Excel becomes much more useful when you know a small group of formulas well. Microsoft describes functions as predefined formulas that perform calculations using specified arguments, making it possible to perform both simple and complex tasks.
Here are 12 useful functions for beginners:
| Function | Example | Use |
|---|---|---|
| SUM | =SUM(B2:B10) | Adds numbers |
| AVERAGE | =AVERAGE(B2:B10) | Finds the average |
| COUNT | =COUNT(B2:B10) | Counts numeric cells |
| MAX | =MAX(B2:B10) | Finds the largest value |
| MIN | =MIN(B2:B10) | Finds the smallest value |
| IF | =IF(B2>=40,"Pass","Fail") | Makes a logical decision |
| COUNTIF | =COUNTIF(C2:C20,"Yes") | Counts matching cells |
| SUMIF | =SUMIF(A2:A20,"North",B2:B20) | Adds values meeting a condition |
| ROUND | =ROUND(B2,2) | Rounds a number |
| TODAY | =TODAY() | Returns today’s date |
| XLOOKUP | =XLOOKUP(E2,A2:A20,B2:B20) | Finds related information |
| TEXTJOIN | =TEXTJOIN(", ",TRUE,A2:A5) | Combines text |
For example, imagine a marksheet containing student scores in cells B2:B10. SUM can calculate the total, AVERAGE can calculate the average score, and MAX can identify the highest mark.
The IF function is useful for decisions. A formula such as =IF(B2>=40,”Pass”,”Fail”) can automatically display the result for each student.
For lookup tasks, Microsoft recommends trying XLOOKUP, which can work in any direction and returns exact matches by default.
The best way to learn formulas is to practise them with real data such as marksheets, attendance records, salary sheets and sales reports.
