Using if statements with or statements in excel

IF function is undoubtedly one of the most important functions in excel. In general, IF statements give the desired intelligence to a program so that it can make decisions based on given criteria and, most importantly, decide the program flow.

In Microsoft Excel terminology, IF statements are also called «Excel IF-Then statements». IF function evaluates a boolean/logical expression and returns one value if the expression evaluates to ‘TRUE’ and another value if the expression evaluates to ‘FALSE’.

Definition of Excel IF Function

According to Microsoft Excel, IF function is defined as a formula which «checks whether a condition is met, returns one value if true and another value if false».

Syntax

Syntax of IF function in Excel is as follows:

=IF(logic_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])

'logic_test' (required argument) – Refers to the boolean expression or logical expression that needs to be evaluated.
'value_if_true' (optional argument) – Refers to the value that will be returned by the IF function if the 'logic_test' evaluates to TRUE.
'value_if_false' (optional argument) – Refers to the value that will be returned by the IF function if the 'logic_test' evaluates to FALSE.

Important Characteristics of IF Function in Excel

• To use the IF function, you need to provide the 'logic_test' or conditional statement mandatorily.
• The arguments 'value_if_true'and 'value_if_false' are optional, but you need to provide at least one of them.
• The result of the IF statement can only be any one of the two given values (either it will be 'value_if_true' or 'value_if_false'). Both values cannot be returned at the same time.
• IF function throws a ‘#Name?’ error if the'logic_test' or boolean expression you are trying to evaluate is invalid.
•  Nesting of IF statements is possible, but Excel only allows this to 64 levels. Nesting of IF statement means using one if statement within another.

Comparison Operators That Can Be Used With IF Statements

Following comparison operators can be used within the 'logic_test' argument of the IF function:

• = (equal to)
• <> (not equal to)
• < (less than)
• > (greater than)
• >= (greater than or equal to)
• <= (less than or equal to)
• Apart from these, you can also use any other function that returns a boolean result (either ‘true’ or ‘false’). For example – ISBLANK, ISERROR, ISEVEN, ISODD, etc

Now, let’s see some simple examples to use these comparison operators within the IF Function:

Simple Examples of Excel IF Statement

Now, let’s try to see a simple example of the Excel IF function:

Example 1: Using ‘equal to’ comparison operator within the IF function

In this example, we have a list of colors, and we aim to find the ‘Blue’ color. If we are able to find the ‘Blue’ color, then in the adjacent cell, we need to assign a ‘Yes’; otherwise, assign a ‘No’.

So, the formula would be:

=IF(A2="Blue", "No", "Yes")

This suggests that if the value present in cell A2 is ‘Blue’, then return a ‘Yes’; otherwise, return a ‘No’.

If we drag this formula down to all the rows, we will find that it returns ‘Yes’ for the cells with the value ‘Blue’ for all others; it would result in ‘No’.

Example 2: Using ‘not equal to’ comparison operator within the IF function.

Let’s take example 1, and understand how we can reverse the logic and use a ‘not equal to’ operator to construct the formula so that it still results in ‘Yes’ for ‘Blue’ color and ‘No’ for any other text.

So the formula would be:

=IF(A2<>"Blue", "No", "Yes")

This suggests that if the value at A2 is not equal to ‘Blue’, then return a ‘No’; otherwise, return a ‘Yes’.

When dragged down to all the below rows, this formula would find all the cells (from A2 to A8) where the value is not ‘Blue’ and marks a ‘No’ against them. Otherwise, it marks a ‘Yes’ in the adjacent cells.

Example 3: Using ‘less than’ operator within the IF function.

In this example, we have scores of some students, along with their names. We want to assign either «Pass» or «Fail» against each student in the result column.

Based on our criteria, the passing score is 50 or more.

For this, we can use the IF function as:

=IF(B2<50,"Fail","Pass")

This suggests that if the value at B2, i.e., 37, is less than 50, then return «Fail»; otherwise, return «Pass».

As 37 is less than 50 so the result will be «Fail».

We can drag the above-given formula for the rest of the cells below and the result would be correct.

Example 4: Using ‘greater than or equal to’ operator within the IF statement.

Let’s take example 3 and see how we can reverse the logic and use a ‘greater than or equal to’ operator to construct the formula so that it still results in ‘Pass’ for scores of 50 or more and ‘Fail’ for all the other scores.

For this, we can use the Excel IF function as:

=IF(B2>=50,"Pass","Fail")

This suggests that if the value at B2, i.e., 37 is greater than or equal to 50, then return «Pass»; otherwise, return «Fail».

As 37 not greater than or equal to 50 so the result will be «Fail».

When dragged down for the rest of the cells below, this formula would assign the correct result in the adjacent rows.

