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: Returning Least-Significant Digits.

Returning Least-Significant Digits

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 20, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


Glenn has a need to return the three least significant digits of a four-digit number and is wondering how this can best be done. As with many tasks in Excel, there are a number of ways you can derive the desired information. One way is to use the MOD function, in this manner:

=MOD(A1,1000)

This function divides the value in cell A1 by 1000 and then returns what is left over. Provided that the value in A1 is a four-digit integer, then you'll get the result you desire.

Another similar method of determining the desired values is to use a function that is normally used with text values:

=RIGHT(A1,3)

This returns the three right-most characters (digits) of whatever is in cell A1. If you think that it is possible that A1 could have some non-digit characters in it, then you should wrap the function in the VALUE function, like this:

=VALUE(RIGHT(A1,3))

Of course, it is very possible that any of the approaches discussed so far will give undesired results. While they work well if the value in A1 is an integer value, they don't work that well if the value is a real number, such as 12.36 or 105.2, having four significant digits. In these cases you may want to use a formula such as the following:

=RIGHT(0.0001*A1,3)

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3414) 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: Returning Least-Significant Digits.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Deleting Rows before a Cutoff Date

If you are using Excel to work with data that is date-centered, you may want to delete some of the data before a specific ...

Discover More

Track Changes Thinks the Editor Has Changed

Track changes is a great feature to use when you want to show what has changed in a document. Word should note which ...

Discover More

Locking the Zoom Factor

When using alternative pointing devices with a computer (such as a laptop), Excel may not always behave in helpful ways. ...

Discover More

Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!

More ExcelTips (menu)

Averaging a Non-Contiguous Range

Figuring out how to average data that is in a contiguous range of cells is easy. When the data is spread over a group of ...

Discover More

Where Is that Text?

Looking for a formula that can return the address of a cell containing a text string? Look no further; the solution is in ...

Discover More

Checking for Either of Two Text Values

Using a formula to find information in a text value is easy. Using a formula to find either of two text values within a ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is four less than 4?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

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.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.