EXCEL FUNCTIONS - CAT GR12 NOTES

Date Functions:

Examples of date functions:

TODAY(): Returns the current date.

DATE(year, month, day): Returns a date based on the given year, month, and day
values.

YEAR(date): Extracts the year from a given date.

Usage example: Calculate the age of a person using the birth date and the TODAY() function.

Question 1: How can you extract the year from a date in Excel?

Answer: You can use the "YEAR" function. For example, to extract the year from cell A1, use
"=YEAR(A1)".

Question 2: How can you determine the number of days between two dates in Excel?

Answer: You can use the "DAYS" function. For example, to find the number of days between
dates in cells A1 and B1, use "=DAYS(B1, A1)".

Question 3: How do you calculate the current date in Excel?

Answer: You can use the "TODAY" function. Simply enter "=TODAY()" to display the current
date.

Time Functions:

Examples of time functions:

NOW(): Returns the current date and time.

HOUR(time): Extracts the hour from a given time.

MINUTE(time): Extracts the minute from a given time.

Usage example: Calculate the time difference between two events using the NOW() function.

Question 1: How can you add a specific number of hours to a time value in Excel?

Answer: You can use the "TIME" function. For example, to add 3 hours to time in cell A1, use
"=A1 + TIME(3, 0, 0)".

Question 2: How can you convert a time value to a specific format, like hours and minutes?

Answer: Use the "TEXT" function. For instance, to convert the time in cell A1 to hours and
minutes format, use "=TEXT(A1, "hh:mm")".

Question 3: How do you find the time difference between two time values in Excel?

Answer: You can simply subtract the earlier time from the later time. For example, to find the
time difference between times in cells A1 and B1, use "=B1 - A1".
CountIFs:

Example: Count the number of students who scored above 80 in a math test.

Usage: COUNTIFS(range, criteria) function is used to count cells that meet multiple criteria.

Question 1: How do you count the number of cells in a range that meet multiple conditions in Excel?

Answer: You can use the "COUNTIFS" function. For example, to count the cells in range
A1:A10 that meet conditions in range B1:B10, use "=COUNTIFS(B1:B10, ">50",
B1:B10, "<100")".

Question 2: How can you count the occurrences of a specific text in a range in Excel?

Answer: Use the "COUNTIFS" function. To count the occurrences of "Apple" in cells A1:A10,
use "=COUNTIFS(A1:A10, "Apple")".

Question 3: How can you count the cells in a range that contain numbers greater than a specific value
in Excel?

Answer: You can use the "COUNTIF" function. For example, to count the cells in range
A1:A10 that are greater than 50, use "=COUNTIF(A1:A10, ">50")".

SumIFs:

Example: Calculate the total sales of a specific product.

Usage: SUMIFS(sum_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2], ...) function

is used to sum cells that meet multiple criteria.

Question 1: How can you sum values in a range based on multiple conditions in Excel?

Answer: You can use the "SUMIFS" function. For example, to sum the values in range B1:B10
based on conditions in range A1:A10, use "=SUMIFS(B1:B10, A1:A10, ">50", A1:A10,
"<100")".

Question 2: How do you sum values in a range that meet a specific criterion in Excel?

Answer: Use the "SUMIF" function. For instance, to sum values in range A1:A10 that are
equal to 5, use "=SUMIF(A1:A10, 5)".

Question 3: Can you sum values in a range based on cell color in Excel?

Answer: No, the SUMIF(S) functions cannot directly consider cell color as a criterion for
summing values. They only work with cell values or conditions.

Nested IF Statement:

Example: Assign grades based on the score of a test.

Usage: The nested IF statement allows you to test multiple conditions and return different
results based on these conditions.
Question 1: How can you use a nested IF statement to categorize exam scores into different grades in
Excel?

Answer: For example: "=IF(A1>=90, "A", IF(A1>=80, "B", IF(A1>=70, "C", "D")))". This will
categorize scores in cell A1 into A, B, C, or D based on the ranges.

Question 2: Can you use multiple nested IF statements in a single cell?

Answer: Yes, you can nest multiple IF statements within each other to handle complex
decision-making scenarios.

Question 3: What are the limitations of using a deeply nested IF statement in Excel?

Answer: Using too many nested IF statements can make the formula hard to read and
maintain. Additionally, Excel has a limit on the number of nested functions that can
be used.

VLOOKUP:

Example: Find the price of an item based on its code.

Usage: VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup]) function is

used to find a value in a table based on a lookup value.

Question 1: How can you use VLOOKUP to find a specific value in a table in Excel?

Answer: Use the "VLOOKUP" function. For example, to find the salary of an employee with ID
"101" in a table, use "=VLOOKUP(101, A1:B10, 2, FALSE)".

Question 2: What happens if the lookup value is not found in the VLOOKUP function?

Answer: If the lookup value is not found, VLOOKUP returns an "N/A" error. You can handle
this using "IFERROR" function to display a custom message instead.

Question 3: Can VLOOKUP search for values to the left of the lookup column?

Answer: No, VLOOKUP can only search for values to the right of the lookup column. To search
for values on the left, use HLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH.

HLOOKUP:

Example: Find the sales data of a specific product from a table.

Usage: HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num, [range_lookup]) function is

used to find a value in a table based on a lookup value in the topmost row.

Question 1: How does HLOOKUP differ from VLOOKUP in Excel?

Answer: HLOOKUP searches for a value in the first row of a table and returns a value from
the corresponding column below. VLOOKUP searches for a value in the first column
and returns a value from the corresponding row to the right.

Question 2: Can you use HLOOKUP to find values in multiple rows simultaneously?

Answer: No, HLOOKUP can only search in a single row of data at a time.
Question 3: How can you handle errors when using HLOOKUP?

Answer: You can use the "IFERROR" function to handle errors in the HLOOKUP formula and
display a custom message or value when a lookup value is not found.

Text Functions:

Examples of text functions:

MID(text, start_num, num_chars): Extracts a specific number of characters

from a text string, starting at a specified
position.

LEFT(text, num_chars): Extracts a specific number of characters

from the beginning of a text string.

RIGHT(text, num_chars): Extracts a specific number of characters

from the end of a text string.

CONCATENATE(text1, text2, ...): Combines multiple text strings into one.

LEN(text): Returns the number of characters in a text

string.

UPPER(text): Converts a text string to all uppercase.

LOWER(text): Converts a text string to all lowercase.

FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num]): Finds the position of a substring within a

text string.

VALUE(text): Converts a text representation of a number

into an actual number.

Question 1: How can you extract a specific number of characters from the middle of a text string in
Excel?

Answer: Use the "MID" function. For instance, to extract 3 characters from the middle of cell
A1, use "=MID(A1, (LEN(A1)/2)-1, 3)".

Question 2: How do you concatenate two text strings in Excel?

Answer: Use the "&" operator or the "CONCATENATE" function. For example, "=A1 & " " &
B1" or "=CONCATENATE(A1, " ", B1)".

Question 3: Can you convert a text string to uppercase directly in Excel?

Answer: Yes, you can use the "UPPER" function. For example, "=UPPER(A1)" will convert the
text in cell A1 to uppercase.