Mastering Excel VLOOKUP Function: A Comprehensive Guide to Enhance Your Data Analysis Skills

Excel VLOOKUP Function

When to Use the Excel VLOOKUP Function in Excel

The VLOOKUP function in Excel is a powerful tool used when you need to search for a value in a table or range and retrieve data from a specific column. It is particularly useful for tasks such as looking up information in large datasets, creating dynamic reports, or cross-referencing data from different sources.

What Excel VLOOKUP Function Returns

The Excel VLOOKUP function returns a value by searching for it in the first column of a table or range. Once a match is found, it retrieves the corresponding value from a specified column.

Syntax of Excel VLOOKUP Function

The syntax of the Excel VLOOKUP function is as follows:

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

Input Arguments

Here are the input arguments for the Excel VLOOKUP function:

● lookup_value: The value to search for in the first column of the table or range.

● table_array: The table or range where the data is stored, including the column where the lookup_value will be searched.

● col_index_num: The column number in the table_array from which to retrieve the value. The first column is 1, the second is 2, and so on.

● range_lookup [optional]: If TRUE or omitted, VLOOKUP will look for an approximate match. If FALSE, it will look for an exact match.

Extra Notes

● If an exact match is not found (when using FALSE for range_lookup), the function will return an #N/A error.

● The first column of the table_array must be sorted in ascending order for approximate matches.

● The col_index_num must be a positive integer.

● If range_lookup is TRUE or omitted, the values in the first column of table_array must be sorted in ascending order.

● Excel VLOOKUP function is case-insensitive, treating uppercase and lowercase characters as the same.

Examples of the Excel VLOOKUP Function

Here are few examples of using the VLOOKUP function in Excel:

Example 1: Basic Usage

Suppose you have a table of employee information, and you want to retrieve the salary of an employee with a specific ID. In cell F4, you can use the following formula:

Here is an explanation of the formula: =VLOOKUP(E4,A3:C7,3,FALSE)

• E4: This is the lookup_value. It is the value you want to find in the first column of your table, which is the ID column in this case.
• A3:C7: This is the table_array. It is the range of cells that contains your data. The function will search for the ID in the first column of this range.
• 3: This is the col_index_num. It is the column number in the table_array from which to retrieve the value. In this case, you want to retrieve the salary, which is in the third column of the table.
• FALSE: This is the range_lookup, which is optional. In this example, it is set to FALSE, indicating that you want an exact match for the ID.

When you press Enter, the VLOOKUP function will search for the specified ID (103) in the first column of the A3:C7 range, find the corresponding salary in the third column, and return the result.

In this scenario, the formula would return 55000, which is the salary associated with the employee ID 103.

Example 2: Approximate Match With VLOOKUP

Suppose you are a teacher managing a class of students, and you want to automatically assign grades based on their test marks. You have a list of students with their respective test marks, and you have established a grading scale with specific grade ranges. To streamline the grading process, you decide to use a lookup array to automatically determine the grade for each student.

Here is an explanation of the formula: =VLOOKUP(B4,$E$4:$F$7,2,TRUE)

• B4 is the cell containing the test marks for a specific student.
• $E$4:$F$7 is the lookup array, where the dollar signs ($) make the reference absolute.
• 2 is the col index number, indicating that the function should return the corresponding grade from the second column of the lookup array.
• TRUE means it will perform an approximate match, finding the closest (lesser) value in the first column of the lookup array.

Example 3: Exact Match With VLOOKUP

Imagine you work for a company that provides services to customers, and you have conducted a customer satisfaction survey to gather feedback on various aspects of your service. You asked customers to rate different service attributes on a scale from 1 to 4, where 1 is “Poor”, 2 is “Average”, 3 is “Good” and 4 is “Excellent”. The survey covered categories like speed of service, quality, helpfulness, ease of access, comfort, transparency, and staff expertise.

Here is an explanation of the formula: =VLOOKUP(B4, $E$4:$F$7, 2, FALSE)

• B4: This is the cell reference containing the “Rating” in data table.
• $E$4:$F$7: This is the lookup array or table. It is a where the first column contains the ratings (1, 2, 3, 4), and the second column contains the corresponding levels (Poor, Average, Good, Excellent). The $ symbols before the column and row references make the range absolute, meaning it won’t change when you copy the formula to other cells.
• 2: This parameter indicates that the function should return the value from the second column of the lookup table (which contains the levels).
• FALSE: This is the range_lookup parameter, and setting it to FALSE means that the function should find an exact match for the rating. If an exact match is not found, it returns an error (#N/A).

Example 4: VLOOKUP With MATCH Function (Two Way Lookup)

Imagine you are managing sales data for various products over several months. Your dataset is organized with columns for Product, January, February, March, and April. Each row represents the sales data for a specific product. Now, you receive a request to find the sales figure for a particular product in April. You decide to use the formula =VLOOKUP(H3, A4:E10, MATCH(H4, A3:E3, 0), 0) to achieve this.

Breaking down the formula components:

• H3 (Lookup Value): This is the product name you want to look up. In this case, it is “E”.
• A4:E10 (Table Array): This is the range of cells that contains your data. It includes the Product column and the months with corresponding sales figures.
• MATCH(H4, A3:E3, 0) (Column Index Number): The MATCH function is used here to find the position of “Apr” in the header row (A3:E3). The 0 as the third argument in MATCH ensures an exact match. In this case, “Apr” corresponds to the fifth column, so MATCH returns 5.
• 0 (Range Lookup): This is set to 0 (FALSE), indicating that you want an exact match for the product name.

So, if you enter this formula, it should return the sales figure for product “E” in April, which is 130 based on the provided data.

VLOOKUP only looks to the right side

VLOOKUP only looks to the right side. This means it can only get information from columns to the right of the first one in the table. For example, if we are searching for details using an Employee ID in the table, we have to choose the range C6:F13 as the table. That means we can only find Position, Department and Salary information and nothing on the left side.

VLOOKUP has a basic rule: the first column of your data needs to have the things you are looking for. But here is the catch – VLOOKUP can only check columns to the right of that first one. If you want info on the left side (or anywhere else), you will need to use XLOOKUP or an INDEX and MATCH formula instead.

Practice with Real Examples: Download the Attached Excel File

To facilitate your hands-on practice, I have attached an Excel file. You can download the file and work through the four examples I shared earlier, applying the VLOOKUP function in Excel.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out. Enjoy practicing and mastering the Excel VLOOKUP function!

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Excel VLOOKUP function is an invaluable tool for searching and retrieving data from tables or ranges. Whether you are working with employee databases, financial records, or any other structured data, VLOOKUP can save you time and streamline your data analysis processes.

Remember, like any Excel function, mastering VLOOKUP takes practice. Experiment with different scenarios and datasets to enhance your proficiency. Start incorporating the VLOOKUP function into your Excel toolkit today and take your data analysis skills to the next level!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Can the VLOOKUP function search for a value in multiple columns?

A1: No, the VLOOKUP function searches for a value only in the first column of the table_array.

Q2: Is the Excel VLOOKUP function case-sensitive?

A2: No, the Excel VLOOKUP function is not case-sensitive.

Q3: What happens if no match is found using Excel VLOOKUP function?

A3: If no match is found, the function returns #N/A.

Q4: Can Excel VLOOKUP function be used to search in a different worksheet?

A4: Yes, you can use Excel VLOOKUP function to search in a different worksheet by referencing the sheet name in the table_array argument.

Q5: How does the Excel VLOOKUP function handle duplicates in the first column of the table?

A5: The Excel VLOOKUP function returns the first matching value found in the first column of the table, even if there are duplicates.

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