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CHOOSE vs SWITCH: selecting a value by index or match in Excel and Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=CHOOSE(A2,"Low","Medium","High")✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Level |
| 2 |
=CHOOSE(A2,"Low","Medium","High")→Medium
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Step by step
- 1CHOOSE(2, "Low", "Medium", "High") returns the 2nd option — "Medium".
- 2SWITCH(grade, "A", "Excellent", "B", "Good") matches a value rather than a position.
- 3Use CHOOSE when you have a 1-based index; use SWITCH to replace a chain of equality IFs.
Tips
- SWITCH takes an optional final default value for the no-match case.
- CHOOSE can return ranges, not just text — useful for switching which column a formula reads.
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Frequently asked
Is SWITCH better than nested IF?
For testing one expression against several exact values, yes — SWITCH is shorter and easier to read than nested IFs. For ranges or comparisons, use IFS.