Here’s a list of the Top 10 Excel functions that are most widely used and extremely useful for data analysis, reporting, and daily business tasks:
1. VLOOKUP / XLOOKUP
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VLOOKUP helps to search for a value in the first column of a range and return a value from another column.
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XLOOKUP (newer & more powerful) can search in both directions and replace VLOOKUP & HLOOKUP.
👉 Example: =XLOOKUP(105, A2:A10, C2:C10)
2. IF
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Used to perform logical tests and return different results based on TRUE or FALSE conditions.
👉 Example: =IF(B2>=50,"Pass","Fail")
3. SUM & SUMIF / SUMIFS
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SUM adds numbers quickly.
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SUMIF / SUMIFS add numbers based on single or multiple conditions.
👉 Example: =SUMIF(A2:A10,"Apples",B2:B10)
4. INDEX & MATCH
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A powerful combo that replaces VLOOKUP, allowing more flexibility.
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INDEX returns a value from a table by row & column number.
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MATCH gives the position of a value in a range.
👉 Example: =INDEX(C2:C10, MATCH(105, A2:A10, 0))
5. TEXT Functions (LEFT, RIGHT, MID, LEN, TRIM, CONCAT / TEXTJOIN)
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Help in cleaning and formatting text.
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LEFT/RIGHT extract characters.
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CONCAT / TEXTJOIN join text easily.
👉 Example: =TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:A5)
6. PROPER, UPPER, LOWER
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Useful for formatting names and text consistently.
👉 Example: =PROPER("john smith") → "John Smith"
7. ROUND, ROUNDUP, ROUNDDOWN
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Round numbers to required decimal places.
👉 Example: =ROUND(123.456,2) → 123.46
8. TODAY & NOW
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Insert the current date/time dynamically.
👉 Example: =TODAY() → 06-Sep-2025
9. COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTIF / COUNTIFS
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COUNT → counts numbers.
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COUNTA → counts non-empty cells.
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COUNTIF / COUNTIFS → counts based on conditions.
👉 Example: =COUNTIF(A2:A10,"Apples")
10. PivotTables (not a single function, but a feature)
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Summarizes large datasets with drag-and-drop ease.
Allows grouping, filtering, and aggregating data.
✅ If you’re learning Excel for business or data analytics, start with these.
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