The spread: MAX minus MIN
How far apart the best and worst figures are, in one cell.
Task:
Five quotes have come in for the same job. Before choosing, you want to know how much the quotes disagree. Put the gap between the highest and lowest quote in B8.
Interactive Spreadsheet
Hints
+5 XPno-hints bonusSolve it on your own to keep the bonus. Each hint gets one step closer to the formula.
Variations of MIN, MAX
0/4The same formula in the other shapes it takes at work.
- MIN and MAX Functions
Find the minimum and maximum values in a dataset.
CoreBeginner - MINIFS and MAXIFS: the extremes of one group
The cheapest and dearest option you can actually buy today.
Intermediate - The spread: MAX minus MIN
How far apart the best and worst figures are, in one cell.
Beginner - Cap and floor a value with MIN and MAX
MIN as a ceiling and MAX as a floor — the most common use of both at work.
Intermediate
The data in this exercise
This is the grid you start with. Cell references in the task — B6, C2 — point at the row numbers and column letters below.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contractor | Quote |
| 2 | Ashby Build | 14250 |
| 3 | Brook & Son | 12980 |
| 4 | Carver Ltd | 16400 |
| 5 | Dunmore | 13775 |
| 6 | Eastgate | 15120 |
| 7 | ||
| 8 | Spread |
What this exercise teachesMay contain the answer
Putting both calls in one formula keeps the spread live: change a quote and it updates, with no helper cells holding a stale minimum. A wide spread is a prompt to check the specs match before you compare prices at all.