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An array formula is a special type of formula in Excel that allows you to perform multiple calculations at once. It can be used in conjunction with the VLOOKUP function to search for and retrieve data from a table. To use an array formula with VLOOKUP, you need to enter the formula in a specific way, using curly braces to surround the formula. This will enable the formula to calculate the results for each cell in the specified range, instead of just one cell. By using an array formula with VLOOKUP, you can efficiently and accurately retrieve data from a large table without having to manually enter the formula for each cell.
Use an Array Formula with VLOOKUP in Excel
You can use the following basic syntax to perform a VLOOKUP with an array formula in Excel:
=VLOOKUP(E2:E8,A2:C8,3,FALSE)
This particular formula will return the values in the third column of the range A2:C8 where the values in the range E2:E8 match the values in the range A2:A8.
The following example shows how to use this formula in practice.
Example: Use Array Formula with VLOOKUP in Excel
Suppose we have a dataset in the range A2:C8 that contains information about various basketball teams and suppose we would like to look up the value in the “Rebounds” column for each team in the range E2:E8:
If we use VLOOKUP with one cell, we can look up the “Rebounds” value for the Kings:
=VLOOKUP(E2,A2:C8,3,FALSE)
However, we would have to type this formula multiple times to look up the “Rebounds” value for each team in column E.
Instead of providing one cell value to the VLOOKUP function, we could instead provide the entire range of cells in column E to look up the “Rebounds” value for each team all at once.
To do so, we can type the following formula into cell G2:
=VLOOKUP(E2:E8,A2:C8,3,FALSE)
Once we press Enter, the “Rebounds” value for each team will be returned at the same time:
The benefit of using this approach is that we don’t have to type out the VLOOKUP formula multiple times or click and drag the formula to multiple cells in order to return multiple values.
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Excel:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How can I use an array formula with VLOOKUP in Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-an-array-formula-with-vlookup-in-excel/
stats writer. "How can I use an array formula with VLOOKUP in Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 25 Jun. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-an-array-formula-with-vlookup-in-excel/.
stats writer. "How can I use an array formula with VLOOKUP in Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-an-array-formula-with-vlookup-in-excel/.
stats writer (2024) 'How can I use an array formula with VLOOKUP in Excel?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-an-array-formula-with-vlookup-in-excel/.
[1] stats writer, "How can I use an array formula with VLOOKUP in Excel?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, June, 2024.
stats writer. How can I use an array formula with VLOOKUP in Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.