The 30 Functions You Need to Know Instructor: Md.

Rakibul Hoque

Excel Functions: The 30 Functions You Need to Know

What is an Excel function?
By definition, a function is a predefined formula in Excel which does calculations in the order
specified by its parameters.
A function has three (3) basic parts:
• Equals sign (=) – signals the start of a function
• Function name – a unique identifier which tells Excel which set of formulas you would like
to use
• Parameters or arguments – individual cells or ranges enclosed within parentheses; not all
functions need arguments
Now that you know the basics of an Excel function, you’re now ready for the 30 functions you need to
know.

Math, Statistics, and Financial Functions

1. SUM Function
The ‘SUM’ function is one of the first functions a new user learns.
Why? Because learning how to add numbers in Excel is one of the most fundamental skills you need
to learn.
Syntax:
=SUM(number1, [number2], …)
Parameters:
• ‘number1’, ‘number2’, – represents the addends or the values to be added
As you know, addition is an integral part of almost any calculation and task in Excel.

2. SUMIF and SUMIFS Functions

The ‘SUMIF’ and ‘SUMIFS’ functions are variations of the ‘SUM’ function with the addition of
the logical operator ‘IF’.
As their name implies, they add the values in a specified range only when the criteria are met.
The differences between the two are in the number of criteria you can specify.
• ‘SUMIF’: 1 criteria
• ‘SUMIFS’: Multiple criteria
Syntaxes:
=SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum_range])
=SUMIFS(sum_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2], …)
Parameters:
• ‘range’ – the range of cells to be evaluated by the criteria
• ‘criteria’ – a condition that must be met in the ‘range’ parameter
• ‘sum_range’ – optional; if omitted, the ‘sum_range’ will default to the same cells
specified in the ‘range’ parameter
• ‘criteria_range2’ – optional; a range of cells to be evaluated by ‘criteria2’
• ‘criteria2’ – a condition that must be met in the ‘criteria_range2’ parameter

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These functions are useful when dealing with large data sets and manual calculations are inefficient
and impractical.

3. AVERAGE Function
The ‘AVERAGE’ function is one of the basic tasks being done in Excel.
This function calculates the arithmetic mean of a set of numbers or the sum of the values divided by
the number of values.
Syntax:
=AVERAGE(number1, [number2]…)
Parameter:
• ‘number1’, ‘number2’ – the values or cell references you want to average
People use the averages every day, from school grades to statistics. It’s not surprising why the
‘average’ function is one of the most important functions in Excel you need to learn.

4. AVERAGEIF AND AVERAGEIFS Functions

The ‘AVERAGEIF’ and ‘AVERAGEIFS’ functions are like the ‘AVERAGE’ function, but with a more
capable punch.
These functions solve the problem of “what if I need to choose a specific subset of numbers to
average?”.
The ‘AVERAGEIF’ function gives you the average of the values in a specified range that meets the
criteria. If you need to specify multiple criteria, ‘AVERAGEIFS’ is what you use.
Syntaxes:
=AVERAGEIF(range, criteria, [average_range])
=AVERAGEIFS(average_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2], …)
‘AVERAGEIF’ Parameters:
• ‘range’ – a range of cells to be evaluated by the criteria
• ‘criteria’ – condition to be met which determines which cells to average
• ‘average_range’ – optional; if omitted, the ‘range’ becomes the ‘average_range’
‘AVERAGEIFS’ Parameters:
• ‘average_range’ – a range of cells to average
• ‘criteria_range1’, ‘criteria_range2’,.. – the ranges to be evaluated by the criteria
• ‘criteria1, criteria2’,.. – the conditions to be met by its associated range
These functions shine when you need to get averages from specifics sets in a range.

5. COUNT Function
Basically, the ‘COUNT’ function returns the number of cells that contain numbers.
It may seem rather rudimentary. But in actuality, this function is used in a lot of computations and
scenarios.
Syntax:
=COUNT(value1, [value2], …)
Parameter:
• ‘value1’, ‘value2’ – the items, cell reference, or ranges you want to count numbers
This function is used in many things like counting how many items there are in a list, counting specific
cases, and others.

