DU403 – Educational Technology

Being able to work with Excel Formulas can take your experience with the program to a new
level. Formulas are the basic foundation of Excel. Formulas are the ways you can calculate cells,
numbers, etc. in your workbooks.
The basic formulas are this manual covers are: the “MIN” function, the “MAX” function, the
“SUM” function, the “AVERAGE” function, the “COUNT” function, the “IF” function, the
“VLOOKUP” function, the “ROUND” function, the “ROUNDUP” function, the
“ROUNDDOWN” function, the “INT” function.

Ø Formula Operations:

Formula Operations
Symbol Operation Example
+ Addition =A1+B1 or =5-4
- Subtraction =F6-C6 or =7-4
* Multiplication =B4*F9 or =8*9
/ Division =L8/G6 or =18/6
^ Exponent =H4^L5 or =A6^3 or =2^3
% Percent =G6*10/100

Ø Order of Operations

Parentheses =1+1(2+2)
(Everything in
Parentheses)
Percent =1+1/20%
Exponent =1+1*2^3
Division/Multiplication =1+1+2*3
Addition/Subtraction =1+1

Note:
To restrict the value of a cell to a number range, go to:
Data à Data Validation à Settings à Allow à Whole Number à Choose Minimum
and Maximum

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1. The MIN Function:

The Excel MIN function returns the smallest numeric value in a range of values. The MIN
function ignores empty cells, the logical values TRUE and FALSE, and text values.

Syntax
=MIN (number1, [number2], ...)

Arguments
number1 - Number, reference to numeric value, or range that contains numeric values.
number2 - [optional] Number, reference to numeric value, or range that contains numeric
values.

2. The MAX Function:

The Excel MAX function returns the largest numeric value in a range of values. The MAX
function ignores empty cells, the logical values TRUE and FALSE, and text values.

Syntax
=MAX (number1, [number2], ...)

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Arguments
number1 - Number, reference to numeric value, or range that contains numeric values.
number2 - [optional] Number, reference to numeric value, or range that contains numeric
values.

3. The SUM Function:

The Excel SUM function will allow you to calculate the sum of any number of cells of a
row or a column. There are various ways in which you can use this formula according to
the data that you want to sum.

Syntax
=SUM (number1, [number2], [number3], ...)

Arguments
number1 - The first value to sum.
number2 - [optional] The second value to sum.
number3 - [optional] The third value to sum.

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In case you simply want to sum two numbers you can write the sum function as:
=SUM(3,3). This will give you the value 6 in the cell in which you wrote this formula.

Now, in case you want to add numbers of a particular

range then use the sum function as: =SUM(F5:F10).
This function will add up all the cell values of column
F from 5th row to the 10th row and put the answer in
the associated cell.

Another way of using this function is as shown in the

illustration. In this example, you would get the sum of
cells from C5 to D7 in the cell F12. Thus on pressing
the enter key you would get the result 141 in the cell
F12. This is the most widely used function in excel and
helps you in finding the sum of lots of numbers very
easily. Thus, this forms the first function of our essential excel formulas list.

Tip 1: By going on Home Tab, Click on AutoSum at the Right hand side

Tip 2: By going in the Formula Bar

Tip 3: By applying the SUM Formula Directly

With these Three tips you can quickly SUM a Column and even Row of Numbers. All you
have to do is, select the cell next to the numbers you wish to SUM.

4. The AVERAGE Function:

The Excel AVERAGE function helps you

find the average of a range of numbers.
Normally one would first sum the numbers
and then divide it with the number of entities
but this function cuts down your work
drastically. You just need to write the average
function and put in the range for which you
want to get the average and with one tap of the
enter key, your average will be computed.

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Syntax
=AVERAGE (number1, [number2], ...)

Arguments
number1 - A number or cell reference that refers to numeric values.
number2 - [optional] A number or cell reference that refers to numeric values.

The function can be applied to two numbers or a range just as the “SUM” function is
applied.
For example: =AVERAGE(D5:D8) will compute the average of the values of the column
D from the 5th to the 8th row.

Tip 1: By going on Home Tab, Click on AutoSum then click on Average at the Right hand
side.
Tip 2: By going in the Formulas Bar.

Tip 3: By applying the Average Formula Directly.

Note:
When applying the SUM and/ or the AVERAGE function for different numbers, you must
take into consideration the percentage of each number.
E.g.: =AVERAGE(B6*0.2, A5*0.5)

5. The COUNT Function:

The Excel COUNT function helps you in

finding out the exact number of cells in a range
which have numbers in them. This function
works with numerical values and counts only
those cells which have a numerical value in them
and ignores the other cells.

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Syntax
=COUNT (value1, [value2], ...)

Arguments
value1 - An item, cell reference, or range.
value2 - [optional] An item, cell reference, or range.

The count function can also be used on a set of values that you manually enter or on a range
of values that you select from the sheet, just like the sum and the average function.

For example: =COUNT(3,4,5) will give the output as 3. In case you select a range from
the data in the sheet, it will ignore the cells having any non-numerical element and give
the count of the ones having numbers only.

6. The IF Function:

There can be many types of conditions and

different operations to be performed
depending upon whether the condition is true
or false. We might have a large amount of
data and using conditional statements would
help in implementing a lot of operations
differently in different cases.

