5 Essential Excel Functions for Beginners

Excel is a popular spreadsheet software used in work and study. However, for beginners, Excel can be difficult and confusing. In this article, we will explore the 5 most basic functions in Excel to help you grasp the fundamental knowledge and use Excel effectively with FPT Shop.

What is Excel?

Excel is a spreadsheet software developed by Microsoft for calculating, analyzing, and managing data. It provides tools for data entry, calculation, displaying data in tables and charts, creating reports and documents. Excel is commonly used in office work, accounting, project management, statistics, and many other fields. It is one of the most popular office software worldwide, widely used in organizations and businesses.

5 basic functions of Excel

If you want to learn how to use Excel effectively, it is important to master the 5 most basic functions: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN, and MAX. These functions are commonly used in different situations, so mastering them will significantly increase your productivity in Excel. They are:

• The SUM function is useful for calculating the sum of numbers in a list or financial values.
• The AVERAGE function is useful for calculating the average of numbers in a list or financial values.
• The COUNT function is useful for counting the number of products in a list or the number of orders in a month.
• The MIN and MAX functions are useful for finding the minimum or maximum value of financial values.

How to use the SUM function in Excel

The SUM function is one of the most basic functions in Excel and is used to calculate the sum of a range of values. It is commonly used to calculate the sum of numbers in a column or any range of values in an Excel spreadsheet.

The syntax of the SUM function is as follows:

=SUM(number1,[number2],…)

Where:

• number1, number2, … are the values to be summed. These values can be a number, a reference to a cell in the spreadsheet, or a range of cells.

Example: If you want to calculate the sum of numbers in cells from A1 to A10, you can use the SUM function as follows:

=SUM(A1:A10)

If you want to calculate the sum of multiple ranges of values, you can use the colon to separate the range of values. For example:

=SUM(A1:A10,B1:B10,C1:C10)

The SUM function can also be used to calculate the sum of values that meet certain conditions. You can use a combination of the IF function and the SUM function. For example:

=SUM(IF(A1:A10>0,A1:A10,0))

How to use the AVERAGE function in Excel

The AVERAGE function in Excel is used to calculate the average of a set of values. It can be used to calculate the average of values in a column or a range of different values.

The syntax of the AVERAGE function is as follows:

=AVERAGE(number1,[number2],…)

Where:

• number1, number2, … are the values to be averaged. These values can be a number, a reference to a cell in the spreadsheet, or a range of cells.

Example: If you want to calculate the average of values in cells from C2 to C6, you can use the AVERAGE function as follows:

=AVERAGE(C2:C6)

How to use the COUNT function in Excel

The COUNT function in Excel is used to count the number of numeric or text values in a range of cells in a spreadsheet.

The syntax of the COUNT function is as follows:

=COUNT(value1,[value2],…)

Where:

• value1, value2, … are the values to be counted. These values can be a number or a reference to a cell in the spreadsheet.

Example: If you want to count the number of non-empty values in cells from A2 to A10, you can use the COUNT function as follows:

=COUNT(A2:A10)

If you want to count the number of values that meet a certain condition, you can use the COUNTIF function. For example, to count the number of values in a range of cells that are greater than 0, you can use the COUNTIF function:

=COUNTIF(A1:A10,”>0″)

How to use the MIN function in Excel

The MIN function in Excel is used to find the smallest value in a range of cells in a spreadsheet.

The syntax of the MIN function is as follows:

=MIN(value1,[value2],…)

Where:

• value1, value2, … are the values to be found the smallest value. These values can be a number or a reference to a cell in the spreadsheet.

Example: If you want to find the smallest value in cells from C2 to C8, you can use the MIN function as follows:

=MIN(C2:C8)

You can also use the MIN function to find the smallest value that meets a certain condition by using the MINIF function. For example, to find the smallest value in a range of cells that is greater than 0, you can use the MINIF function:

=MINIF(A1:A10,”>0″)

How to use the MAX function in Excel

The MAX function in Excel is used to find the largest value in a range of cells in a spreadsheet.

The syntax of the MAX function is as follows:

=MAX(value1,[value2],…)

Where:

• value1, value2, … are the values to be found the largest value. These values can be a number or a reference to a cell in the spreadsheet.

Example: If you want to find the largest value in cells from A1 to A10, you can use the MAX function as follows:

=MAX(A1:A10)

How to use Excel by combining the 5 basic functions in Excel

The SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN, and MAX functions are basic functions in Excel, but when combined, you can create complex formulas and make data calculations simpler. Here are some ways to combine these basic functions:

• Calculate the average of the largest and smallest values in a data range by combining the AVERAGE, MIN, and MAX functions. Example: =AVERAGE(MIN(A1:A10),MAX(A1:A10))
• Calculate the total number of products sold in a period of time by combining the SUM and COUNT functions. Example: =SUM(COUNTIF(A1:A10,”=Product 1″),COUNTIF(A1:A10,”=Product 2″))
• Calculate the total number of products sold in a period of time and calculate the percentage for each type of product by combining the SUM, COUNT, and AVERAGE functions. Example: =SUMIF(A1:A10,”Product 1″,B1:B10)/AVERAGE(COUNTIF(A1:A10,”=Product 1″),COUNTIF(A1:A10,”=Product 2″))

In this article, we have learned about Excel and the importance of the 5 most basic functions: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, MIN, and MAX. We have learned how to use each basic function and how to combine them to create more complex formulas. Hopefully, this article has helped you gain knowledge about the basic usage of Excel and how to use the basic functions to solve specific problems. With an understanding of these tools, you can increase your productivity and efficiency in your work.

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Share 12 Simple Yet Unknown Ways to Calculate Sum in Excel

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Knowing how to calculate sums in Excel is the most basic thing that any Excel user can do. But there are many different ways to calculate sums in Excel that not everyone knows. So let’s find out together with FPT Shop.