Mastering 10 Best Excel Formulas: A Comprehensive Tutorial

Excel, a powerful tool used worldwide, is known for its vast capabilities, one of which is the use of formulas. This Excel formulas tutorial aims to guide you through the process of using Excel formulas effectively.

Getting Started with Excel Formulas

Excel formulas are the building blocks for performing calculations on data. To start, select a cell and type an equal sign (=). This signals Excel that you’re about to enter a formula. For instance, to add the values of cell A1 and A2, you would type =A1+A2 in the cell where you want the result to appear.

The SUM Function 

First and th most Excel formula tutrorial. The SUM function is one of the most commonly used functions in Excel. It calculates the sum of a range of cells. For example, to calculate the sum of cells from A1 to A2, you would enter =SUM(A1:A2).

The COUNTIF Function

The COUNTIF function is another useful tool in Excel. It counts the number of cells within a range that meet a specific criterion. For instance, to count the number of cells in a range A1:C2 that contain values greater than 5, you would enter =COUNTIF(A1:C2, ">5").

The IF Function

The IF function is a logical function that returns one value if a condition is true and another value if it’s false. For example, to check if the value in cell A1 is greater than 5 and return “Yes” if it’s true and “No” if it’s false, you would enter =IF(A1>5, "Yes", "No").

The VLOOKUP Function

The VLOOKUP function is a powerful Excel function that allows you to look for a specific value in one column of data and return a value from a different column in the same row. For example, if you have a list of products with their prices and you want to find the price of a specific product, you would use the VLOOKUP function. Assuming the product names are in column A and the prices are in column B, and you’re looking for the price of the product in cell D1, you would enter =VLOOKUP(D1, A:B, 2, FALSE).

The CONCATENATE Function

The CONCATENATE function is used to join two or more text strings into one text string. For example, to join the contents of cell A1 and B1 with a space in between, you would enter =CONCATENATE(A1, " ", B1).

The NOW Function

The NOW function returns the current date and time. This function takes no arguments and is entered as =NOW(). The value returned by the NOW function updates each time the worksheet is recalculated.

More Excel Functions to Explore

Excel offers a plethora of functions to perform various calculations and data manipulations. Here are a few more you might find useful:

• Subtract: To subtract one cell from another, use the minus (-) operator. For example, =A2-A1.
• Multiply: Use the asterisk (*) operator to multiply cells. For example, =A1*A2.
• Divide: The forward slash (/) operator is used for division. For example, =A2/A1.
• Average: The AVERAGE function calculates the average of a range of cells. For example, =AVERAGE(A1:A2).
• Max: The MAX function returns the largest value in a set of values. For example, =MAX(A1:A2).
• Min: The MIN function returns the smallest value in a set of values. For example, =MIN(A1:A2).

Final Thoughts of Excel Formulas Tutorial

Mastering Excel formulas can save you a significant amount of time and make your data analysis more efficient. This Excel formulas tutorial covers the basics, but there’s a lot more to learn. Don’t hesitate to explore other functions and experiment with different formulas to get the most out of Excel.

There is more detailed Youtube video of Excel formulas tutorial.