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Logical function
XOR
Returns TRUE when an odd number of arguments are true.
Rarely usedDifficulty 1200 · ProficientUsage rank #272 of 520
When to use it
Exclusive or: TRUE when an odd number of arguments are TRUE. With two arguments, TRUE when exactly one is.
The shape of it
- Syntax
=XOR(logical1, [logical2], ...)
Worked examples
One of two
=XOR(TRUE,FALSE) → TRUE
Exactly one.
Both
=XOR(TRUE,TRUE) → FALSE
Both, so not exclusive.
Three arguments
=XOR(TRUE,TRUE,TRUE) → TRUE
Three is odd.
Worth knowing
- "Either a discount or a coupon, not both": XOR(discount>0,coupon>0).
- With more than two arguments it is a parity check, which is rarely what people mean.
- Introduced in Excel 2013.
Where it goes wrong
- The odd-count rule surprises people expecting "exactly one".
- Text arguments are ignored.
Related
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