MATCH Function (Functions in Excel)

	Names				Values
	Bob				250
	Alan				600
	David				1000
	Carol				4000
Type a name to look for :	Alan			Type a value :	1000
The position of Alan is :	2			Value position :	3
	=MATCH(E9,E4:E7,0)				=MATCH(I9,I4:I7,1)

Syntax

=MATCH(WhatToLookFor,WhereToLook,TypeOfMatch)

The TypeOfMatch either 0, 1 or -1.

Using 0 will look for an exact match. If no match is found the #NA error will be shown.

Using 1 will look for an exact match, or the next lowest number if no exact match exists.

If there is no match or next lowest number the error #NA is shown.

The list of values being examined must be sorted for this to work correctly.

Using -1 will look for an exact match, or the next highest number if no exact match exists.

If there is no exact match or next highest number the error #NA is shown.

The list must be sorted for this to work properly.

Examples 1

Using the 0 option suitable for an exact match.

The Ascending list gives the exact match.

The Descending list gives the exact match.

The Wrong Value list cannot find an exact match, so the #NA is shown.

Ascending		Descending		Wrong Value
10		40		10
20		30		20
30		20		30
40		10		40
20		20		25
2		3		#N/A
		=MATCH(G45,G40:G43,0)

Example 2

Using the 1 option suitable for a ascending list to find an exact or next lowest match.

The Ascending list gives the exact match.

The Descending list gives the #NA error.

The Wrong Value list finds the next lowest number..

Ascending		Descending		Wrong Value
10		40		10
20		30		20
30		20		30
40		10		40
20		20		25
2		#N/A		2
				=MATCH(G62,G57:G60,1)

Example 3

Using the -1 option suitable for a descending list to find an exact or next highest match.

The Ascending list gives the #NA error.

The Descending list gives the exact match.

The Wrong Value list finds the next highest number.

Ascending		Descending		Wrong Value
10		40		40
20		30		30
30		20		20
40		10		10
20		20		25
#N/A		3		2
				=MATCH(G79,G74:G77,-1)

Example 4

The tables below were used to by a bus company taking booking for bus tours.

They need to allocate a bus with enough seats for the all the passengers.

The list of bus sizes has been entered in a list.

The number of passengers on the tour is then entered.

The =MATCH() function looks down the list to find the bus with enough seats.

If the number of passengers is not an exact match, the next biggest bus will be picked.

After the =MATCH() function has found the bus, the =INDEX() function has been used

to look down the list again and pick out the actual bus size required.

	Bus Size			Passengers on the tour :	23
Bus 1	54			Bus size needed :	50
Bus 2	50				=INDEX(D95:D99,MATCH(H94,D95:D99,-1),0)
Bus 3	22
Bus 4	15
Bus 5	6

Example 5

The tables below were used by a school to calculate the exam grades for pupils.

The list of grade breakpoints was entered in a list.

The pupils scores were entered in another list.

The pupils scores are compared against the breakpoints.

If an exact match is not found, the next lowest breakpoint is used.

The =INDEX() function then looks down the Grade list to find the grade.

Exam Score	Grade			Pupil Score	Grade
0	Fail		Alan	60	Pass
50	Pass		Bob	6	Fail
90	Merit		Carol	97	Distinction
95	Distinction		David	89	Pass
					=INDEX(D111:D114,MATCH(G114,C111:C114,1),0)

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