How to Use MOD Function in Excel: Syntax and Examples

In Excel, use the MOD function to find the remainder after dividing one number by another. The formula is =MOD(number, divisor), where number is the value to divide and divisor is the number you divide by.

Syntax

The MOD function has two parts:

• number: The number you want to divide.
• divisor: The number you divide by.

The function returns the remainder after division.

excel

=MOD(number, divisor)

Example

This example shows how to find the remainder when 17 is divided by 5.

excel

=MOD(17, 5)

Output

2

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes include:

• Using zero as the divisor, which causes an error.
• Confusing MOD with division or remainder operators in other programs.
• For negative numbers, MOD returns a positive remainder, which may differ from some programming languages.

excel

=MOD(10, 0)  // Causes #DIV/0! error
=MOD(-10, 3) // Returns 2, not -1

Output

#DIV/0!
2

Quick Reference

Term	Description
number	The value to divide
divisor	The number to divide by
Result	Remainder after division
Error	Divisor cannot be zero

Key Takeaways

Use =MOD(number, divisor) to get the remainder after division in Excel.

The divisor cannot be zero or Excel will show an error.

MOD always returns a positive remainder, even for negative numbers.

MOD is useful for tasks like checking if a number is even or odd.

Remember MOD differs from division; it only returns the remainder.