Example 5: Using ‘greater than’ operator within the IF statement.

In this example, we have a small online store that gives a discount to its customers based on the amount they spend. If a customer spends $50 or more, he is applicable for a 5% discount; otherwise, no discounts are offered.

To find whether a discount is offered or not, we can use the following excel formula:

=IF(B2>50,"5% Discount","No Discount")

This translates to – If the value at B2 cell is greater than 50, assign a text «5% Discount» otherwise, assign a text «No Discount» against the customer.

In the first case, as 23 is not greater than 50, the output will be «No Discount».

We can drag the above-given formula for the rest of the cells below are the result would be correct.

Example 6: Using ‘less than or equal to’ operator within the IF statement.

Let’s take example 5 and see how we can reverse the logic and use a ‘less than or equal to’ operator to construct the formula so that it still results in a ‘5% Discount’ for all customers whose total spend exceeds $50 and ‘No Discount’ for all the other customers.

For this, we can use the IF-then statement as:

=IF(B2<=50,"No Discount","5% Discount")

This means that if the value at B2, i.e., 23, is less than or equal to 50, then return «No Discount»; otherwise, return «5% Discount».

As 23 is less than or equal to 50 so the result will be «No Discount».

When dragged down for the rest of the cells below, this formula would assign the correct result in the adjacent rows.

Example 7: Using an Excel Logical Function within the IF formula in Excel.

In this example, let’s suppose we have a list of numbers, and we have to mark Even and Odd numbers. We can do this using the IF condition and the ISEVEN or ISODD inbuilt functions provided by Microsoft Excel.

ISEVEN function returns ‘true’ if the number passed to it is even; otherwise, it returns a ‘false’. Similarly, ISODD function return ‘true’ if the number passed to it is odd; otherwise, it returns a ‘false’.

For this, we can use the IF-then statement as:

=IF(ISEVEN(A2),"Even","Odd")

This means that – If the value at A2 cell is an even number, then the result would be «Even»; otherwise, the result would be «Odd».

Alternatively, the above logic can also be written using the ISODD function along with the IF statement as:

=IF(ISODD(A2),"Odd","Even")

This means that – If the value at A2 cell is an odd number, then the result would be «Odd»; otherwise, the result would be «Even».

Example 8: Using the Excel IF function to return another formula a result.

In this example, we have Employee Data from a company. The company comes up with a simple way to reward its loyal employees. They decide to give the employees an annual bonus based on the years spent by the employee within the organization.

Employees with experience of more than 5 years are given 10% of annual salary as a bonus whereas everyone else gets a 5% of annual salary as a bonus.

For this, the excel formula would be:

=IF(B2>5,C2*10%,C2*5%)

This means that – if the value at B2 (experience column) is greater than 5, then return a result by calculating 10% of C2 (annual salary column). However, if the logic test is evaluated to false, then return the result by calculating 5% of C2 (annual salary column)

Use Of AND & OR Functions or Logical Operators with Excel IF Statement

Excel IF Statement can also be used along with the other functions like AND, OR, NOT for analyzing complex logic. These functions (AND, OR & NOT) are called logical operators as they are used for connecting two or more logical expressions.

AND Function– AND function returns true when all the conditions inside the AND function evaluate to true. The syntax of AND Function in Excel is:

=AND(Logic1, Logic2, logic_n)

OR Function– OR function returns true when any one of the conditions inside the OR function evaluates to true. The syntax of OR Function in Excel is:

=OR(Logic1, Logic2, logic_n)

Example 9: Using the IF function along with AND Function.

In this example, we have Math and science test scores of some students, and we want to assign a ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’ value against the students based on their scores.

Passing criteria: Students have to get more than 50 marks in Math and more than 70 marks in science to pass the test.

Based on the above conditions, the formula would be:

=IF(AND(B2>50,C2>70),"Pass","Fail")

The formula translates to – if the value at B2 (Math score) is greater than 50 and the value at C2 (Science Score) is greater than 70, then assign the value «Pass»; otherwise, assign the value «Fail».

Example 10: Using the IF function along with OR Function.

In this example, we have two test scores of some students, and we want to assign a ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’ value against the students based on their scores.

Passing criteria: Students have to clear either one of the two tests with more than 50 marks.

Based on the above conditions, the formula would be:

=IF(OR(B2>50,C2>50),"Pass","Fail")

The formula translates to – if either the value at B2 (Test 1 score) is greater than 50, OR the value at C2 (Test 2 Score) is greater than 50, then assign the value «Pass»; otherwise, assign the value «Fail».

Recommended Reading: Excel NOT Function

Nested IF Statements

When used alone, IF formula can only result in two outcomes, i.e., True or False. But there are many cases when we want to test multiple outcomes with IF statement.

