Basic FunctionsBeginner

SIGN Function

Determine the sign of numbers using the SIGN function.

Task:

You are analyzing monthly profit/loss data and need to quickly categorize each month as either profitable, loss-making, or break-even. Determine if each profit/loss value is positive, negative, or zero by using the SIGN function in column C.

Interactive Spreadsheet

Read about SIGN

Hints

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Solve it on your own to keep the bonus. Each hint gets one step closer to the formula.

Variations of SIGN

0/3

The same formula in the other shapes it takes at work.

  1. SIGN Function

    Determine the sign of numbers using the SIGN function.

    CoreBeginner
  2. SIGN to label a direction

    Up, down or flat — from the sign of a change, not its size.

    Intermediate
  3. SIGN × ABS: round both ways symmetrically

    Treat a negative adjustment exactly like a positive one, then put the sign back.

    Advanced

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.

6 rows × 3 columns5 cells you fill in
ABC
1MonthProfit/LossSign
2Jan1500
3Feb-800
4Mar0
5Apr2200
6May-300

Functions used here

What this exercise teachesMay contain the answer

The SIGN function helps classify numbers based on their sign, useful for quick conditional analysis or formatting.