IFS and SWITCH

 

IFS and SWITCH Functions in Excel

Both IFS and SWITCH functions help in evaluating multiple conditions and returning results based on logical tests. However, they differ in how they process conditions and their use cases.

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1️⃣ IFS Function

The IFS function evaluates multiple conditions one by one and returns the value corresponding to the first TRUE condition.

Syntax:

=IFS(condition1, result1, condition2, result2, ..., TRUE, default_result)

Example:

Let's say we have student scores in cell A2, and we want to assign grades based on the following conditions:

Score (A2)	Grade
≥ 90	A
80 - 89	B
70 - 79	C
< 70	Fail

Using the IFS function, we can write:

=IFS(A2>=90, "A", A2>=80, "B", A2>=70, "C", A2<70, "Fail")

✅ How it works:

• If A2 is 92, it checks A2>=90 (TRUE) → Returns "A".
• If A2 is 85, A2>=90 is FALSE, so it checks A2>=80 (TRUE) → Returns "B".
• If A2 is 65, all conditions fail except A2<70 → Returns "Fail".

⛔ Limitations:

• Evaluates all conditions sequentially, which may reduce efficiency for large datasets.
• If no TRUE condition exists, it returns an error (#N/A) unless a default case (TRUE, "Default") is included.

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2️⃣ SWITCH Function

The SWITCH function evaluates one expression against multiple possible values and returns the corresponding result.

Syntax:

=SWITCH(expression, value1, result1, value2, result2, ..., default_result)

Example:

Suppose we have department codes in cell A2 and we want to display department names:

Code (A2)	Department
1	HR
2	Finance
3	IT
4	Sales

Using the SWITCH function:

we can write: =SWITCH(A2, 1, "HR", 2, "Finance", 3, "IT", 4, "Sales", "Unknown")

✅ How it works:

• If A2 = 2, it directly matches 2 → Returns "Finance".
• If A2 = 4, it matches 4 → Returns "Sales".
• If A2 = 5 (not listed), it returns "Unknown" as a default value.

⛔ Limitations:

• Cannot handle logical conditions (e.g., A2>=90 is NOT possible).
• Only matches exact values (no range-based comparisons).

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Key Differences Between IFS and SWITCH

Feature	IFS Function	SWITCH Function
Use Case	Multiple logical conditions	Matching a single value
Condition Type	Range-based comparisons (>=, <, etc.)	Exact match only (=)
Efficiency	Checks all conditions sequentially (may slow down large data)	Faster because it looks for an exact match
Default Value	Needs TRUE, "Default" to handle unmatched cases	The last argument acts as a default value
Error Handling	Returns #N/A if no condition is met	Avoids #N/A if a default is provided

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When to Use IFS vs. SWITCH?

Scenario	Use IFS	Use SWITCH
Assign grades based on score ranges	✅ Yes	❌ No
Convert numeric codes to names	❌ No	✅ Yes
Classify employees based on salary	✅ Yes	❌ No
Replace short department codes with full names	❌ No	✅ Yes

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Final Thoughts

• Use IFS when dealing with ranges and logical conditions.
• Use SWITCH when matching fixed values for faster execution.
• If performance is a concern, SWITCH is more efficient for exact value matching.