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Excel Basics: Simple Formulas Everyone Should Know


Excel can be intimidating if you're just starting out, but once you understand a few basic formulas, it becomes a powerful tool for organizing data, making calculations, and saving time.

In this post, I’ll break down some of the most useful Excel formulas in plain English—no complicated jargon!

1. SUM: Adding Numbers Made Easy

  • Formula: =SUM(A1:A10)
  • What it does: Adds up all the numbers in cells A1 through A10.
  • Example: If A1 has 5, A2 has 10, and A3 has 15, then =SUM(A1:A3) gives you 30.
  • Why use it? Instead of typing =A1 + A2 + A3..., SUM saves time, especially with large datasets.

2. AVERAGE: Find the Middle Ground

  • Formula: =AVERAGE(B1:B10)
  • What it does: Calculates the average of numbers in cells B1 to B10.
  • Example: If B1 is 10, B2 is 20, and B3 is 30, =AVERAGE(B1:B3) gives 20 (because (10+20+30)/3 = 20).
  • Why use it? Great for finding trends, like average sales per month or student test scores.

3. IF: Make Excel Decide for You

  • Formula: =IF(C1 > 50, "Pass", "Fail")
  • What it does: Checks if C1 is greater than 50. If yes, it returns "Pass"; if no, "Fail".
  • Example: If C1 is 60, the result is Pass. If C1 is 40, the result is Fail.
  • Why use it? Perfect for automatic grading, pass/fail conditions, or any yes/no scenario.

4. VLOOKUP: Find Data Instantly

  • Formula: =VLOOKUP("Apple", A1:B10, 2, FALSE)
  • What it does: Searches for "Apple" in column A and returns the corresponding value from column B.
  • Example: If your table lists fruits in column A and prices in column B, VLOOKUP can quickly find the price of an apple.
  • Why use it? Saves hours of manual searching in large lists (like product inventories or employee records).

5. CONCATENATE (or CONCAT): Combine Text Easily

  • Formula: =CONCAT(D1, " ", E1)
  • What it does: Joins text from D1 and E1 with a space in between.
  • Example: If D1 is "John" and E1 is "Doe", the result is "John Doe".
  • Why use it? Useful for merging first and last names, addresses, or any split text.

Bonus Tip: Use $ to Lock Cell References

  • =A1*B1 → Changes when copied.
  • =$A$1*B1 → A1 stays the same, but B1 changes.
  • Why use it? Prevents errors when applying formulas across multiple rows/columns.

Final Thoughts

Excel doesn’t have to be scary. Start with these basic formulas, practice with real data, and soon you’ll be handling spreadsheets like a pro!

What’s your favorite Excel formula? Let me know in the comments!