Goal: Assign a Grade based on a Score (Approximate Match).
LOOKUP finds the largest value that is less than or equal to the lookup value.
Ready...
💻 Formula Structure
=LOOKUP(lookup_value, lookup_vector, result_vector)
- 1. Lookup Value: The value to test (e.g., 75).
- 2. Lookup Vector: The range to search (Scores). ⚠️ Must be Sorted!
- 3. Result Vector: The range to return from (Grades).
-- Determine Grade for Score
=LOOKUP( 75, A2:A6, B2:B6 )
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
🚫 Unsorted Data = Errors
LOOKUP assumes the data is sorted Ascending (0, 60, 70...). If the data is not sorted, it returns unpredictable results.
✅ Fix: Sort your data or use XLOOKUP.
🚫 No Exact Match Option
LOOKUP always uses approximate matching. You cannot turn this off.