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. Formula =ROUNDUP(RANK(A1,randoms)/size,0) Explanation In the example shown, the formula in D5 is: =ROUNDUP(RANK(C5,randoms)/size,0) which returns a group number for each name listed in…
Tag: Random
How to fill cell ranges with random number from fixed set of options in Excel
To quickly fill a range of cells with random numbers from a set of fixed options (i.e. 25,50,75,100), you can use a formula based on the CHOOSE and RANDBETWEEN functions. Formula =CHOOSE(RANDBETWEEN(1,4),num1,num2,num3,num4) Explanation In the example shown, the formula in B4 is: =CHOOSE(RANDBETWEEN(1,4),25,50,75,100) Which returns a random number from the numbers provided. How this formula works The CHOOSE function does…
How to generate random number between two numbers in Excel
To generate random integers between two numbers, you can use the RANDBETWEEN function. Formula =RANDBETWEEN(lower,upper) Explanation In the example shown, the formula in B5 is: =RANDBETWEEN(1,100) This formula is then copied down from B5 to B11. The result is random numbers between 1-100. Note that the RANDBETWEEN function will generate new numbers whenever a change is triggered on the worksheet.…
How to fill cell ranges with random text values in Excel
To quickly fill a range of cells with random text values, you can use a formula based on the CHOOSE and RANDBETWEEN functions. Formula =CHOOSE(RANDBETWEEN(1,3),”Value1″,”Value2″,”Value3″) Note that RANDBETWEEN will calculate a new value whenever the worksheet is changed. Once you have values in the range, you may want to replace the formulas with values to prevent further changes. Explanation In…
How to randomly assign data to groups in Excel
To randomly people (or anything) to groups you can use the RANDBETWEEN function with the CHOOSE function. Formula =CHOOSE(RANDBETWEEN(1,3),”Group A”,”Group B”,”Group B”) Explanation In the example shown, the formula in F3 is: =CHOOSE(RANDBETWEEN(1,3),”A”,”B”,”C”) When copied down the column, this formula will generate a random group (A, B, or C) for each person in the list. How this formula works The…
How to get random value from list or table in Excel
To get a random value from a table or list in Excel, you can use the INDEX function with help from the RANDBETWEEN and ROWS functions. Formula =INDEX(data,RANDBETWEEN(1,ROWS(data)),1) Note: this formula uses the named range “data” (B5:E104) for readability and convenience. If you don’t want to use a named range, substitute $B$5:$E$104 instead. Explanation In the example shown, the formula…
How to generate random times at specific intervals in Excel
To generate random times in at specific intervals you can use the RAND function with the FLOOR function. See example below: Formula =FLOOR(RAND(),”0:15″) Explanation In the example shown, the formula in B6 is: =FLOOR(RAND(),”0:15″) which generates a random time at a 15-minute interval. How this formula works The RAND function generates a decimal number between zero and 1. So, you…
How to generate random number weighted probability in Excel
To generated a random number, weighted with a given probability, you can use a helper table together with a formula based on the RAND and MATCH functions. Formula =MATCH(RAND(),cumulative_probability) Explanation In the example shown, the formula in F5 is: =MATCH(RAND(),D$5:D$10) How this formula works This formula relies on the helper table visible in the range B4:D10. Column B contains the…
How to generate random date between two dates in Excel
To generate random dates between two dates, you can use the RANDBETWEEN function, together with the DATE function. See example below: Formula =RANDBETWEEN(date1,date2) Explanation In the example shown, the formula in B5 is: =RANDBETWEEN(DATE(2016,1,1),DATE(2016,12,31)) This formula is then copied down from B5 to B11. The result is random dates between Jan 1, 2016 and Dec 31, 2016 (random dates in…