To get pleasure from Excel absolutely, you need to know the way to use the IF-THEN perform.
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The IF-THEN is one in every of Excel’s most spectacular features, as you need to use it to investigate knowledge, draw inferences and make selections below sure preset circumstances. However what precisely are IF-THEN statements, and how will you begin utilizing them?
On this information, we’ll present you the way to use IF-THEN statements to enhance your mastery of Excel.
Desk of Contents
What are IF-THEN Statements in Excel?
IF-THEN statements are features in Excel that return a novel set of actions after your preset situation is met.
Merely put, once you use the “If” assertion, you’re setting a situation and instructing Excel to carry out a novel set of actions when your preset situation is true and one other when the situation is fake.
To make use of the “If “ perform in Excel, you begin by writing the equal signal (=), adopted by “if,” then your situation, and a two-part syntax instructing this system on what to do when your necessities are or aren’t met.
The syntax often appears to be like like this:
- =IF(logical_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])
The “If” perform is useful, particularly when you’ve a big knowledge quantity and need to keep away from the stress of computing formulation for every knowledge. Right here’s an instance of how easy it’s to make use of IF-THEN statements in Excel:
On this instance, I’ve a spreadsheet containing three columns of information. The place column A accommodates title knowledge, and columns B and C, comprise integer knowledge.
Utilizing the If perform, I set a situation utilizing the syntax:
- =IF(B1>C1, “sure,” “no”)
This perform initiates a command telling the Excel program to check if the information worth in cell B1 is larger than the information worth in cell C1.
I’ve merely instructed Excel to present me a response of “sure” below the situation that the worth of cell B1 is larger than cell C1 and a response of “no” below the situation that the worth of cell B1 is lower than the worth of cell C1.
I then prolonged this perform to the opposite respective cells utilizing a easy autofill trick. Take a look at our information on utilizing Excel like a professional for some useful tips to make your Excel expertise simpler.
It’s essential to notice that the IF-THEN assertion solely lets you set a situation for 2 variables. Meaning you may solely set circumstances together with, say, the information worth in cells B1 and C1 or a situation together with knowledge values in cell B1 and an outlined integer or textual content.
For instance, you may set a situation instructing Excel to return a response of “Sure” if the worth in cell B1 is larger than the worth of cell B2 as proven within the instance above. Or, you may set a situation asking Excel to return the response ”sure” or “no” if the worth of cell B1 is larger or lower than 1000.
Right here’s a fast instance:
Right here, I informed Excel to return the response “sure” if the information worth in cell C1 is larger than 5000 and “no” if the worth is lower than 5000.
Right here’s the response Excel returned:
As talked about earlier, the IF-THEN assertion is a robust Excel perform with quite a few advantages. Studying to make use of this perform correctly will astronomically improve your mastery of Excel.
The Advantages of IF-THEN Statements In Excel
Listed here are some advantages that IF-THEN statements in Excel can give you:
Checking for Errors in Information
You should use IF-THEN statements to examine for errors when inputting knowledge into the spreadsheet.
For instance, when you really feel like you’ve made a mistake by inputting a quantity as an alternative of a textual content into your spreadsheet, you may examine utilizing an if perform:
- IF(B1 = “”, “Textual content”, “Quantity”)
Calculating Debt Schedule or Depreciation Schedule
Monetary Analysts can use IF-THEN statements to calculate debt and depreciation schedules.
Utilizing the IF-THEN assertion, you may set circumstances asking this system to return a response for months with excellent balances and even draw up a reimbursement schedule.
For Budgeting
As a monetary analyst, utilizing IF-THEN statements would make budgeting simpler. IF-THEN features will will let you create as much as 64 circumstances, which may help you in your budgeting course of.
To Arrange Information
The first skill of IF-THEN statements is setting directions below sure circumstances. Thus it’s simple to prepare knowledge in your spreadsheet below sure circumstances utilizing if statements.
You possibly can set circumstances for a specific cell field or a number of cells and set up your spreadsheet knowledge below stated circumstances.
Works Effectively With Different Formulation
An thrilling benefit of IF-THEN statements is their flexibility. As a consequence of its flexibility, you need to use IF-THEN statements with different formulation in Excel.
For instance, you need to use it with the DATEVALUE() perform, the SUM() perform, and even the COUNT() perform.
