Which of the following IF functions, entered in C4 and filled down, will return a correct result in all of the cells in column C?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

First, restate the setup to ensure the scenario is clear: we’re evaluating an IF formula that will be placed in C4 and then filled down the C column. The data shows a threshold and corresponding levels defined in rows 10–12: 
- B10 contains the label Points Less than, with the numeric threshold 900. 
- B11 contains the Level value for when the condition is true (Silver). 
- B12 contains the Level value for when the condition is false (Gold).
The goal is to assign Silver to those with fewer than 900 points, and Gold to those with 900 or more points, while keeping the threshold and result references fixed as we fill down.

Option a: =IF(B4<=$B$10,$B$12,$B$11)
- Here, the condition checks if B4 is less than or equal to the threshold (900). If true, it returns B12 (Gold); if false, it returns B11 (Silver).
- This reverses the intended mapping: students with low points would be assigned Gold, and higher-point students would get Silver. It also swaps the result values, which contradicts the desired outcome. As a result, this would produce incorrect levels for most rows.

Option b: =IF(B4=$B$10,$B$12,$B$11)
- This checks if the points are exactly equal to 900. If true, it returns Gold; if false, Silver.
- Since only a single row might have exactly 900 points, this formula would rarely, if ever, produce Gold or Silver as intended for all rows. It fails the general rule and ignores the broader threshold, making it incorrect.

Option c: IF(B4<B10,$B$11,$B$12)
- This uses a non-absolute reference (B10) and also uses a different ordering of results: when points are below the threshold, it returns Silver; else Gold.
- The lack of absolute references means that as we fill down, B10 could shift (if not fixed), breaking the intended threshold. Even with B10 fixed, the true/false results are swapped relative to the required mapping, so low-point rows would get Silver and high-point rows Gold, which aligns with the goal but only if the references were correct and the logic matched the mapping; as written, it depends on how B10 is anchored and ends up not consistent with the given cells in the example.

Option d: =IF(B4>=$B$10,$B$12,$B$11)
- This condition checks whether the current points in B4 are greater than or equal to the fixed threshold in B10 (900). If true, it returns B12 (Gold); if false, it returns B11 (Silver).
- This exactly matches the intended rule: 900 or more points yield Gold, fewer than 900 yield Silver. The use of absolute references ($B$10, $B$12, $B$11) ensures that when the formula is filled down the column, the threshold and the result mappings remain constant across rows.

Putting it all together, the correct design must keep the threshold fixed and map true-to-Gold and false-to-Silver, which is what option d achieves. Options a and c misalign the logical mapping or rely on non-anchored references (which would break when filled down), and option b limits the true case to a single exact value rather than a range. Each incorrect choice either flips the outcomes, targets the wrong comparison, or depends on unstable references, leading to inconsistent results across the column.

Dashboard Week 11 Quiz

Which of the following IF functions, entered in C4 and filled down, will return a correct result in all of the cells in column C?

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