Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for organizing and analyzing data. It is widely used in businesses, schools, and homes. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced user, mastering the basic formulas of Excel is essential to increase productivity and efficiency. In this article, we will discuss 15 basic Excel formulas that you must master.
1. SUM
The SUM formula is used to add up a range of cells. To use the SUM formula, select the cell where you want the total to appear and type =SUM( followed by the range of cells you want to add up, separated by commas, and ended with a ).
2. AVERAGE
The AVERAGE formula is used to calculate the average of a range of cells. To use the AVERAGE formula, select the cell where you want the average to appear and type =AVERAGE( followed by the range of cells you want to average, separated by commas, and ended with a ).
3. MAX
The MAX formula is used to find the highest value in a range of cells. To use the MAX formula, select the cell where you want the highest value to appear and type =MAX( followed by the range of cells you want to find the highest value, separated by commas, and ended with a ).
4. MIN
The MIN formula is used to find the lowest value in a range of cells. To use the MIN formula, select the cell where you want the lowest value to appear and type =MIN( followed by the range of cells you want to find the lowest value, separated by commas, and ended with a ).
5. COUNT
The COUNT formula is used to count the number of cells that contain numbers in a range of cells. To use the COUNT formula, select the cell where you want the count to appear and type =COUNT( followed by the range of cells you want to count, separated by commas, and ended with a ).
6. IF
The IF formula is used to test a condition and return one value if the condition is true and another value if the condition is false. To use the IF formula, select the cell where you want the result to appear and type =IF( followed by the condition, followed by the value if the condition is true, followed by the value if the condition is false, and ended with a ).
7. CONCATENATE
The CONCATENATE formula is used to join two or more cells into one cell. To use the CONCATENATE formula, select the cell where you want the result to appear and type =CONCATENATE( followed by the cells you want to join, separated by commas, and ended with a ).
8. LEFT
The LEFT formula is used to extract a specified number of characters from the beginning of a cell. To use the LEFT formula, select the cell where you want the result to appear and type =LEFT( followed by the cell you want to extract from, followed by the number of characters you want to extract, and ended with a ).
9. RIGHT
The RIGHT formula is used to extract a specified number of characters from the end of a cell. To use the RIGHT formula, select the cell where you want the result to appear and type =RIGHT( followed by the cell you want to extract from, followed by the number of characters you want to extract, and ended with a ).
10. LEN
The LEN formula is used to count the number of characters in a cell. To use the LEN formula, select the cell where you want the count to appear and type =LEN( followed by the cell you want to count, and ended with a ).
11. TRIM
The TRIM formula is used to remove extra spaces from a cell. To use the TRIM formula, select the cell where you want the result to appear and type =TRIM( followed by the cell you want to remove spaces from, and ended with a ).
12. ROUND
The ROUND formula is used to round a number to a specified number of decimal places. To use the ROUND formula, select the cell where you want the rounded number to appear and type =ROUND( followed by the number you want to round, followed by the number of decimal places you want to round to, and ended with a ).
13. TODAY
The TODAY formula is used to insert the current date into a cell. To use the TODAY formula, select the cell where you want the date to appear and type =TODAY( and ended with a ).
14. NOW
The NOW formula is used to insert the current date and time into a cell. To use the NOW formula, select the cell where you want the date and time to appear and type =NOW( and ended with a ).
15. VLOOKUP
The VLOOKUP formula is used to search for a value in a table and return a corresponding value from the same row. To use the VLOOKUP formula, select the cell where you want the result to appear and type =VLOOKUP( followed by the value you want to search for, followed by the range of cells where the table is located, followed by the column number where the corresponding value is located, followed by a 0 for an exact match or a 1 for an approximate match, and ended with a ).
Mastering these 15 basic Excel formulas will make your life easier and more productive. Happy spreadsheeting!
