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: Determining a Random Value.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 7, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365
VBA provides a function to return a random value. You wouldn't necessarily use this function by itself, but as part of a larger macro that may require the use of random values. The syntax for the function is as follows:
x = Rnd()
where x is the result. The value returned will always be between 0 and 1. To translate this to some other random value, all you need to do is multiply the result by the highest number you want to consider. For instance, if you wanted a random integer number between 1 and 25, you could use the following code line:
x = Int(25 * Rnd()) + 1
Since Rnd always returns a value between 0 and 1 (but never 1 itself), multiplying what it returns by 25 and then using the Int function on that result will return a number between 0 and 24. Finally, 1 is added to this result, so that x will be equal to a number between 1 and 25, inclusive.
If you want a random floating point number, then simply removing the Int function from this code will not work correctly. Instead, you'll need to modify the formula in this manner:
x = (Rnd() * 24) + 1
Note:
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (9751) 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: Determining a Random Value.
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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:
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