In such cases, nesting two or more IF Then statements one inside another can be convenient in writing formulas.

Syntax:

The syntax of the Nested IF Then statements is as follows:

=IF(condition_1,value_if_true_1,IF(condition_2,value_if_true_2,value_if_false_2))

'condition_1' – Refers to the first logical test or conditional expression that needs to be evaluated by the outer IF function.
'value_if_true_1' – Refers to the value that will be returned by the outer IF function if the 'condition_1' evaluates to TRUE.
'condition_2' – Refers to the second logical test or conditional expression that needs to be evaluated by the inner IF function.
'value_if_true_2' – Refers to the value that will be returned by the inner IF function if the 'condition_2' evaluates to TRUE.
'value_if_false_2' – Refers to the value that will be returned by the inner IF function if the 'condition_2' evaluates to FALSE.

The above syntax translates to this:

IF Condition1 = true THEN value_if_true1 'If Condition1 is true
ELSE IF Condition2 = true THEN value_if_true2 'Elseif Clause Condition2 is true
ELSE value_if_false2 'If both conditions are false
END IF 'End of IF Statement

As we can see, Nested formulas can quickly become complicated so, let’s try to understand how nesting of the IF statement works with an example.

Recommended Reading: VBA Select Case Statement

Example 11: Nested IF Statements

In this example, we have a list of countries and their average temperatures in degree Celsius for the month of January. Our goal is to categorize the country based on the temperature range as follows:

Criteria: Temperatures below 20 °C should be marked as «Below Room Temperature», temperatures between 20°C to 25°C should be classified as «Normal Room Temperature», whereas any temperature over 25°C should be marked as «Above Room Temperature».

Based on the above conditions, the formula would be:

=IF(B2<20,"Below Room Temperature",IF(AND(B2>=20,B2<=25),"Normal Room Temperature", "Above Room Temperature"))

The formula translates to – if the value at B2 is less than 20, then the text «Below Room Temperature» is returned from the outer IF block. However, if the value at B2 is greater than or equal to 20, then the inner IF block is evaluated.

Inside the inner IF block, the value at B2 is checked. If the value at B2 is greater than or equal to 20 and less than or equal to 25. Then the inner IF block returns the text «Normal Room Temperature».

However, if the condition inside the inner IF block also evaluates to ‘false’ that means the value at B2 is greater than 25, so the result will be «Above Room Temperature».

Recommended Reading: SWITCH Function in Excel

Partial Matching or Wildcards with IF Function

Although IF function itself doesn’t accept any wildcard characters like (* or ?) while performing the logic test, thankfully, there are ways to perform partial matching and wildcard searches with the IF function.

To perform partial matching inside the IF function, we can use the FIND (case sensitive) or SEARCH (case insensitive) functions.

Let’s have a look at this with some examples.

Example 12: Using FIND and SEARCH functions inside the IF statement

In this example, we have a list of customers, and we need to find all the customers whose last name is «Flynn». If the customer name contains the text «Flynn», then we need to assign a text «Found» against their names. Otherwise, we need to assign a text «Not Found».

For this, we can make use of the FIND function within the IF function as:

=IF(ISNUMBER(FIND("Flynn",A2)),"Found","Not Found")

Using the FIND function, we perform a case-sensitive search of the text «Flynn» within the customer name column. If the FIND function is able to find the text «Flynn», it returns a number signifying the position where it found the text.

If the number returned by the FIND function is valid, the ISNUMBER Function returns a value true. Else, it returns false. Based on the ISNUMBER function’s output, the logic test is performed and the appropriate value «Found» or «Not Found» is assigned.

Note: It should be noted that the FIND function performs a case-sensitive search.

This means in the above example if the customer name is entered in lower case (like «sean flynn» then the above function would return not found against them.

To perform a case-insensitive search, we can replace the find function with the search function, and the rest of the formula would be the same.

=IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Flynn",A2)),"Found","Not Found")

Example 13: Using SEARCH function inside the Excel IF formula with wildcard operators

In this example, we have the same customer list from example 12, and we need to find all the customers whose name contains «M». If the customer name contains the alphabet «M», we need to assign a text «M Found» against their names. Otherwise, we need to assign a text «M Not Found».

For this, we can use the SEARCH function with a wildcard ‘*’ operator inside the IF function as:

=IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("M*",A2)),"M Found","M Not Found")

For more details on Search Function and wildcard, operators check out this article – Search Function In Excel

Some Practical Examples of using the IF function

Now, let’s have a look at some more practical examples of the Excel IF Function.

Example 14: Using Excel IF function with dates.

In this example, we have a task list along with the task due dates. Our goal is to show results based on the task due date.