6. COUNTIF and COUNTIFS Functions

But what if you only need to count a specific subset of cells?

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Here’s where the ‘COUNTIF’ and ‘COUNTIFS’ functions enter.

The ‘COUNTIF’ function lets you count cells in a range with only a single condition wherein
‘COUNTIFS’ let you count cells with multiple conditions.
Syntaxes:
=COUNTIF(range, criteria)
=COUNTIFS(criteria_range1, criteria1, [criteria_range2, criteria2]…)
‘COUNTIF’ Parameters:
• ‘range’ – a range of cells you want to count
• ‘criteria’ – condition to be evaluated on the range of cells to be counted
‘COUNTIFS’ Parameters
• ‘criteria_range1’ – a range of cells to evaluate against ‘criteria1’
• ‘criteria1’ – condition to bet met for ‘criteria_range1’
• ‘criteria_range2’ – a range of cells to evaluate against the associated criteria
• ‘criteria2’ – condition to be met for the associated range
These functions are useful in tasks like project management, sales inventory, order fulfillment, and
others.

7. SUMPRODUCT Function
The ‘SUMPRODUCT’ function is a powerful and useful function in Excel.
This function returns the sum of the product of two or more arrays.
Syntax:
=SUMPRODUCT(array1, [array2], [array3], …)
Parameter:
• ‘array1’, ‘array2’, ‘array3’ – the arrays that contain the values to be multiplied and the
products added
This is an important Excel function since this is used to calculate weighted averages as well
as simplify a lot of tasks like sales inventory.

8. RANDBETWEEN Function
Ever had the need to come up with random values between a specified minimum and maximum
values?
The ‘RANDBETWEEN’ function returns a random number within a range you specify.
Syntax:
=RANDBETWEEN(bottom, top)
Parameters:
• ‘bottom’ – minimum integer to return
• ‘top’ – maximum integer to return
You don’t know when you’ll need to generate random numbers in Excel. With this function,
there’s no need for you to get random numbers from websites or other tools.

9. INT Function
The ‘INT’ function is a rather simple Excel function with a single purpose:
Rounding a value down to the nearest integer.
Syntax:
=INT(number)
Parameter:

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• ‘number’ – represents the value or cell reference with the value you want to round down
Mostly, the ‘INT’ function is used to get the integer portion of a number.
One of the most common uses of this function is getting the age using the date of birth along with
‘TODAY’ and ‘YEARFRAC’ functions.

10. PMT Function

The ‘PMT’ function is one of Excel’s most useful financial functions.
In simple terms, this function, which stands for “Payment”, calculates the period loan
payment based on the following:
• Constant interest rate
• Number of payments
• Loan amount
Syntax:
=PMT(rate, nper, pv, [fv], [type])
Parameters:
• ‘rate’ – interest rate of the loan either in percentage or decimal number form
• ‘nper’ – number of payments or installments
• ‘pv’ – principal or present value; the total loan amount
• ‘fv’ – optional; represents the balance you like to remain after making the last payment; if
omitted, the default value is zero (0)
• ‘type’ – annuity type or when payments are due (beginning or end of period)
This function may look a bit advanced but it’s actually easy to learn and use.
With combinations of different functions, you’ll be able to create an automated loan payment
calculator in Excel.

Text Functions
11. FIND and SEARCH Functions
The ‘FIND’ and ‘SEARCH’ functions, as you might have guessed, are actually similar.
Both return a number that represents the starting position of the string you are looking for in
another string.
But they’re not the same. Here are two (2) notable differences they have against each other:
• You can use wildcards (asterisk, question mark, and tilde) with ‘SEARCH’ but not with
‘FIND’.
• ‘FIND’ is case sensitive while ‘SEARCH’ is not.
Syntaxes:
=FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num])
=SEARCH(find_text, within_text, [start_num])
Parameters:
• ‘find_text’ – text/string you’re looking for
• ‘within_text’ – the text or location you want to look in
• ‘start_num’ – optional; represents the position you want to start looking; if omitted, the
search starts from the beginning
The secret to knowing when to use either lies in your analytical and creative thinking.

