Hi – Im Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.Read more.
To randomly assign people to groups or teams of a specific size, you can use a helper column with a value generated by the RAND function, together with a formula based on the RANK and ROUNDUP functions. In the example…
In this video, we look at a step by step approach to randomly assign people to groups with teams using formulas. Along the way, we use three functions (RAND, RANK, and CEILING), helper columns, and nesting. We verify results with the COUNTIF function.
Get a random number between 0 and 1
In this video, well look at a few ways to generate random values with the RANDBETWEEN function. You can use this approach to generate random numbers, random prices, random dates, and even random text values. This is a great way to create dummy data to test formulas and worksheets.
To generate a set of random numbers in multiple cells, select the cells, enter RAND() and presscontrol + enter.
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To generate random times in at specific intervals you can use the RAND function with the FLOOR function. In the example shown, the formula in B6 is: =FLOOR(RAND(),0:15) which generates a random time at a…
The Excel RANDBETEEN function returns a random integer between given numbers. RANDBETEEN recalculates when a worksheet is opened or changed.
To generate a random number between a and b, use this formula: RAND() * (b – a) + a
To get a random number that doesnt change when the worksheet is calculated, enter =RAND() in the formulas bar and then press F9 to convert the formula into its result.
In this video, we look at how to simulate a drawing and pick winners in a contest with Excel, using the RAND and RANK functions together.
How to pick names out of a hat with Excel
The Excel RAND function returns a random number between 0 and 1. For example, =RAND() will generate a number like 0.422245717. RAND recalculates when a worksheet is opened or changed.
How to randomly assign people to teams
RAND calculates a new value each time the worksheet is calculated. To stop random numbers from being updated, copy the cells that contain RAND to the clipboard, then use Paste Special