The simplest technique to establish a number’s relative position in a list of numbers is to sort the list in descending (from largest to smallest) or ascending order (from smallest to largest). In this article, I’ll focus on the ways of sorting using the RANK function in Excel from different aspects.
RANK Function in Excel (Quick View)
In the following image, you can see the basics of the RANK function in Excel. It is an overview of the article which represents an application of the RANK function in Excel.
Introduction to RANK Function in Excel
- Function Objective:
The RANK function returns the position of a given number in a given list of other numbers.
- Syntax:
=RANK(number,ref,[order])- Arguments Explanation:
| Argument | Required/Optional | Value |
|---|---|---|
| number | Required | The number that you want to rank. |
| ref | Required | It is the reference (an array or a list of numbers) that contains the number. |
| [order] | Optional | It is the way of ranking. 0 is used for descending order, and 1 is used for ascending order. |
- Return Parameter:
It returns a rank number.
- Version:
This function has been introduced in Excel 2007 and is available in all the later versions.
Using RANK Function in Excel: 6 Ideal Examples
To explain this article, I have taken the following dataset. This dataset contains the Names of some students and their Obtained Marks. I will Rank these students based on the Obtained Marks using the RANK function in Excel. I will explain 6 ideal examples.
1. Use RANK Function in Descending Order
In this first example, I will use the RANK function to rank the students in descending order. Let’s see how you can do it.
Steps:
- Firstly, select the cell where you want to show the rank. Here, I selected cell D5.
- Secondly, in cell D5 write the following formula.
=RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$15,0)
- After that, press Enter to get the result.
- After that, drag the Fill Handle down to copy the formula.
- Finally, you will see that you have copied the formula to all the other cells and got ranks for every student.
2. Apply RANK Function in Ascending Order in Excel
You can also rank values using the RANK function in Excel. In this example, I will show you how you can do it. Here, the formula will be the same, except 1 will be used for the ascending order. Let’s see the steps.
Steps:
- In the beginning, select the cell where you want the rank. Here, I selected cell D5.
- Then, in cell D5 write the following formula.
=RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$15,1)
- After that, press Enter to get the Rank.
- Next, drag the Fill Handle down to copy the formula.
- Here, you can see that I have copied the formula to all the other cells and got a rank for every student.
Read More: Ranking Data in Excel with SortingÂ
3. Employ RANK Function in Non-Contiguous Cells
Sometimes, you will face a situation where you will have to rank blank cells or non-contiguous cells. In this example, I will show you how you can rank in this type of situation using the RANK function in Excel. Let’s see the steps.
Steps:
- Firstly, select the cell where you want the rank.
- Next, write the following formula in that selected cell.
=IFERROR(RANK(C5,($C$5,$C$6,$C$9:$C$12),0),"")
- Then, press Enter, and you will get the rank.
🔎 How Does the Formula Work?
- RANK(C5,($C$5,$C$6,$C$9:$C$12),0): Here, in the RANK function, I selected cell C5 as the number, ($C$5,$C$6,$C$9:$C$12) as the ref, and 0 as order. The formula returns the rank of cell C5 in the ref in descending order. And, if it does not find the number in the ref range, it returns an error.
- IFERROR(RANK(C5,($C$5,$C$6,$C$9:$C$12),0),””): Now, the IFERROR function returns an empty string if it finds any error. Otherwise, it will return the rank.
- After that, drag the Fill Handle down to copy the formula.
- Finally, you can see that I have copied the formula to the other cells and got my desired output.
Read More: How to Stack Rank Employees in Excel
4. Get Unique Value Using Excel RANK Function
If two numbers are the same, the RANK function automatically returns a duplicate rank for the numbers. For example, if two distinct students get the same marks (see the following figure), you will find duplicate ranks for their Obtained Marks.
Now, I will show you how you can solve this problem and get a unique rank in this type of situation. Let me show you the steps.
Steps:
- In the beginning, select the cell where you want the rank.
- Next, write the following formula in that selected cell.
=RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$15,0)+COUNTIF($C$5:C5,C5)-1
- Then, press Enter, and you will get the rank.
🔎 How Does the Formula Work?
- RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$15,0): Here, in the RANK function, I selected C5 as the number, C5:C15 as the ref, and 0 as the order. Now, the formula will return the rank of the value in cell C5 among the cell range C5:C15 in descending order.
- COUNTIF($C$5:C5,C5): Now, in the COUNTIF function, I selected $C$5:C5 as the range and C5 as the criteria. The formula will return the number of cells in the range that match the criteria.
- RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$15,0)+COUNTIF($C$5:C5,C5)-1: Finally, this formula sums the results it got from these 2 functions and then subtracts 1 from the summation.
- After that, drag the Fill Handle down to copy the formula to the other cells.
- In the end, you will see that you have copied the formula to the other cells and got your unique rank.
Read More: Excel Formula to Rank with DuplicatesÂ
5. Utilize RANK Function to Break Ties in Excel
In certain cases, you cannot apply the previous method to get a unique rank. You will need to break the ties based on secondary criteria.
