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IF

IF

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Description

Use this function to perform a logical test and return one value for a TRUE result, and a different one for a FALSE result. Supported in Chains. Can be used with CHILDREFS.

IF allows you to make logical comparisons between a value and what you expect.

 

Syntax

IF(logical_test, value_if_true, [value_if_false])

 

Inputs

This function accepts the following arguments:

Name Required Description Valid input
logical_test

Yes

 The condition you want to test. Any value or expression that can be evaluated to TRUE or FALSE.
value_if_true

Yes

 The value to return if logical_test is TRUE. A cell reference, a cell range, a number, a text string, or a formula which results in any of these. A hard-coded value is also acceptable.
value_if_false

No

 The value to return if logical_test is FALSE. A cell reference, a cell range, a number, a text string, or a formula which results in any of these. A hard-coded value is also acceptable. If omitted, FALSE is returned.

 

Examples

Sample data

  A B
1 75 Pass
2 60 Fail
3 85 Pass
4 45 Fail

Sample formulas

Use case Formula Explanation and Result
Return one value if the value in the identified cell is greater than the supplied value, otherwise return another value. =IF(A1>=70,"Pass","Fail")

This formula works in the following manner:

  • IF(: This is the function itself.
  • A1>=70: This is the logical_test. It checks if the value in `A1` (75) is greater than or equal to 70. This evaluates to TRUE.
  • "Pass": This is the value_if_true. Since the test is TRUE, the formula returns this value.
  • "Fail": This is the value_if_false.

Result: Pass.
Return the value of one cell if the value in another cell is greater than the supplied value, otherwise return the supplied text. =IF(A2>50,B2,"Low Score")

This formula works in the following manner:

  • IF(: This is the function itself.
  • A2>50: The logical_test. It checks if the value in `A2` (60) is greater than 50. This evaluates to TRUE.
  • B2: The value_if_true. Since the test is TRUE, the formula returns the value found in `B2`.
  • "Low Score": The value_if_false.

Result: Fail.
Return specified results based on the score in the supplied cell. =IF(A3=85,"Excellent",IF(A3>=70,"Good","Needs Improvement"))

This formula works in the following manner:

  • IF(A3=85,…): The first logical_test checks if `A3` (85) is equal to 85. This is TRUE.
  • "Excellent": The value_if_true for the first IF. Since the test is TRUE, the formula returns this value and stops.
  • IF(A3>=70,…): This nested IF is the value_if_false for the first IF, but it is not evaluated because the first test was TRUE.

Result: Excellent.
Return letter grades based on the score using multiple nested IF functions. =IF(A4>90,"A",IF(A4>80,"B",IF(A4>70,"C",IF(A4>60,"D","F"))))

This formula works in the following manner:

  • IF(A4>90,…): Checks if `A4` (45) is 90. This is FALSE.
  • IF(A4>80,…): Since the first test was false, it evaluates the next IF. Checks if 45 is 80. This is FALSE.
  • IF(A4>70,…): Since the second test was false, it evaluates the next IF. Checks if 45 is 70. This is FALSE.
  • IF(A4>60,…): Since the third test was false, it evaluates the next IF. Checks if 45 is 60. This is FALSE.
  • "F": Since all preceding tests were FALSE, the formula returns the final value_if_false.

Result: F.

 

Notes

  • The IF function can be nested up to 64 levels deep. 
  • If the value_if_false argument is omitted, IF returns FALSE when the condition is not met.
  • The logical_test argument can use any comparison operator (=, <>, <, >, <=, >=).
  • You can combine IF with the  AND, OR, and NOT functions within the logical_test argument to create more complex conditions.
  • You can combine IF with other functions such as ISBLANK, ISNUMBER, etc., for more advanced logical tests.

 

Tips

  • For multiple conditions, consider using the IFS function (available in Excel 2016 and later) instead of nested IF statements.
  • Use the IFERROR function to handle potential errors in your IF statements.
  • When working with text in IF functions, remember that Workiva spreadsheets are not case-sensitive by default.
  • To test for multiple conditions, you can use the AND or OR functions within the logical_test argument.
  • For complex scenarios with many conditions, consider using a VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH combination instead of multiple nested IFs.

 

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