Buzz
The MATCH function is extensively used in calculations on Excel spreadsheets. Follow this article to learn about the syntax and usage of the MATCH function.
GUIDE TO USING THE MATCH FUNCTION IN EXCEL - ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES
Syntax: MATCH(Lookup_value, Lookup_array, [Match_type])
Where:
- Lookup_value: The value to search for, which can be a number, text, logical value, or a reference to a cell containing a number, text, or logical value, required
- Lookup_array: The array to search in, required
- Match_type: The type of match. Optional.
- See more: How to Number Quickly in Excel
There are 3 search types:
1: Less than (Value is smaller than the lookup value)
0: Exact match (Value matches the lookup value exactly)
-1: Greater than (Value is larger than the lookup value)
When left blank, the MATCH function defaults to 1.
Illustrative example: Given a list of students, find the class order of each student in the table below:
The formula in cell E5 is: =MATCH(D5,$D$9:$D$11,0)
We have the result:
With the simple syntax and usage of the Match function, you can search for a specific item within the search range and return the position of the item (ordinal number). Additionally, you can combine the Match function with the Index function in Excel for more flexibility in calculations and statistics.
You can also refer to functions such as STDEV.S and many other basic functions in Excel to use the STDEV.S function efficiently.
