Usage of or in excel

Purpose 

Return value 

Usage notes 

=OR(A1>0,A1>75,A1>100) // returns TRUE
=OR(A1<0,A1=25,A1>100) // returns FALSE

=OR(A1>75,B1>75)

=IF(OR(A1>75,B1>75), "Pass", "Fail")

=OR(A1:A100>15)

Функция OR (ИЛИ) в Excel используется для сравнения двух условий.

Что возвращает функция

Возвращает логическое значение TRUE (Истина), при выполнении условий сравнения в функции и отображает FALSE (Ложь), если условия функции не совпадают.

Синтаксис

=OR(logical1, [logical2],…) — английская версия

=ИЛИ(логическое_значение1;[логическое значение2];…) — русская версия

Аргументы функции

• logical1 (логическое_значение1) — первое условие которое оценивает функция по логике TRUE или FALSE;
• [logical2] ([логическое значение2]) — (не обязательно) это второе условие которое вы можете оценить с помощью функции по логике TRUE или FALSE.

Дополнительная информация

• Функция OR (ИЛИ) может использоваться с другими формулами.

Например, в функции IF (ЕСЛИ) вы можете оценить условие и затем присвоить значение, когда данные отвечают условиям логики TRUE или FALSE. Используя функцию вместе с IF (ЕСЛИ), вы можете тестировать несколько условий оценки значений за раз.

Например, если вы хотите проверить значение в ячейке А1 по условию: “Если значение больше “0” или меньше “100” то… “ — вы можете использовать следующую формулу:

=IF(OR(A1>100,A1<0),”Верно”,”Неверно”) — английская версия

=ЕСЛИ(ИЛИ(A1>100;A1<0);»Верно»;»Неверно») — русская версия

• Аргументы функции должны быть логически вычислимы по принципу TRUE или FALSE;
• Текст и пустые ячейки игнорируются функцией;
• Если вы используете функцию с не логически вычисляемыми значениями — она выдаст ошибку;
• Вы можете тестировать максимум 255 условий в одной формуле.

Примеры использования функции OR (ИЛИ) в Excel

Пример 1. Используем аргументы TRUE и FALSE в функции OR (ИЛИ)

Вы можете использовать TRUE/FALSE в качестве аргументов. Если любой из них соответствует условию TRUE, функция выдаст результат TRUE. Если оба аргумента функции соответствуют условию FALSE, функция выдаст результат FALSE.

Она может использовать аргументы TRUE и FALSE в кавычках.

Пример 2. Используем ссылки на ячейки, содержащих TRUE/FALSE

Вы можете использовать ссылки на ячейки со значениями TRUE или FALSE. Если любое значение из ссылок соответствует условиям TRUE, функция выдаст TRUE.

Пример 3. Используем условия с функцией OR (ИЛИ)

Вы можете проверять условия с помощью функции OR (ИЛИ). Если любое из условий соответствует TRUE, функция выдаст результат TRUE.

Пример 4. Используем числовые значения с функцией OR (ИЛИ)

Число “0” считается FALSE в Excel по умолчанию. Любое число, выше “0”, считается TRUE (оно может быть положительным, отрицательным или десятичным числом).

Пример 5. Используем функцию OR (ИЛИ) с другими функциями

Вы можете использовать функцию OR (ИЛИ) с другими функциями для того, чтобы оценить несколько условий.

На примере ниже показано, как использовать функцию вместе с IF (ЕСЛИ):

На примере выше, мы дополнительно используем функцию IF (ЕСЛИ) для того, чтобы проверить несколько условий. Формула проверяет значение ячеек А2 и A3. Если в одной из них значение более чем “70”, то формула выдаст “TRUE”.

Categorized as a logical function, the Excel OR function checks multiple conditions (passed as arguments) to verify whether any of the conditions turn out to be TRUE. The OR function in Excel either returns a TRUE or a FALSE. It returns FALSE only if all arguments evaluate to FALSE. The function returns TRUE even if a single argument evaluates to TRUE.

This logical function will help you compare data and test multiple conditions. Quite a helping hand, OR function has seen many days since its debut in 2003.

If you are familiar with the AND function, you will notice how similar the two functions are. As with most logical functions, the OR function has its brighter moments combined with other functions. Of course, we have the details for you, but let’s cut into the simpler bits first.

Syntax

The syntax of the OR function is as follows:

=OR(logical1, [logical2], ...)

Arguments:

logical1 – The first condition to be tested.
logical2 – The second condition to be tested. Entering this argument is optional.

Important Characteristics of OR Function in Excel

• OR function returns either «TRUE» or «FALSE» and can evaluate up to 255 conditions.
• If an argument is the number 0, the result will be «FALSE».
• If no logical values are found in the formula, the function returns a #VALUE! error.
• If the formula has any typos or misspelling, the function returns a #NAME? error.
• The arguments can be numbers, cell references, defined names, formulas, functions, or text.

Examples of OR Function

Let’s put stuff to work and try to understand the function with some examples.

Example 1 – OR Function With a Single Parameter

OR function can be used with a single Boolean parameter or any expression that results in a Boolean value.

