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How to assign a letter grade from a score in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:IF, IFS & nested conditionsHeads up: Excel and Google Sheets do this differently.
Excel
=IF(B2>=90,"A",IF(B2>=80,"B",IF(B2>=70,"C",IF(B2>=60,"D","F"))))Google Sheets
=IFS(B2>=90,"A",B2>=80,"B",B2>=70,"C",B2>=60,"D",TRUE,"F")✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Student | Score | Grade |
| Alice | 95 | |
| Bob | 82 | |
| Carol | 74 | |
| David | 61 | |
| Eve | 45 |
=IF(B2>=90,"A",IF(B2>=80,"B",IF(B2>=70,"C",IF(B2>=60,"D","F"))))→A
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Step by step
- 1In a grade column (e.g., C2), enter the nested IF formula: =IF(B2>=90,"A",IF(B2>=80,"B",IF(B2>=70,"C",IF(B2>=60,"D","F")))).
- 2In Google Sheets you can use the cleaner IFS version: =IFS(B2>=90,"A",B2>=80,"B",B2>=70,"C",B2>=60,"D",TRUE,"F").
- 3Copy the formula down all student rows to grade everyone at once.
Tips
- Always order conditions from highest to lowest when using nested IF — the first true condition wins, so checking >=90 before >=80 prevents misclassification.
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Frequently asked
Can I use VLOOKUP instead of nested IF for grades?
Yes — build a two-column grade table (score cutoffs, letters) and use VLOOKUP with approximate match (TRUE): =VLOOKUP(B2,GradeTable,2,TRUE).
Does IFS work in Excel?
IFS is available in Excel 2019 and Microsoft 365. For older versions, use nested IF.
More on IF, IFS & nested conditions
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Replace #N/A, #DIV/0!, and other errors with a blank or a friendly message using IFERROR or IFNA. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
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Chain multiple IF functions inside each other to test several conditions and return different results for each scenario.
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Use IF with AND to return a value only when all specified conditions are simultaneously true in Excel or Google Sheets.