Excel Formulas Cheat Sheet
Master Excel with our comprehensive formulas reference guide. From basic math to advanced lookup functions, find syntax, examples, and expert tips for all essential Excel formulas.
Excel Mastery Guide
Beginner
Start with basic calculations and data organization
Intermediate
Master lookup functions and data analysis
Excel Pro Tips
F4 Key: Toggle between absolute and relative references ($A$1, A$1, $A1, A1)
Ctrl + Shift + Enter: Enter array formulas (older Excel versions)
F9 Key: Calculate formulas manually when set to manual calculation mode
Ctrl + `: Toggle between formula view and result view
TODAY()
Date & TimeReturns current date
Syntax:
=TODAY()
Examples:
=TODAY()
Current date (updates daily)
=TODAY()+7
Date 7 days from today
=TODAY()-30
Date 30 days ago
Note: Updates automatically when file is opened or calculated
EDATE()
Date & TimeReturns date that is months before/after start date
Syntax:
=EDATE(start_date, months)
Examples:
=EDATE(TODAY(), 6)
Date 6 months from today
=EDATE(A1, -3)
Date 3 months before A1
=EDATE("1/15/2024", 12)
Same day next year
Note: Positive months = future, negative = past
WORKDAY()
Date & TimeReturns workday date that is specified days from start date
Syntax:
=WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])
Examples:
=WORKDAY(TODAY(), 10)
Date 10 workdays from today
=WORKDAY(A1, 5, C1:C10)
5 workdays from A1, excluding holidays
=WORKDAY("1/1/2024", -5)
5 workdays before Jan 1
Note: Excludes weekends (Saturday/Sunday) and optional holidays
CHOOSE()
Lookup & ReferenceChooses value from list based on index number
Syntax:
=CHOOSE(index_num, value1, [value2], ...)
Examples:
=CHOOSE(A1, "Red", "Blue", "Green")
Return color based on number 1-3
=CHOOSE(WEEKDAY(TODAY()), "Sun", "Mon", "Tue", "Wed", "Thu", "Fri", "Sat")
Day name from today's date
=CHOOSE(A1, B:B, C:C, D:D)
Choose column based on index
Note: Index starts at 1. Returns error if index is out of range
DATE()
Date & TimeCreates a date from year, month, day
Syntax:
=DATE(year, month, day)
Examples:
=DATE(2024, 12, 25)
Create date for December 25, 2024
=DATE(A1, B1, C1)
Create date from cell values
=DATE(YEAR(TODAY()), 12, 31)
Last day of current year
Note: Year can be 1900-9999, month 1-12, day 1-31
YEAR()
Date & TimeExtracts year from a date
Syntax:
=YEAR(serial_number)
Examples:
=YEAR(TODAY())
Current year
=YEAR(A1)
Year from date in cell A1
=YEAR("12/25/2024")
Returns 2024
Note: Returns a 4-digit year (1900-9999)
MONTH()
Date & TimeExtracts month from a date
Syntax:
=MONTH(serial_number)
Examples:
=MONTH(TODAY())
Current month number
=MONTH(A1)
Month from date in cell A1
=MONTH("12/25/2024")
Returns 12
Note: Returns month as number (1-12)
DAY()
Date & TimeExtracts day from a date
Syntax:
=DAY(serial_number)
Examples:
=DAY(TODAY())
Current day of month
=DAY(A1)
Day from date in cell A1
=DAY("12/25/2024")
Returns 25
Note: Returns day of month (1-31)
EOMONTH()
Date & TimeReturns last day of month that is months before/after start date
Syntax:
=EOMONTH(start_date, months)
Examples:
=EOMONTH(TODAY(), 0)
Last day of current month
=EOMONTH(A1, 1)
Last day of next month from A1
=EOMONTH("1/15/2024", -1)
Last day of previous month
Note: Always returns last day of the target month
WORKDAY.INTL()
Date & TimeReturns workday with custom weekend definition
Syntax:
=WORKDAY.INTL(start_date, days, [weekend], [holidays])
Examples:
=WORKDAY.INTL(TODAY(), 10, 1)
Standard weekend (Sat/Sun)
=WORKDAY.INTL(A1, 5, 7)
Weekend = Friday/Saturday
=WORKDAY.INTL(A1, 10, "0000011")
Custom weekend (Sat/Sun)
Note: Weekend: 1=Sat/Sun, 2=Sun/Mon, 7=Fri/Sat, or custom 7-char string
NETWORKDAYS()
Date & TimeReturns number of workdays between two dates
Syntax:
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
Examples:
=NETWORKDAYS(A1, B1)
Workdays between two dates
=NETWORKDAYS("1/1/2024", "1/31/2024", C1:C5)
January workdays minus holidays
=NETWORKDAYS(TODAY(), TODAY()+30)
Workdays in next 30 days
Note: Excludes weekends and optional holidays from count
WEEKDAY()
Date & TimeReturns day of week as number
Syntax:
=WEEKDAY(serial_number, [return_type])
Examples:
=WEEKDAY(TODAY())
Day of week (1=Sun to 7=Sat)
=WEEKDAY(A1, 2)
Day of week (1=Mon to 7=Sun)
=WEEKDAY("12/25/2024", 1)
Christmas 2024 day of week
Note: Return_type: 1=Sun-Sat (1-7), 2=Mon-Sun (1-7), 3=Mon-Sun (0-6)
WEEKNUM()
Date & TimeReturns week number of the year
Syntax:
=WEEKNUM(serial_number, [return_type])
Examples:
=WEEKNUM(TODAY())
Current week number
=WEEKNUM(A1, 2)
Week number (Monday as week start)
=WEEKNUM("7/4/2024", 1)
Week number of July 4th
Note: Return_type: 1=Sun start (default), 2=Mon start, others available
SWITCH()
Advanced FunctionsEvaluates expression against list of values and returns result
Syntax:
=SWITCH(expression, value1, result1, [value2, result2], ..., [default])
Examples:
=SWITCH(A1, 1, "One", 2, "Two", 3, "Three", "Other")
Convert numbers to words
=SWITCH(WEEKDAY(TODAY()), 1, "Sunday", 7, "Saturday", "Weekday")
Check if weekend
=SWITCH(LEFT(A1,1), "A", "Apple", "B", "Banana", "Unknown")
Based on first letter
Note: Available in Excel 2016+. Cleaner alternative to nested IF statements
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