The formula simply would be:

=OR(TRUE) //returns TRUE
=OR("A"="A") //returns TRUE
=OR(1 < 5) //returns TRUE
=OR(FALSE) //returns FALSE
=OR("A"="Z") //returns FALSE
=OR(7 > 10) //returns FALSE
=OR("abc") //returns #VALUE! error

The function evaluates the condition to be logically either TRUE or FALSE and returns the relevant result. Here we have fed only one logical condition into the function. Let’s move on to the effects of working in twos.

Example 2 – OR Function With Two or More Parameters

Now we will use OR function with two Boolean parameters/expressions that result in a Boolean value.

The function makes a selection based on the fulfillment of multiple conditions very easy. We’ll show you how through this example.

Our example is made up of marks scored by students in two tests (column C) and (column D). Students must clear at least one test to pass the subject. Passing marks for each test are 75 or more.

OR function-wise, what that means is that one condition must be fulfilled to return the result TRUE. We have applied the formula as:

=OR(C2 >= 75,D2 >= 75)

One of the values from either cell «C2» or «D2» must be at least 75 in order for the student to pass and the result to return as «TRUE».

Case 1 – When Both Parameters Evaluate to TRUE

Student «Dean Ricci» has scored 76 marks in Test 1 and 90 marks in Test 2. Both scores are above the required 75 marks. Both the conditions fed into the function are TRUE, and the result is «TRUE».

Case 2 – When Both Parameters Evaluate to FALSE

Not all students are as lucky as Dean, and as we have it, student «Preston Hall» scores 40 and 45 marks in the tests respectively. Both the conditions in the function have not been met, which means it’s a «FALSE, FALSE» situation; the scores are less than75, and so the result comes as «FALSE». FALSE is returned by the OR function when all the arguments evaluate to FALSE.

Case 3 – When One Parameter is TRUE, the Other is FALSE

«Augusta Stone» has scored 84 and 45 in tests 1 and 2 respectively. As you can see, the first condition, «C6 >= 75» is met as the score is 84; that part of the function gives a TRUE result. «D6>=75» is not met since the score is 45 in test 2, and this part of the function gives a FALSE result. Since one out of the two conditions supplied to the function are met, the OR function processes this as TRUE and returns «TRUE».

Note how the result won’t be TRUE and FALSE separately for the corresponding expressions; the function equates all expressions to return a single Boolean value as a result. Even though one logical condition (D6>=75) is not met, the function returns «TRUE» if any one condition is met [(C6>=75) in this case]. This means that the OR function will only result in FALSE when all the supplied parameters/expressions evaluate to FALSE. If any expression returns TRUE, the result of the OR function will be TRUE.

The same can be said for student 6; the first condition (C7>=75) is not met while the second (D7>=75) is. This has also resulted in «TRUE» by the function.

Example 3 – Use of OR Function with IF Function

The role of an IF function is to return a value based on a stated condition. IF functions can be nested within each other to develop formulas for handling complex logic.

Instead of having several nested IF functions to test multiple conditions, the OR function can be nested within the IF function to get a similar customized result.

Continuing with the example from above, we will show you how the functions work together.

The plus point here of using the OR function within the IF function is that we can get:

• «Pass» instead of «TRUE» and
• «Fail» instead of «FALSE»

as the result.

We achieve this by the following formula:

=IF(OR(C2 >= 75,D2 >= 75),"Pass","Fail")

The OR function comes into play first. It looks up marks in cells C2 and D2 to be greater than or equal to 75. The OR function checks if any one of the conditions is met and it returns a «TRUE». The result is passed onto the IF function where the corresponding value for TRUE is «Pass»; hence IF function returns «Pass» as the result.

Example 4 – Use of OR Function in Array Form

The OR function can also be used to evaluate a range of cells and determine whether the condition specified, is met in at least one of the cells in the range. Let’s take some help from an example.

In this example, we have a list of students along with their scores. Our objective is to check and see if any student on the list has scored 95 or more.

To accomplish this, we can make use of the OR function in array form as:

{=OR(C2:C11 >= 95)}

Note: This is an array formula and must be entered with Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys, except in Excel 365.

In the above formula, we are asking the OR function to take each cell in the given range i.e. C2:C11, and check if the value in any one of the cells is greater than or equal to 95. If even a single cell in the range has a value greater than or equal to 95, the function returns TRUE otherwise it returns FALSE.

Since in our case student 2 «Disha Varma» has a score of 95, hence the condition is satisfied and the OR function returns a TRUE.

It’s a wrap! You can alt + f4 now «or» you can read on.

Here’s an Excel joke for you:

What if you clicked undo so many times

IT TURNED BACK INTO EXCEL 2.0

We’ll let you sit with that one while we prep another Excel function (without so many undos).

Just like the AND function, the OR is a logical function in Excel. The OR function returns True if any of the given condition(s) is True. It only returns False if all the given conditions evaluate as False.

The syntax for using the OR function

The syntax for using the OR function is:

=OR (condition1, [condition2], …)

• You may separate multiple conditions by a comma.
• Up to 255 conditions can be used in a single OR formula.

