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In this article
EXACT compares two texts including upper/lower case. A normal =A2=B2 ignores case.
Syntax
=EXACT(text1, text2)| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
text1, text2 |
Texts to compare. |
Examples
Example 1
=EXACT(A2, B2)TRUE only if “ABC123” matches “ABC123”, not “abc123”.
Example 2
=SUMPRODUCT(--EXACT(A2:A100, "SKU-a"))Case-sensitive count.
EXACT in practice
Where you will use it
- Case-sensitive password or code checks
- Find PAN/GSTIN entered in wrong case
- Compare two lists exactly
Worked example
| A | B | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABCDE1234F | abcde1234f | =EXACT(A2,B2) | FALSE |
| Pune | Pune | =EXACT(A3,B3) | TRUE |
| Pune | Pune | =EXACT(A4,B4) | FALSE |
Results calculated in Excel.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Using = for case checks | =A2=B2 ignores case; EXACT doesn't |
| Trailing spaces | EXACT sees them; TRIM first |
Related functions
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📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Practice workbook: Text & cleaning24 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.⬇ XLSX · 35 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
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