How to Use the COLUMN Formula in Excel

The Column formula in Excel is used to find out the number of a column where a reference cell is located in the worksheet. This is a commonly used function or formula that you use in advanced financial modeling if you have got a large set of data that you’re working with and you need to make reference to specific rows within the financial model.

Formula explanation:

• Reference: The cell is selected to find out the position of it.

Example:

In this example, we are going to find out the column number of the selected cells from the data table using the COLUMN formula.

*Note this table is only a sample of an example with few data entries, and the formulas are based on the whole population of raw data which are not reflected in the example.

Solution:

This can be used as a formula to make reference to these cells in other financial models. You can embed this within a formula if you need to make reference to it and nest it within a formula that contains other lookups and references.

I hope that helps. Please leave a comment below with any questions or suggestions. For more in-depth Excel training, checkout our Ultimate Excel Training Course here. Thank you!