Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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: Returning Least-Significant Digits.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 23, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Glenn has a need to return the three least significant digits of a four-digit number and is wondering how this can best be done. As with many tasks in Excel, there are a number of ways you can derive the desired information. One way is to use the MOD function, in this manner:
=MOD(A1,1000)
This function divides the value in cell A1 by 1000 and then returns what is left over. Provided that the value in A1 is a four-digit integer, then you'll get the result you desire.
Another similar method of determining the desired values is to use a function that is normally used with text values:
=RIGHT(A1,3)
This returns the three right-most characters (digits) of whatever is in cell A1. If you think that it is possible that A1 could have some non-digit characters in it, then you should wrap the function in the VALUE function, like this:
=VALUE(RIGHT(A1,3))
Of course, it is very possible that any of the approaches discussed so far will give undesired results. While they work well if the value in A1 is an integer value, they don't work that well if the value is a real number, such as 12.36 or 105.2, having four significant digits. In these cases, you may want to use a formula such as the following:
=RIGHT(0.0001*A1,3)
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10785) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Returning Least-Significant Digits.
Program Successfully in Excel! This guide will provide you with all the information you need to automate any task in Excel and save time and effort. Learn how to extend Excel's functionality with VBA to create solutions not possible with the standard features. Includes latest information for Excel 2024 and Microsoft 365. Check out Mastering Excel VBA Programming today!
Need to figure out if a value is outside of some arbitrary limit related to a different value? There are a number of ways ...
Discover MoreWhen working with arrays in a formula, it can be a bit confusing to understand how they work. In this tip I examine a ...
Discover MoreCreating math formulas is a particular strong point of Excel. Not all the functions that you may need are built directly ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. 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:
Comments