If the task due date was in the past, we need to show «Was due {1,2,3..} day(s) back», if the task due date is today’s date, we need to show «Today» and similarly, if the task due date is in the future then we need to show «Due in {1,2,3..} day(s)»

In Microsoft Excel, we can do this with the help of the IF-then statement and TODAY function, as shown below:

=IF(B2=TODAY(),"Today", IF(B2>TODAY(),CONCAT("Due in ",B2-TODAY()," day(s)"), CONCAT("Was due ",TODAY()-B2," day(s) back")))

This means that – compare the date present in cell B2 if the date is equal to today’s date show the text «Today». If the date in cell B2 is not equal to today’s date, then the inner IF block checks if the date in B2 is greater than today’s date. If the date in cell B2 is greater than today’s date, that means the date is in the future, so show the text «Due in {1,2,3…} days».

However, if the date in cell B2 is not greater than today’s date, that means the date was in the past; in such a case, show the text «Was due {1,2,3..} day(s) back».

You can also go a step further and apply conditional formatting on the range and highlight all the cells with the text «Today!». This will help you to clearly see

Example 15: Use an IF function-based formula to find blank cells in excel.

In this example, we will use the IF function to find the blank cells in Microsoft Excel. We have a list of customers, and in between the list, some of the cells are blank. We aim to find the blank cells and add the text «blank call found!» against them.

We can do this with the help of the IF function along with the ISBLANK function. The ISBLANK function returns a true if the cell reference passed to it is blank. Otherwise, the ISBLANK function returns false.

Let’s see the formula –

=IF(ISBLANK(A2), "Blank cell found!"," ")

This means that – If the cell at A2 is blank, then the resultant text should be «Blank cell found!», however, if the cell at A2 is not blank, then don’t show any text.

Example 16: Use the Excel IF statement to show symbolic results (instead of textual results).

In this example, we have a list of sales employees of a company along with the number of products sold by the employees in the current month. We want to show an upward arrow symbol (↑) if the employee has done more than 50 sales and a downward arrow symbol (↓) if the employee has made less than 50 sales.

To do this, we can use the formula:

=IF(B2>50,$G$6,$G$8)

This implies – If the value at B2 is greater than 50, then, as a result, show the content in cell G6 (cell containing upward arrow) and otherwise show the content at G8 (cell containing downward arrow)

If you wonder about the ‘$’ signs used in the formula, you can check out this post – Excel Absolute References. These ‘$’ symbols are used for making excel cell references absolute.

Recommended Reading: CHOOSE Function in Excel

IFS Function In Excel:

IFS Function in Microsoft Excel is a great alternative to nested IF Statements. It is very similar to a switch statement. The IFS function evaluates multiple conditions passed to it and returns the value corresponding to the first condition that evaluates to true.

IFS function is a lot simple to write and read than nested IF statements. IFS function is available in Office 2019 and higher versions.

Syntax for IFS function:

=IFS (test1, value1, [test2, value2], ...)

'test1' (required argument) – Refers to the first logical test that needs to be evaluated.

'value1' (required argument) – Refers to the result to be returned when 'test1'evaluates to TRUE.

'test2' (optional argument) – Refers to the second logical test that needs to be evaluated

'value2' (optional argument) – Refers to the result to be returned when 'test2'evaluates to TRUE.

Example 17: Using IFS function in Excel

In this example, we have a list of students, along with their scores, and we need to assign a grade to the students based on the scores.

The grading criteria is as follows – Grade A for a score of 90 or more, Grade B for a score between 80 to 89.99, Grade C for a score between 70 to 79.99, Grade D for a score between 60 to 69.99, Grade E for a score between 60 to 59.99, Grade F for a score lower than 50.

Let’s see how easily write such a complicated formula with the IFS function:

=IFS(B2 >= 90,"A",B2 >= 80,"B",B2 >= 70,"C",B2 >= 60,"D",B2 >= 50,"E",B2 < 50,"F")

This implies that – If B2 is greater than or equal to 90, return A. Else if B2 is greater than or equal to 80, return B. Else if B2 is greater than or equal to 70, return C. Else if B2 is greater than or equal to 60, return D. Else if B2 is greater than or equal to 50, return E. Else if B2 is less than 50, return F.

If you would try to write the same formula using nested IF statements, see how long and complicated it becomes:

=IF(B2 >= 90,"A",IF(B2 >= 80, "B",IF(B2 >= 70, "C",IF(B2 >= 60, "D",IF(B2 >= 50, "E",IF(B2 < 50, "F"))))))

So, this was all about the IF function in excel. If you want to learn more about IF function, I would recommend you to go through this article – VBA IF Statement With Examples

We use the IF statement in Excel to test one condition and return one value if the condition is met and another if the condition is not met.

However, we use multiple or nested IF statements when evaluating numerous conditions in a specific order to return different results.

