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How to use MIN vs MAX and SMALL vs LARGE Functions in Excel (Video in Khmer)

Learn how to use MIN, MAX, SMALL, and LARGE functions in Excel step-by-step with simple examples and formula breakdowns.

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Hello everyone! In today's video tutorial, you will learn how to use MIN, MAX, SMALL, and LARGE functions in Microsoft Excel with simple step-by-step examples. And follow this video to learn. In this video I use the Khmer language.

These statistical functions allow you to quickly find the highest, lowest, 2nd highest, or 3rd lowest values in your dataset.

min max function in excel example by reancomputer101

📚 Related Tutorial: Want to learn keyboard shortcuts? Check out our guide on Learn All Excel Keyboard Shortcuts!

📊 Quick Comparison Table

FunctionWhat It FindsFormula SyntaxExample Output
MINAbsolute lowest value=MIN(range)=MIN(A1:A5) -> 20
MAXAbsolute highest value=MAX(range)=MAX(A1:A5) -> 95
SMALLk-th lowest value=SMALL(array, k)=SMALL(A1:A5, 2) -> 50 (2nd lowest)
LARGEk-th highest value=LARGE(array, k)=LARGE(A1:A5, 2) -> 85 (2nd highest)

🛠️ 1. MIN and MAX Functions

  • MIN: Returns the smallest number in a list of values.
  • MAX: Returns the largest number in a list of values.

Formula Syntax:

=MIN(number1, [number2], ...)
=MAX(number1, [number2], ...)

Example:

Given test scores in cells A1:A5: [50, 85, 20, 95, 70]

  • Find lowest score: =MIN(A1:A5) -> 20
  • Find highest score: =MAX(A1:A5) -> 95

📚 Related Tutorial: Learn more foundational formulas in our guide on Top 15 Basic Excel Formulas for Beginners ↗!

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🛠️ 2. SMALL and LARGE Functions

Unlike MIN and MAX which only find absolute extreme values, SMALL and LARGE let you specify position ranking (k).

small large function in excel example by reancomputer101

Formula Syntax:

=SMALL(array, k)
=LARGE(array, k)
  • array: The cell range of numbers.
  • k: The position rank (1 for 1st, 2 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, etc.).

Example:

Given test scores in cells A1:A5: [50, 85, 20, 95, 70] (sorted: 20, 50, 70, 85, 95)

  • Find 2nd lowest score: =SMALL(A1:A5, 2) -> 50
  • Find 3rd lowest score: =SMALL(A1:A5, 3) -> 70
  • Find 2nd highest score (Runner-up): =LARGE(A1:A5, 2) -> 85
  • Find 3rd highest score: =LARGE(A1:A5, 3) -> 70

💡 Pro Tips

  1. Calculate Sum of Top 3 Values: Combine SUM and LARGE to add up your top 3 sales figures: 
    =SUM(LARGE(A1:A10, {1,2,3}))
  2. SMALL(..., 1) vs MIN(...): =SMALL(A1:A10, 1) gives the exact same result as =MIN(A1:A10). Similarly, =LARGE(A1:A10, 1) gives the exact same result as =MAX(A1:A10).
  3. Avoid #NUM! Error: Make sure k is a positive integer between 1 and the total count of numbers in your array. If k exceeds the data count, Excel returns a #NUM! error.

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