Assuming that the percentage of Attendance is given for each student. In the following image, you can see the dataset contains both Obtained Marks and Attendance. If a student has more Attendance, he or she will be ahead of the other who has the same score but has less Attendance.
Let’s see how you can get the rank using a tiebreak.
Steps:
- First, select the cell where you want the rank based on the primary criteria.
- Then, write the following formula in that selected cell.
=RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$15,0)
- Next, press Enter to get the rank.
- After that, drag the Fill Handle down to copy the formula to the other cells.
- Next, you can see that I have got a rank for every student.
- After that, select the cell where you want to get the Tie Break. Here, I selected cell F5.
- Then, in cell F5, write the following formula.
=IF(COUNTIF($C$5:$C$15,C5)>1,RANK(D5,$D$5:$D$15,1)/100,0)
- Next, press Enter to get the result.
🔎 How Does the Formula Work?
- COUNTIF($C$5:$C$15,C5): Here, in the COUNTIF function, I selected cell range C5:C15 as the range and cell C5 as the criteria. The formula returns the number of cells in the selected range that match the given criteria.
- RANK(D5,$D$5:$D$15,1): Now, in the RANK function, I selected cell D5 as the number, D5:D15 as the ref, and 1 as the order. The formula ranks the values in ascending order.
- RANK(D5,$D$5:$D$15,1)/100: Here, the result we got from the RANK function is divided by 100.
- IF(COUNTIF($C$5:$C$15,C5)>1,RANK(D5,$D$5:$D$15,1)/100,0): Finally, the IF function checks if the value it got from COUNTIF is greater than 1. If the logical_test is True, then it goes into the RANK function. Otherwise, it returns 0.
- After that, drag the Fill Handle down to copy the formula to the other cells.
- Here, you can see that I have copied the formula to all the cells and got my desired output.
- Next, I will determine the Final Rank from the Rank and the Tie Break.
- To do that, select cell G5.
- Then, in cell G5, write the following formula.
=E5+F5
- Next, press Enter to get the result.
- After that, drag the Fill Handle to copy the formula to the other cells.
- Finally, you can see that I have copied the formula to all the cells and got the Final Rank using a Tie Break.
Read More: How to Rank with Ties in ExcelÂ
6. Apply RANK Function Ignoring Zeros in Excel
In this example, I will show you how you can rank values by ignoring zeros. Here, I have taken the following dataset for this example. This dataset contains Month and Profit. The negative profits mean a loss and zeros mean a breakeven. I will use the Excel RANK function to rank the Profits, ignoring the zeros.
Let’s see the steps.
Steps:
- Firstly, select the cell where you want the rank. Here, I selected cell D5.
- Secondly, in cell D5 write the following formula.
=IF(C5=0,"",IF(C5>0,RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$16,0),RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$16,0)-COUNTIF($C$5:$C$16,0)))
- Thirdly, press Enter to get the result.
🔎 How Does the Formula Work?
- RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$16,0): Here, the RANK function returns the Rank of cell C5 in cell range C5:C15 in descending order.
- COUNTIF($C$5:$C$16,0): Now, in the COUNTIF function, I selected cell range C5:C15 as the range and 0 as the criteria. The formula will return the number of cells that match the criteria.
- RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$16,0)-COUNTIF($C$5:$C$16,0): Here, the formula will subtract the result it got from the COUNTIF function from the result it got from the RANK function.
- IF(C5>0,RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$16,0),RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$16,0)-COUNTIF($C$5:$C$16,0)): Now, the IF function will check if the value in cell C5 is greater than 0. If the logical_test is True, then it will return the result from the RANK function. Otherwise, it will return the result from the RANK and the COUNTIF function.
- IF(C5=0,””,IF(C5>0,RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$16,0),RANK(C5,$C$5:$C$16,0)-COUNTIF($C$5:$C$16,0))): Finally, this IF function will check if the value in cell C5 is 0. If the logical_test is True, then the formula will return an empty string. Otherwise, it will go to the second IF function.
- After that, drag the Fill Handle down to copy the formula.
- Here, you can see that I have copied the formula to the other cells and got my desired output.
Read More: Ranking Based on Multiple Criteria in Excel
Common Error While Using RANK Function in Excel
#N/A error occurs with the RANK function when the given number that you want to find rank is not available in the reference (the list of numbers).
Things to Remember
- Microsoft warns that the RANK function may not be available in the future as they have developed new and better functions for ranking with better accuracy and usage.
- If you omit the order (as it is an optional argument) while inserting the RANK function, the function will sort automatically in descending order.
Download Practice Workbook
Here, I have provided the practice workbook for you. You can download it from the link below.
Conclusion
So, you have reached the end of my article. I tried to cover different uses of the RANK function in Excel. If you have an interesting and unique method of using the RANK function, please share it in the comments section below.
Thanks for being with me.
Excel RANK Function: Knowledge Hub
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