This tutorial shows four examples of using nested IF statements in Excel and gives five alternatives to using multiple IF statements in Excel.

General Syntax of Nested IF Statements (Multiple IF Statements)

The general syntax for nested IF statements is as follows:

=IF(Condition1, Value_if_true1, IF(Condition2, Value_if_true2, IF(Condition3, Value_if_true3, Value_if_false)))

This formula tests the first condition; if true, it returns the first value.

If the first condition is false, the formula moves to the second condition and returns the second value if it’s true.

Each subsequent IF function is incorporated into the value_if_false argument of the previous IF function.

This process continues until all conditions have been evaluated, and the formula returns the final value if none of the conditions is true.

The maximum number of nested IF statements allowed in Excel is 64.

Now, look at the following four examples of how to use nested IF statements in Excel.

Example #1: Use Multiple IF Statements to Assign Letter Grades Based on Numeric Scores

Let’s consider the following dataset showing some students’ scores on a Math test. 

We want to use nested IF statements to assign student letter grades based on their scores. 

We use the following steps:

1. Select cell C2 and type in the below formula:

=IF(B2>=90,"A",IF(B2>=80,"B",IF(B2>=70,"C",IF(B2>=60,"D","F"))))

1. Click Enter in the cell to get the result of the formula in the cell.

1. Copy the formula for the rest of the cells in the column

The assigned letter grades appear in column C.

Explanation of the formula

=IF(B2>=90,”A”,IF(B2>=80,”B”,IF(B2>=70,”C”,IF(B2>=60,”D”,”F”))))

This formula evaluates the value in cell B2 and assigns an “A” if the value is 90 or greater, a “B” if the value is between 80 and 89, a “C” if the value is between 70 and 79, a “D” if the value is between 60 and 69, and an “F” if the value is less than 60.

Notice that it can be challenging to keep track of which parentheses go with which arguments in nested IF functions.

Therefore, as we enter the formula, Excel uses different colors for the parentheses at each level of the nested IF functions to make it easier to see which parts of the formula belong together. 

Also read: How to use Excel If Statement with Multiple Conditions Range

Example #2: Use Multiple IF Statements to Calculate Commission Based on Sales Volume

Here’s the dataset showing the sales of specific salespeople in a particular month.

We want to use multiple IF statements to calculate the tiered commission for the salespeople based on their sales volume. 

We proceed as follows:

1. Select cell C2 and enter the following formula:

=IF(B2>=40000, B2*0.14,IF(B2>=20000,B2*0.12,IF(B2>=10000,B2*0.105,IF(B2>0,B2*0.08,0))))

1. Press the Enter key to get the result of the formula.
2. Double-click or drag the Fill Handle to copy the formula down the column.

The commission for each salesperson is displayed in column D.

Explanation of the formula

=IF(B2>=40000, B2*0.14,IF(B2>=20000,B2*0.12,IF(B2>=10000,B2*0.105,IF(B2>0,B2*0.08,0))))

This formula evaluates the value in cell B2 and then does the following:

• If the value in cell B2 is greater than or equal to 40,000, the figure is multiplied by 14% (0.14).
• If the figure in cell B2 is less than 40,000 but greater than or equal to 20,000, the value is multiplied by 12% (0.12).
•  If the number in cell B2 is less than 20,000 but greater than or equal to 10,000, the figure is multiplied by 10.5% (0.105).
• If the value in cell B2 is less than 10,000 but greater than 0 (zero), the number is multiplied by 8% (0.08).
• If the value in cell B2 is 0 (zero), 0 (zero) is returned.

Example #3: Use Multiple IF Statements to Assign Sales Performance Rating Based On Sales Target Achievement

The following is a dataset showing regional sales data of a specific technology company in a particular year.

We want to use multiple IF statements to assign a sales performance rating to each region based on their sales target achievement.

We use the following steps:

1. Select cell C2 and type in the below formula:

=IF(B2>500000, "Excellent", IF(B2>400000, "Good", IF(B2>275000, "Average", "Poor")))

1. Click Enter on the Formula bar.
2. Drag or double-click the Fill Handle to copy the formula down the column.

The performance ratings of the regions are shown in column C.

Explanation of the formula

=IF(B2>500000, “Excellent”, IF(B2>400000, “Good”, IF(B2>275000, “Average”, “Poor”)))

In this formula, if the sales target in cell B2 is greater than 500,000, the formula returns “Excellent.”

If it’s between 400,000 and 500,000, the formula returns “Good.”

If it’s between 275,000 and 400,000, the formula returns “Average.” And if it’s below 275,000, the formula returns “Poor.”

Example #4: Use Multiple IF Statements in Excel to Check For Errors and Return Error Messages

Suppose we have the following dataset of students’ English test scores. Some scores are less than 0 or greater than 100, and there are no scores in some cases.

