IF with AND explained

IF with AND returns Approve only when every required condition is true. Here the amount passes, but manager approval does not, so the request is rejected.

How Excel works this out

Inner to outer

Compares the two sides and returns TRUE or FALSE.

Check if all conditions are true with AND, which returns TRUE only when every test passes.

Returns one value when a condition is true and another when it's false

Formula sample data

How this IF formula works

The amount test returns TRUE and the manager-approval test returns FALSE. AND therefore returns FALSE, and IF selects Reject.

The rows above are ordered from the innermost calculation to the final result. Excel has to finish an inner function before the function around it can use that value. Edit a cell in the grid to see that dependency chain update for real.

Try your own formula and data

The sample spreadsheet is fully editable. Change the formula or any cell it references. The intermediate values recalculate in your browser.

Practice with an exercise

Here is an exercise that uses IF. Type the formula into a real spreadsheet and we will check your answer as you go.

IF with AND

Intermediate

Approve a loan only if credit score > 700 AND income > $50,000.

Open exercise

Common mistakes with IF

If this formula is not doing what you expect, one of these is usually why.

Why does IF with AND reject when one condition is true?

AND requires every condition to be TRUE. If either the amount test or approval test fails, AND returns FALSE and IF uses its rejection branch.

When should I use OR instead of AND?

Use OR when any one condition is enough. Use AND when all requirements must pass together.

Why does Yes not match my cell?

Text criteria must be quoted and spelled consistently. Hidden spaces can make "Yes " different from "Yes".

Can AND contain more than two conditions?

Yes. Add more comma-separated tests inside AND; it returns TRUE only when every one of them is true.