TODAY and NOW functions in Excel - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the formula to get the current date in Excel.

Excel

= [1]()

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ATODAY

BTIME

CNOW

DDATE

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using NOW() when only the date is needed.

Trying to type the date manually instead of using the function.

The TODAY() function returns the current date without the time.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the formula to get the current date and time in Excel.

Excel

= [1]()

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ATODAY

BNOW

CDATE

DTIME

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using TODAY() when time is needed.

Forgetting to format the cell to show time.

The NOW() function returns the current date and time.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the formula to show the current date only.

Excel

= [1]()

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ANOW

BTIMEVALUE

CDATEVALUE

DTODAY

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using NOW() which includes time.

Using DATEVALUE or TIMEVALUE incorrectly.

Use TODAY() to get the current date without time.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to create a formula that adds 5 days to today's date.

Excel

= [1]() [2] 5

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ATODAY

B+

C-

DNOW

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using NOW() instead of TODAY() when only date is needed.

Using minus sign instead of plus.

Use TODAY() to get the current date and add 5 days with +.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to create a formula that shows the current time only.

Excel

= [1]() - INT([2]()) + [3]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

ANOW

C0

DTODAY

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using TODAY() which has no time.

Not subtracting the integer part to remove the date.

This formula extracts the time from NOW() by subtracting the integer part (date) and adding zero.

Practice

1. What does the Excel function TODAY() return when entered in a cell?

easy

A. The current date without the time

B. The current time without the date

C. The current date and time

D. The date and time of the last file save

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of TODAY()

   The function TODAY() returns only the current date, not including time.

2. Step 2: Compare with other options

   NOW() returns date and time, so TODAY() is only date.

3. Final Answer:

   The current date without the time -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   TODAY() = current date only [OK]

Hint: TODAY() shows date only, no time included [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing TODAY() with NOW()
• Expecting time to appear with TODAY()
• Thinking TODAY() updates only when file is opened

2. Which of the following is the correct way to write the formula that returns the current date and time in Excel?

easy

A. =NOW()

B. =TODAY()

C. =DATE()

D. =TIME()

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the function for current date and time

   NOW() returns both current date and time.

2. Step 2: Check other options

   TODAY() returns only date; DATE() and TIME() require arguments.

3. Final Answer:

   =NOW() -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   NOW() = current date and time [OK]

Hint: Use NOW() for date and time, TODAY() for date only [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using TODAY() to get time
• Writing DATE() or TIME() without arguments
• Missing equal sign in formula

3. If cell A1 contains the formula =NOW() and the current date and time is June 15, 2024, 3:30 PM, what will be displayed in A1 (assuming default date-time format)?

medium

A. 6/15/2024

B. 3:30 PM

C. 6/15/2024 3:30 PM

D. 15-Jun-2024

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what NOW() returns

   NOW() returns current date and time as a serial number formatted by default to show both.

2. Step 2: Interpret default formatting

   Default format shows date and time together, e.g., "6/15/2024 3:30 PM".

3. Final Answer:

   6/15/2024 3:30 PM -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   NOW() shows date and time [OK]

Hint: NOW() shows date and time together by default [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Expecting only date or only time from NOW()
• Confusing default date format with custom formats
• Ignoring time portion in NOW() output

4. You entered =TODAY() in cell B2, but it shows a date from last week instead of today's date. What is the most likely reason?

medium

A. Excel does not support TODAY() function

B. TODAY() function requires arguments to update

C. The cell is formatted as text

D. The computer's system date is set incorrectly

Solution

1. Step 1: Check function behavior

   TODAY() updates automatically to current date based on system clock.

2. Step 2: Analyze possible causes

   If date is old, system date is likely incorrect; TODAY() needs no arguments and Excel supports it.

3. Final Answer:

   The computer's system date is set incorrectly -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   TODAY() depends on system date [OK]

Hint: Check your computer's date if TODAY() shows wrong date [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking TODAY() needs arguments
• Assuming Excel doesn't support TODAY()
• Not checking cell formatting or system date

5. You want to create a spreadsheet that shows the current date and time in cell A1 and automatically updates every time the sheet recalculates. Which formula should you use, and why?

hard

A. =TODAY() because it updates date and time automatically

B. =NOW() because it updates both date and time automatically

C. =TODAY() + NOW() to combine date and time

D. =NOW() but it only updates when you open the file

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify function that updates date and time

   NOW() returns current date and time and updates on recalculation.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   TODAY() returns only date; adding TODAY() + NOW() is incorrect; NOW() updates on recalculation, not just file open.

3. Final Answer:

   =NOW() because it updates both date and time automatically -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   NOW() updates date and time on recalculation [OK]

Hint: Use NOW() for auto-updating date and time [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using TODAY() expecting time to update
• Adding TODAY() and NOW() incorrectly
• Thinking NOW() updates only on file open