1. The IF Function

Computers make decisions using logic. The IF function lets Excel choose between two outcomes.

=IF(logic_test, value_if_true, value_if_false)
=IF(A1 > 33, "Pass", "Fail")

2. Nested IFs (Grading System)

What if you have more than two Grade options? Use an IF inside an IF.

=IF(A1>90, "A", IF(A1>80, "B", "C"))

3. VLOOKUP Mastery

Vertical Lookup. It searches for a value in the first column of a table and returns a value in the same row from a specified column.

VLOOKUP Syntax Visualization
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])

Real World Project

Sales Report: You have a list of Sales IDs. Use VLOOKUP to pull Product Names and Prices from a Master Sheet, then use IF to assign a "Bonus" if sales > 5000.