:
How to Make a Flowchart in PowerPoint
How to Link Excel to PowerPoint
How to Add Slide Numbers in PowerPoint
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Simon Sez IT has been teaching Excel and other business software for over ten years. You can access 160+ IT training courses for a low monthly fee.
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