Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Using the INT Worksheet Function.
There are many times that you simply need to work with whole numbers. Excel provides a handy function, INT, for just such times. This function takes a single argument and returns the integer value of that argument. For instance, consider the following:
=INT(12.34)
Using this formula, Excel returns a value of 12. You should be aware that INT always returns the next lower whole integer. This only seems odd when dealing with negative numbers. For instance, consider the following:
=INT(-43.21)
You may be tempted to believe that Excel would return a value of -43, but this would be wrong. When following the rule of always returning the next lower whole integer, Excel would return -44, which is the next integer lower than -43.21.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2150) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Using the INT Worksheet Function.
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2012-05-29 18:26:07
Doug Horton
For negative numbers, use TRUNC() like this:
=TRUNC(-43.21)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: 
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