Excel Functions

Click on a link to see the associated Excel functions

• Intro
• Numeric
• String/Text
• Boolean
• Date and Time
• Table
• Level 1
• Level 1 and 2
• All

Level 1 Functions

AVERAGE

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =AVERAGE(range)
• Example: =AVERAGE(A1:A5)

This returns the average for the numeric values in the range. Non-numeric values are ignored. Excel will display up to 10 digits of the result. AVERAGE is often used with a rounding function, like ROUND, CEILING, or FLOOR.

COUNT

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =COUNT(range of numeric values)
• Example: =COUNT(A1:A5)

This function counts the number of cells in a range that have numeric values, and ignores all non-numeric values in the range (ex: cells with text are ignored). To count cells that also have non-numeric values, use the COUNTA function

EVEN

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =EVEN(number)
• Example: =EVEN(A1)

Rounds up to the next even number.

INT

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =INT(number)
• Example: =INT(A1)

Rounds down to the nearest integer (everything after the decimal point is dropped). Use ROUND to round to the nearest integer (up or down).

LEFT

• Category: string
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =LEFT(string, number of characters)
• Example: =LEFT(A1, 3)

This returns the given of characters from the string, starting from the left. For example, if cell A1 has "The quick brown fox" and the formula is =LEFT(A1,7), this returns "The qui" (the first 7 characters from the left end). Note that the space counts as a character.

LEN

• Category: string
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =LEN(string)
• Example: =LEN(A1)

This returns the number of characters in the string, including spaces. The total number of characters in a string is often referred to as the "string length" (and it's unrelated to the amount of space it actually takes up on the screen or printed on paper).

MAX

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =MAX(range)
• Example: =MAX(A1:A5)

This function returns the highest numeric value in the range. It ignores all non-numeric values.

MIN

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =MIN(range)
• Example: =MIN(A1:A5)

Returns the lowest numeric value in the range. It ignores non-numeric values.

NOW

• Category: date_time
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =NOW()
• Example: =NOW()

This function returns the current time, using the computer system's time.

This function has no parameters. See the TODAY function for the equivalent function for the date.

ODD

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =ODD(number)
• Example: =ODD(A1)

Rounds up to the next odd number

RIGHT

• Category: string
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =RIGHT(string,number of characters)
• Example: =RIGHT(A1,7)

This returns the given of characters from the string, starting from the right. For example, if cell A1 has "The quick brown fox" and the formula is =RIGHT(A1,7), this returns "The qui" (the first 7 characters from the left end). Note that the space counts as a character.

ROUND

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =(number to round, number of digits)
• Example: =(A1, 2)

Round always rounds to the nearest integer. To make it round up, use CEILING; to make it round down use FLOOR. A positive number is the number of decimal places, a negative number is tens, hundreds, etc., and 0 rounds to the nearest integer.

ROUNDDOWN

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =ROUNDDOWN(number, number of significant digits)
• Example: =ROUNDDOWN(A1, 2)

Rounds down to the nearest significant digit. For example, =ROUNDDOWN(14.9,0) returns 14. See ROUNDUP to round up.

ROUNDUP

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =ROUNDUP(number, number of significant digits)
• Example: =ROUNDUP(A1, 2)

This function works like ROUND, but always rounds up to the nearest significant digit. For example, =ROUNDUP(32.2,0) rounds up to 33. See ROUNDDOWN to round down

SUM

• Category: numeric
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =SUM(range or set of values)
• Example: =SUM(A1,A2,A3)

This adds together all the values or the range of cells provided. Non-numeric values are treated as zero. You can provide a list of values separated by commas (ex: A1, A2, C4, 45, B3), or a range of values (ex: A1:C5)

TODAY

• Category: date_time
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =TODAY()
• Example: =TODAY()

This function returns the current day, using the computer system's time.

This function has no parameters. See the NOW function for the equivalent function for the time.

TRIM

• Category: string
• User level: 1
• Syntax: =TRIM(string)
• Example: =TRIM(A1)

This removes leading and trailing whitespace from the string, meaning it removes any spaces at the beginning or the end of the text. Whitespace includes the ordinary space created by space bar to put between words, but there are other kinds of whitespace (paragraphs, non-break characters, etc.). Leading and trailing spaces are usually ugly, or annoying, or just take up space, so it's a common practice to clean up the whitespace. Note that this does not remove "extra" whitespace from the inside of the string; see SUBSTITUTE for that.