We want to use nested IF statements to check for scores in column B and display error messages in column C if there are no scores or the scores are less than 0 or greater than 100.

If the score in column B is valid, we want the formula to return an empty string in column C.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Select cell C2 and enter the following formula:

=IF(OR(B2<0,B2>100),"Score out of range",IF(ISBLANK(B2),"Invalid score",""))

1. Click Enter on the Formula bar.
2. Drag the Fill Handle to copy the formula down the column.

The error messages are shown in column C.

Explanation of the formula 

=IF(OR(B2<0,B2>100),”Score out of range”,IF(ISBLANK(B2),”Invalid score”,””))

This formula uses the OR function to check if the score in cell B2 is less than 0 or greater than 100, and if it is, it returns the error message “Score out of range.”

The formula also uses the ISBLANK function to check if cell B2 is blank, and if it is, it returns the error message “Invalid score.”

If there is no error, the formula returns an empty string, meaning no message is displayed in column B.

Alternatives to Using Multiple IF Statements in Excel

Formulas using nested IF statements can become difficult to read and manage if we have more than a few conditions to test.

In addition, if we exceed the maximum allowed limit of 64 nested IF statements, we will get an error message.

Fortunately, Excel offers alternative ways to use instead of nested IF functions, especially when we need to test more than a few conditions. 

We present the alternative ways in this tutorial.

Alternative #1: Use the IFS Function

The IFS function tests whether one or more conditions are met and returns a value corresponding to the first TRUE condition.

Before the release of the IFS function in 2018 as part of the Excel 365 update, the only way to test multiple conditions and return a corresponding value in Excel was to use nested IF statements.

However, multiple IF statements have the downside of resulting in unwieldy formulas that are difficult to read and maintain.

In some situations, the IFS function is designed to replace the need for multiple IF functions.

The syntax of the IFS function is more straightforward and easier to read than nested IF statements, and it can handle up to 127 conditions.

Here’s an example:

Let’s consider the following dataset showing some students’ scores on a Math test. 

We want to use the IFS function to assign letter grades to the students based on their scores. 

We use the following steps:

1. Select cell C2 and type in the below formula:

=IFS(B2>=90, "A", B2>=80, "B", B2>=70, "C", B2>=60, "D", B2<60, "F")

1. Click Enter on the Formula bar.
2. Drag or double-click the Fill Handle to copy the formula down the column.

The student’s letter grades are shown in column C.

Explanation of the formula

=IFS(B2>=90, “A”, B2>=80, “B”, B2>=70, “C”, B2>=60, “D”, B2<60, “F”)

This formula tests the score in cell B2 against each condition and returns the corresponding grade letter when the condition is true. 

Limitation of IFS Function

The IFS function in Excel is designed to simplify complex nested IF statements.

However, there are situations where the IFS function may not be able to replace nested IF functions completely.

One such situation is when you must calculate or operate based on a condition or set of conditions.

While the IFS function can return a value or text string based on a condition, it cannot perform calculations or operations on that value like nested IF statements.

Another situation where the IFS function may be less useful is when you need to test for a range of conditions rather than just a specific set.

This is because the IFS function requires you to specify each condition and corresponding result separately, which can become cumbersome if you have many conditions to test—in contrast, nested IF statements allow you to test for a range of conditions using logical operators like AND and OR.

The IFS function is a powerful tool for simplifying complex logical tests in Excel.

However, there may be situations where nested IF statements are more appropriate for your needs.

We recommend that you consider both options and choose the one that best fits the specific requirements of your task.

Alternative #2: Use Nested IF Functions

We can use multiple IFS functions in a formula if we have more than one condition to test.

For example, let’s say we have the following dataset of student names and scores on a Physics test in columns A and B.

We want to assign a letter grade to each score and include a pass or fail designation based on whether the score is above or below 75.

Here are the steps to use:

1. Select cell C2 and enter the following formula

=IFS(B2>=90,"A",B2>=80,"B",B2>=70,"C",B2>=60,"D",B2<60,"F")&"  "&IFS(B2>=75,"Pass",B2<75,"Fail")

1. Click Enter on the Formula bar.
2. Drag or double-click the Fill Handle to copy the formula down the column.

The letter grade and designation of the student scores are displayed in column C.

Explanation of the formula

=IFS(B2>=90,”A”,B2>=80,”B”,B2>=70,”C”,B2>=60,”D”,B2<60,”F”)&”  “&IFS(B2>=75,”Pass”,B2<75,”Fail”)

This formula uses the first IFS function to assign a letter grade based on the score in column A and the second IFS function to give a pass/fail designation based on the score in column A.

The two IFS functions are combined using the ampersand (&) operator to create a single text string that displays each score’s letter grade and pass/fail designation.

