Using Min and Max functions in a VLOOKUP

[Callum90]

Hi,

I am preparing for an excel test (which will be 15 mins long). I have managed to find an example test and and I am currently stuck on one of the questions where it is asking me to return the name of the youngest employee within the dataset.

On one tab I have the questions and on the other tab is the raw data which list the fictitious employees name (column A), dob (column B), salary (column C), city (column D) and age (column E). I have already done the formula to calculate there age to populate column E but I am stuck on the above question.

I have tried using a Min or Max function within a vlookup but I keep getting an NA value.

The formula I have tried to used goes like this: =VLOOKUP("MIN 'Raw Data'!C4:C78",'Raw Data'!e4:G78,1,0)

If anyone knows the answer plus any other tips for a 15 minute excel test then that would be great.

Thanks

 

[jasonb75]

To get you started

=VLOOKUP(MIN('Raw Data'!C4:C78),......

I think you might need to make some changes to the other parts of the formula as well before it works correctly.

 

[Callum90]

To get you started

=VLOOKUP(MIN('Raw Data'!C4:C78),......

I think you might need to make some changes to the other parts of the formula as well before it works correctly.

Apologies I did a typo when I copied across the formula, the one I have used in the spreadsheet actually looks like this:

=VLOOKUP(MIN('Raw Data'!E4:E78), 'Raw Data'!A3:E78,1,0)

I thought that using the Min function within the lookup value part of the Vlookup but it keeps returning an NA value.

 

[jasonb75]

Vlookup is limited in functionality, it's trying to find the MIN() value in column A, not column E.

The value you are looking for, i.e your MIN() value, must be in the leftmost column of the data range, the column with the answer to return must be to the right.

As you need it to work the opposite way, you would need to use MIN with a combination of INDEX and MATCH.

 

[mfexcel]

apparently you are working for vlookup that looks into left hand side.
For your reference.
Alternative to vlookup – Index and Match | wmfexcel

Hope it gives you some ideas.

Apologies I did a typo when I copied across the formula, the one I have used in the spreadsheet actually looks like this:

=VLOOKUP(MIN('Raw Data'!E4:E78), 'Raw Data'!A3:E78,1,0)

I thought that using the Min function within the lookup value part of the Vlookup but it keeps returning an NA value.