What does the exact () function in Excel do?

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EXACT Function in Excel
EXACT Formula in Excel
How to Use EXACT Function in Excel?
Things to Remember
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EXACT Function in Excel (Table of Contents)

EXACT Function in Excel

The EXACT function is an inbuilt function in excel that is categorized under the TEXT function. It is used as a worksheet & VBA function in excel. EXACT function in Excel is used as a part of a formula in a cell of a worksheet & also integrated with other excel functions (IF, SUMPRODUCT & various other formulas of excel). It is most commonly used to perform a case-sensitive lookup between two strings. Excel is very easy to use and simple functions with two arguments.

Definition

Checks whether two strings are exactly the same and return TRUE or FALSE. It means the EXACT function in Excel compares two strings between two cells and returns TRUE if both values are the same & similar. Otherwise, it will return FALSE if both the strings do not match.

EXACT Formula in Excel

Below is the EXACT Formula in Excel:

Explanation of the EXACT Function in Excel

The EXACT formula in excel has two parameters, i.e. text1, text2.

Text1: It is the first text string that we want to compare.
Text2: It is the second string that we want to compare.

The arguments can be entered manually, or cell reference can be given. The exact function is case-sensitive. i.e. Capital letters are not equal to small letters. It will return a FALSE value if there is a Leading or trailing space in any text strings, small or capital letters in a text string, Extra space between alphabets in a text, or uppercase or lower-case text between two strings or text.

The equal sign in a formula of exact function can also be used, i.e. (text1=text2) to compare text strings. Instead of the EXACT function, the double equals (==) comparison operator is also used to Compare between two strings. For example, =X1==Y1 returns the same value as =EXACT(X1,Y1).

How to Use EXACT Function in Excel?

The EXACT function in Excel is very simple and easy to use. Let understand the working of EXACT function in Excel by some EXACT Formula example.

Example #1 – Text Containing Uppercase Letters

Here in the below-mentioned example. Cell B9 & C9 contains text strings; with the help of the EXACT function, I need to check whether the two cells have the same data or not.

Let’s apply the exact function in cell “D9”. Select the cell “D9” where an EXACT function needs to be applied.

Click the insert function button (fx) under the formula toolbar, a dialog box will appear, type the keyword “EXACT” in the search for a function box, and the EXACT function will appear in select a function box. Double click on an EXACT function.

A dialog box appears where arguments for the EXACT function need to be filled or entered, i.e. =EXACT(B9,C9). Here, I need to compare between B9 & C9 cell; hence it is entered in the function arguments of an exact function. Click ok once it is entered.

An EXACT function returns a FALSE value because both the strings do not match with each other. Here ‘c’ and ‘C’ are different, i.e. ‘c’ is lower case in text1, whereas ‘C’ is uppercase in text2, (EXACT function is case-sensitive)

In the below-mentioned example, the EXACT function returns a TRUE value, Because both values in the cell B10 & C10 are the same & similar. i.e. Both the cells contain a proper case text string.

Example #2 – Text Containing Spaces

Here in the below-mentioned example. Cell B13 & C13 contains the text strings; with the help of the EXACT function, I need to check whether the two cells have the same data or not.

Let’s apply the exact function in cell “D13”. Select the cell “D13” where an EXACT function needs to be applied.

Click the insert function button (fx) under the formula toolbar, a dialog box will appear, type the keyword “EXACT” in the search for a function box, and the EXACT function will appear in select a function box. Double click on an EXACT function.

A dialog box appears where arguments for the EXACT function need to be filled or entered, i.e. =EXACT(B13, C13). Here, I need to compare between B13 & C13 cell; hence it is entered in the function arguments of an exact function. Click ok once it is entered.

An EXACT function returns a FALSE value because both the strings do not match with each other. ‘XY Z’ and‘XYZ’ are different, i.e. ‘XY Z’ contains space between letter Y & Z in text1, whereas ‘XYZ’ does not contain any extra space between letters in the text2 column.

An EXACT function returns a FALSE value if any extra space between alphabets in text or even if there is a Leading or trailing space in any text strings. In the below-mentioned example, the EXACT function returns FALSE value because there is a leading space in the cell “B14”, before the word XYZ, you can observe two extra space.

Example #3 – Ignoring Format Pattern

In the below-mentioned example, Cell B18 contains $99, where it is in dollar value as currency format & C18 contains the 99, in number or general format. With the help of the EXACT function, I need to check whether the two cells have the same data or not.

Let’s apply the exact function in cell “D18”. Select the cell “D18” where an EXACT function needs to be applied.

Click the insert function button (fx) under the formula toolbar, a dialog box will appear, type the keyword “EXACT” in the search for a function box, and the EXACT function will appear in select a function box. Double click on an EXACT function.

A dialog box appears where arguments for the EXACT function need to be filled or entered, i.e. =EXACT(B18, C18). Here, I need to compare between B18 & C18 cell; hence it is entered in the function arguments of an exact function. Click ok once it is entered.

An EXACT function returns TRUE value because both the cell contains the same value, i.e. 99. Here Exact function ignores the format pattern of cells.

In the below-mentioned example, the EXACT function returns TRUE value because both the cell contains the same date value, i.e. Cell “B19” contains the date value (5/16/18) in number or general format whereas in cell “C19” date value is present in date format. Here Exact function ignores the format pattern of cells.

Things to Remember

The EXACT function is case-sensitive. i.e. Capital letters are not equal to small letters.
The exact function in Excel returns the false value if there is a difference in case pattern between text string, i.e. sentence case, lowercase, uppercase, proper case & toggle case.
The exact function in Excel returns the false value if there is Leading or trailing space & Extra space between alphabets in the text between two text strings.
EXACT Function in Excel ignores the formatting difference between the two cells.

E.G. 0.08 = 8%

$99 = 99