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12. CONCATENATE Function

To concatenate is to join or link things together.
That’s what the ‘CONCATENATE’ function does — combine the contents of different cells into a single
cell.
This function is a simpler version of Excel’s ‘TEXTJOIN’ function.
Syntax:
=CONCATENATE(text1, [text2], …)
Parameter:
• ‘text1’, ‘text2’ – the text value, number, or cell reference to join (up to 255 items with a
total of 8,192 characters)
Learning how to use this function is can save you a great deal of time. There’s no need to re-type every
single word you need on the sheet.

13. LEN Function

The ‘LEN’ function is actually one of the most useful ‘little’ function in Excel.
All this function does is return the length (number of characters) of a string in a cell.
Syntax:
=LEN(text)
Parameter:
• ‘text’ – the string you want to count the number of characters
This function, especially when used with the ‘LEFT’, ‘RIGHT’, ‘MID’ and ‘TRIM’ functions, raises
your data parsing skills and make a more efficient solution.

14. TEXT Function

The ‘TEXT’ function is one of Excel’s specialized functions you can use.
What this function does it simple: convert a number to text in a specified format.
Syntax:
=TEXT(value, format_text)
Parameters:
• ‘value’ – number or cell reference with the numerical value you want to convert into text
• ‘format_text’ – the format you want to output the text
This function is commonly used in dealing with dates. In addition, this is also a great function to use
to prepare data for pivot tables.
Date and Time Functions

15. TODAY Function

If you need to enter today’s date, all you have to do is use the ‘TODAY’ function.
As one of Excel’s time functions, this function returns the serial number of the current date.
A date serial number is what Excel uses for date and time calculations.
Syntax:
=TODAY()
Because this function gets you the current date, there’s no need to provide any parameters.
The ‘TODAY’ function is one of the volatile functions (those that need to recalculate again and
again). Once you use this function, it automatically updates every time you open the workbook into
the current date.

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16. NOW Function

You can think of the ‘NOW’ function as adding the ‘TODAY’ function with the current time.
It returns the serial number representing the current date and time.
Syntax:
=NOW()
Like the previous function, this function also doesn’t take any parameters.
When using this function, take caution as this is also one of the volatile functions.

17. DATE Function

Compared with the above functions, the ‘DATE’ function doesn’t update every time you open your
workbook.
What this function returns is the serial number of a date you specify.
Syntax:
=DATE(year, month, day)
Parameters:
• ‘year’ – the year of the date
• ‘month’ – the month of the date
• ‘day’ – the day of the date
What you need to remember is that some of Excel’s functions don’t accept dates as inputs or text
values. If you need to enter a date, it’s best to use the ‘DATE’ function.

18. HOUR, MINUTE, and SECOND Functions

The ‘HOUR’, ‘MINUTE’, and ‘SECOND’ functions retrieve parts of time data.
To elaborate, these functions take time as an input and convert it into individual hours, minutes, and
seconds.
Syntaxes:
=HOUR(serial_number)
=MINUTE(serial_number)
=SECOND(serial_number)
Parameter:
• ‘serial_number’ – the time value or cell reference which has the value for which the hour,
minute, or second that needs to be determined.
These functions are useful when converting time to integers. However, you can use them to convert
time values to decimals. You need to use either the arithmetic method or the ‘CONVERT’
function.

Logical Functions
19. IF and IFS Functions
The ‘IF’ and ‘IFS’ functions are two of the most popular functions in Excel.
So what are they and what do they do?
For a start, they are called logical operators.
You use ‘IF’ if you want to evaluate a condition and get a response of either TRUE or FALSE. When you
have multiple conditions you like to test, ‘IFS’ is what you use.
Syntaxes:
=IF(logical_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])

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=IFS(Condition1, Value1, [Condition2, Value2],…[Condition127, Value127])

