VLOOKUP Tutorial
The VLOOKUP formula is one of the most widely used formulas, unfortunately, it is also one that can be challenging to learn.
Have you ever had a data table, and were trying to match the data in that table to another table based on a shared criteria? If that sounds confusing, you are definitely not alone. I too had trouble using the VLOOKUP formula at first, now it is present in many of the models I create. In this tutorial, I demonstrate the use of the VLOOKUP formula. I show both versions – using TRUE to find an approximate match, and FALSE to find an exact match. This simple tutorial will have you using VLOOKUP in no time.
I first use the VLOOKUP formula to find a grade when given a student’s score. This is a common task for teachers and professors. Next, I use VLOOKUP to assign a region based on a customer’s state. The difference between these two tasks is the type of match we are looking for. When selecting TRUE in the formula, you will be looking for an approximate match, as is the case of the grading scale. Rather than list every potential score, you can simply list the category minimum and maximum value. By selecting FALSE, you will be looking for an exact match. This was used to match the state to the appropriate region. Be careful with your data, as the formula looks for exact matching, which includes punctuation and spelling.
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Click Here to Access the Data File
Enjoy.