How one can Use IF-THEN Statements in Excel
Now that you understand what an IF-THEN assertion is and the way it can profit you, the subsequent step is realizing the way to use it correctly.
There are two strategies to make use of the perform, and we’ll begin with the fundamentals. First, right here’s a easy step-by-step process for writing IF-THEN statements in Excel.
Step 1: Click on on the cell you want to format, say cell A1.
Step 2: Write the IF-THEN perform components straight into the cell field.
Or within the components field. 
Step 3: Start writing your circumstances and anticipated responses to stated circumstances.
Bear in mind: At all times begin the components with an “equal” signal and enter the suitable punctuation so that you don’t get an error message after inputting the perform.
Right here’s an alternate step-by-step you need to use.
Various Step 1: Click on on the “Formulation” tab within the taskbar menu of your Excel program.
Various Step 2: Click on on the “Insert Operate” choice, which can launch a dialog menu:
Various Step 3: Choose “IF” from the listing of choices within the dialog menu and click on “OK.” It is going to launch a dialog field.
Various Step 4: Within the dialog field, enter your situation and directions telling this system what solutions to return when the situation is met and when it isn’t met.
Word: It’s higher to make use of the “Insert Operate” technique when you’re writing a easy IF-THEN perform, because it launches a components builder that may assist you remove the dangers of errors when inputting your components.
This technique will robotically enter the suitable punctuations and codecs and solely require you to enter your circumstances and directions within the three fields of the dialog field.
Now that you understand how to begin with the IF-THEN perform, let’s overview the opposite use instances for if features.
Writing IF-THEN Operate for texts
IF-THEN features for texts are common IF-THEN features, however on this case, the perform assessments for a string of textual content after which returns a preset response relying on whether or not the situation is fulfilled.
Utilizing the IF-THEN perform is kind of easy, and we’ve touched on it a couple of occasions within the examples up to now. Nonetheless, right here’s a step-by-step process for writing IF-THEN statements in Excel with textual content.
Step 1: Click on on the cell field the place you need to insert the perform.
Step 2: Write the “equal” (=) signal.
Step 3: Begin writing the if assertion, together with the circumstances for the check and the responses to be returned.
Step 4: After writing the if assertion, click on enter.
Right here’s an instance exhibiting the way to generate a comment stating who handed or failed a course for a first-year class utilizing IF-THEN statements in Excel with textual content:
On this instance, utilizing the IF-THEN perform:
- If(B2 = “Move,” “Scored above 50”, “Didn’t rating above 50”)
This system was requested to return a response of “Scored above 50” or “Didn’t rating above 50” if the string of textual content in cell B2 is the same as “Move.”
Nonetheless, we will check the opposite manner round utilizing the perform:
- If(B2 <> “Move,” “Scored above 50”, “Didn’t rating above 50”)
This system was requested to return a response of “Scored above 50” or “Didn’t rating above 50” if the string of textual content in cell B2 isn’t equal to “Move.”
Word: At all times insert double citation marks when stating your textual content parameters.
IF-THEN statements are case-insensitive except in any other case said.
To make an IF-THEN assertion case-sensitive, you need to precede your situation parameters with the phrase “EXACT.” Utilizing the instance above, Excel will check for uppercase textual content with this components:
- IF(EXACT(B2, “PASSED”), “Scored above 50”, “Didn’t rating above 50”)
Writing IF-THEN Features for Numbers
You should know the essential Excel operators and their indicators earlier than writing IF-THEN statements in Excel for numbers. Right here’s a information to Excel that may assist you be taught the essential Excel formulation, operators, and extra.
Comply with these steps.
Step 1: Click on on the cell field the place you need to insert the perform.
Step 2: Write the “equal” (=) signal.
Step 3: Begin writing the if assertion, together with the circumstances for the check and the responses to be returned.
Step 4: After writing the if assertion, click on enter. Your components ought to appear like this:
- IF(B2>=50, “Handed”, “Failed”)
Utilizing the perform above, we will write an IF-THEN assertion to examine if a scholar handed or failed a course. Right here’s an instance:
This perform units a situation to check if cell B2 accommodates an integer worth larger than or equal to 50. If this situation is met, this system will return a response of “Handed” and a “Failed” response if the situation isn’t met.