‘IF’ Parameters:
• ‘logical_test’ – condition you want to test; can be a cell reference, the output of a formula,
or manually entered
• ‘value_if_true’ – optional; the value returned if the condition is TRUE
• ‘value_if_false’ – optional; the value returned if the condition is FALSE
‘IFS’ Parameters
• ‘Condition1’ – first condition to check
• ‘Value1’ – value to return if the first condition is TRUE
• ‘Condition2’….’Condition127’ – optional; additional conditions to check; up to 127
conditions
• ‘Value2’….’Value127’ – optional; value(s) to return if the associated conditions are true also
up to 127 values
The ‘IFS’ function is like a new variation of the ‘IF’ function to simplify nested ‘IF’ formulas.
Consider these functions as the top logical functions you should learn. Most advanced tasks
become simpler and easier to do with the help of ‘IF’ and ‘IFS’ functions.

20. AND and OR Functions

The ‘AND and OR’ functions are the kind of functions that resolve logical statements and display
specific values based on the results.
Both functions are related and are used to check multiple conditions.
Syntaxes:
=AND(logical1, [logical2],…)
=OR(logical1, [logical2],…)
Parameters:
• ‘logical1’ – first condition to evaluate for TRUE or FALSE
• ‘logical2’ – optional; second condition to evaluate
Usually, these functions are used with the ‘IF’ function to test a condition and specify a value to
return depending on the results.
Along with ‘IF’, the ‘AND’ and ‘OR’ functions are must-learn logical functions in Excel if you want to
make your tasks easier and more convenient.

21. IFERROR Function

The ‘IFERROR’ function can literally save your tasks from erroneous results due to errors.
To simplify, this function allows you to specify a value to return when the value you specified
encountered an error.
Syntax:
=IFERROR(value, value_if_error)
Parameters:
• ‘value’ – represents the argument to be checked for error;
• ‘value_if_error’ – value to return when there’s an error
This function can evaluate the following errors:
• #N/A
• #REF!
• #DIV/0!
• #VALUE!

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• #NUM!
• #NAME?
• #NULL!
Of course, if there’s no error, the result from formula or argument inside the ‘value’ is the return value.
When used to check a formula, it may make the formula look a bit complicated. But in reality, it makes
troubleshooting more efficient and effective.
Using this formula no way degrades the argument or formula used.

22. TRUE and FALSE Functions

Formally, the ‘TRUE’ and ‘FALSE’ functions are called Boolean logic.
Boolean logic is derived from the binary logic of 1 and 0 where TRUE is 1 (one) and FALSE is 0 (zero).
As their name implies, the functions return the logical values of TRUE and FALSE.
Syntaxes:
=TRUE()
=FALSE()
Since these functions return the values TRUE and FALSE, there’s really no need for parameters.
In truth, there’s no need to use these functions in normal circumstances.
Their value lies in their binary equivalent, one (1) and zero (0).
Because of that, these functions are usually integrated into larger formulas to make calculations.

23. NOT Function

The ‘NOT’ function is like a trick function.
Basically, this function returns the opposite logical value — TRUE is FALSE and FALSE is TRUE.
Syntax:
=NOT(logical)
The parameter ‘logical’ is the value or expression evaluated by the function.
You have to be careful with this function and only use it when you want to reverse the value of a logical
argument.

Lookup and Reference Functions

24. COLUMN and COLUMNS Functions
Although both functions have something to do with columns, they don’t really have the power to do
anything to the columns.
The ‘COLUMN’ function is what you use to get the column number in Excel.
Basically, you tell the function the cells you’re interested in and it will give you their column numbers.
‘COLUMN’ Syntax:
=COLUMN([reference])
Parameter:
• ‘reference’ – optional; refers to a cell or range of cells; if omitted, the function returns the
column number of the cell where the formula with this function is located
On the other hand, the ‘COLUMNS’ function doesn’t return the column number. Instead, it returns
the total number of columns in a specified range.
‘COLUMNS’ Syntax:
=COLUMNS(array)
Parameter:

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• ‘array’ – array, array formula, reference to a range of cells

These functions are useful when you need to use column numbers or the number of columns in your
calculations.
At first, these functions may not feel that useful. But keep an eye out in times when you need to look
for data in a range of columns, these functions would prove more useful than you think.

