MAX
Finds the largest number in a range: the best sales month, the biggest order, the highest amount owed.
MAX(number1, [number2], ...)- [ ]optional part
- number1
- The first cell, a range like B2:D2 or a number.
- number2
- More cells or ranges, separated by commas. Optional.Optional
Return value
The largest of the numbers. If there are no numbers, the function returns 0.
Examples
Each rep’s best month
fx
A
B
C
D
E
F
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Rep
January, $
February, $
March, $
Best month, $
Johnson
184000
172500
205300
Miller
156200
149800
163400
Davis
201700
188900
214600
Wilson
98400
121300
134700
Sheet1
Details
MAX looks through all the numbers in the cells and ranges and returns the largest one. Empty cells and text are skipped.
MAX returns only the value itself. To find out whose it is, use INDEX together with MATCH.
Common mistakes
- If the range has no numbers at all, MAX returns 0, not an error.
- MAX doesn’t see numbers stored as text: the biggest order may be missed.