What is the Excel INT Function?
The excel INT function is not used to get an integer number from a number, for a positive number, it’s correct, but for a negative number, it’s wrong.
The excel INT function is used to round down all numbers, to the nearest integer. For a positive number, will get an integer number equal to the original number, but for a negative number, will get a more negative number, not the same as the original number.
Use the excel TRUNC function to get the same integer number as the original number, whether it’s a positive or a negative number.
INT Syntax
INT(number)
number, required, the number you want to round down to the nearest integer.
How to Use INT Function in Excel
For example, there are numbers like the picture below. What is the result if the number in column A is used as a “number” argument of the INT function?
INT Function #1 – INT Function #3
=INT(A2) =INT(A3) =INT(A4)
For a positive number regardless of number, whether there are fractions or not, always return the same integer number as the origin, because the INT function rounds down to the nearest integer number.
INT Function #4 – INT Function #6
=INT(A5) =INT(A6) =INT(A7)
For negative numbers, no matter the number of fractions, always get an integer number that is different from the origin. Why? The INT function rounds down, if the number is negative, it will become more negative and different from the original number.
For negative numbers, the INT function returns the same integer number as the origin if there are no fractional numbers.
INT Function #7 – INT Function #9
=INT(A8) =INT(A9) =INT(A10)
Although in excel documentation a “number” argument must be a number, it turns out that if it’s filled with alphanumeric (the number represented as text), it doesn’t matter. As long excel successfully converts it to a number, Excel will round down to the nearest integer number.
If Excel unsuccessfully to convert, it returns a #VALUE! error.
See the picture below for the results of the nine INT functions.
