Sums up cells that are supplied as multiple arguments The SUM Function[1] is categorized under Excel Math and Trigonometry functions. The function will sum up cells that are supplied as multiple arguments. It is the most popular and widely used function in Excel. SUM helps users perform a quick summation of specified cells in MS Excel. For example, we are given the cost of 100 items bought for an event. We can use the function to find out the total cost of the event. Formula=SUM(number1, [number2], [number3]……) The SUM function uses the following arguments:
The function sums values supplied as arguments (up to 255 arguments). Arguments can be supplied as numbers, cell references, ranges, arrays, constants, and the results of other formulas or functions. How to use the SUM Function in Excel?To understand the uses of the SUM function, let’s consider a few examples: Example 1Suppose we are given the following data: We wish to find out the total sales for the first six months. The formula to be used is: We get the result below:
Example 2Generally, the SUM function is used as part of bigger formulas used in complex calculations. Suppose we are given the following data: As seen above, there is missing information in the data. In such a case, we can use the SUM function along with the IF function to show a warning message. The formula to be used is: We get the result below: Things to remember about the SUM Function
We can also find AutoSum in the Formulas tab: The AutoSum feature not only enters a SUM formula but also selects the most likely range of cells that we wish to add up. Click here to download the sample Excel file Additional ResourcesThanks for reading CFI’s guide to the Excel SUM function. By taking the time to learn and master these Excel functions, you’ll significantly speed up your financial analysis. To learn more, check out these additional CFI resources: Article Sources
Excel for Microsoft 365 Excel for the web Excel 2021 Excel 2019 Excel 2016 Excel 2013 More...Less You can use a simple formula to sum numbers in a range (a group of cells), but the SUM function is easier to use when you’re working with more than a few numbers. For example =SUM(A2:A6) is less likely to have typing errors than =A2+A3+A4+A5+A6.
Here’s a formula that uses two cell ranges: =SUM(A2:A4,C2:C3) sums the numbers in ranges A2:A4 and C2:C3. You’d press Enter to get the total of 39787. To create the formula:
Each argument can be a range, a number, or single cell references, all separated by commas.
If you want to play around with our sample data, here’s some data to use. You can see how the SUM function works by copying the following table into a worksheet and pasting it into cell A1.
You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community. The SUM function adds values. You can add individual values, cell references or ranges or a mix of all three. For example:
Syntax:
SUM(number1,[number2],...)
Best Practices with SUM
This section will discuss some best practices for working with the SUM function. Much of this can be applied to working with other functions as well. The =1+2 or =A+B Method – While you can enter =1+2+3 or =A1+B1+C2 and get fully accurate results, these methods are error prone for several reasons:
Frequently Asked Questions
Need more help?You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Communityor get support in the Answers community. See AlsoLearn more about SUM The SUMIF function adds only the values that meet a single criteria The SUMIFS function adds only the values that meet multiple criteria The COUNTIF function counts only the values that meet a single criteria The COUNTIFS function counts only the values that meet multiple criteria Overview of formulas in Excel How to avoid broken formulas Find and correct errors in formulas Math & Trig functions Excel functions (alphabetical) Excel functions (by Category) |