Word: IF-THEN features don’t solely work for integers. They will additionally work for actual numbers and adverse numbers.
Writing IF-THEN features for dates
One of many distinctive types of writing IF-THEN features is the date format. Many individuals might imagine they’ll write IF-THEN features for dates like they write IF-THEN features for numbers.
Sadly, that isn’t so.
For the reason that Excel program can not learn the common date format of mm/dd/yyyy, you’ll should insert the “DATEVALUE” perform into your IF-THEN perform to make the Excel program know that you just’re testing a date situation.
Your perform ought to appear like this:
- IF(B2>=DATEVALUE(“mm/dd/yyyy”), “sure,” “no”)
Right here’s a step-by-step process on the way to use this in your spreadsheet:
Step 1: In your spreadsheet, click on on the cell the place you need to enter the perform.
Step 2: Write the “equal” (=) signal.
Step 3: Begin writing the if perform. Your syntax ought to look one thing like this:
Step 4: Click on Enter in your keyboard, and the perform will return a standing response of both “Launched” or “Unreleased.”
The perform above assessments whether or not the date in cell B2 is larger than the eleventh of April 2023. The perform will give a “Launched” or “Unreleased” response relying on whether or not the circumstances are met or not.
Word: You possibly can set the IF-THEN perform to check towards the present date by inputting the TODAY() perform into your IF-THEN perform.
That is what your perform ought to appear like:
- IF(B2>TODAY(), “Launched”, “Unreleased”)
Writing IF-THEN Features for A number of Circumstances (Nested IF statements)
A number of IF-THEN statements or Nested if statements, as generally referred to as, will let you add a number of if statements into one if assertion.
A Nested if assertion will appear like this:
- IF(logical_test, [value_if_true], if(logical check, [value_if_true], if(logical check, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])))
Should you wished to write down an IF-THEN perform to assign remarks to scores of first-year college students in a specific course. Right here’s how to do that in a couple of steps:
Step 1: Click on on the cell field the place you need to insert the perform
Step 2: Write the “equal” (=) signal.
Step 3: Start writing the IF-THEN perform. Your perform ought to look one thing like this:
- IF(B2>90, “Wonderful”, IF(B2>=80, “Very Good”, IF(B2>=70, “Good”, IF(B2>= 50, “Honest”, “Poor”))))
Step 4: Click on the Enter key to obtain a response to your perform.
The perform will return a response of “Wonderful” for college students who rating 90 or above; “Very Good” for college students who rating between 79 and 90; “Good” for college students who rating 69 and 80; “Honest” for college students who rating between 49 and 70; and “Honest” for college students that rating beneath 50.
Greatest Practices for IF-THEN Statements in Excel
Listed here are some practices to comply with to get one of the best out of your IF-THEN features in Excel.
At all times use parentheses.
The easiest way to keep away from errors in your formulation in Excel is through the use of parentheses. Subsequently, if you would like your if assertion to perform correctly, make sure you use parentheses accurately.
For instance, when writing a number of conditionals or a nested if assertion, make sure you use parentheses in the suitable locations to keep away from “#NAME?” errors.
Use vary as an alternative of cells.
Whenever you use Vary as an alternative of Cells, you may keep away from errors arising when cell knowledge modifications or your components must be adjusted.
Write out every part as its personal components.
It might sound pointless, however writing every spreadsheet part as its personal components would make your knowledge extra readable and simpler to know.
One other profit to doing that is that you could find every thing you want in a single place and edit it in response to your wants.
Much more, if there’s an error together with your perform, writing every part as its personal components makes it simpler so that you can debug and discover any errors in your components.
By no means hesitate to make use of different formulation.
One unbelievable factor about Excel is that it permits you to use a number of features by inserting them into each other.
Like different formulation in Excel, you may insert different features into your IF-THEN perform to get one of the best out of it.
Utilizing your IF-THEN perform alongside different formulation makes it simpler to make calculations, saves time (particularly once you’re working with giant knowledge), and makes it simple to identify any errors.
Getting Began
IF-THEN statements are sure to make your life simpler. Though it could be tough to know every thing directly, you will discover it simple with fixed follow and steady use.
So don’t hesitate to go to this information anytime you face a problematic IF-THEN assertion problem.
