Grade into Bands with IFS

2016+IFS

IFS checks conditions in order and returns the first match — cleaner than deeply nested IFs for grading, tiers, or status bands.

Quick formula: letter grade for a score in A2:

=IFS(A2>=90,"A", A2>=80,"B", A2>=70,"C", TRUE,"F")

Conditions are tested top to bottom; the first TRUE wins. A final TRUE is the catch-all default.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

IFS IF

The example

Scores mapped to letter grades.

	A	B
1	Score	Grade
2	92	A
3	74	C

The formula

First matching condition wins:

=IFS(A2>=90,"A", A2>=80,"B", A2>=70,"C", TRUE,"F") // top-to-bottom

How it works

IFS replaces nested IFs:

Each pair is a condition and the value to return if it’s the first TRUE.
Order from most restrictive to least — 90+ before 80+ — or a lower band catches the value first.
End with TRUE, default as the catch-all; without it, an unmatched value returns #N/A.
No 2016+? A VLOOKUP on a band table or nested IF does the same.

Or use a lookup table: an approximate-match VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP against a band table scales better than a long IFS — edit the table, not the formula. IFS shines for a handful of conditions written inline.

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Enter a score.

Grade:

Variations

Nested IF

Pre-2016:

=IF(A2>=90,"A",IF(A2>=80,"B",IF(A2>=70,"C","F")))

Lookup table

Scales better:

=VLOOKUP(A2, bandTable, 2, TRUE)

Add +/−

More bands:

=IFS(A2>=97,"A+", A2>=93,"A", ...)

Pitfalls & errors

Add the TRUE default. Without a final TRUE, value, an unmatched input returns #N/A.

Order matters. List conditions from highest to lowest; otherwise a looser band matches first.

2016 or later. IFS isn’t in Excel 2013 — use nested IF or a lookup table.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free Grade into Bands with IFS practice workbook

An IFS grading sheet with nested-IF and lookup variants, plus 4 challenges with answers. No sign-up required.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use IFS to grade scores in Excel?

Use =IFS(A2>=90,"A", A2>=80,"B", A2>=70,"C", TRUE,"F"). It returns the first TRUE condition; the final TRUE is the catch-all.

Why does IFS return #N/A?

No condition matched and there's no catch-all. Add TRUE, default as the last pair.

When should I use a lookup table instead?

For many bands or tiers, an approximate VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP on a band table is easier to maintain than a long IFS.

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Function references: IFS · IF