How to Use the IF Function in Excel (Make Logical Decisions Easily)

How to Use the IF Function in Excel (Make Logical Decisions Easily)

The IF() function lets you test conditions and return custom outputs based on whether the condition is true or false. It’s one of the most important and frequently used functions in Excel.

📘 Syntax:

=IF(logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false)

✅ Example 1 – Basic Pass/Fail:

=IF(A2 >= 40, "Pass", "Fail")

This checks if the value in A2 is 40 or more and returns “Pass” or “Fail”.

✅ Example 2 – Check Eligibility:

=IF(B2 >= 18, "Eligible", "Not Eligible")

Used for age-based decisions like driving, voting, or membership.

🎯 Common Use Cases:

• Student grade calculations
• Discount rules in sales
• Conditional outputs in dashboards

💡 Pro Tip:

You can nest multiple IFs for more complex conditions:

=IF(A2 >= 90, "A", IF(A2 >= 75, "B", "C"))

IF statements power most smart Excel sheets. Learn more powerful functions daily with ScriptDataInsights!