How to check if two cells are equal in Microsoft Excel

verifying if two cells are equal in Excel involves comparing the values in the cells to determine if they match. This operation is crucial in ensuring data accuracy and detecting inconsistencies. The significance of this process is demonstrated in its use across various Excel operations such as data validation, data cleanup, formula auditing, and more.

In this tutorial, we will cover how to check if two cells are equal in Microsoft Excel. Comparing two cells for equality is a basic task in Microsoft Excel which can be achieved by multiple methods including the EXACT function, and XLOOKUP function as well as simply by placing an Equals sign.

Presented is a dataset containing the masses of several particles obtained through both theoretical and experimental means. The objective is to verify if the results are precise by determining if the experimental values match the theoretical values, or if there exists any error.

Method 1: Utilizing an Equals Sign

Step 1 – Choose a Targeted Cell

• Choose a targeted cell.

Step 2 – Utilize the “Equals” Sign

• Utilize the “Equals” (=) sign to check if the cells are equal.
• The structure of the formulae would be:

            B2=C2

• The parameters “B2” and “C2” are the cells to be checked.

Step 3 – Hit the Enter Key

• Hit the “Enter” key on the keyboard.
• If the formulae return TRUE, then the cells are equal i.e. the theoretically and experimentally determined values are precise.
• If the formulae return False, then the cells are not equal i.e the theoretically and experimentally determined values have an error.

Step 4 – Utilize Autofill to Check all the Determined Masses

• Utilize the Autofill feature to determine whether the value in each cell is the same.

Method 2: Checking if Two Cells are Equal by utilizing the XLOOKUP Function

Step 1 – Choose a Targeted Cell

• Choose a targeted cell.

Step 2 – Utilize the XLOOKUP Function

• Enter the XLOOKUP function in the cell.
• The structure of the formulae would be:

            XLOOKUP(B2,C2,“True”,“False”)

• The first two parameters “B2” and “C2” are the references of the cells to be checked.
• If the cells are equal, then “True” will be returned. Else, “False” will be returned.
• You may enter desired statements as per the requirement.

Step 3 – Hit the “Enter” Key

• Hit the “Enter” key on the keyboard to obtain the results.

Step 4 – Utilize Autofill to Check all the Determined Masses

• Utilize the Autofill feature to determine whether the value in each cell is the same.

Method 3: Utilizing the EXACT Function

Step 1 – Choose a Targeted Cell

• Choose a targeted cell.

Step 2 – Utilize the EXACT Function

• Enter the EXACT function in the cell.
• The structure of the formulae would be:

           EXACT(B2,C2)

• The parameters B2 and C2 are the references of the cells to be checked.
• If the formulae return TRUE, then the cells are equal i.e. the theoretically and experimentally determined values are precise.
• If the formulae return False, then the cells are not equal i.e the theoretically and experimentally determined values have an error.

Step 3 – Hit the “Enter” Key

• Hit the “Enter” key on the keyboard to obtain the results.

Step 4 – Utilize Autofill to Check all the Determined Masses

• Utilize the Autofill feature to determine whether the value in each cell is the same.

Method 4: Checking if two Cells are Equal with Conditional Formatting

Step 1 – Choose the First Cell

• Choose the first cell to be compared with the other cell.

Step 2 – Perform a Click on the “Conditional Formatting” Button

• Perform a click on the “Conditional Formatting” button in the Styles section located in the Home tab.

Step 3 – Locate the “Equals to” Option in the “Highlight Rules” Menu

• Locate the “Equals to” option in the “Highlight Rules” menu.

Step 4 – Insert the Reference of the Cell with Whom the First Cell is to be Compared

• Insert the reference of the second cell i.e. the cell with whom the first cell is to be compared,

Step 5 – Hit the OK Button

• Hit the OK button in the dialog box.
• If the cells are equal then the selected cell would get highlighted else they won’t get highlighted.
• Follow the above-mentioned steps for each of the cells to be checked, 

Method 5: Utilizing the IF Function to Check if Two Cells are Equal

The process of verifying if two cells are identical is frequently employed in creating logical tests. Using the IF function enables us to choose desired statements to be returned after checking the cells.

For Instance, we have lists of marks, one obtained from the students themselves and the other from the record, we may want to ensure that the marks provided by the students are accurate by verifying if there are any discrepancies between the two lists.

Step 1 – Choose a Targeted Cell

• Choose a targeted cell.

Step 2 – Enter the “IF” Function, the “If_True” and the “If_False” Statements

• Enter the IF function.
• The structure of the formulae formed would be:

            IF( B2=C2, “Accurate”, “Discrepancy”)  

•  The parameters of the logical test i.e. B2 and C2 are the cells to be compared, the marks from students, and the record.
• The function will return “Accurate” if cells are equal, else “Discrepancy” will be returned.

Step 3 – Hit the Enter Key

• Hit the Enter key to obtain the results.

Step 4 – Utilize Autofill to Check all the Marks

• Utilize the Autofill feature to determine whether the value in each cell is the same.