Why Everyone Should Know Basic Excel Formulas?
Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool that helps manage data, perform calculations, and analyses information. Whether you're a student, business professional, or casual user, knowing the basic formulas in Excel can make your tasks much easier.
1. SUM() – Add Numbers
Purpose: The SUM function is one of the most commonly used and essential formulas in Excel. It helps you add numbers quickly and accurately, saving time compared to manual calculation.
Example:
If A1 = 10, A2 = 15, A3 = 5 → =SUM (A1:A3) returns 30
2. COUNT() – Count Numbers
Purpose: In Excel, counting data accurately is just as important as calculating totals. Whether you’re tracking sales entries, checking how many students submitted assignments, or counting the number of numeric values in a column, the COUNT function is your go-to tool.
If C1 = 5, C2 = “Apple”, C3 = 10 → =COUNT(C1:C3) returns 2 (only numbers are counted).
3. COUNTA() – Count Non-Empty Cells
Purpose: When you're working with Excel data, sometimes you need more than just counting numbers — you want to count everything that isn’t blank. That’s where Excel’s COUNTA function comes in.
Example:
If A1
= “Excel”, A2 = 15, A3 = “” → =COUNTA(A1:A3) returns 2.
4. AVERAGE() FIND THE MEAN
Purpose: One of the most fundamental functions in Excel is the AVERAGE function, used to calculate the arithmetic mean of a group of numbers. Whether you're analyzing sales, exam scores, or budgets, the AVERAGE function makes it easy to summarize data with just a few clicks.
Example:
If C1 = 20, C2 = 10, C3 = 30 → =AVERAGE (C1:C3) returns 20.
5. IF() LOGICAL TEST
Purpose: One of the most powerful and widely used functions in Excel is the IF formula. It allows you to make logical comparisons and return different results depending on whether a condition is TRUE or FALSE. Think of it as Excel's version of "if this, then that."
Example:
If B1 >= 100 → returns “Profit”; if B1 <100 → returns “Loss”.
6. MIN() and MAX() – Find Smallest/Largest Value
Purpose: When working with numbers in Excel, you often need to identify the highest or lowest values in a dataset. That’s where the MIN and MAX functions come in handy. These simple yet powerful functions are essential for data analysis, reporting, and decision-making.
If D1 to D5 = 10, 20, 34, 14, 11 → =MIN(D1:D5) = 10, =MAX(B1:B5) = 34
7. NOW() – Insert Current Date and Time
Purpose: Have you ever needed Excel to show you the current date and time, updated in real time? That’s exactly what the NOW function is designed to do! Whether you're tracking timestamps, deadlines, or real-time updates, the NOW() function is your go-to solution.
if B1 = Now() return value =
8. TODAY() – Insert Current Date Only
Purpose: If you need to display the current date in your Excel sheet — and keep it automatically updated — the TODAY function is your best friend. It’s widely used in reports, dashboards, attendance sheets, and anywhere else date tracking is needed.
if B1 = Today() return value =
9. CONCAT() OR CONCATENATE() - Join Text Strings
Example:
If B1 = “Excel”, C1 = “Formulas” → Result in D1 = “Excel Formulas”
10. TRIM() – Remove Extra Spaces
If B1 = " Hello World " → returns in C1 "Hello World"
These basic Excel formulas are just the tip of the iceberg. Mastering them will help you manage data more efficiently and build a strong foundation for advanced Excel skills like VLOOKUP, INDEX & MATCH, conditional formatting, and pivot tables.
Start practicing with these basics today — and watch your productivity skyrocket!
Thank you for taking the time to explore this blog on basic Excel formulas. I hope it helped you understand how powerful and easy Excel can be when you know the right tools.
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Happy learning and see you in the next post!