The spread between highest and lowest
PremiumIn E1, work out how far apart the quotes are, the highest minus the lowest. Subtract MIN from MAX in one formula.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supplier | Quote | Spread | |||
| 2 | Acme | 1240 | ||||
| 3 | Brightline | 1385 | ||||
| 4 | Corvus | 1190 | ||||
| 5 | Delta Parts | 1460 | ||||
| 6 | Everline | 1310 | ||||
| 7 | ||||||
| 8 |
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It comes up in this mock test: Excel assessment (Indeed format)
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Why this works
MAX finds the highest quote, 1,460 from Delta Parts, and MIN the lowest, 1,190 from Corvus. The difference, 270, is the spread: how much you save by picking the cheapest supplier over the most expensive one.
Common mistake: Typing the two numbers you found by eye, =1460-1190. The answer is right today and wrong as soon as a quote changes.
The answer
- E1
=MAX(B2:B6)-MIN(B2:B6)
Subtract the smallest from the largest, =MAX(B2:B6)-MIN(B2:B6). Excel has no separate RANGE function.