What are the ‘rules of precedence’?
If you wish to perform more than one calculation at a time then you will need to know about the ‘rules of precedence’. In Excel (and maths!) these rules state that operations are performed in a set order.
What order are the rules performed?
Excel completes formulae in the following order:
| () | Anything within brackets is calculated first. |
| ^ | Any exponentials are calculated next. Eg 2 to the power 3 (2*2*2). |
| * / | Multiplications and divisions are completed next from left to right as they occur in the formula. |
| +- | Lastly additions and subtractions are completed again completed from left to right as they occur. |
Example:
=6+12/3
You might expect the answer to be 6 (6+12=18, 18/3=6)
However, in Excel the result would be 10. Why?
The rules state that the division is completed first, then addition. Therefore:
12/3=4
6+4=10.