Step-by-step tutorial on how to use VLOOKUP in Excel:

What is VLOOKUP?

VLOOKUP is a powerful Excel function used to search for a value in the first column of a range, and then return a value in the same row from a specified column.

Syntax:

scss

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])

Parameters:

lookup_value: The value to search for in the first column of the table_array.

table_array: The table of data containing the information you want to retrieve from.

col_index_num: The column number in the table_array from which to retrieve the data.

[range_lookup]: Optional. TRUE or FALSE. TRUE means approximate match (default if omitted), FALSE means exact match.

Steps to Use VLOOKUP:

Organize Your Data: Ensure your data is organized properly. For VLOOKUP to work effectively, the lookup value should be in the leftmost column of the table_array.

Select a Cell: Select the cell where you want the VLOOKUP formula result to appear.

Type the Formula: Type =VLOOKUP( into the selected cell.

Enter Parameters:

lookup_value: Type the value you want to look up.

table_array: Select the range of cells that contains the data you want to search through.

col_index_num: Specify the column number from which you want to retrieve the data.

[range_lookup]: Decide whether you want an exact match (FALSE) or an approximate match (TRUE). If you omit this argument, Excel will default to approximate match.

Close the Formula: Close the formula with a closing parenthesis ).

Press Enter: Press Enter to apply the formula. The result will be displayed in the selected cell.

Example:

Let's say you have a table of student names and their corresponding grades. You want to find out the grade of a student named "John"

Name	Grade
John	A
Alice	B
Bob	C
Mary	A

In this example, you want to find John's grade.

lookup_value: "John"

table_array: A2:B5 (assuming your data starts from cell A2)

col_index_num: 2 (as the "Grade" column is the second column in your table)

[range_lookup]: TRUE (for an approximate match)

So, your VLOOKUP formula would be:

PHP

=VLOOKUP("John", A2:B5, 2, TRUE)

Conclusion:

That's it! You've successfully used VLOOKUP in Excel to retrieve data based on a search criterion. VLOOKUP is incredibly versatile and can be used in various scenarios to streamline data analysis and reporting tasks.