How to Use SUM in Microsoft Excel: A Beginner’s Guide

Microsoft Excel is one of the most powerful tools for organizing, analyzing, and calculating data. One of the first (and most useful) functions you should learn is the SUM function. This function allows you to quickly add up values in a row, column, or across a range of cells.

What is the SUM Function in Excel?

The SUM function simply adds numbers together. Instead of typing =5+10+15, you can tell Excel to add an entire range of cells for you.

The formula looks like this:

=SUM(number1, number2, …)

Or, more commonly:

=SUM(A1:A10)

This example tells Excel to add all numbers from cell A1 through A10.

Step-by-Step: How to Use SUM

1. Enter your numbers into cells (for example, in a column or row).

2. Click on the cell where you want the total to appear.

3. Type the formula:

   =SUM(A1:A10)

   and press Enter.

4. Excel instantly calculates the sum of all numbers in that range.

   
   

Example: Summing Sales Data

Let’s say you have sales numbers for January in column B (from B2 to B11). To calculate the total sales, you would enter:

=SUM(B2:B11)

This saves you from manually adding each number. Happy Exceling!