Alternative #3: Use the Combination of CHOOSE and XMATCH Functions

The CHOOSE function selects a value or action from a value list based on an index number.

The XMATCH function locates and returns the relative position of an item in an array. We can combine these functions in a formula instead of nested IF functions.

Here’s an example:

Suppose we have the following dataset showing some students’ scores and letter grades on a Biology test. 

We want to use a formula combining the CHOOSE and XMATCH functions to assign corresponding grade points in column D to each letter grade.

We use the following steps:

1. Select cell D2 and type in the below formula:

=CHOOSE(XMATCH(C2,{"F","E","D","C","B","A"},0),0,1,2,3,4,5)

1. Click Enter on the Formula bar.
2. Drag or double-click the Fill Handle to copy the formula down the column.

The grade points for each student are displayed in column D.

Explanation of the formula

=CHOOSE(XMATCH(C2,{“F”,”E”,”D”,”C”,”B”,”A”},0),0,1,2,3,4,5)

This formula applies the XMATCH function to find the position of the letter grade in the array {“F”,”E”,”D”,”C”,”B”,”A”}, and then uses the CHOOSE function to return the corresponding grade points.

Alternative #4: Use the VLOOKUP Function

The VLOOKUP function looks for a value in the leftmost column of a table and then returns a value in the same row from a specified column.

We can use the VLOOKUP function instead of nested IF functions in Excel.

The following is an example of using the VLOOKUP function instead of nested IF functions in Excel:

Suppose we have the following dataset showing some students’ scores and letter grades on a Biology test. 

We want to use the VLOOKUP function to assign grade points to each student’s letter grade in column D.

We use the steps below:

1. Create a table that lists the grades and their corresponding grade points in cell range F1:G7.

1. In cell D2, type the following formula:

=VLOOKUP(C2,$F$2:$G$7,2,FALSE)

Note: Use the dollar signs to lock down the cell range F2:G7.

1. Click Enter on the Formula bar.
2. Drag or double-click the Fill Handle to copy the formula down the column.

The grade points for each student appear in column D.

Explanation of the formula

=VLOOKUP(C2,$F$2:$G$7,2,FALSE)

This formula uses the VLOOKUP function to look up the grade in cell C2 in the table in F2:G7 and return the corresponding grade point in the second column (i.e., column G).

The “FALSE” argument ensures that an exact match is required.

Alternative #5: Use a User-Defined Function

If you need to test more than a few conditions, consider creating a User Defined Function in VBA that can handle many conditions. 

Here’s an example of using VBA code to replace nested IF functions in Excel:

Suppose we have the following dataset showing the sales of specific salespeople in a particular month.

We want to use a User Defined Function to calculate the commission for each salesperson based on the following rates:

• If the total sales are less than $10,000, the commission rate is 8%.
• If the total sales are equal to or greater than $10,000 but less than $20,000, the commission rate is 10.5%.
• If the total sales are equal to or greater than $20,000 but less than $40,000, the commission rate is 12%.
• If the sales are equal to or greater than $40,000, the commission rate is 14%

We use the following steps:

1. Open the worksheet containing the sales dataset.
2. Press Alt + F11 to launch the Visual Basic Editor.
3. Click Insert on the menu bar and choose Module to insert a new module.

1. Enter the following VBA code.

'Code developed by Steve Scott from https://spreadsheetplanet.com
Function COMMISSION(Sales As Double) As Double
    Const Rate1 = 0.08
    Const Rate2 = 0.105
    Const Rate3 = 0.12
    Const Rate4 = 0.14

'Calculate sales commissions

    Select Case Sales
        Case 0 To 9999.99: COMMISSION = Sales * Rate1
        Case 10000 To 19999.99: COMMISSION = Sales * Rate2
        Case 20000 To 39999.99: COMMISSION = Sales * Rate3
        Case Is >= 40000: COMMISSION = Sales * Rate4
    End Select

End Function

1. Save the function procedure and the workbook as a Macro-Enabled Workbook.
2. Press Alt + F11 to switch to the active worksheet with the sales dataset.
3. Select cell C2 and enter the following formula:

=COMMISSION(B2)

1. Click Enter on the Formula bar.
2. Drag or double-click the Fill Handle to copy the formula down the column.

The commission for each salesperson is displayed in column C.

This VBA function takes the sales amount as an argument and returns the corresponding commission.

The User-Defined Function is a much simpler and easier-to-read solution than using nested IF functions.

This tutorial showed four examples of using nested IF statements in Excel and gave five alternatives to using multiple IF statements in Excel. We hope you found the tutorial helpful.

