CHOOSE function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

Syntax of CHOOSE function

CHOOSE(index_num, value1, [value2], …)

The CHOOSE function syntax has the following arguments:

• Index_num    Required. Specifies which value argument is selected. Index_num must be a number between 1 and 254, or a formula or reference to a cell containing a number between 1 and 254.
  • If index_num is 1, CHOOSE returns value1; if it is 2, CHOOSE returns value2; and so on.
  • If index_num is less than 1 or greater than the number of the last value in the list, CHOOSE returns the #VALUE! error value.
  • If index_num is a fraction, it is truncated to the lowest integer before being used.
• Value1, value2, …     Value 1 is required, subsequent values are optional. 1 to 254 value arguments from which CHOOSE selects a value or an action to perform based on index_num. The arguments can be numbers, cell references, defined names, formulas, functions, or text.

CHOOSE formula explanation

• If index_num is an array, every value is evaluated when CHOOSE is evaluated.
• The value arguments to CHOOSE can be range references as well as single values.For example, the formula:

=SUM(CHOOSE(2,A1:A10,B1:B10,C1:C10))

evaluates to:

=SUM(B1:B10)

which then returns a value based on the values in the range B1:B10.

The CHOOSE function is evaluated first, returning the reference B1:B10. The SUM function is then evaluated using B1:B10, the result of the CHOOSE function, as its argument.

Examples of CHOOSE function

Steps to follow:

1. Open a new Excel worksheet.

2. Copy data in the following table below and paste it in cell A1

Note: For formulas to show results, select them, press F2 key on your keyboard and then press Enter.

You can adjust the column widths to see all the data, if need be.