Weekday Formula In Excel: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

Excel is a powerful tool that can help you perform various calculations, including date-related calculations. One of the most useful functions in Excel is the WEEKDAY formula, which can help you determine the day of the week based on a given date. In this article, we will explore the WEEKDAY formula in detail and provide you with some tips and tricks to make the most of it.

What is the WEEKDAY Formula?

The WEEKDAY formula is an Excel function that returns the day of the week based on a given date. The formula takes two arguments: the date and the type of return value. The return value can be a number or a text value, depending on the type of return value you specify.

Example 1:

Suppose you want to find out the day of the week for January 1, 2023. You can use the WEEKDAY formula as follows:

=WEEKDAY(“1/1/2023”)

This formula will return a number between 1 and 7, where 1 represents Sunday, 2 represents Monday, and so on.

Example 2:

You can also use the WEEKDAY formula to return the day of the week as a text value. For example:

=WEEKDAY(“1/1/2023”,1)

This formula will return “Sunday”.

Tips for Using the WEEKDAY Formula

Here are some tips to help you make the most of the WEEKDAY formula in Excel: 1. You can use the WEEKDAY formula in conjunction with other Excel functions, such as IF and SUM, to perform more complex calculations. 2. You can use the WEEKDAY formula to create dynamic headers and footers in your Excel worksheets. 3. You can use the WEEKDAY formula to create custom schedules and calendars.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are some frequently asked questions about the WEEKDAY formula in Excel:

1. What is the syntax of the WEEKDAY formula?

The syntax of the WEEKDAY formula is as follows:

=WEEKDAY(serial_number,[return_type])

The serial_number argument is the date you want to evaluate, and the return_type argument is optional. If you omit the return_type argument, the WEEKDAY formula returns a number between 1 and 7.

2. What are the different return types for the WEEKDAY formula?

There are three different return types for the WEEKDAY formula:

Return Type 1 (default): Returns a number between 1 (Sunday) and 7 (Saturday).

Return Type 2: Returns a number between 1 (Monday) and 7 (Sunday).

Return Type 3: Returns a number between 0 (Monday) and 6 (Sunday).

3. How do I use the WEEKDAY formula to calculate the number of weekdays between two dates?

You can use the NETWORKDAYS function in Excel to calculate the number of weekdays between two dates. The NETWORKDAYS function excludes weekends and any holidays that you specify.

4. Can I use the WEEKDAY formula to calculate the week number?

Yes, you can use the WEEKDAY formula in conjunction with other Excel functions to calculate the week number. One way to do this is to use the WEEKNUM function, which returns the week number for a given date.

5. Can I use the WEEKDAY formula to identify holidays?

No, the WEEKDAY formula does not identify holidays. However, you can use the IF function in conjunction with a list of holidays to exclude them from your calculations.

6. Can I use the WEEKDAY formula with non-standard calendars?

Yes, you can use the WEEKDAY formula with non-standard calendars. You can specify the type of return value to match the calendar you are using.

7. Can I use the WEEKDAY formula in Google Sheets?

Yes, the WEEKDAY formula works in Google Sheets as well as Excel.

Tags

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Excel, WEEKDAY formula, date calculations, IF function, SUM function, WEEKNUM function, holiday exclusion, dynamic headers and footers, custom schedules and calendars, Google Sheets