Excel Random Number Generation

Select a Random Decimal Value Between 0 and 1

If you want to generate a random decimal value between 0 and 1, simply used the Excel Rand function in any cell of your worksheet:

=RAND()

This function will generate a different random decimal, between 0 and 1 every time your worksheet re-calculates.

Select a Random Integer Between Two Supplied Integers

The Excel Randbetween function is used to generate a random integer between two supplied integers. For example:

=RANDBETWEEN( 0, 10 )

generates a random integer between 0 and 10.

Select a Random Decimal Between Two Specified Numbers

If you want to generate a random decimal value between any two values, A and B the following formula (which used the Excel Rand function) can be used:

=A+(B-A)*RAND()

Example 1

The following formula generates a random decimal value between the values 5 and 10:

=5+(10-5)*RAND()

Example 2

The formula below generates a random decimal value between the values 0.5 and 1.2:

=0.5+(1.2-0.5)*RAND()

Select a Random Value From a List

If you want to select a value at random from a list, this can be done with the use of the Excel Randbetween, Counta and Index functions.

For example, if you want to select a name at random from the values In cells A1 - A8 of the spreadsheet on the right, this can be done using the following formula:

=INDEX( A1:A8, RANDBETWEEN( 1, COUNTA( A1:A8 ) ) )

In the above formula:

• The Counta function returns the number of non-blank cells in the range A1 - A8, (which, in this example, equates to the value 8).
• The Randbetween function returns a random integer between 1 and 8.
• The Index function returns a reference to the n'th cell in the range A1 - A8 (where n is the random integer returned by the Randbetween function)