25. ROW and ROWS Functions

The ‘ROW’ and ‘ROWS’ functions are the row-equivalent of the previous functions.
The ‘ROW’ function returns the row number of a specific cell or range (top-most row in the range).
‘ROW’ Syntax:
=ROW([reference])
Parameter:
• ‘reference’ – optional; refers to a cell or range of cells; if omitted, the function returns the
row number of the cell where the formula with this function is located
Like its column-equivalent, the ‘ROWS’ function returns the total number of rows in a given range
or array.
‘ROWS’ Syntax:
=ROWS(array)
Parameter:
• ‘array’ – array, array formula, reference to a range of cells
Both functions, when combined with other functions, can do lots of useful things. For one, you can use
them to randomly select a row or rows in a given range.

26. VLOOKUP Function

The ‘VLOOKUP’ function is one of the most well-known functions in Excel.
Most jobs that require Excel skills have interview questions related to this function.
Questions such as:
• What does a ‘VLOOKUP’ do?
• What’s the syntax of ‘VLOOKUP’?
• Are there any disadvantages to this function?
Simply, this “vertical lookup” function looks for a specified value in a column and returns a value in the
same row when it finds the column with the specified value.
Syntax:
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])
Parameters:
• ‘lookup_value’ – what you’re looking for
• ‘table_array’ – where to look
• ‘col_index_num’ – what you want to know
• ‘range_lookup’ – optional; setting for returning an exact match or approximate match; if
omitted, the default is to return the approximate match
Up to this day, the power of this function, along with its ease of use is unmatched in Excel. This is
certainly one of the functions you should master.

27. HLOOKUP Function

The ‘HLOOKUP’ function is the horizontal equivalent of the ‘VLOOKUP’ function.

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This is as powerful as the vertical lookup function. However, ‘HLOOKUP’ is less often used as most
data is arranged vertically.
This function works by letting you look for a data in a row and when that data is found, you can fetch
a value by going down the column of that row.
Syntax:
=HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num, [range_lookup])
Parameters:
• ‘lookup_value’ – what you’re looking for
• ‘table_array’ – where to look
• ‘row_index_num’ – what you want to know
• ‘range_lookup’ – optional; setting for returning an exact match or approximate match; if
omitted, the default is to return the approximate match
The ‘HLOOKUP’ function, especially when paired with other lookup and reference functions, is one
of the most useful advanced functions in Excel.

28. INDEX Function

The ‘INDEX’ function is a handy tool when looking for specific data in large sets.
Basically speaking, this function returns a value from a table based on a specified row and column
number.
Syntax:
=INDEX (array, row_num, [col_num])
=INDEX (array, row_num, [col_num], [area_num])
The ‘INDEX’ function has 2 syntaxes. The first one is used in most cases.
Parameters:
• ‘array’ – a range of cells or array
• ‘row_number’ – row number of the value to get
• ‘col_number’ – optional; column number of the value to get
• ‘area_num’ – optional; if the array has lots of arguments, the value in this parameter is the
basis of reference selection from the ranges
This function is one of the lookup functions you should know.

29. MATCH Function

The ‘MATCH’ function is designed so you won’t have to count manually when you need to get the
position of a value in range.
This function returns the number of the position of the lookup value.
Syntax:
=MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type])
Parameters:
• ‘lookup_value’ – the value you’re looking for a match
• ‘lookup_array’ – the range of cells you want to search in
• ‘match_type’ – optional; how Excel looks for the matching value (exact match, largest
value, smallest value)
You should take note that this function does not return the value of the lookup but the actual position
of the lookup in the ‘lookup_array’.
In most cases, ‘MATCH’ is used in tandem with the ‘INDEX’ function.

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30. INDIRECT Function

The ‘INDIRECT’ function is a fascinating function in Excel.
In essence, this function returns the reference specified by the text string.
Syntax:
=INDIRECT(ref_text, [a1])
Parameters:
• ‘ref_text’ – text string with the reference to a cell or range
• ‘a1’ – logical value
This function is one of the volatile functions.
Every time you open the workbook, Excel recalculates the function which might slow down your
workbook.

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