Other Excel tutorials you may find useful:

• Excel Logical Test Using Multiple If Statements in Excel [AND/OR]
• How to Compare Two Columns in Excel (using VLOOKUP & IF)
• Using IF Function with Dates in Excel (Easy Examples)
• COUNTIF Greater Than Zero in Excel
• BETWEEN Formula in Excel (Using IF Function) – Examples
• Count Cells Less than a Value in Excel (COUNTIF Less)

Excel IF AND OR functions on their own aren’t very exciting, but mix them up with the IF Statement and you’ve got yourself a formula that’s much more powerful.

In this tutorial we’re going to take a look at the basics of the AND and OR functions and then put them to work with an IF Statement.  If you aren’t familiar with IF Statements, click here to read that tutorial first.

AND Function

The AND function belongs to the logic family of formulas, along with IF, OR and a few others.  It’s useful when you have multiple conditions that must be met.

In Excel language on its own the AND formula reads like this:

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

Now to translate into English:

=AND(is condition 1 true, AND condition 2 true (add more conditions if you want)

OR Function

The OR function is useful when you are happy if one, OR another condition is met.

In Excel language on its own the OR formula reads like this:

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

Now to translate into English:

=OR(is condition 1 true, OR condition 2 true (add more conditions if you want)

See, I did say they weren’t very exciting, but let’s mix them up with IF and put AND and OR to work.

IF AND Formula

First let’s set the scene of our challenge for the IF, AND formula:

In our spreadsheet below we want to calculate a bonus to pay the children’s TV personalities listed.  The rules, as devised by my 4 year old son, are:

1)      If the TV personality is Popular AND

2)      If they earn less than $100k per year they get a 10% bonus (my 4 year old will write them an IOU, he’s good for it though).

In cell D2 we will enter our IF AND formula as follows:

In English first

=IF(Spider Man is Popular, AND he earns <$100k),  calculate his salary x 10%, if not put "Nil" in the cell)

Now in Excel’s language:

=IF(AND(B2="Yes",C2<100),C2x$H$1,"Nil")

You’ll notice that the two conditions are typed in first, and then the outcomes are entered.  You can have more than two conditions; in fact you can have up to 30 by simply separating each condition with a comma (see warning below about going overboard with this though).

IF OR Formula

Again let’s set the scene of our challenge for the IF, OR formula:

The revised rules, as devised by my 4 year old son, are:

1)      If the TV personality is Popular OR

2)      If they earn less than $100k per year they get a 10% bonus.

In cell D2 we will enter our IF OR formula as follows:

In English first

=IF(Spider Man is Popular, OR he earns <$100k), calculate his salary x 10%, if not put “Nil” in the cell)

Now in Excel’s language:

=IF(OR(B2="Yes",C2<100),C2x$H$1,"Nil")

Notice how a subtle change from the AND function to the OR function has a significant impact on the bonus figure.

Just like the AND function, you can have up to 30 OR conditions nested in the one formula, again just separate each condition with a comma.

Try other operators

You can set your conditions to test for specific text, as I have done in this example with B2=»Yes», just put the text you want to check between inverted comas “   ”.

Alternatively you can test for a number and because the AND and OR functions belong to the logic family, you can employ different tests other than the less than (<) operator used in the examples above.

Other operators you could use are:

• =             Equal to
• >             Greater Than
• <=           Less than or equal to
• >=           Greater than or equal to
• <>           Less than or greater than

Warning: Don’t go overboard with nesting IF, AND, and OR’s, as it will be painful to decipher if you or someone else ever needs to update the formula in months or years to come.

Note: These formulas work in all versions of Excel, however versions pre Excel 2007 are limited to 7 nested IF’s.

Download the Workbook

Excel IF AND OR Practice Questions

IF AND Formula Practice

In the embedded Excel workbook below insert a formula (in the grey cells in column E), that returns the text ‘Yes’, when a product SKU should be reordered, based on the following criteria:

1. If Stock on hand is less than 20,000 AND
2. Demand level is ‘High’

If the above conditions are met, return ‘Yes’, otherwise, return ‘No’.

Tips for working with the embedded workbook:

1. Use arrow keys to move around the worksheet when you can’t click on the cells with your mouse
2. Use shortcut keys CTRL+C to copy and CTRL+V to paste
3. Don’t forget to absolute cell references where applicable
4. Do not enter anything in column F
5. Double click to edit a cell
6. Refresh the page to reset the embedded workbook

IF OR Formula Practice

In the embedded Excel workbook below insert a formula (in the grey cells in column E) that calculates the bonus due for each salesperson. A $500 bonus is paid if a salesperson meets either target in cells C24 and C25, otherwise they earn $0 bonus.

Want More Excel Formulas

Why not visit our list of Excel formulas. You’ll find a huge range all explained in plain English, plus PivotTables and other Excel tools and tricks. Enjoy 🙂