WEEKDAY and WORKDAY in Excel - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the WEEKDAY function do in Excel?

The WEEKDAY function returns a number representing the day of the week for a given date. For example, Sunday can be 1, Monday 2, and so on, depending on the chosen return type.

beginner

How do you use the WORKDAY function in Excel?

The WORKDAY function calculates a date that is a certain number of working days away from a start date, skipping weekends and optionally holidays.

intermediate

What is the difference between WEEKDAY and WORKDAY functions?

WEEKDAY tells you the day number of a specific date, while WORKDAY gives you a future or past date after adding or subtracting working days.

intermediate

How can you exclude holidays in the WORKDAY function?

You can provide a list or range of holiday dates as the third argument in WORKDAY, so those days are not counted as working days.

beginner

What does WEEKDAY(date, 2) return for a Monday?

It returns 1 because with return type 2, the week starts on Monday as 1 and Sunday is 7.

What number does WEEKDAY return for Sunday if you use WEEKDAY(date, 1)?

A 1

B 7

C 0

D Sunday is not returned as a number

With return type 1, Sunday is 1, Monday is 2, and so on.

Which function would you use to find the date 10 working days after today?

A TODAY

B WEEKDAY

C WORKDAY

D NETWORKDAYS

WORKDAY calculates a date after adding working days, skipping weekends and holidays.

How do you tell WORKDAY to skip holidays?

A Use WEEKDAY with holidays

B WORKDAY cannot skip holidays

C Set holidays in Excel options

D Add holidays as the third argument

WORKDAY accepts a range or list of holiday dates as the third argument to exclude them.

If WEEKDAY returns 5 for a date with return type 2, what day is it?

A Friday

B Monday

C Thursday

D Sunday

Return type 2 means Monday=1, so 5 is Friday.

What does WORKDAY(start_date, -3) do?

A Gives the date 3 working days after start_date

B Gives the date 3 working days before start_date

C Gives the date 3 calendar days before start_date

D Gives the weekday number of start_date

Negative numbers in WORKDAY count backward working days.

Explain how to use the WEEKDAY function to find the day of the week for a date and how the return type affects the result.

Think about how Sunday or Monday can be numbered differently.

Describe how the WORKDAY function helps in planning by skipping weekends and holidays, including how to add holidays.

Consider a work project deadline calculation.

Practice

1. What does the Excel function =WEEKDAY(A1) return when A1 contains a date?

easy

A. The date of the next workday after the date in A1

B. A number representing the day of the week for the date in A1

C. The total number of workdays in the month of A1

D. The name of the day (like Monday) for the date in A1

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand WEEKDAY function purpose

   The WEEKDAY function returns a number from 1 to 7 representing the day of the week for a given date.

2. Step 2: Apply to cell A1

   Since A1 contains a date, =WEEKDAY(A1) returns the day number of that date.

3. Final Answer:

   A number representing the day of the week for the date in A1 -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   WEEKDAY = day number [OK]

Hint: WEEKDAY gives day number, not name or date [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking WEEKDAY returns the day name
• Confusing WEEKDAY with WORKDAY
• Expecting a date instead of a number

2. Which of these is the correct syntax to find the next workday after the date in cell B2, excluding weekends?

easy

A. =WORKDAY(B2, 1)

B. =WORKDAY(B2 + 1)

C. =WEEKDAY(B2, 1)

D. =WORKDAY(B2, "next")

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall WORKDAY syntax

   WORKDAY(start_date, days) returns the date after adding 'days' workdays to start_date, skipping weekends.

2. Step 2: Apply to find next workday

   To find the next workday after B2, add 1 workday: =WORKDAY(B2, 1) is correct syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   =WORKDAY(B2, 1) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   WORKDAY(date, 1) = next workday [OK]

Hint: WORKDAY needs two arguments: date and days [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using WORKDAY with only one argument
• Confusing WEEKDAY with WORKDAY
• Passing text like "next" instead of a number

3. If cell C3 contains the date 2024-06-14 (a Friday), what will =WORKDAY(C3, 3) return?

medium

A. 2024-06-17 (Monday)

B. 2024-06-18 (Tuesday)

C. 2024-06-20 (Thursday)

D. 2024-06-19 (Wednesday)

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify start date and days to add

   Start date is 2024-06-14 (Friday). We add 3 workdays, skipping weekends.

2. Step 2: Count workdays skipping weekend

   Adding 1 workday: Monday 2024-06-17
   Adding 2 workdays: Tuesday 2024-06-18
   Adding 3 workdays: Wednesday 2024-06-19

3. Final Answer:

   2024-06-19 (Wednesday) -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   WORKDAY adds days skipping weekends [OK]

Hint: Count only weekdays, skip Sat & Sun [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Counting weekend days as workdays
• Adding days directly without WORKDAY
• Confusing date formats

4. The formula =WORKDAY(A1, 5, {"2024-06-19"}) returns an error. What is the likely cause?

medium

A. WORKDAY does not accept a third argument

B. The days argument cannot be a positive number

C. The holidays argument must be a range, not an array of text strings

D. The date in A1 is invalid

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand WORKDAY holiday argument

   The third argument for WORKDAY is a range or array of dates, not text strings in quotes.

2. Step 2: Identify error cause

   Using {"2024-06-19"} passes a text string, not a date value, causing an error.

3. Final Answer:

   The holidays argument must be a range, not an array of text strings -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Holidays must be date values, not text [OK]

Hint: Holidays must be date cells or date arrays, not text [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Passing holiday dates as text strings
• Ignoring the third argument format
• Assuming WORKDAY only takes two arguments

5. You want to find the weekday number of the date that is 10 workdays after 2024-06-01, excluding weekends and the holiday 2024-06-12. Which formula correctly does this?

hard

A. =WEEKDAY(WORKDAY("2024-06-01", 10, DATE(2024,6,12)))

B. =WORKDAY(WEEKDAY("2024-06-01"), 10, DATE(2024,6,12))

C. =WEEKDAY(WORKDAY("2024-06-01", 10, {"2024-06-12"}))

D. =WORKDAY("2024-06-01", 10, "2024-06-12")

Solution

1. Step 1: Calculate date 10 workdays after 2024-06-01 excluding holiday

   Use WORKDAY with start date, days, and holiday as DATE(2024,6,12) to get correct date.

2. Step 2: Find weekday number of that date

   Wrap WORKDAY result inside WEEKDAY to get the day number.

3. Final Answer:

   =WEEKDAY(WORKDAY("2024-06-01", 10, DATE(2024,6,12))) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   WORKDAY then WEEKDAY for weekday number [OK]

Hint: Use WORKDAY first, then WEEKDAY to get day number [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Passing holiday as text instead of DATE function
• Using WEEKDAY inside WORKDAY incorrectly
• Ignoring holidays in WORKDAY