10 Important/Basic Excel Formulas for Beginners: Useful Guide

In this tutorial, I will explore 10 important and basic Excel formulas for beginners, where data calculation can become easy by the use of these formulas. These important Excel formulas are needed by each user. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user looking to enhance your skill. These basic Excel formulas will serve and guide you toward efficient data manipulation and analysis.

Let’s explore these basic formulas, like, SUM, Multiplication, Substraction, Division, Average, Percentage, MAX, MIN, COUNT, IF, VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, CONCATENATE, and the dynamic duo of INDEX and MATCH.

Important/Basic Excel Formulas for Beginners:

Below are 10 important/basic Excel formulas that can be quite useful for new users.

1. SUM

The SUM is one of the most commonly used formulas in the Excel program. It adds up a range of numbers or values in Excel. It is a simple and powerful formula that helps users to quickly calculate these values.

Syntax:
Example: =SUM(A1:A10) adds all the values in the range A1 to A10.

2. Multiplication

This tool makes it simple to multiply numbers or cell values and is used for calculations, budgets, and data analysis in an Excel sheet. The asterisk symbol “*” is commonly used, which represents multiplication.

Syntax:
Example: =A1 * B1 multiplies the values in cells A1 and B1.

3. Subtraction

Subtraction is a simple way to find the difference between two numbers or cell values. A minus “-” is used for subtraction. For example, if you want to subtract the value in cell B1 from the value in cell A1.

Syntax:
Example: =A1 – B1 subtracts the value in cell B1 from A1.

4. Division

It allows you to divide one number or cell value by another using the forward slash symbol “/". For example, you want to divide the value in cell A1 by the value in cell B1.

Syntax:
Example: =A1 / B1 divides the value in A1 by B1.

5. AVERAGE

The AVERAGE function in Excel is used to calculate the arithmetic mean of a group of numbers. It adds all the selected values together and then divides the total by the number of values. This function is helpful for analyzing data such as test scores, expenses, sales figures, or any set of numbers where you want to find the central value. It’s a quick and efficient way to understand trends and make comparisons.

Syntax:
Example: =AVERAGE(A1:A10) calculates the average of values in A1 to A10.

6. PERCENTAGE:

Calculating a percentage in Excel is simple and useful for comparing values or showing proportions. To find the percentage of a value, you divide the part by the whole and then multiply by 100. Excel can also format the result directly as a percentage by selecting the cell and clicking the Percent Style (%) button on the Home tab. This makes it easy to display results like 25%, 50%, or 100% without manually multiplying by 100. Percentages are commonly used for discounts, marks, financial growth, and statistical analysis.

Syntax:
Example: =A1 / B1 * 100 gives the percentage of A1 relative to B1.

7. MAX

The MAX function in Excel is used to find the largest value in a range of numbers. It helps you quickly identify the highest number from a dataset, which is useful in tasks like finding the top score, highest sales amount, or maximum temperature. This function works with both positive and negative numbers and is a helpful tool for analyzing and comparing data.

Syntax:
Example: =MAX(A1:A10) finds the largest value in the range A1 to A10.

8. MIN

The MIN function in Excel is used to find the smallest value in a range of numbers. It is helpful when you want to identify the lowest number in a dataset, such as the minimum score, lowest expense, or smallest measurement. This function makes it easy to analyze data and compare values efficiently.

Syntax:
Example: =MIN(A1:A10) finds the smallest value in the range A1 to A10.

9. COUN:

The COUNT function in Excel is used to count the number of numeric values in a selected range of cells. It is useful when you want to know how many numbers are present in a dataset. If you want to count all non-empty cells (including text), you can use the COUNTA function instead. The COUNT function is helpful for analyzing data size, keeping track of entries, or verifying data completeness.

Syntax:
Example: =COUNT(A1:A10) counts how many numeric values are in the range A1 to A10.

10. IF

The IF function in Excel is a logical function used to perform different actions based on whether a condition is true or false. It helps you make decisions within your spreadsheet. The basic syntax is:

=IF(logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false)

For example, =IF(A1>50, “Pass”, “Fail”) will check if the value in cell A1 is greater than 50. If it is, the result will be “Pass”; if not, it will return “Fail”. The IF function is widely used for grading systems, conditional formatting, financial analysis, and many other tasks where you need results based on specific criteria.

These formulas form the foundation for working efficiently in Excel. Practice using them to streamline your calculations and analyses!