The Excel IF Function is considered to be

good to perform a Logical Test. And then
this Function of Excel returns one Value for
true Results and the other Value for False.
To bring out the information of Truth and
False depending upon the Parameter put
forward in the variable Box.

Syntax
=IF (logical_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])
(IF(condition, return this if the condition is true, return this if statement is false))

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Arguments
logical_test - A value or logical expression that can be evaluated as TRUE or FALSE.
value_if_true - [optional] The value to return when logical_test evaluates to TRUE.
value_if_false - [optional] The value to return when logical_test evaluates to FALSE.
The syntax of this formula is as follows:

Example:
IF(G6>G8,“you have a good score”,“you have a bad score”).

Note:
When you are Constructing test with IF Formula, You can use any of the following Logical
operators

Usage notes
Comparison Operator Meaning
= Equal to
<> Not equal to
> Greater than
< Less than
>= Greater than or equal to
<= Less than or equal to

7. The VLOOKUP Function

The Excel function VLOOKUP is a function to look up and retrieve data from a specific
column in table. "V" stands for "vertical".
VLOOKUP Function is used when there is a large set of Data. It becomes difficult to
look out for any kind of information that has been missing. In order to pull out the piece of
Information that you’ve been looking for, you can use the VLOOKUP Function.
VLOOKUP will look out and pick up the exact piece of Information from the large
segment of Data. And this Data is automatically picked and Put in the newly built Table.

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Syntax
=VLOOKUP (value, table, col_index, [range_lookup])

Arguments
value - The value to look for in the first column of a table.
table - The table from which to retrieve a value.
col_index - The column in the table from which to retrieve a value.
range_lookup - [optional] TRUE = approximate match (default). FALSE = exact match.

Note:
The drop-down list is needed sometimes for using the VLOOKUP function.
Go to: Data à Data validation à Settings à Allow à List à Source (must be a column
or a row in an excel sheet)

8. The ROUND Function

The Excel ROUND function returns a number rounded to a given number of digits. The
ROUND function can round to the right or left of the decimal point.

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Syntax
=ROUND (number, num_digits)

Arguments
number - The number to round.
num_digits - The number of digits to which number should be rounded.

Usage notes
- If num_digits is greater than 0 (zero), then number is rounded to the specified number
of decimal places.
- If num_digits is 0, the number is rounded to the nearest integer.

- If num_digits is less than 0, the number is rounded to the left of the decimal point.

Example:

Formula Description Result

=ROUND(2.15, 1) Rounds 2.15 to one decimal place 2.2
=ROUND(2.149, 1) Rounds 2.149 to one decimal place 2.1
=ROUND(-1.475, 2) Rounds -1.475 to two decimal places -1.48
=ROUND(21.5, -1) Rounds 21.5 to one decimal place to the left 20
of the decimal point
=ROUND(626.3,-3) Rounds 626.3 to the nearest multiple of 1000 1000
=ROUND(1.98,-1) Rounds 1.98 to the nearest multiple of 10 0
=ROUND(-50.55,-2) Rounds -50.55 to the nearest multiple of 100

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Note:
- To always round up (away from zero), use the ROUNDUP function.
- To always round down (toward zero), use the ROUNDDOWN function.
- To round a number to a specific multiple (for example, to round to the nearest 0.5), use
the MROUND function.

9. The ROUNDUP Function

The Excel ROUNDUP function returns a number rounded up to a given number of

decimal places. Unlike standard rounding, where numbers less than 5 are rounded
down, ROUNDUP rounds all numbers up.

Syntax
=ROUNDUP (number, num_digits)

Arguments
number - The number to round up.
num_digits - The number of digits to which number should be rounded up.

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Usage notes

The ROUNDUP function works like the ROUND function, except the ROUNDUP
function will always round numbers up. The number of places to round to is controlled by
the num_digits argument. Positive numbers round to the right of the decimal point,
negative numbers round to the left, and zero rounds to the nearest 1.
The table below summarizes this behavior:
Digits Behavior
>0 Round up to nearest .1, .01, .001, etc.
<0 Round up to nearest 10, 100, 1000, etc.
=0 Round up to nearest 1

10. The ROUNDOWN Function:

The Excel ROUNDDOWN function returns a number rounded down to a given number
of places. Unlike standard rounding, where only numbers less than 5 are rounded
down, ROUNDDOWN rounds all numbers down.

Syntax
=ROUNDDOWN (number, num_digits)

Arguments
number - The number to round down.
num_digits - The number of digits to which number should be rounded down.

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Usage notes
The ROUNDDOWN function works like the ROUND function, except the
ROUNDDOWN function will always round numbers down. The number of places to round
to is controlled by the num_digits argument. Positive numbers round to the right of the
decimal point, negative numbers round to the left, and zero rounds to the nearest 1.
The table below summarizes this behavior:

Digits Behavior
>0 Round down to nearest .1, .01, .001, etc.
<0 Round down to nearest 10, 100, 1000, etc.
=0 Round down to nearest 1

11. The INT Function:

The Excel INT function returns the integer part of a decimal number by rounding down to
the integer. Note the INT function rounds down, so negative numbers become more
negative. For example, while INT(10.8) returns 10, INT(-10.8) returns -11.

Syntax
=INT (number)

Arguments
number - The number from which you want an integer.

Usage notes
The INT function returns the integer part of a decimal number, after rounding down.

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