Math
Ranking a score in a list
Definition
Ranking a chosen score among a list means giving RANK that score and the list, with the default ranking the highest score as 1.
Syntax
=RANK(number, ref, order)
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
number |
The score to rank, such as B2. |
ref |
The list of scores to rank against. |
order |
1 ranks the lowest score as 1. 0 ranks the highest score as 1. |
Worked example
A heat sheet stores times in B2:B4. The lowest time ranks first.
| A: Runner | B: Time |
|---|---|
| Ada | 15 |
| Ben | 40 |
| Cal | 22 |
Formula: =RANK(B2,B2:B4,1)
Result: 1. 15 is the lowest time, so with order 1 it ranks first.
Practice
Cells A2:A4 hold 50, 80, and 60. In B2, write a formula that ranks the score in A3 among those scores.
- In B2, write a RANK formula that returns the rank of A3 in A2:A4.
- B2 should show the rank of A3 in A2:A4.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =RANK(A3,A2:A4) in B2.
A3 is 80. 50 and 60 are lower, so the rank is 1.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
Loading the sheet…
B2 uses RANK.
B2 now shows 1.
The next lesson is Keeping rows that pass a test.
Related functions
RANK is the function that ranks that score among the list.
Common mistake
Ranking the score in A2, as in =RANK(A2,A2:A4): 50 is the lowest score, so the default rank is 3 instead of 1.