HEX2OCT Function in Excel: Hexadecimal to Octal

HEX2OCT Function in Excel: Hexadecimal to Octal 1
⏱ 1 min readUpdated 5 October 2026

EngineeringLevel: ExpertAvailable in: Excel 2007+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. HEX2OCT in practice
  5. Where you will use it
  6. Worked example
  7. Mistakes people make
  8. Related functions

HEX2OCT converts a hexadecimal number to octal. Used for device codes, permission bits, memory addresses and number-system lessons.

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Syntax

=HEX2OCT(number, [places])
Argument What it means
number Hexadecimal number (as text or a number)
places Pad with leading zeros to this length

Examples

Example 1

=HEX2OCT(A2)

Result: 17. See the worked example table below for more cases.

HEX2OCT in practice

Where you will use it

  • Reading hexadecimal values from device or network logs
  • Teaching number systems
  • Converting codes for systems that expect octal

Worked example

InputFormulaResult
F=HEX2OCT(A2)17
1FF=HEX2OCT(A3)777
40=HEX2OCT(A4)100

Results calculated in Excel.

Mistakes people make

MistakeWhat to do instead
Input too long or invalid digits#NUM!; check the digits allowed in the base
Negative resultsLarge inputs use two's complement (10 characters)

BASE · DECIMAL

📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.

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