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In this article
RANK still works for compatibility and behaves exactly like RANK.EQ. New workbooks should use RANK.EQ or RANK.AVG.
Syntax
=RANK(number, ref, [order])| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
order |
0 = largest is 1. |
Examples
Example 1
=RANK(C2, $C$2:$C$50)Leaderboard position.
RANK in practice
Where you will use it
- Rank salespeople by sales
- Class rank by marks
- Rank products by margin
Worked example
| Rep | Sales | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neha | 420000 | =RANK(B2,$B$2:$B$5) | 2 |
| Arjun | 310000 | =RANK(B3,$B$2:$B$5) | 4 |
| Pooja | 505000 | =RANK(B4,$B$2:$B$5) | 1 |
| Simran | 420000 | =RANK(B5,$B$2:$B$5) | 2 |
Results calculated in Excel.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Not locking the range | Use $B$2:$B$5 so it doesn't slide when copied |
| Ties | Equal values share a rank and the next rank is skipped; RANK.AVG averages them |
Related functions
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📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Practice workbook: Statistics advanced33 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.⬇ XLSX · 36 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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