For example,

=OR(A2>10)

=OR(A2>10, B2<100)

=OR(A2<=5, B2>=100, C2=20)

See the examples below for learning how we can use the OR function. The example also includes using the OR with the IF function (which is also a logical function).

The example of OR with a single condition

In the first example, I am using a single condition only in the OR function. For that, we have a value in the A2 cell that is used in the OR function. The B2 cell shows the returned value by OR.

Similarly, other A column cells are used for different result; all with single condition:

The formulas for different B cells are:

You can see the output in the above examples. Also, notice the usage of text in the OR function and the returned result.

Using multiple conditions example

For this example, I used two or more conditions in the OR function. To make it understand how it works, various combinations of True/False returned results are used as follows:

The formulas for C column (C2 to C4):

You can see, the returned result is False for only that formula for which all conditions are False. That is the C2 cell’s formula. In that case, neither A2 is greater than 5 nor B2 is less than 15.

In other cases, even one condition is True, the OR function returned the True.

An example of using the OR with IF function

Just like AND function, we may use the OR in conjunction with the IF function. In that case, the OR acts as the logical test in the IF function.

An example below shows the usage of OR function with IF. For that, we have an Excel sheet that contains the records of “Number of Sales” and “Sale amount” by the Sales Persons.

A salesperson is eligible for the bonus only if the number of sales is greater than or equal to 50. Similarly, if the sales amount is greater than $10,000, he/she is eligible for the bonus even if the number of sales is less than 50.

See how IF/OR functions are used to get the results:

The formula used in the D2 cell to get the result for sales person 1:

To get the result for other salespersons, just replace the B2 and C2 cells by their respective cells.

How to use ribbon for creating OR formula?

Rather than writing the formula in the formula bar yourself, you may also provide OR function arguments by accessing the menu in the ribbon.

To access the OR function:

Step 1:

Select a cell where you want to apply the formula and

Go to the “Formulas” in the ribbon

Step 2:

Locate the “Logical” group and click on the “OR” as shown below:

The “Function Arguments” popup comes up where you may enter up to 255 conditions that you want to test.

Enter the condition(s) as shown below:

You can see the result as you are entering the conditions.

In this article, we will learn How to use the OR function in Excel.

What is the OR function used for ?

OR function is logical operator. Whenever we deal with multiple values at one time, we need to check whether we need to consider different things. If you need the return value True wherever any row can have this or that. For example matching multiple employee IDs. Using OR function you can provide as many criteria you like and if any one those criteria is True. The function returns TRUE.

OR Function in Excel

OR function only returns TRUE or FALSE.

Syntax:

=OR(logical1, [logical2], [logical3], …)

logical1 : First criteria

[logical2] :

[logical3]

Example :

All of these might be confusing to understand. Let’s understand how to use the function using an example. Here we have some coloured balls and we need to test the condition to check whether the ball is valid or not.

Use the formula in B2 cell.

Explanation:

Function checks either Red ball or White ball is valid for the match to be played.

So it checks the cell A2 for the same.

As it returns False means it doesn’t have either Red or White.

Use the Ctrl + D option to check the cells corresponding to it.

As we can see in the above snapshot it returns True for the cells having Red or White coloured ball.

You can apply it to check on the range of cells to test whether any of the cell returns True or not.

Use the formula

=OR(A2:A10=»Red»,A2:A10=»White»)

Note: Don’t forget to use Ctrl + shift + Enter to get the result. Curly brackets will be visible in the formula bar (fx) of the cell.

Use Ctrl + Shift + Enter to see the result

It returns True. It means that A2:A10 range cells have either White or Red ball.

You can check less than or greater than condition on numbers. OR function can also be used along with many function like IF, AND and many more.

IF with OR function

We have a list of months and need to know in which quarter it lay.

Use the formula to match the quarter of the months

Formula:

=IF(OR(A4=”Jan”,A4=”Feb”,A4=”Mar”),”1st Quarter”,IF(OR(A4=”Apr”,A4=”May”,A4=”Jun”),”2nd Quarter”,IF(OR(A4=”Jul”,A4=”Aug”,A4=”Sep”),”3rd Quarter”,IF(OR(A4=”Oct”,A4=”Nov”,A4=”Dec”),”4th Quarter”))))

Copy the formula in other cells, select the cells taking the first cell where the formula is already applied, use shortcut key Ctrl +D

We got the result.

You can also use the SUMPRODUCT function if you are comfortable with it. How to use the SUMPRODUCT function in Excel

Here are all the observational notes using the OR function in Excel
Notes :

1. Different criteria must be separated using comma ( , )
2. Operations like equals to ( = ), less than equal to ( <= ), greater than ( > ) or not equals to ( <> ) can be performed within a formula applied, with numbers only.

Hope this article about How to use the OR function in Excel is explanatory. Find more articles on checking values and related Excel formulas here. If you liked our blogs, share it with your friends on Facebook. And also you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook. We would love to hear from you, do let us know how we can improve, complement or innovate our work and make it better for you. Write to us at info@exceltip.com.

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