Excel: Use the comparison function

In this practical tip, we describe how to use the comparison function in Excel.

Use the comparison function in Excel

1. Click in a free cell in Excel and type in "= COMPARISON".
2. The comparison function syntax consists of three arguments and is displayed automatically.
3. Under "Search criterion", the first argument, specify the value with which you want to compare the elements of the search matrix.
4. The second argument, the search matrix, is a range of cells from, for example, result values. For example, you can use a number of numbers to find out who matches the search criteria, for example a specific number.
5. As a third argument, the comparison type, enter -1.0 or 1. 1 means that the comparison function searches for the largest value that is less than or equal to the value of the search criterion. Similarly, with -1 you search for the smallest value. The 0 searches for the first value that matches the search criteria value.
6. The following applies here: For the comparison type -1 or 1, the search matrix must be arranged in ascending or descending order. With comparison type 0, the values ​​of the search matrix can be arranged in any order.
7. Assign the three arguments to your cell, your cell range and the appropriate comparison type and then execute the function with the Enter key.