Lookup and Reference - CHOOSE Function

Description

The CHOOSE function returns a value from an array that corresponds to a supplied index number (position). You can consider CHOOSE Function as a function that returns the nth entry in a given list. CHOOSE function uses index_num to return a value from the list of value arguments. You can use it to select one of up to 254 values based on the index number.

For example, if value1 through value7 are the days of the week, the CHOOSE function returns one of the days when a number between 1 and 7 is used as index_num.

Syntax

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

Arguments

Argument	Description	Required/ Optional
Index_num	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 Function 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.	Required
Value1	1 to 254 value arguments from which CHOOSE Function selects a value or an action to perform based on index_num. Value1, Value2 … can be numbers, cell references, defined names, formulas, functions, or text.	Required
Value2, ...	Optional

Argument

Description

Required/ Optional

Index_num

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 Function 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.

Required

Value1

1 to 254 value arguments from which CHOOSE Function selects a value or an action to perform based on index_num.

Value1, Value2 … can be numbers, cell references, defined names, formulas, functions, or text.

Required

Value2, ...

Optional

Notes

If index_num is an array, every value is evaluated when CHOOSE Function is evaluated.
The value arguments to CHOOSE Function can be range references as well as single values.
If index_num is less than 1 or is greater than the supplied number of Value arguments, CHOOSE Function returns #VALUE error.
If any of the Value arguments are text values that are not enclosed in quotes, CHOOSE Function returns #NAME? error.
If any of the Value arguments are not valid cell references, the CHOOSE Function returns #NAME? error.

Applicability

Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016

Example

advanced_excel_lookup_reference_functions.htm