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How to write a nested IF formula in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:IF, IFS & nested conditionsExcel & Google Sheets
=IF(A2>=90,"A",IF(A2>=80,"B",IF(A2>=70,"C","F")))✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Score | Grade |
| 95 | |
| 82 | |
| 74 | |
| 55 |
=IF(A2>=90,"A",IF(A2>=80,"B",IF(A2>=70,"C","F")))→A
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Step by step
- 1Decide the order of conditions — always test from most restrictive to least restrictive. For grades: check 90+ first, then 80+, then 70+.
- 2Build the formula from the inside out: start with the innermost IF and wrap each condition. Example: =IF(A2>=90,"A",IF(A2>=80,"B",IF(A2>=70,"C","F"))).
- 3Press Enter. Each condition is evaluated in order; the first TRUE condition's value is returned. The last value ("F") is the default when no condition matches.
Tips
- Excel and Google Sheets both support up to 64 nested IFs, but readability degrades quickly. Consider IFS or SWITCH for more than 3–4 conditions.
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Frequently asked
How many IFs can I nest?
Excel and Google Sheets allow up to 64 levels of nesting, but more than 4–5 levels becomes very hard to read and debug.
What is the IFS function and when should I use it instead?
IFS(condition1, value1, condition2, value2, …) is a cleaner alternative to nested IFs when you have many conditions. It is available in Excel 2019+ and all versions of Google Sheets.
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Nested IF formulas not working in Excel and Google Sheets — fix bracket mismatches, wrong evaluation order, overlapping conditions, and the 64-nesting limit.
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How-toHow to write an IF with multiple conditions
Combine IF with AND or OR to test multiple conditions simultaneously and return a result based on whether all or any are true.
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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.
How-toHow to combine IF and OR
Use IF with OR to return a value when at least one of several conditions is true in Excel or Google Sheets.