5 Underrated Excel Formulas Every Beginner Should Learn

5 Underrated Excel Formulas Every Beginner Should Learn

Most people know about SUM, COUNT, and even VLOOKUP. But to truly work smarter in Excel, you need a few more tools in your belt. These lesser-known formulas will help you clean, automate, and format like a pro.

1. =TEXT()

Use it to: Format numbers and dates clearly.
Example: =TEXT(A1, "DD-MMM-YYYY") gives you 23-Jun-2025.

2. =IFERROR()

Use it to: Hide formula errors with friendly messages.
Example: =IFERROR(A1/B1, "Invalid Input")

3. =LEN() and =TRIM()

Use it to: Find unwanted spaces or text issues.
=LEN(A1) shows character length.
=TRIM(A1) removes extra spaces.

4. =INDIRECT()

Use it to: Reference ranges dynamically.
=SUM(INDIRECT("A1:A"&B1)) sums rows based on a variable.

5. =CHOOSE()

Use it to: Pick from a list based on a number.
=CHOOSE(2, "Excel", "Power BI", "Python") returns Power BI.

Bonus Tip:

Try mixing these formulas inside dashboards to simplify logic and enhance automation. If you want real-world templates using these formulas:

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