The IF formula is considered a Logical Function in Excel, but sometimes it can seem anything but logical. Years ago, I created a cheat sheet in Excel for IF formulas that has helped me, and so I want to share it here with you.
Some Basic IF Formula Facts
- The IF function is used to make calculations based on whether specified conditions are met.
- The Insert Function button helps provide the syntax of the IF function, which operates as follows: =IF(logical test, value if true, value if false)
- The logical test is always a comparison between two values.
- While the logical test section is limited to answering a true or false question, you have greater flexibility based on what you place in the last two arguments.
- The IF function can perform different calculations depending on whether the function returns a true value or not.
In the examples below, I have sample data in the first two columns, a description of the formula, a view of the formula itself, and the formula's results in the last column:
Remember to use the fx button in the formula bar to show the Function Arguments dialog box for help with the formula and to view the hypothetical results.
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