Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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: Random Numbers in a Range.
Excel provides a power function that allows you to easily return a random integer number within a range. For instance, you can use the RANDBETWEEN function to return a random integer number between 50 and 99, or between –25 and 0. The syntax for the function is as follows:
=RANDBETWEEN(lower, upper)
All you need to do is provide the lower and upper values. If the first number you provide is actually higher than the second number, then RANDBETWEEN returns a #NUM! error.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12364) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Random Numbers in a Range.
Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!
The data validation capabilities of Excel are really handy when you want to limit what is put into a cell. However, you ...
Discover MoreCharacter codes are the numeric values used, by a computer, to signify various alphanumeric characters. You can use the ...
Discover MoreUsers of the most recent versions of Excel have four different ways available to combine values into strings. Even those ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2016-10-17 11:34:08
David Bonin
Excel's random number functions tend to execute slowly. Generating a significant list takes time. Also, as noted below, debugging formulas that change every time they are executed can be maddening. Even worse, converting uniformly distributed
When I had to generate thousands of random numbers for a large Monte Carlo simulation, I used the Rand Corporation's table of "A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates". It's available for download for free. From there, I merely chose a random enough starting point (my pseudo-seed) and just started pulling numbers.
When I wanted to run a different simulation, I picked another starting point (whose range of numbers did not overlap an earlier-used range) and started picking more numbers.
Best part, I was using random values which did not change or refresh unless I wanted them to, and execution speed was much faster.
2016-10-17 10:00:37
mike
Excel will not randbetween fractions or decimals as expected...
Take hi and lo fractions (decimals) times 100; do the ranbetween on those whole numbers; then divide the randbetween results by 100.
Ex.: Randbetween for decimals:
a) with decimals 0.23 and -0.56.
b) times 100 is 23 and -56.
c) Randbetween on 23 and -56 divided by 100 is
d) in decimals
2016-10-15 14:31:35
Steve
Because I often need to document my random selection, as well as sort in ascending order, and the randbetween function returns new values every time a new operation is performed the copy and paste values functions are useful. If I need a population of 40, I will use this function to select 60 items. Then copy and paste values for all 60 selections, create a break between the 40 needed and the 20 alternates. The 40 items can then be sorted in ascending order, with the remaining alternates used as needed in the order selected. For documentation purposes, I describe this procedure since the formulas are no longer in the cells.
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 © 2018 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. 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