Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Generating Random Testing Data.

Generating Random Testing Data

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 28, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365


2

When you develop worksheets that will be used by other people, you should test those worksheets to make sure that they work as you expect. This is particularly true of worksheets that contain complex formulas or will be used for critical purposes. The concept of testing a worksheet means that you will need to generate some sort of data to use in testing the worksheet.

Entire books have been written on putting together testing suites for software. How rigorous you are in compiling test data depends, in large part, on the needs of your audience and the nature of your worksheet. Unfortunately, there is no quick cure-all that will automatically figure out what you need and generate the data for you. There are tools in Excel, however, that you can use toward this end.

First, if you need to generate random numeric values, you can use the RAND or RANDBETWEEN worksheet functions. The difference is that RAND generates a value between 0 and 1, and RANDBETWEEN generates integer values between any bounds you set.

Random data may not be appropriate for your testing needs, however. This is particularly true when you are testing boundaries of your formulas. For instance, testing with large values, small values, or a combination of large and small values. Likewise, you may want to test for inappropriate values, such as using text as input rather than numbers (or vice versa). There are a whole contingent of conditions you need to think through, and then pick the type of data that is right for your needs.

If you prefer, you can use macros to generate testing data. The following macro fills a selected range of cells with a random numeric value, between whatever boundaries (minimum and maximum) that you set.

Sub RandNums()
    Dim MyRange As Range
    Dim lMin As Long, lMax As Long
    Dim dRand As Double

    ' If selection is not Excel Range
    If TypeName(Selection) <> "Range" Then Exit Sub

    Set MyRange = Selection

    ' Get Min and Max value
    lMin = CLng(InputBox("Minimum?"))
    lMax = CLng(InputBox("Maximum?"))

    Randomize
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False

    For Each c In MyRange.Cells
        ' Calculate random value, where
        ' Value >= Min And Value <= Max
        dRand = Rnd * (lMax - lMin) + lMin

        ' Use the following line only if the random
        ' value should be an integer
        ' dRand = Int(dRand)

        c.Value = dRand
    Next c

    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

To use the macro, just select a range of cells that you want to contain random numeric values, and then run the macro. If you must use integer values in the cells, then you can "uncomment" the noted line within the macro.

If you want to fill a range of cells with random dates, then a slight modification to the RandNums macro results in the following.

Sub RandDates()
    Dim MyRange As Range
    Dim dtMin As Date, dtMax As Date
    Dim dtRand As Date

    ' If selection is not Excel Range
    If TypeName(Selection) <> "Range" Then Exit Sub

    Set MyRange = Selection

    ' Get Min and Max value
    ' From: 1/1/1990 (put your start Date)
    dtMin = #1/1/1990#
    ' To: Today
    dtMax = Date

    Randomize
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False

    For Each c In MyRange.Cells
        ' Calculate random value, where
        ' Value >= Min And Value <= Max
        dtRand = Rnd * (dtMax - dtMin) + dtMin
        dtRand = Int(dtRand)

        c.Value = dtRand
        ' Change format for cell, below, as desired
        c.NumberFormat = "m/d/yyyy"
    Next c

    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

Again, just select a range and then run the macro. You can modify the initial values set to the dtMin and dtMax variables in order to specify the boundaries for the dates desired. You can also, if desired, change the formatting applied to the cells after the random date is stored within the cells.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the ExcelTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (7989) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Generating Random Testing Data.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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What is five minus 5?

2018-10-01 11:43:36

David Bonin

I strongly recommend against using the RAND() and RANDBETWEEN() worksheet functions.

Two reasons:

1) Every time the worksheet recalculates, all of the generated random values will change. That can make auditing your outputs against the inputs maddening.

2) These functions are slow. If you need to generate a lot (hundreds or thousands) of random numbers, then be prepared to wait a while.

The approach I took when creating a Monte-Carlo simulation program was to download a table titled "A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates". This table has been around since 1955 and it is well-vetted. You can download the table (all or just part of it) to a worksheet. Then just pick a place to start and use Excel to read values off the table.

Want a different batch of random values? Just pick a different place to start reading from.

Best thing is that your results are repeatable, which is very helpful for debugging.


2018-09-30 04:21:18

Hans

Generating random non-private data for testing purposes can really be a nuisance.
I was pointed to this site (https://www.fakenamegenerator.com/) and it really is an outcome
Free of charge and you can generate any type of lists you require.


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