Excel IF Function Step by Step Tutorial

The IF Function - Step by Step

The Excel IF Function

© Ted French

How the IF function works

Note: This tutorial can be used with all versions of Excel up to and including Excel 2007. There is also a tutorial specific to Excel 2007.

The Excel IF function checks to see if a certain condition is true or false. If the condition is true, the function will do one thing, if the condition is false, the function will do something else.

The IF function we are using in this tutorial asks if the value in column A is greater than the value in column B. If it is, the IF function will place the statement "A is larger" in column D. If it is not, the IF function will place the statement "B is larger" in column D.

Our IF function will be entered into cell D1 and it looks like this:

=IF(A3 > B3,"A is larger","B is larger")

Note: the two text statements "A is larger" and "B is larger" are enclosed in quotations. In order to add text to an Excel IF Function, it must be enclosed in quotation marks.

Index: Excel IF Function Step by Step Tutorial

1. The IF Function - Step by Step
2. Enter the Data for the IF Function
3. Starting the IF Function
4. Parts of the IF Function
5. Writing the IF Function Logic Test
6. Adding the "Value if True" Argument to the IF Function
7. Adding the "Value if False" Argument to the IF Function
8. Copying the IF Function to Other Cells