MIN and MAX functions in Excel - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the MIN function do in Excel?

The MIN function finds the smallest number in a group of numbers or cells.

beginner

What does the MAX function do in Excel?

The MAX function finds the largest number in a group of numbers or cells.

beginner

How do you write a formula to find the smallest number in cells A1 to A5?

Use =MIN(A1:A5) to get the smallest number in cells A1 through A5.

beginner

How do you write a formula to find the largest number in cells B1 to B10?

Use =MAX(B1:B10) to get the largest number in cells B1 through B10.

intermediate

Can MIN and MAX functions handle numbers and empty cells together?

Yes, MIN and MAX ignore empty cells and only consider cells with numbers.

What will =MIN(3, 7, 2, 9) return?

A 2

B 7

C 9

D 3

MIN returns the smallest number, which is 2.

What does =MAX(A1:A4) do if A1=5, A2=8, A3=3, A4=10?

A 5

B 10

C 8

D 3

MAX returns the largest number, which is 10.

If cells A1=4, A2 is empty, A3=7, what does =MIN(A1:A3) return?

A 4

B Error

C 7

D 0

Empty cells are ignored, so MIN returns 4.

Which formula finds the largest value in cells C1 to C5?

A =AVERAGE(C1:C5)

B =MIN(C1:C5)

C =SUM(C1:C5)

D =MAX(C1:C5)

MAX finds the largest value in the range.

What happens if you use =MIN() with no numbers or cells?

A Returns 0

B Returns the current date

C Returns an error

D Returns 1

MIN with no arguments returns an error because it needs numbers to compare.

Explain how to use the MIN function to find the smallest number in a list of cells.

Think about how you find the lowest price in a shopping list.

Describe the difference between MIN and MAX functions and when you might use each.

Think about checking who scored the least or the most in a game.