When working with data in Excel, you may sometimes need to sum a random selection of cells. For example, you may want to find the total of a column of data, but only for the cells that contain data.
Here I share 4 different ways to get the summation of random cells in excel.
They are-
- Using Arithmetic Calculation.
- Using the Summation Function.
- Using the Autosum Option.
- Using the Syntax of SUMIF Function.
For example, here, I share a table with a few data. This table is divided into three columns date, sales rep, and sales. Read the below to know how to sum random cells in excel in these four different ways.
Contents
1. USING Arithmetic Calculation
To sum a range of cells using an arithmetic calculation in Excel, you must use = and select the cells you want to summation. This function takes a range of Cells as an argument and returns the sum of the values in those cells. For example, I selected cell C17, where you want to show the summation and type = and selected the cells that I want to summation C1+C5+C7.
Finally, the equation is =C1+C5+C7.
Press enter and get the summation result of random cells in excel.
2. Using the Summation Function
You’ll need to use the SUM function to sum random cells in Excel. This function will add up all of the values in the cells you select. To use the SUM function, select the cells you want to add up, then type “=SUM( )” into the cell where you want the sum to appear. Finally, press Enter.
Let’s see the usage of the summation function practically.
First, select the cell you want to show the summation result. Here I select C17. Then type =SUM and select the cells that you want to get summation. I selected C1, C5, and C7.
Press the Enter Button and get the summation of random cells in excel.
3. Using the Autosum Option
Another option is to use the AutoSum feature. To do this, select the cells you want to sum, then click the AutoSum button on the Home tab of the Excel ribbon. Excel will automatically insert the SUM function into the cell for you.
You have to select the cell to get the value of summation. Here I select the C17 cell.
Go to the Home tab and click on the auto sum option. Otherwise, you also use the key shortcut Alt + = and press enter.
Then you get the result of the selected cells. You can also use the =Sum(C2:C16) formula to get the same result.
4. Using the Syntax of SUMIF Function
You can also use the SUMIF function to sum cells based on certain criteria. This function allows you to specify a range of cells to sum and a criterion for which cells to include in the summation.
As before, I selected C17 to show the summation. And type =SUMIF and select the range of Sales Rep columns with a comma. Again select the cell range of the Sales column and press enter. As like =SUMIF(B2:B16,F11,C2:C16)
Press enter to get the sum of random cells in excel.
Conclusion
Summing cells in MS Excel is generally easy, but it can be time-consuming for large datasets. Here I share 4 different ways to sum random cells in excel. Hopefully, it will help you make your work easier and save time.
